kindergarten + chicken cutlets

Today was traumatizng. It’s called kindergarten.

How come no one prepared me for this? Talk about separation anxiety! I don’t know who was worse- me or Dillon. Definitely me. I’ve been uptight and stressed out all week in anticipation for this day. I haven’t slept a wink. Insomnia (I’m learning) results in bizarre behavior, including late night impulse purchases via infomercial. I now own the imfamous Brazil Butt Lift workout dvd. OK? What was I thinking? I have 60 days to look like a supermodel or my money back, guaranteed.

I’ll let you know how it goes…

The thing is, I was never really worried about Dillon. I knew he’d do fine on his first day of school because he loves school. I’m the one with the problem. The start of kindergarten marks the end of an era for us and that’s what I have to come to terms with. He’s growing up fast, and watching this unfold before my very eyes is gut wrenching. Absolutely gut wrenching…

In the pale morning sun, his little yellow school bus came down the street and whisked him away. Just like that- he was gone. I didn’t have time to cry. I didn’t have time to blink. I watched with wide eyes as his bus faded into the distance and thought, so this is kindergarten.

Jake and Jus weren’t too impressed either. And yes, he’s holding a basket.

I’ve always sought comfort in food.

Chicken cutlets happen to be a favorite of mine from childhood. Both of my grandmother(s) made them, my parents made them, and I make them at home. We all love chicken cutlets. I knew Dillon would like them for dinner, so in the late afternoon I made him a big platter. The methodical breading process, although messy and somewhat annoying, put my mind at ease and distracted me from the woes of parenthood. I found comfort in this.

Dillon likes his chicken with lemon, and I like mine piled high with juicy tomatoes and arugula.

There are 2 ways to prepare chicken cutlets: baked or fried.

My preferred method is to fry them. I’ve tried baking cutlets in the past, and I’ve never been able to get it right! My crust always comes out too blond and not crispy enough. Pan frying solves all of these problems (and that’s how mom did it).

The key to a really good crust is to cook the cutlets over low heat. To do this, gently warm 2 tbsp. of oil in a large skillet. Once the chicken goes in, reduce the heat to low. This will ensure that the cutlets won’t brown too quickly or burn. Plus, you won’t have to change out the oil for each batch which means you will ultimately use less.

When Dillon came home from school today, he had a huge smile on his face. I think it went well. Kindergarten might mark the beginning of a new journey for us, and honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever get over watching the innocence of a child blossom and mature. But I can handle it. I have to. Besides, one day I’m going to wake up and he will be off to college! Good grief.

Tips:

• Thinly sliced chicken cutlets are readily available in most grocery stores. However, if you prefer to save a couple of bucks you can do it yourself. Slice the chicken horizontally and pound with a meat mallet so that both halves are the same thickness.
• You’ll see in the recipe that I add herbs to the oil before frying. This adds great flavor to the chicken.

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