Q is for....

   My internet has been being difficult the past few nights, so I apologize for the absence.  As you all know by now on Thursdays we switch to a new letter.  Well, we're on "Q", you know, that letter everyone gets stuck on when they're in the car playing the "ABC game" to pass the time on a long road trip.  It's only slightly better than "X", which my family skips altogether.  That being said, I've been racking my brains for something to do with "Q".  Go figure, it was Monkey who inspired me.  When I was giving Roux her weekly "mange bath", Monkey was "bathing" her stuffed puppy.  This held her attention for about two minutes.  Then she began de-cluttering the contents of my bathroom cabinet.  That's when I saw them: Q-tips!!!  I was so excited!  Possibly too excited, but what can I say?  I have no life :-P  I have a few q-tip-related crafts lined up that we'll probably do today and tomorrow.  For now, I've been letting Monkey paint with Q-tips.

   She seemed to be enjoying herself, but then she went Rambo on me...

I think that's her battle cry.

   We also didn't make it to story time last week, which means we didn't check out "My Little Q Book", so we're making our own.  It's not finished, but here are a few shots of what we have so far:

Making the Q pretty.

Monkey dresses our main character, Quinton.

She's having trouble with Queen Elizabeth's hair.

She finally got it with a little help.

Decorating the quicksand.

"I'm done now Mommy."

   Her attention span gave out, so we'll come back to this later.

   Last night I got to do one of my favorite things, cook for a friend.  I love cooking for people.  It's one of those things that just make me feel good.  I made a Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Braid.  I thought it was going to be a lot more difficult than it was.  This actually would make a perfect weeknight meal.  Here we go:

Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Braid

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked, chopped broccoli
1/2 cup light mayo
2 cans of crescent rolls
1 egg yolk
fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 375.  On parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spread crescent rolls length wise to form a long rectangle.  Press each of the seams to form a single layer of dough. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cheese, broccoli and mayonnaise.  Spread mixture over the center of the croissant dough evenly to create a log.  Using a sharp knife, cut horizontal strips 1 inch apart down each side of the crescent dough.  Fold the dough strips over the top of the chicken mixture, alternating left and right to create a braid.  Brush the top of the braid with a beaten egg yolk and sprinkle fresh rosemary on top.  Bake for 28 – 30 minutes until golden brown.

  
I'll definitely be adding this to my "make again" list.  I hope y'all enjoy it too :-)