Blink and you miss it

Tis the season.... our weekend was just crammed full of obligations - some very fun, some work related, kids birthday parties and classes. It's Sunday evening, close to 9:00pm and I've only just begun to tackle the great big pile of laundry that awaits. Plus, John was laid out by a terrible cold. Because cooking Sunday dinner sounded ever so much better than doing laundry I forged ahead.

Menu:

Roast Chicken

Green Beans

Mashed potatoes

Raspberry Almond Bars

As a bonus we got to feed Papa Ray and Grandma Jo who had their own busy weekend, watching our girls on Friday and hosting an event at their house today.

For the roast chicken I went here, to Barefoot Contessa for maybe the best chicken (actually it was the sauce that was to die for) that I've made in recent memory. It was just that good.

I simply blanched the green beans then tossed them in sauteed shallots, some butter salt and pepper. The mashed potatoes equally simple - boiled russets with buttermilk, butter, salt, pepper and chives stirred in after the potatoes passed through the ricer.

We are welcoming new next door neighbors, so I baked some Raspberry Almond Bars to greet them, setting aside a few for us for dessert.

Raspberry Almond Bars

1 stick butter
10-12 oz pkg white chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350.

Grease the bottom of a 9 x9 inch pan.

Melt the butter in saucepan and add 1 cup of the white chocolate chips. Do not stir.

Beat eggs and add sugar until well combined.

Add the butter/chip mixture and almond extract to the eggs and sugar.

Mix in flour and salt until just combined.

Spread half batter in greased 9x9 pan. (I only had an 8 x 8 and this turned out just fine) Bake 15-20 min at 350 and remove from the oven.

Melt jam and spread over top. Stir rest of chips into batter and drop on top. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 30 min longer until toothpick comes out clean.

Now we point in the direction of a new week. I hope we have a enough clean underwear!