"I told you I put it in too early!" said Catherine

I wanted to have dinner all ready by the time my husband, Ryan got home at 7:00 pm. I searched the fabulous world of Pinterest and found a recipe that Ryan would love. Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Chicken. Sounds ritzy, right? Ryan would love the artichokes and chicken, so if I could make it edible everything would be great. I started cooking the chicken in the pan. I left the chicken to cook and went into the living room where my homework was scattered everywhere. I had a minute, so I started reading Cry, The Beloved Country. I read the first page, and the next page, and the next, before I realized that the chicken needed to be turned! I ran to the stove and had to use a spatula to separate the chicken from its newfound lover, pan. Flipping the breasts over, I found third degree burns. I looked pretty bad, but I persevered! The chicken part was done… I looked at the recipe to see what was next and almost cried when I saw that I was only supposed to brown the chicken and then take it out. Mine was brown alright. But again, we forage ahead! I threw the rest of the ingredients into the pan, and returned my “browned” chicken to the mixture. Time to simmer for 5-10 minutes. This would have been the perfect time to relax, or say, I dunno, read a book! But I wasn’t leaving pan’s side. It had gone through enough abused today and I didn’t think burnt tomatoes and artichokes would behoove the chicken.

When Ryan came home, I had the chicken set out on the table ready to eat. We sat down and I nonchalantly stirred everything in my bowl, more focused on seeing Ryan’s first bite and his reaction. 

“This is good, baby! It’s a bit crispy, but really good!” he said. Ryan always encourages me and tries everything I cook. He gives little hints of truthful suggestions, followed by extravagant praise. He's such a good guinea pig! I definitely married the right person.

The burnt chicken flavor was lost in the mountains of tomatoes and artichokes. But the texture of crunchy pieces reminded me of the Grisword family’s turkey dinner. I feel for you Catherine! I think it could’ve been really good!  The moral of the story is to be attentive and alert while cooking and to thoroughly, and  if possible memorize, the recipe before you start cooking. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/artichoke-and-sun-dried-tomato-chicken/