With so many people in our home, you can imagine that occasionally we have a difference of opinion. I know, hard to believe, but it happens. Princess is in the 9th grade and Prima Donna is in the 8th. At our middle school, it’s typical for any kid who doesn’t need extra reading help to take a foreign language in the 8th grade. Since we are a reading family, an extra language is a good choice.Bossy took Spanish for a year. The Gym Rat took Spanish for a only a quarter and gave up, and then something happened. The Drama Queen wanted to diverge from the given path and sign up for French. Ever the supportive mom, I gave her the green light. Then a couple of years later I agreed to let Teach take French as well. The problem is, after two years of French each, neither one of them can speak or translate a simple sentence!
So when Princess came along and requested French, I decided the answer was “No.” Undeterred, she pleaded to her dad who seemed to understand that French is the language of dancers, blah blah blah, and suddenly Princess was conjugating French verbs in her spare time. But true to form, after a year, she can’t speak any French either.
So when the Prima Donna came in with her request, I put my foot down.
Again.
And I lost.
Again.
And guess what!? Almost two months into French and the only word I’ve heard her use correctly is “oui.” Maybe that’s a word I need to learn…
Even though none of us have managed to like escargot, we do enjoy some French food. Our favorite is Chicken a la Crème. It's not your healthiest meal, but it's quick and easy. I double this recipe for my family. The crusty bread is absolutely required for dipping. I hope you love it!
Chicken á la Crème
¼ cup butter
1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, tenderloins, or strips
salt and pepper to taste
1 pint heavy cream
-Melt half of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sauté in butter until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Make sure it is done in the middle.
-Add the remaining butter, reduce heat to medium and cook 5 more minutes.
-Pour the cream into the skillet and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
Serve with cooked pasta and French bread.
Dinner looks great!
ReplyDeleteI took 8 years of French and have I ever traveled anywhere I could use it? Nope. By now I've forgotten most of what I learned.
Looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteChicken and cream--yum! I also took French--6 years. I can say, "Tu et une petite grenouille." You are a little frog. Ya, that's about all I remember. :)
ReplyDeletei can too speak french! im getting rusty now though... Parle vous francais? oui ma mere. C'est vendredi venderedi! Incompetent Rebeka Black (noir) chante stuck in my head! And i don't regret french one pit! It really did help my dancing!
ReplyDeleteThat looks great!
ReplyDeleteI took spanish. I used to be rather fluent, but it's so true that if you don't use it, you lose it!
Um, Mom - I think you just got called out by Prima Donna and Stubborn Princess. Hopefully they hate you for a second. That means you have done your job for the day! :)
ReplyDeleteIf I had to do it over again, I would most def become fluent in Spanish. For now, I let my son do the Espanol speaking for us
Looks delicious! And simple enough for me to make! Haha. :]
ReplyDeleteI took French in HS as well... never used it! :( I love yummy easy recipes. This even sounds like something my kids would eat!
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