Spring Has Sprung!

On Saturday my sister came in to town to continue with the birthday celebrations for my dad.  

My mom had gotten Dad a kite and an airplane for his birthday, so it was time to play!

This was take 2... the first time the string came off the kite.  Dad was not allowed to tie it on this time.

Success!  Turns out that Dad is a pretty darn good kite flyer.

Laura assembles and applies decals to the plane. 

The plane did not fly well, but that wasn't her fault.  I think it was a design error.  Every time the plane landed (well, came to a crashing halt would be a more accurate description) the right wing kept popping out of its socket.  It was really fun for the 8 or so 'flights' it did survive. 

Despite the fact that everything in this field looks drab and gray and my dad and sis have jeans and jackets on, it really was a beautiful day!  It was the first day that really felt like spring.  In fact, I wore shorts for the first time since September. 

And just to prove that spring truly has sprung, here are a few pictures from my mom's garden:

I love how crisp and clean these tulips are.

Pretty Purple Pansies!

Since it felt like spring outside, it put me in the mood to cook some more spring-like foods.  I mean, I love those rich, roasted meals that just scream winter, but I am ready for foods that are a little lighter... in flavor and in calories.

Stumbled up on a new cooking blog, Natalie's Killer Cuisine, and saw she had a very 'springy' recipe that day - Lemon Chicken Wrapped Asparagus.  I couldn't resist!  It looked so simple, light and healthy... just what I've been craving.  

1. Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/2" thick.  (I went ahead pounded out two extra breasts since I will need them on Wednesday night for PW's Chicken Piccata...)

    

Other ingredients - Asparagus, Lemon Slices, Lemon Zest, Mustard Powder and S&P

2. Assemble the rolls

After seasoning the the chicken with S&P, lay the asparagus on the chicken and sprinkle the mustard powder and lemon zest on top.  Roll the chicken up and secure each one with a couple of toothpicks.

3. Cook the rolls

 

Brown on all sides on the stovetop, then finish cooking the chicken rolls in a 350 degree oven. 

4. Eat up

 Served with Parmesan Asparagus Couscous

Super easy meal that turned out to be quite tasty, healthy and filling.  Only thing I will do differently next time is to make a quick white wine or lemon butter sauce after I pull the chicken from the pan.

Tomorrow night's dinner - Broiled Tilapia Parmesan.