Foodie Friday: Tried and True Oven Braised Lemon Chicken Recipe

I found this recipe for lemon chicken back in 2011 and always go back to it whenever I have a craving for lemon chicken. It's a proven crowd pleaser, easy to make and easy to clean up because it only requires one pot. Thanks a million times over to The Culinary Chronicles for sharing this recipe with the interwebz so many years ago.

[Mouthwatering photo from The Culinary Chronicles]

Oven Braised Lemon Chicken

Serves 4 very hungry people

Ingredients
8 Pieces of bone-in chicken (I used thighs and drumsticks)
6 Garlic cloves
1 Small onion, thinly sliced
2 Cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 Sprigs of fresh rosemary
8 Lemon slices
1 Dried bay leaf
2 Tablespoons of capers, drained
2 Cups of low sodium chicken broth
1/2 Teaspoon of red chili flakes
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper



Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously season chicken with salt and pepper.



3. Heat olive oil on medium high in large dutch oven. Brown chicken in batches and transfer to plate. Discard all but 2-3 tablespoons of leftover grease.



4. Lower heat to medium and add garlic cloves, cooking until lightly golden. Add onions and cook until evenly browned. Add chili flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes.



5. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
6. Return chicken to the pot with skin side up.
7. Add lemon slices, bay leaf, capers and rosemary sprigs, submerging them underneath the liquid.



8. Place lid on the pot and put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

9. Take the pot out of the oven. Remove rosemary, bay leaf and skim off fat or impurities. Season with salt and pepper as desired.


10. Plate chicken and serve with fresh bread or other sides.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! It's a hearty meal that will fill your belly with happiness.

Closet Envy: H&M for Unicef

H&M just announced an exclusive infant collection with 10% of the retail price for every product sold going to UNICEF to buy polio vaccines and to sponsor the delivery of other life-saving vaccines. I'm pro-vaccine and support this effort entirely. The collection is available exclusively at hm.com. Now let's talk about the clothing. This collection looks a lot more luxe than the normal H&M offerings but it is the epitome of bland. Everything is grey, white and pink. Don't get me wrong, everything looks very comfy and warm but there are definitely very few stand out items. I wish they used more color to liven the collection up a bit. If Parker still fit 0-9 mos clothing, these are the items I would pick out for him.  

[Soft suede shoes $19.95]

[Fine knit pants $17.95]

[Knit baby blanket in Taupe $24.95]

Halloween: Spooky Embroidered Tees

I just picked up this fantastic BOO(yah) tee for Parker for Halloween. This is a real gem and it is currently on sale for $16 plus $2 shipping over at Brickyard Buffalo. Pick one up before the sale is over! Both designs are unisex.

[These limited edition Halloween tee designs are in collaboration with Six Sisters Stuff.  These tee's are embroidered in black or orange on a 3/4  sleeve premium quality American Apparel fine jersey baseball tee.]

[There are two designs available. I picked the BOO(yah) one but both are really cute.]

Mini Outfit for a Rainy Day

Rain, rain come our way.
We need you in California today.

Seriously, though. We really need some rain and Parker really needs these rain boots.

Mini Outfit for a Rainy Day by marychu on Polyvore

AIGLE Kids Baby Flac (Infant/Toddler) / totes Kids Clear Bubble Umbrella / Kawaii Cloud Tee

Pandas Have Taken Over Kids F/W 2014

It's official. Pandas are going to be for fall/winter 2014 what pineapples were for this past summer. They are everywhere! I've spotted pandas on shirts, pajamas, as skeletons for Halloween, on socks, backpacks, water bottles and lunch gear. The trend can be found in brands ranging from Kid + Kind and Mini Rodini to Old Navy and Skip Hop. I happen to love the graphic look of the cuddly bear's black and white markings. Do you like the panda trend?

Kids Trends Fall 2014: Pandas by marychu featuring a kotobuki bento box

Kotobuki bento box / Old Navy Panda PJ Sets For Baby - Bright coral / Teacher's Pet Backpack (Panda) / Tea Collection 'Pretty Panda' Long Sleeve Tee (Little Girls & Big... / Skip Hop Zoo Packs little kid backpacks / Delicacy Panda 0.4L Delicacy Panda 0.4L | My Sigg / My Sweet Muffin - Panda Bear Kids Water Bottle

Travel Itinerary for a Trip to New York City with a Toddler

Prior to leaving for our trip to New York, I was excited but seriously stressed about how Parker would do on his first plane ride but, true to form, he took it all in stride and there was no crying or meltdowns. Hallelujah! We lucked out on our flights there and back and Parker was able to sit in his own seat. Thanks Delta! Having the extra space was a definite perk and little man had a fun time chatting with the people around us and looking out the window. Believe it or not, he actually clapped when we touched down at JFK. Once we landed, the car I booked with GoGreenRide (equipped with a carseat) picked us up from the terminal and transported us to the Affinia Shelburne which is located in the neighborhood of Murray Hill, close enough to walk to many of the big attractions but far enough to avoid the major traffic and noise. There was also a great gourmet market around the corner where we were able to conveniently pick up Parker's almond milk and a Walgreen's nearby where we bought a pack of diapers (we only packed enough for a couple days and opted to buy more when we landed to save luggage space). The Shelburne also has a mini-fridge available in every room. 

The tips I found online for traveling with a baby came in really handy! I'm so glad I did my research and compiled a list here. We purchased the New York Pass to save money on all the places we had planned to visit. The only real issue we ran into was getting Parker to eat. I guess it was unrealistic for us to expect him to eat all the random new food at the restuarants we went to. After 3 days of him barely eating anything but snacks, we took my friend Raina up on her offer to let us stay at her apartment in Chelsea. Having access to a kitchen seriously saved our trip. Late Wednesday night, we checked out of the Shelburne early and caught a cab to Raina's. How perfect was it that her apartment is around the corner from a Whole Foods and Buy Buy Baby? It doesn't get much more perfect than that. Thanks again to Raina and Ethan!   

We visited so many places and traveled by cab, subway and on foot all over the city. Parker did a great job taking naps while we were on the move. He even picked up a few new words on this trip including bus, beep beep (for the continuously honking taxis), truck, airplane and birds (for all the pigeons). I can't wait to go on our next family trip now that I'm over my fear of flying with a toddler! Now it's time to go through all the photos and share them with you. 

One of the essential planning tools I used for this trip was the itinerary planner on Minitime.com. Minitime is a great website that allows you to plot out your day and gives suggestions to kid-friendly things to do. They also have a mobile app so you can access your itinerary on the go. Above is our itinerary for the trip. I hope it helps any mamas who may be planning a trip to NYC soon!

PS
For more NYC travel inspiration, visit the comprehensive list of things to do in NYC with kids from Seven Suitcases.

Auto Responder: We're in New York!

[Original print from Confettielove on Etsy]

Sorry there won't be any new content on the blog this week. The Nguyen's are currently in New York for a bit of work (I'm throwing a GIANT party...oh I mean gala) and a lot of play. We're probably stuffing our faces with cronuts, exploring Central Park or hanging out in Brooklyn as you are reading this. I'll be posting photos of our adventures on Instagram @sdmama33. Follow me and join our adventure! 

Cheers,

Mary, Tuan and Parker