Claudie Flay...Or Claude Ray...Or Clauda Dean...

Yesterday was a perfectly beautiful day in the hills of the Bluegrass. Very low humidity and a wonderful gentle breeze. Claude had a meeting in the morning at city hall. Then he came home and mowed the grass. Now, that is truly one of those wonderful fragrances, the scent of a newly mowed lawn. I was doing wash, storing the peaches I dried, and other home chores. We invited Papa out to practice music for Wednesday singing at the nursing home and to try out a new recipe that Claude wanted to make. Our Relief Society had an Enrichment meeting at which they exchanged favorite recipes. I missed the actual meeting due to a giganormous headache. But I was able to pick up the recipes at Church the following Sunday. I have a stack of them which Chiara, Neffie and Andie poured over and picked out the ones they liked. Claude loves to cook so I had him go through them and he picked out this chicken recipe. I can't give credit for the recipe to whoever submitted it because their name is not on it. But I can assure you that it is an absolutely delicious recipe as agreed upon by Papa when he paused in his eating and said, "Claude, you did it again. This is just great!" We sat on the upper deck and ate this wonderful meal and enjoyed the breeze and the turkey buzzards flying over the creek. They have a very ugly name but they are just beautiful to watch glide through the air. They soar around one spot for a while, then move down stream and then return later. At one point we counted 9 of them soaring a huge circles up and down the creek. Enjoy the recipe with the side note that Claude is saving the Cilantro Lime Dressing and mixing it with salsa for an extra great dip. I'm sure it will turn up on other foods as well. CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD with CILANTRO LIME DRESSING THE INGREDIENTS: Meat: 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts – cut into thin strips Ensalada: 1 Tbl Lime Juice 1 Small Red Onion – sliced into rings 2 Tbl fresh cilantro -- chopped 6-8 Cups Romaine lettuce ½ Cup green bell pepper -- sliced ½ Cup red bell peeper -- sliced ½ Cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 Can (15oz) Pinto Beans 1 Medium tomato -- diced Salt & Black Pepper to taste Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing: 1 Tbl fresh cilantro – chopped ½ Cup low/non-fat sour cream 1 ½ Tbl lime juice 1 Tsp granulated sugar ¼ Tsp ground cumin ¼ Tsp chili powder THE DIRECTIONS: Dressing: Combine all ingredients and stir well with a wisk. Cover and chill. Ensalada: Place chicken strips in a large non-stick skillet lightly coated with cooking spray or olive oil, and sauté until lightly browned (8 minutes or so). Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lime juice, salt and pepper (to taste), and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Set aside. Combine lettuce, peppers, cheddar cheese, tomato, and beans, and then toss with chicken and top with onion rings. Drizzle with cilantro lime dressing and serve with baked tortilla chips and your favorite salsa or pico de gallo. YEILD: Serves 4 as a main dish. Nutrition Estimates Per Serving: 298 Calories, 2g Fat (6.5% calories from fat), 40g Protein, 31g Carbohydrates, 7g Dietary Fiber, 72mg Cholesterol, 652mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 5 Lean Meat, 1 ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit, 0 Fat, ½ Other Carbohydrates I would suggest to each of you that you prepare yourself to retire in the country in Kentucky on a hill with a creek at the bottom. It is mighty fine living.