The Lovely Lemon Luncheon – That Wasn’t…

I have to admit, this Lovely Lemon Luncheon SHOULD HAVE BEEN fabulous! I had all the food prepared, the guests were invited, and the decor was perfect,

THEN…..

LIFE HAPPENED!!!

To make a long story short, water started flowing through my chandeliers on to my dining room table, Sam’s bedroom floor buckled and the paint on his walls bubbled from moisture, and the AC stopped working upstairs (the air conditioning unit was determined to be the culprit of the leaking problems)…

AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH…

I started noticing a bad smell in my garage. I had stocked our pond with bass and catfish for Sam a few months back and purchased some catfish food in a 100 LB bag to feed them. I thought this was the problem. I asked my landscaper if he could help me carry it to an outside closet. When we went to the garage we realized it was NOT the catfish food. The smell was coming from our almost-new commercial-grade freezer we bought to hold the organic, grass-fed cow I had purchased from our farmer who rents our ranch for his edamame crop as well as his cattle. Since I knew exactly what his cattle were eating and how they were being treated, I thought I had a brilliant idea to just “buy” a cow. I told him I didn’t want to know what cow I owned and we definitely did not want to name it; I just wanted the meat when it had filled the measure of it’s creation. So, imagine the amount of meat from a full-grown cow as well as about 100 LBS of salmon and halibut (my husband just brought this home from fishing in Alaska) all COMPLETELY ROTTEN inside my freezer!!!! Somehow it had a “power failure” (At least that is what the light said inside. How can the light be on inside saying it is having a power failure? Doesn’t it need power to have the light on?)

Needless to say, the babysitter and my kids had a wonderful lemon dinner (with lots of desserts) the next day!

I still want to share “WHAT COULD’VE BEEN” – Giggle 😉

All the outdoor metal pieces come from The Round Top Collection. These are currently available, but you could use these or these!

I just couldn’t resist buying a real LEMON TREE!! How fun would that have been for my guests to see and even pick a ripe lemon to take home!!? UGH!

I chose to set the table outside because it just feels more summer-y being outdoors!! And, back when the luncheon was scheduled, it was still cool enough outside. I made the lemon tree topiaries by simply hot gluing lemons to the vines. They are easily removable.

I made a yummy Lemon Chicken (recipe included at the end of this post) for the main dish; and made lemon bars, lemon balls, lemon cupcakes, and bought a lemon cake from Susie Cakes (because it is THE BEST lemon cake I have ever eaten!) for dessert. Ok, so I know I’m a little heavy on the desserts – giggle!

I dressed my Johnny and June replica swans for the occasion in yellow check and green polkadot ribbons 🙂

I absolutely LOVE the cute Round Top Collection chalkboard! I got TWO!

Yes… The Lovely Lemon Luncheon would’ve been so fun had it actually happened…

but looking on the bright side, we did have a lot of desserts to eat for a few days :).

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it to, so when it offers us a lemon, we try to throw a whole Lemon Luncheon; and if that doesn’t work,

we simply settle for a LEMONADE!

Hugs… Jennifer

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

ONE SKILLET CHICKEN WITH LEMON GARLIC CREAM SAUCE

Prep time: 10 MINS

Cook time: 20 MINS

Total time: 30 MINS

Say hello to your new favorite one skillet chicken dinner that’s topped with a lemon garlic butter cream sauce! I used thin chicken breasts but this recipe would be delicious with boneless chicken thighs too!

PRINT RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (I use a little more)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ⅓ cup finely diced shallots (or red onions)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or basil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using a mallet, pound down the chicken breasts/thighs into ½ inch thickness. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.
2. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
3. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and allow to brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side. Don’t worry if the chicken isn’t cooked completely, we’ll finish it in the oven. Remove the chicken to a plate.
5. Reduce the flame to medium, add the shallots to the skillet along with the chicken broth mixture. Using a whisk, scrape the bottom of the pan so all the brown bits are loosened. Kick the heat back up to medium high and let sauce come to a simmer. Continue to cook the sauce for 10-15 minutes OR UNTIL ABOUT ⅓ CUP OF THE SAUCE REMAINS.
6. When the sauce has thickened, remove from the flame, add the butter and whisk until it melts completely. With the skillet off the flame, add the heavy cream, whisk to combine. Place the skillet back over the flame for just 30 seconds, DO NOT allow the sauce to boil. Remove from heat, add the chicken back into the pan and drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Top with chopped parsley or basil and serve warm with additional lemon slices.

NOTES:

1. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts/thighs that about the same thickness. I pounded mine down to about ½ inch.
2. After a few comments from readers, I’ve adjusted the amount of time it takes to reduce the sauce (step #5). Keep in mind, the key is to reduce it to ⅓ cup and that I can only provide an estimate. It may take you more or less time than what is actually listed.
3. #littlespicejar