"Glow in the Gardens" and a Chicken Dijon Recipe

On Wednesday evening, Larr and I went to the "Glow in the Gardens" event at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I love lights and I love doing holiday things, so when I saw the poster for this event this past summer, I knew I wanted to go. I had originally had visions of a whole family excursion. I guess I was hoping for a sort of revival of the fall fun we had when the kids were little. But, that was not to be. I just have to let go of those ideas.

Anyhow, Larr and I tried to go last week, when the weather was perfect and it was a Hollywood movie kind of night. Lots of other people had those same visions, and so we could not even get a parking spot. Last night was supposed to be rainy, so it was much less crowded than it could have been.

We entered at dusk. The pumpkins were freshly carved and the decorations were lined up like little soldiers. I especially loved the spot where there was a heavy fog hanging in the air from the large water sculpture. I also loved the glowy balls hanging from white knee high hose. (I think that might be my favorite decoration at the event.)

Dotted around the decorated areas where people gathered you could find these man-made trees where you could send a wish to you dread relatives. It was a start to their Day of the Dead event that is coming up.

The reflections of the lights in the trees on the lake were also a bit magical. The event was pretty quiet and calm, which I loved. Larr and I were able to notice the lights reflected on the water, the warm color of the wood illuminated in the gazebo and the glow of the leaves that were lit up from behind.

And of course we saw pumpkins, lots of them. As you can see, dinosaurs were the theme of the evening.
----------
Chicken Dijon

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard

In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter/margarine for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from skillet and place on a warm oven-proof platter.
Preheat oven to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C).
Stir flour into skillet drippings. Add broth and deglaze skillet by stirring vigorously until flour is somewhat dissolved and liquid has the consistency of a sauce. Add cream. Simmer, stirring, over moderate heat for about 10 minutes until sauce is a little thick. Stir in mustard and heat through.
Pour mustard sauce over chicken breasts. Put platter in warm preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, then serve!