I always liked using the word cuticle as a term of endearment. “How are you today, my little cuticle?” It’s nice.

Speaking of cuticles, mine are not very nice. I’ve never been nail biter, but I am a cuticle picker, especially when I’m stressed out. Since my job and planning the wedding have been stressful lately, you can imagine that my cuticles are a mess. In fact, I had my first manicure ever a couple of weeks ago during my bachelorette weekend, and my cuticle started bleeding. It freaked out the manicure lady and it was kind of embarrassing. She kept making distressed noises and squirting it with alcohol, which stung and just made the bleeding worse. So…since I’ve got two manicures in my future (one before Sarah’s wedding and one before my own), I’ve decided to make an active investment in cuticle care.

Enter: Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme

I’ve used it before, but now I’m going to use it really a lot. I’ll use it every morning, every evening, and lots of times in between. I will have lovely cuticles, I swear it! People will look at my cuticles and say, “How are you today, you little cuticles?” It will be so great.

In other news, I’m excited about what I’m cooking for dinner. I started it last night, so it should be pretty quick to get together tonight after I go for a run. I plan to serve it with couscous and asparagus.

2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1 3/4 cups chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (this was about 1.5 apples)
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 can chicken stock, divided (or 10 ounces of your own, if you feel like making it. I mean your own chicken stock that you made, not stock made out of you.)
4 skinned, boned chicken breast halves
3/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp H2O

Cut up everything that needs to be cut up.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add apple and 1 teaspoon curry powder; saute 3 minutes or until apple is tender. Stir in raisins, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1/3 cup broth; cook 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon apple mixture into a small bowl; set aside.

Pound the hell out of the chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Put about 1/4 cup apple mixture in center of flattened breast. Fold over and tie with heat-safe string.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

Add 3/4 teaspoon curry powder, remaining broth, apple juice, and garlic to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup.

Combine cornstarch and water; stir well. Add to broth mixture in skillet; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to skillet; cover and simmer 2 minutes or until heated. Serve sauce with chicken.