Another glorious weekend has arrived!  Time to wind down a bit, relax, enjoy the time that's yours, now.  You've spent the week working, carpooling, grocery shopping, being a parent, being a spouse, being an employee, being everything that everyone else needs you to be.  Now, it's your time.  Take the time to be you.  Enjoy a good meal with friends or just for two.  Slow down a little, linger in your thoughts.  Decide how to make the night special.  Prepare a meal together.  Serve it together. Create the atmosphere that you love the most and then let yourself experience it.....

 Entree

Chicken Breasts with Delicious Honey&Cranberry Sauce
(This is just excellent and will delight all who grace you with their presence at your table.  The sauce is very light.  I made this entree for my family this week, and even my son, who doesn't like anything having to do with cranberries, loved it!  I knew I had a winner.)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup of whole cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Pound each chicken breast just slightly. (don't flatten them too much, just a little)
Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the chicken in skillet over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until no longer pink, turning once while cooking.
Transfer chicken to a serving platter, reserving drippings in skillet.  Keep chicken warm.

In same skillet, stir cranberry sauce, honey and ginger into the reserved drippings.  Cook and stir until heated through.  Spoon over the chicken.

Makes 4 servings, but can easily be doubled for more people.

Side Dishes

Vegetables in Lemon Butter

2 10-oz. packages frozen sugar pea pods
1 10-oz. package frozen sliced carrots
1 head fresh broccoli flowerettes, steamed
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cook all frozen vegetables according to package directions.
Drain, and keep warm.
Steam the broccoli flowerettes just until done.

In a small bowl, combine butter, lemon peel and lemon juice.  Arrange cooked vegetables on a warm platter.  (*They look really nice if you place them in rows across the platter.)  Pour the butter mixture over vegetables and serve immediately.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 large Idaho baking potatoes
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 tablespoon dried chives (optional)

Bake potatoes in oven at 350 degrees for an 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until done.
When finished baking, remove from oven.
Cut each potato lengthwise in half, scoop out insides, taking care not to tear the shell.
Mash the potato pulp in a medium bowl until there are no lumps.  Add the milk a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.
Add the butter, salt and pepper.  Beat until potato is light and fluffy.  Stir in the cheese and chives.  Fill potato shells with mashed potato.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake the filled potatoes for about 20 minutes or until good and hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Dessert

Lemon Cake Pie

1 purchased pie pastry, unbaked
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
5 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs, separated
1-1/4 cups milk

Fit the prepared pastry into a 9-inch pie pan.
Flute the edges.
Set pie crust aside.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the sugar and butter.  Stir in flour, salt, lemon peel and the lemon juice.
In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with milk until well blended.  Stir into the lemon mixture.  In another bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture.  Pour filling into pastry shell.

Bake on the lowest rack of oven at 375 degrees until top is browned and the center jiggles only slightly when pan is gently shaken (about 45-55 minutes).

If crust begins to brown too much, wrap a layer of foil around the edges.
Let cool before serving.
**You can make this recipe ahead of time, but cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours.

Makes 8 servings.