Yes Sir!

No recipe today. I actually went to the gym last night. Since going back to work my gym workouts take place only on the weekend. During the week it's been the basement treadmill or nothing. With the days now getting longer, I was finally motivated to run over to the gym in the evening. Between that and getting our tax papers together, I didn't have time to transcribe a recipe last night.

So I thought I'd share this little food-related story with you. My son likes those Eggo Toaster Swirlz ("Cinnamon Swirlz")and often asks for them. (Don't judge me! It's not all from scratch in this house.) They are tricky to cook in the toaster oven since the toaster oven runs hot and they need to be heated until they are hot just through but still soft. Once, I let them go too far and now whenever my son asks for these - every time! - he says "Cinnamon Swirlz please - AND DON'T BURN THEM!"

"And don't burn them"??? Geez, he usually tells me what a good 'cooker' I am.

Part of something bigger and better

Light Rye Bread
Great Bread Machine Recipes Copyright 1992

For 1-pound loaf:
¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground caraway or caraway seeds
1 tablespoon dry milk
5 tablespoons rye flour
1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
5 ½ ounces warm water

For 1 1/2 pound loaf:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground caraway or caraway seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons dry milk
¼ cup rye flour
2 ½ cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
9 ounces warm water

Add the ingredients per your bread machines instructions.
___________________

I know, this isn't exciting but this bread was part of the best grilled Reubens I've ever had. I know, I should have taken a picture of the Reuben but I didn't. I was too anxious to eat it.

I was going to buy rye bread but I had everything to make the bread so why not? This was definitely better than store-bought bread and I could slice it a big thicker which I like for hearty Reubens.

I built the Reubens perfectly - a slice of this bread, a slice of Swiss cheese, thinly sliced corned beef that I cooked myself, well-drained sauerkraut, some dressing (mayo, chili sauce and relish), another slice of Swiss cheese and another slice of bread. I lightly buttered the sandwiches. I grilled them slowly on the Griddler, with the griddle plates. I wanted them to heat through without getting too brown.

They were just the right size and composition to eat without making a mess. They weren't too greasy or too wet (a problem I've had when ordering them out sometimes). One of the best things I've eaten recently.

I'm starting to panic that my bread machine is dying. One side doesn't seem to be kneading as well (I have a dual machine). I know I could get another bread machine but I love mine. I don't think they make the dual machines anymore and I could never replace it with any machine for the great price my husband paid ($39.99 in Ollie's Bargain Outlet). I've been using my machine at least once a week for 3 years now. I think I got my money's worth.

Question of the Day: Did you indulge in any Irish food for St. Patrick's Day this year? I didn't eat anything Irish on St. Patrick's Day but I always pick up corned beef for later use when it's on sale for St. Patrick's Day .

Replenishing our cupcake stash

Yellow Cream Cake
The Recipes of Madison County Copyright 1995

½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
4 egg yolks
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat butter at medium speed of electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix at low speed for at least one minute after each addition until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
____________________

I had to restock my son's freezer stash of cupcakes. Due to his peanut allergy I need to be able to come up with a cupcake for him on short notice. I've found the easiest thing is to keep on hand plain frozen cupcakes and that decorator frosting that comes in a pressurized can with assorted decorating tips. I can't stand the stuff but he likes it. It's a tough assignment because I don't want to outshine the birthday cupcakes yet I don't want my son to feel left out. He doesn't seem to have a problem with it, mainly because I always put a few bits of candy on top (Sixlets on this one.)

Since the cupcake requests aren't all that frequent, I only made a half batch of this recipe and it worked out nicely. I got twelve cupcakes out of half the recipe. I was pleased with the results. These weren't as light and fluffy as the Almost Cake Mix Vanilla Cupcakes, but they were buttery and moist and overall a pretty good version of a yellow cupcake. They domed really nicely - not too flat, not too high.

The key is not to overbake cupcakes. You really have to stay on top of them or any recipe will be ruined if they stay in too long. Since I had no baking time for these since the recipe was for a layer cake, I had to be alert. They baked between 15 and 20 minutes I think.

My son used to pretty much only eat what was on top of any cupcake I made him (sometimes just the candy) but he's been eating the entire cupcakes lately. I was still surprised when he ate one of these cupcakes without anything on top whatsoever. They really didn't need anything. They were like a sweet muffin.

I've had this cookbook for quite some time and this was always one of the recipes I wanted to try. Unfortunately I didn't get to make it as a layer cake with the buttercream recipe in the book that I thought would probably be good too - a basic butter and confectioner's sugar with a half of a container of thawed Cool Whip added. I still want to try that someday. The recipes in this book don't rely on convenience foods so that Cool Whip must add something to that frosting. I will satisfy my curiosity someday but not today.

Question of the Day: Did you have birthday treats in school (for anyone) when you were a kid? We only had 'treats' when we had a party - Valentine's Day, Halloween and maybe Christmas. We would have a cupcake and an orange drink from the school cafeteria on those occasions. (I do remember a teacher making us brownies once for one of these holiday parties.) The rest of the year we only ate in school at lunchtime.

I'm a bad Blogger

Blogging is tough these days. I'm not burned out. I still love my cookbooks and would cook all day long and blog about it all if I could. However, have you ever tried to get anything done with a teething baby on your hands? Not easy.

You'll have to settle for a post here and there until I get a handle on life again. I do have things to post about, it's just a matter of getting around to it.

Small potatoes

Italian Potato Cubes
Best Recipes from American Country Inns and Bed & Breakfasts Copyright 2004

1 large Idaho baking potato cleaned and cut into 1/4" cubes (do not remove skin)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the oil and seasonings. Roll cubes in herb oil mixture until coated. Cook in microwave for about 5-6 minutes or until tender. Or cook in 350 degree oven until tender - about 10 minutes (I think they took longer than this but my potatoes probably could have been cut even smaller. They may have been bigger than 1/4-inch.)
__________________

There is nothing really special about this simple recipe but it reminded me how smart it is to cut potatoes into smaller pieces for quicker cooking. I cooked them until they were soft (this is the stage they were at in this picture), then I cooked them again when I reheated the chicken so they got a bit crispy. I don't know if it means anything but my husband ate a lot of these. He's usually lukewarm on potatoes (besides french fries) and sometimes doesn't eat them at all when I serve them.

It's grocery night tonight. It's been depressing the past couple of weeks. It's depressing because I haven't been buying a lot of specialty items yet the bill stays high. Now that the baby is eating baby food and he's having some formula (I just couldn't keep up with him), my grocery bill is getting even higher. I know I could make baby food for less but I just don't need one more thing to do right now.

Question of the Day: Are you still eating the same as you were before the economy tanked or have you made adjustments?

From an e-Cookbook

Boston Market Chicken
Top Secret Insider's Recipes Master Edition Copyright 2002

1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 chicken breast halves, washed and patted dry I used legs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine canola oil, honey, lime
juice, and paprika.

Place chicken, skin side up, in a 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Apply mixture to chicken pieces in a single layer. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes, basting every 8-10 minutes, until well browned and juices run clear when you cut into the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from oven. Cover with foil for 15 minutes.
_______________________

Someone sent me an e-cookbook (thanks, Rebel!) and this was one of the recipes from it. There are many. many more I want to try.

I haven't been to a Boston Market in a very long time. Are they still in business? The one we had in this area closed a while ago. When I lived in Philly, I lived just around the corner from a Boston Market on South Street and I would grab dinner there when I wanted a comfort meal. I loved the cornbread.

I don't think this recipe is exactly like Boston Market but it did give the skin a wonderful skin that reminded me of my faded memory of Boston Market. The meat didn't really pick up any flavor from this but I used chicken legs which are more flavorful than breasts.

This also reminded me of the individual pieces of cooked chicken I used to buy from the grocery store when I lived alone in Philly. They were prepackaged, fully-cooked pieces of rotisserie chicken (I think Tyson made them) but I haven't seen them in over 10 years. My cats loved when I bought that chicken. It's funny how little I remember about cooking for myself when I was single but every once and a while I think of something I used to eat.

Question of the Day: Do you or have you ever lived alone? I lived alone for many years and I still miss it sometimes.

Inspired by the clearance table

Individual Chocolate Cream Pies
Treasury of Desserts Copyright 1993

1 ½ ounces (1/2 of 3 ounce package) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ tablespoons cocoa
2 ½ tablespoons milk
1 cup (1/2 pint) chilled whipping cream
6 single-serve graham cracker crumb crusts (4-ounce package)I used the chocolate crusts
Whipped topping
Semi-sweet mini chips

In small mixer bowl, beat cream cheese , sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add cocoa alternately with milk, beating until smooth. In small mixer bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff; fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon into crusts. Cover; refrigerate until set. Garnish with whipped topping and small chocolate chips.
__________________________

I found these mini chocolate crusts on the clearance table for 64 cents and I couldn't resist. I bought two packages and ended up making this recipe twice with them. I would have liked to have tried another recipe but it was requested that I make this one twice so that's what I did.

This was a nice light filling. The cream cheese provides some texture but it's tanginess doesn't stand out. I'm sure it helps balance the sweetness of the sugar even though it doesn't scream at you. This is really just a delicious chocolate mousse filling.

The funny thing is that I made these because I bought the crusts on clearance and then my son only ate the filling. It figures.

Question of the Day: When was the last time someone requested that you make a certain recipe? What was it?

Phooey!

I had a post ready to go but apparently not LOL. I never put it on Blogger - it's still sitting on my other computer. I'm not sure where my mind it.

I had my usually Sunday flurry of cooking activity yesterday which is not going to fly much longer. That is not how I want to spend my Sundays when it's nice outside. I really need to make a list of the simplest, fastest dinners I could put on the table.

Any suggestions?

Cheap and yummy

Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs
Betty Crocker’s 4 in 1 Cookbook Collection Betty Crocker’s Hamburger Cookbook Copyright 1977,1973

Basic Meatballs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 can (13 ¼ ounces) pineapple chunks I used a 20 oz can of tidbits in 100% juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
½ cup coarsely chopped green pepper

Prepare Basic Meatballs and set aside. Mix cornstarch and sugar in large skillet. Stir in pineapple (with syrup), soy sauce and vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Add cooked meatballs; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in green pepper; cover and simmer until pepper is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. My sauce was a bit thick, probably from using the tidbits instead of chunks which I think have more pineapple than juice, even though it was a larger can than the recipe called for. I just added a little water.

4 or 5 servings.

Basic Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped (about ¼ cup) I used dried onion just because I was lazy
½ cup dry bread crumbs I used cracker meal because I wasn't paying attention and pulled out the wrong container
¼ cup milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients. Shape mixture by tablespoonfuls into 1 ½-inch balls.

Place meatballs in lightly greased baking pan. Bake uncovered in 400 degree oven until light brown, about 20 minutes. Drain off fat.

Makes 24 meatballs.
______________________

These meatballs were yummy. I made them ahead of time so the flavor from the sauce really penetrated the meatballs. I already had peppers in the freezer that I had picked up on clearance some time ago but I found some fresh ones on clearance last week so I used those instead. Otherwise, I just needed to pick up the pineapple. You know how I love a recipe that doesn't require the purchasing of many additional ingredients.

I served these over rice with LaChoy mini egg rolls on the side. LaChoy mini egg rolls aren't very good. I tried the small store in the next town for egg rolls (since the larger store in our town no longer carries any egg rolls!) and it was LaChoy or Ling Ling. I love Ling Ling egg rolls but they were around $6 for a package that didn't seem very large. I need to pick up egg rolls on my next Costco run so I don't have to run all over the place looking for egg rolls when I want them.

Question of the Day: Do you pick up clearance items like meat and vegetables and throw them in the freezer or do you just shop for what you need immediately? I can't resist a good markdown. Although, I won't buy marked down chicken that the store has added seasoning to (I never trust it when the store seasons fresh meat, clearance or not - I want to be able to smell if the meat is truly fresh).

Better late than never

Braised Pork Chops With Cream Gravy
Pillsbury Complete Cook Book Copyright 2000, 2006

4 Pork loin chops I used bone-in chops
1/2 Cup(s) Water
2 Teaspoon(s) Dried parsley flakes
1/4 Teaspoon(s) Salt
1/4 Teaspoon(s) Onion powder
1/4 Teaspoon(s) Dried thyme leave
1/4 Teaspoon(s) Worcestershire sauce
1/3 Cup(s) Milk
2 Tablespoon(s) All-purpose flour

In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown pork chops on both sides. Add water, sparsely flakes, salt, onion powder, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover; simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until pork chops are tender. Remove pork chops from skillet; keep warm. In small bowl, combine milk and flour; blend until smooth. Gradually stir into hot mixture in skillet. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Serve gravy with pork chops.
_____________________

This was a recipe that got pushed off of the menu some time ago and it never made it's way back on until now. I'm glad I finally tried it. It wasn't bad. I like recipes that don't require any fancy ingredients. I could make this anytime that I had pork chops on hand. The gravy came out very nice and flavorful. The pork wasn't as fall-apart tender as I would have liked but braising it longer probably could have taken care of that.

I made this ahead of time and just kept the gravy separate. I heated the pork up in the toaster oven and the gravy on the stove-top. I'm addicted to cooking ahead of time. I don't know what I'm going to do when the warmer weather comes since I probably won't have the time to do as much cooking on Sundays. It's just so great to have everything cooked when I get home from work. And the best part? Most of the mess is made on Sunday. I have less clean-up during the week.

Question of the Day: How often do you eat pork?

Pure evil

Very Chocolate Brownies
Taste of Home Baking Classics Copyright 2008

2/3 cup salted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
4 cups (24 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a heavy saucepan, bring butter, sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, stir in two cups of chocolate chips until melted; cool slightly.
Beat in vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, beat eggs.
Gradually add chocolate mixture to eggs; mix well.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture.
Stir in remaining chocolate chips.
Spread into a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Bake at 325 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes about 36 bars.
_____________________

You know I can usually control myself around sweets. Yes, I indulge, but moderately. If the guys at home won't make something disappear fast enough, I'll take it to work. If it's not all that enthralling, I really have no qualms about tossing sweets away. I guess that's wasteful but better to add to a landfill than my ass. A good portion of sweets that don't get taken to work end up in the trash here - we're only two adults, a preschooler and an 8-month old who's a long way from helping us eat this stuff so of course we can't polish off entire cakes, entire batches of bars, dozens of cookies, etc. I'd rather get rid of it and move on to the next recipe.

But these brownies, these evil, evil, brownies completely ruined my diet. I should have taken them to work but, hmm, somehow I never got around to it. The boys weren't eating them fast enough at home and I could NOT throw them away. I just couldn't. I admit it, I'm not that strong.

I tried freezing them at one point but they were pretty good straight out of the freezer too. Funny thing is that I didn't think they were all that great when I first made them but there is something about recipes that use lots of chocolate and eggs and little flour that seem to get better a day or so later.

So I warn you, make these at your own risk. They are extremely fudgy, with a crackly top and they're studded with chocolate chips. There is no 'best ever' brownie but this certainly was one of my favorites.

Question of the Day: What food did you last lose control over? I wish I could say it was these brownies but I've moved on to avocados.

Just okay apple bread

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread
Blue Ribbon USA Copyright 2007

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup chunky applesauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 packets instant apple cinnamon oatmeal (single serving size)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in applesauce, cinnamon and one packet oatmeal. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Mix in the baking soda and flour. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining packet of oatmeal.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
___________________

I had some packets of instant apple-cinnamon oatmeal that no one was every going to eat and I also had a cup of chunky applesauce leftover from something so this recipe seemed perfect.

It was good, in that lower-fat sort of way. The oatmeal on top got way too dark, burned actually. I suspect my oven may be on it's last legs but I'm not sure if that was the problem. Little bits of apple and oats are bound to darken at 350 degrees for an hour. No problem, I just brushed most of the topping right off.

This wasn't anything that special that I would go out of my way to make it again. There are too many other apple bread recipes out there. This recipe supposedly won a blue ribbon at a fair in Rhode Island (that is the theme of this cookbook).

I registered my son for kindergarten yesterday. I'm sad but looking forward to having one less child in daycare, especially after paying my grocery bill last night. Yikes! I bought 2 packages of diapers, a package of Underjams, a large bag of baby wipes and our first can of formula (bought just in case since my milk supply is dwindling). That stuff adds up! They aren't exactly groceries (besides the formula) but it still bothers me when I spend so much.

Question of the Day: Do you remember registering for kindergarten? I have the vaguest recollection (it was a LONG time ago) but it was very similar to my son's experience yesterday.

More from the Biggest Loser

Contemporary Peppered Chopped Steak
Biggest Loser Family Cookbook Copyright 2008

1 pound 96% lean ground beef
1/4 c cooked brown rice
6 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil spray
2 c thinly sliced sweet onion rings
1 1/3 c 100% grape juice (or one 10 oz bottle)
1/4 c balsamic vinegar

In a large bowl, mix the beef, rice, 5 tbsp of the parsley, and the salt until well combined. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into 1"-thick oval patties. Season evenly with the pepper, pressing it into the patties on all sides.
Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, lightly mist with the olive oil spray. Add the patties and cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until the outsides brown and the insides are very slightly less done than desired. Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover to keep warm.
Respray the pan off the heat, then place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the grape juice and vinegar and return the heat to high. Boil for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Place the steaks on each of 4 serving places and top with the onions and sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp parsley and serve.

Serves 4.

Per SERVING: Calories: 271, Protein: 24g, Total fat: 5g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 32g, Cholestorol: 60mg, Sodium: 372mg, Fiber: 3g
________________________

I was intrigued by the idea of using grape juice in this recipe. I'm not sure I would make it again since it didn't go over that big with the guys. My husband ate it on a bun. We had our usual exchange:

Husband - "Can I put this on a bun?"

Me - "Well, you can put just about anything on a bun. Doesn't mean it will taste good."

And on a bun it went.

My son wasn't too crazy about it due to the parsley, I believe. I really liked the meat portion of the recipe but I wasn't sure how I felt about the onions and the sauce which were quite fruity. It sort of reminded me of sweet pickled onions. I mean, I liked them but there was something distracting about them. I was trying to figure out which taste was more predominant - the grape juice or the balsamic vinegar. They were good mixed with my mashed potatoes!

Question of the Day: Do you cook with wine very often?

More meat loaf

BBQ-Bacon Meat Loaf
Biggest Loser Family Cookbook Copyright 2008

Olive-oil spray
1 cup chopped red onion
4 slices extra-lean turkey bacon, chopped I used pork bacon, low-sodium
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 pound extra-lean ground chicken breast
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce (choose one made with 7 grams carbohydrates or less per 2 tablespoons) I just used what I had which had more carbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch nonstick loaf pan with the olive oil spray.

Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly mist the pan and spray and add the onion and bacon. Cook, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the onion is tender and just barely starting to brown and the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Combine the oats and milk in a medium mixing bowl and stir to mix. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes or until the oats begin to soften. Add the cooled onion and bacon mixture, the chicken, egg whites, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and salt. With a fork or clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread so the top is flat. Spread the barbecue sauce evenly over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink. Let the loaf sit for 10 minutes before cutting into 8 slices to serve. I made it ahead of time and then I sliced it and grilled it.

Makes 4 servings

Serving Size: 1/4 loaf Per serving: Calories 258, Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 76mg, Sodium 529mg, Total Carbohydrate 20g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 35g 70%
________________________

I was excited when I saw another Biggest Loser cookbook. I enjoyed the first one and I enjoyed the author's other cookbook, The Most Decadent Diet Ever!

This was a nice meat loaf. I really liked the texture. When I see oatmeal in a meat loaf recipe, I tend to think it will stand out and be lumpy or something but it works really well as a filler. The plumped up oatmeal blends in with the rest of the mixture and keeps the meat loaf very moist.

The flavor was great too although the bacon didn't actually scream out at you. I probably only used about 3 strips so maybe that 1 extra strip will make the difference. I went with pork bacon. I don't do turkey bacon. Turkey sausage? Yes. Turkey bacon? No way.

The one thing that bothers me about this cookbook is that they have all the contestants from last season in the cookbook but the cookbook hit printing before they lost the weight. Those people worked so hard and looked so great yet no one reading this book gets to see that.

Question of the Day: Do you watch Biggest Loser? That is one of my few 'must watch' shows.

More baked wings

Pattie's Baked Chicken Wings
The Ugly Binder, from the internet

Breading Ingredients:
1/3 c salt
1/3 c paprika
1/3 c cayenne pepper
2 c flour

Chicken Wings

Mix breading ingredients together in a ziplock bag. (This makes a lot. I only made half and still had plenty left over. Just use a little at a time so you don't contaminate the entire batch and that way you can save the leftovers.)
Pat wings dry. Shake in mixture.
Spray cookie sheet w/Pam, put chicken on, spray top of chicken w/Pam
Bake 375 - 40 mins flipping over half way thru.
________________________

I saw this recipe when I was lurking on a cooking message board. You know I'm always on the lookout for wing recipes I don't have to fry. I thought these were very good. Very flavorful and surprisingly not too hot. That sounds like a lot of cayenne but it worked. I halved the recipe and had plenty leftover. I think I made about 4 pounds of wings but I'm not sure.

I had leftover wings so I froze them. I baked those straight from frozen and then tossed them with some hot sauce and melted butter and they were even better. I didn't get a picture of those.

Once again I am spent from cooking most of the day yesterday yet thrilled that I have all of my cooking done for the week. One of the disadvantages to this method of preparation is that it's hard to decide what to eat first. I have all of this good food fully prepared but we can only eat it one day at a time. That's torture!

I think I found trouble this weekend. It's hard to find fun things for my son to do in the cold months. I decided to check out this place that has old arcade games that you can actually play. It's also an antique market. I wasn't thinking much about that part of it but it turns out they have lots and lots of old cookbooks in there. Yay! A place to get my fix when I need it. They're only about 15 minutes away and the books that aren't incredibly old are reasonable. I picked up a 1983 Southern Living Annual for $3.

Question of the Day: What do you do for fun during the cold months?