A role-reversed Valentine's Day (featuring chicken divan)

Sharon went off to work on BART and then came home to build furniture. Our move from DC went off pretty well, but we had to rebuy a TV stand that got busted in the process. The second pic is the result of me asking Sharon to "show me your manly muscles."

Meanwhile, I stayed home (working remotely for a bit to close out my old job), did the dishes, and continued my fledgling cooking spree, opting tonight for my step-mom Pam's famous chicken divan. The melted cheesy goodness mixed with the croutons (second crouton reference in as many posts!) really does it for me.

I thought I had never made it before and even asked Pam for the recipe recently, but I dug up an email from her from 2009 in which she had already sent it to me. I had replied back that I had made it and "felt like I used every dish in the house." Maybe I'm getting better at cooking, because it didn't seem as overwhelming this time. Since I had no memory of making this before, it spurred me even more toward writing some of these things down. Despite a small to non-existent audience, it gives me sort of accountability to keep trying.

Tomorrow, it's off to San Diego for a week to see my family before starting my new gig in San Jose. I have arranged for more cooking to follow.

Recipe: CHICKEN DIVAN

Put into glass Pyrex dish first to last:

20 oz cooked broccoli (fresh or frozen)
2 cups cooked cubed chicken (can buy it in a bag all ready to go, or cook raw chicken breast or tenders by boiling them until cooked through)

Mix:  2 cans cream of chicken soup
        1 cup mayonnaise
        1 tsp. lemon juice
        1/2 tsp. curry powder

Pour over broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Take 1/2 cup croutons (whatever flavor you like) and mix with 1 tsp. melted butter.
Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, watch for the sauce to start boiling. Serve and enjoy!