Dinner Still Has to Be Made Today, Tomorrow, Etc

Well, they are here ~ the holidays have arrived. We've cooked, and eaten:), our hearts out over Thanksgiving, now...we must forge ahead toward Christmas. We have less energy, and several more ways in which to spend it, but DINNER STILL CALLS US to duty. Now, for me, it's a joy, for some it is basically a duty and sometimes even a hardship. So, I'm here to encourage you ~ you CAN go to work either in or outside the home, you can put up the Christmas tree, you can shop for Christmas presents, and you CAN still swing into the grocers and come home and whip up dinner!!! I promise:).
The good news here is that it doesn't have to be processed food or an all nighter in the kitchen. You can pour a glass of beautiful red wine, put on some Christmas music and 'enjoy' a little prep work before you gather your family together. OR, you can enlist everyone in your family to help you with the meal, giving them each encouragement to do their own little prep work (or save them for the 'clean up')! No matter what direction you take, breathe deep and enjoy, gathering your spouse or your family to sit with you over a quick but DELICIOUS dinner is an 'opportunity'.
SO, lets get down to the core here, we're talking simple, yummo, and home-made. You'll need a whole uncooked chicken, cut up, from your local grocery. You'll need some mayonnaise, and some leftover herbed bread croutons from either your Thanksgiving stuffing or from a salad seasoned crouton, crush them all up with a rolling pin or in a blender. Now you'll need a great heavy duty baking dish (sprayed) and you'll need to heat your oven to about 450degrees F.
Now, with your own method (I like to use plastic disposable food gloves), coat your patted dry chicken pieces generously with your mayonnaise, then toss and coat thoroughly in your crushed stuffing/crouton crumbs. Place in your sprayed baking dish, about an inch apart. Toss in your pre-heated oven and bake for about 45 minutes (turning once half way through)or until largest piece, in it's thickest part, tests 165 using a meat thermometer (juices should run clear).
While your chicken is 'oven frying', start your side dish. What is it you ask??? I prefer two things with this dish, especially when I'm BUSY ~ make a salad and bake a potato in the microwave. Keep it simple. Toss some greens in a bowl, add the kitchen sink grouping of fresh vege's that are still edible, and make a simple vinaigrette for them. The baked potato needs no explanation here;).
It's DONE ~ that's it...you have a whole meal prepped and cooking in 15 minutes flat. Sit down, finish your glass of wine, enjoy some laughs with the fam while they are "setting the table", and dinner will be on in less time than you could have gotten into a restaurant. And CERTAINLY better tasting than a drive-thru meal and better for you AND your family.
Clean up is two dishes and a couple of utensils ~ how sweet is that for a Holiday moment. There, Christmas can come with all of it's joy and all of it's chaos, and dinner will NOT get in your way ~ at least for today;)! Enjoy ~ your family, your friends, your moment...it's all we are given. Godspeed, from our kitchen to yours!