want to cook, wednesday...

A few weeks ago for our weekly Pasta Wednesday, we went to Macaroni Joe's.  I had the chicken tortellini in pesto cream sauce.  It was delish!  I've been thinking about it ever since...I can't get it out of my head.

On my continuing search I've found these great recipes that have quickly been added to my want to cook, book!!

• tortellini with tomato cream sauce
• chicken with penne in a roasted garlic cream sauce
• caramelized chicken with jalapeno cream sauce

What is your favorite pasta recipe?

baked santa fe dip...

CON

I lost the Austin public library system.  This, in my opinion, is a great tragedy.  Austin had 23 libraries for me to pick from.  And each one had so many great cookbooks for me to drool through!

It's been quite a while since I've been to the local libraries but I believe Amarillo only has two.  And while I'm sure they are lovely, I can almost bet they won't be as great as Austin's.  Canyon only has one library.  It's nice, and it has a small collection of cookbooks.  I figure it will be enough to keep me busy for a short while.

I actually went over to the Canyon library the other day.  I walked straight back to the cookbook section and took in all the titles.  When I had decided that there were in fact some I'd like to look at, I walked up to the desk to get myself a library card.  And...OH CRAZY WORLD!...

There sitting behind the desk, staring back at me with a look of pure hatred, sat my arch nemesis.  The girl who has hated me since the 4th grade.  The girl who took a baseball bat to the side mirror on my car.  The girl who has loathed me since day one.  Let's call her...Quite Lovely.

Quite Lovely's hatred for me began in the 4th grade.  She and many of her friends decided it just wasn't fair that the new boy, Freckle Red, had asked me to go out (where we were going in the 4th grade I'll never know).

It was the most embarrassing, most romantic scene of my life.  There on the playground, surrounded by a circle of our peers, Freckle Red grabbed my hands.  He looked into my eyes, and said, "Kristin, will you go out with me?"  I said yes of course.  He was the cutest, newest boy in school!

We went out for the duration of two weeks, when finally the comments and jeers got the best of me.  As romantically as Freckle Red had announced his love for me, I cruelly and publicly announced our breakup.  It was the first time a boy had ever cried over me.  Yep...I'm a heart breaker.

Quite Lovely and her merry band of jerks were happy but they still hated me.  Apparently to this day.  Which brings me back to our meeting at the library.

I could tell by the look on her face that Quite Lovely was less than thrilled to have to wait on me.  It was painful for her.  That much was obvious.  Being nice to me was like having her fingernails ripped from the beds.  Slowly.

Naturally, seeing another human being in such pain brought me no happiness.  Oh no.  Being the Karma love, vengeance seeking, make your enemy suffer person that I am...well...I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of her pain.

Knowing how awful it must be for her to be forced to smile, say polite things, and be kind and helpful to me makes me want to go to the library every single day!

Oh yes.  I am that girl.

So...bring on my cookbook extravaganza!!!

Round 2:  Baked Santa Fe Dip vs Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Check out Round 1 here and here.

I picked the baked santa fe dip.  I've had this recipe for a year and a half now.  It came from a recipe magazine that I bought 70% off when Borders went out of business.


I could not believe how quick this recipe came together!  The hardest part was waiting for it to heat up in the oven!  I also could not believe how much of it we ate!

Oh my...this dip was delicious!

What's your favorite dip recipe?

The Recipe:

Baked Santa Fe Dip

From the Kitchen of:  Better Homes & Gardens

Makes:

Ingredients:

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 can diced green chiles, drained

½ cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup chopped tomato

¼ cup sliced scallions

2 tablespoons torn cilantro

tortilla chips

Recipe Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl stir together corn, cheddar, Monterey jack, green chiles, mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, and garlic powder.

Spread mixture in an ungreased pie plate.  Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until heated through.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine tomato, scallions, and cilantro.  Sprinkle tomato mixture over baked cheese mixture.  Serve with chips.

confession...

Somehow, I have managed to keep a venison and wild boar-free body for the past 29 years.  I don't really know how I managed this, seeing as how I've lived in Texas for 28 of my years.  And I've lived in the Texas Panhandle for 25 of those.   All but one of my former boyfriends have been avid hunters.  It seems a near impossible feat, but I've done it...and proudly.

But that all changed last night.  I un-suspectingly chowed down on some game meat.  And...shocker of all shockers...I didn't hate it.  It wasn't until after I had finished my slice of both the wild boar and the venison that Shane, my sister's boyfriend, asked how I liked the meat.

"I liked it."  I said.  Truth be told, it wasn't that great, it was rather tough and quite unflavorful, but it wasn't disgusting.  And in my book, if I can at least stomach to chew and swallow it...it's not half bad.

"That's boar and venison," he said with a smirk on his face.  I'm pretty sure he knew I had never had it before.  He seemed to take a special joy in asking if I was going to go throw it up. 

I embraced my new food loving lifestyle and with an equally smirky face replied, "No...it wasn't half bad."

I imagine that I would quite like to eat more wild boar and venison if I can find someone to cook it right.  I think with the proper marinade, or spice rub, and the perfect oven temperature it would be quite a lovely piece of meat!

So...bring on the game!  It's not as bad as I thought it would be!

confession...

Hum...it seems like all I do is confess these days...it's ridiculous.

I've made a goal for myself this weekend, that between all the various tasks I've been wrangled into, I WILL POST.  I will finally end the posting shortage on this little ol' blog and get back to dishing up my thoughts.  Because man...I do have a lot of thoughts these days!

Thoughts about the cute construction worker I keep seeing every time I run the mail at work (and no...I don't actually run...that's just what I call it when I make the trek across campus to deliver and pick up the office's mail).  Thoughts about the cookies I just made this week.  Thoughts about being single again.  Thoughts about turning 30 this year.  Thoughts about the pesto pasta I want to make.  Thoughts about love.  Thoughts about lust (the two 'L' words seem to be swirling around my mind a lot these days).

And so...I make this public pledge to post.  Because I don't want to do what I've always done, which is:

Start a blog and then abandon it, delete it, or edit it into oblivion.

I've been blogging for six years now.  I know you can't tell it...but that's because in those six years I've created and deleted 3 blogs.  Edited one so much that there was no point in continuing to write on it.  And abandoned one. 

It's dumb.  It's ridiculous.  It's got to stop.  So now that it's out, I'm obligated. 

And plus...I know that everyone loves a good juicy tale about lusting after boys...which is what I have planned for the next several months!

confession...

I met my future husband Friday night.  It was love at first sight.  But...let's discuss that a little later...

I heard Thursday night that The Great Food Truck Race was going to be in Amarillo this weekend.  My weekend of no plans, of lounging around, of finally putting away some of my things, of total laziness vanished within minutes.  Now I had to find and eat at all 6 remaining food trucks!

I found out that they were going to be out at the baseball field serving up baseball fare.  I talked my mom, sister and her boyfriend into going up there to get some grub.

My mom and I got there super early.  For about an hour, the only activity  was the production crew bustling about.

A few of the food truck owners came out and we got to chat and take pictures!

Here's the guy from Make Sausage Not War:

The guys from Pizza Mike:

The girls from Nonna's Kitchenette:

The guy from Pop A Waffle had some waffle flags and he put on quite a show for the waiting crowd!

I'm pretty sure the camera got us on video.  We had to sign a waiver and everything!  I'm hoping they don't use that clip...I don't want to be on TV!

As it grew dark, we moved back and stood by a row of cars.  We were just waiting for the food to start being served when I heard his voice.  I turned to my right, and there, standing five feet away was Tyler Florence!!!

Ohmigod.  He's so stinkin' cute!  I couldn't help but stare at him.  Like a total gawking fan.  It was ridiculous.  I could tell he was trying to keep a low profile.  He had a cap pulled down over his eyes and he was trying to keep away from all the action.  But I wasn't fooled!  I've watched his show enough that as soon as I heard him talk I knew who it was!

As he was leaving, my mom called out his name, "Tyler, could we get a picture?"

I had never met a celebrity before.  I never thought I would be one of those weirdo fans who just stares and stammers, too starstruck to say anything.  But...it's true.  That's exactly the kind of fan I am!  All I could do was say, "Hi, I'm Kristin."  We shook hands, he put his arm around me for the picture, he said, "Nice to meet you Kristin!"  And in a flash, he was gone.

WHAT?!  Seriously?!  "Hi, I'm Kristin" was all I could say?  What about, "I love you" or "I'm a huge fan" or "I love your pico de gallo recipe" or "Will you marry me?" or the most important question, "Can I have your autograph?"

HEAD SLAP!

Duh.  You always ask for a freakin' autograph.  You idiot!  I mean, I had his undivided attention for a whole 63 seconds and I didn't say anything!

Sigh.  Dumb.

I think I was so amazed by his good looks, charm, and nice manners that all I could think about was how nice he was!

Ugh...I want a redo!

My adoration for Tyler grew by a hundred percent Friday night...he's the man of my dreams!  I just know one day he'll wake up and come looking for me, and we'll get married and live happily ever after.  He he he.

We had to wait in line for a while for the food, and by the time we had sampled food from 3 of the trucks we were out of cash and full!

But here's what we did get to eat (the pictures aren't great but the food certainly was):

The Texas Big Ball from Nonna's Kitchenette...a meatball sandwich.  Too much fennel, in my opinion, but I am a fennel hater.

Italian Sweet Balls from Nonna's Kitchenette...fried donuts.  Completely delicious.

Susitna Street Tacos from Momma's Grizzly Grub...otherwise known as 'burn your freakin' face off tacos'.  Um...they were a tad spicy.  But otherwise delish!

Baby Bears Chocolate Truffles from Momma's Grizzly Grub...I have no idea what was in them, but I wish there had been a few more!

Spicy Fried Rice Balls from Make Sausage Not War...fried balls!  Um...I love me some fried balls.

I'm sad that I didn't get to try you all but the thought of being on TV kind of scared me off!  Good luck to all the teams and I'm so glad y'all made a stop in Amarillo!

confession...

The Great Food Truck Race is in Amarillo this weekend!!!  I'm so excited I can barely stand to sit around here...I need to be out looking for them or something!

It's my sole mission in life to find out where they are, and eat at every last one of them!

I just found a picture of them in Amarillo...click here to see it...there are 6 trucks, and Tyler Florence.  Oh baby...come to mama....

I'll let you know if I spot any of them!

confession...

Newsflash!

I haven't posted in forever!  Well...it feels like forever.  I think I've finally gotten my shit together though and seriously plan on posting a great recipe tomorrow after I get home from work.

Yep...you read right.  W-O-R-K!  Uh huh...that's right...I have a job!  Today was my 9th day, and so far...I'm loving it!  I think it's going to be a great job.  I feel very lucky to have gotten it so quickly.  And it only takes me 8 minutes to get to and from work each day!  What's better than that?

Things have been crazy here though.  I'm never at home.  Which leaves me absolutely no time to plan meals, pick out recipes, or even cook and bake.  I'm going to have to carve out some time just for that...I really do miss it.  I need to find time somewhere in between all the beer drinking, work going, shot taking, park walking, bar lounging, bike riding, late nights, horse loving, social life having, trying to get a few hours of sleep life I'm living these days!  Whew...it's exhausting just typing it.

I have started something wonderfully delicious though...Pasta Wednesday!  It started out as a simple family dinner night.  I wanted to pick a night of the week so that my sister, Lauren, my mom and I could get together and have dinner.  Wednesday became the designated day.  My mom's friend, Sheila, was invited and we've made it a girl's night every week!  It's so fun!  The first meal happened to fall on Lauren's birthday and so I made her a pasta dish she'd been wanting to try.  And thus...Pasta Wednesday was born!  So far we've had 3 Pasta Wednesdays.  And they've each been fabulous.  I know I'll for sure be sharing the dish I made, and I'm thinking about sharing the recipe my sister made (it was so good).  Last night we went out for Pasta Wednesday...and now I'm on the hunt for Pesto Chicken Tortellini recipes.  I think we might be adding another girl to the group, my cousin.  And we might have to spice up Pasta Wednesday and allow all kinds of other recipes into the mix...we'll see what happens.

We've decided to make some goat cheese with dill this weekend, so hopefully I'll be sharing that recipe soon!  I'm a goat cheese-aholic...I can't wait to eat it all.

I need to make some homemade dog treats since we've got 4 mutts running around this ole house.  Maybe pumpkin bones this time...

I've got my eyes peeled for hunky cowboys, but no luck so far.  I have been seeing some cute little college boys around town...but I'm far too old for that nonsense these days...hehe.  I'll keep you posted though.  I'll have lots and lots of gossip to share now since I'm back home.  So come back...you don't want to miss anything juicy!

everything bagel onion dip...

PRO

I don't have to deal with ant infestations anymore!

It is my firm belief that the house Erin and I bought was built on top of an ant colony.  And not just an ant colony, but the biggest ant colony in central Texas.  Just a month after we moved in, the ants came.  I wasn't too concerned the first time they arrived.  I mean, they found their way into the pantry.  They were hungry...it was natural.  I killed them with Home Defense and all was good.

Until...when three months later they came again.  And this time in record number.  And they invaded multiple rooms in our home.  It was so bad that we had to call an exterminator to come out and spray and bait them, and it took him 3 different visits to win the battle.  And even he was shocked at how many their were.  Only...

He didn't win.  They came back a few months later.  Everyday I had to walk the perimeter of the house and spray for ants.  They seemed to love coming up from the foundation and trying to make their way into our home.  It was ridiculous.  It was gross.  It was horror movie-ish.

And I'm so glad that I don't have to worry about that shit anymore!  It was driving me crazy...and I hate being nuts!

Round 1:  Pizza Hummus vs Everything Bagel Onion Dip


I picked the onion dip.  Sour cream & onion dip is one of my favorite things!  I just knew I was going to win with this recipe!


It took less than no time to make it.  It does need to sit in the fridge for an hour or so before you eat it though.


I was surprised by the flavor of the dip.  It wasn't as strong as I thought it would be.  We ate the dip with blue corn tortilla chips and slices of baguette.  I think it would be better with vegetables like cucumber slices or sticks of carrot.  Maybe even on a pretzel.


Round 1 winner...

Pizza Hummus!!!

What is your favorite dip recipe?

The Recipe:

Everything Bagel

Onion Dip

From the Kitchen of:  Rachael Ray magazine

Makes:

Ingredients:

1 onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1, 16 ounce container sour cream

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt

poppy seeds

sesame seeds

dehydrated onions

Recipe Instructions:

Using a food processor, finely chop the onion.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Transfer the onion to the pan.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Transfer back to the food processor and pulse with the sour cream, lemon juice, and paprika; season with salt to taste.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Before serving, top with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and the dehydrated onion.

pizza hummus...

PRO

There's no traffic in Amarillo.

Traffic here consists of ten cars stopped at the same stoplight.  Traffic here still flows at the speed limit.  Traffic here doesn't make you want to kill someone.  Traffic here is nonexistent.  At least to me.

The first time I went to Austin was when Erin and I were looking for an apartment.  I was shocked and scared by the amount of cars on the highways.  I didn't think I'd be able to make it there.  I mean...I'm from Small Town, America.  And not that I'd never seen traffic jams before (I'd been to New York City, Chicago, Tampa, Dallas, and Houston), I just had never had to drive myself around in it.  It took almost a year of driving around Austin before I finally felt comfortable driving by myself.  And after three years of it I basically didn't even notice the mass exodus into and out of the city every day.  It's funny how you become accustomed to your surroundings.

The last few weeks I've been driving around town and have found myself wondering if I'd been 'left behind' because..."where are all the cars?".  It's been so nice not to have to plan my outings by the time of day, or try to pick the fastest route by taking side streets, or skipping an event because downtown traffic will just be too busy right now. 

I have time to think while I'm driving.  I have a few moments to take in my surroundings while I'm driving.  Driving has now become a little more relaxing.  I love every stinkin' minute of it.

It's funny to see what I had written a month or two ago (my posts are always at least a month from when they actually happened).  It's a little weird to be posting recipes that Erin and I had made together since we're no longer a couple, but they're good recipes.  And since I had made them so long ago I don't always remember what my reactions to the recipes were.  Hang in there...there's only about 15 more posts that will be formatted like this!  And then...it's on to the recipes I've been making since I moved back home!  And man they are so good!!  I can hardly wait to share them!
Sometimes Erin and I are super dorky.  It's a side effect of being bored and being on a tight budget.

Last night we held our second Iron Chef challenge.  Iron Chef Dips.  The first one we had was Iron Chef Bruschetta.  Basically we both make a number of recipes that fall under the category we've selected.  We found a ton of recipes that we liked for the bruschetta.

Because dips are a little more filling we've only picked 4 dips and we've spanned the challenge over several days.  There are 2 rounds and an overall winner.

Round 1:  Pizza Hummus vs Everything Bagel Onion Dip

Erin picked the pizza hummus.  We recently made our first bowl of hummus a few weeks ago and we've had hummus on the mind ever since!

I was pretty skeptical about the pizza hummus.  For some ridiculous reason I "think" I don't like things that are called 'pizza'.  Let me clarify.  I LOVE pizza.  Pizza is one of my favorite foods.  But...things like pizza hummus, pizza  chips, and pizza bread make my nose snarl.  I don't think things that aren't pizza should pretend to be.  I think they should find a new name.  Like Italian Hummus.   See?  Doesn't that sound more appetizing?

So...now that I've got you thinking I should be committed, I'll tell you about the hummus.

It was delicious!  It's so easy to make and it holds up well in the fridge.  We only made half of the original recipe and that was plenty for the two of us!

Come back to read about the Everything Bagel Onion Dip and to see which dip won Round 1!

How's the traffic in your area?

One month ago:  Pork Gyros

The Recipe:

Pizza Hummus

From the Kitchen of:  Food Network Magazine

Makes:

Ingredients:

½  tablespoon olive oil

1/8 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon oregano

½  teaspoon basil

2 cloves garlic

1 ½ cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

1/8 cup tahini

1/8 cup lemon juice

salt

Recipe Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.  Add the tomato paste, oregano and basil and cook until slightly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the tomato paste mixture to a food processor.  Add the garlic, chickpeas, chickpea liquid, tahini, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Serve with pita chips.

cherry slices...

CON

I left behind some of my favorite restaurants.

While I gained back Kabuki and Fat Boys, two of my all time favorite places to eat, I lost quite a few in the move.  I'm sure I'll survive, but I'll be thinking about some of my favorite places and dishes for a long time I'm afraid...

I don't know how I'll survive without Jersey Mike's.  I mean...I don't know how I ever ate a ham and cheese sandwich without cherry pepper relish.  Jersey Mike's became one of my favorite places.  It beat out Subway, hands down...and now that's one of my only options for sandwiches.  Boo.  Hoo.  I'm on a mission to make my own cherry pepper relish though.  And if I can accomplish that, I can make my own ham and cheese Mike's way at home!  Deli bread, ham, provolone, shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes, (I added pickles too), oregano, salt and pepper, and red wine vinegar and olive oil drizzled on top.  YUM. 

I'm a huge fan of P.F.Changs too.  We don't have one here and I'm very sad about it.  The hot and sour soup was always tugging at my taste buds...I could never get it out of my head.  I can, however, make a pretty good copycat of the fried green beans.  And I've tried mongolian beef and it was okay.  So...I just need to find a hot and sour soup replacement....

I won't get to eat at Mighty Cone, or Kebabalicious, Chi'lantro, Hey Cupcake, Gourdough's, Trey's, Odd Duck, Franklin Barbecue, or Torchy's Tacos...some of my favorite food trailers. 

I'll miss out on the local places like Mighty Fine, and Trudy's (the best beef fajitas I've ever had), Kerbey Lane, and Home Slice.  But I can make some great burgers, I need to try to make a lemonade shake, I can try making fajitas and queso to match Trudy's, I've got tons of recipes for gingerbread pancakes, I make great homemade pizza...so I might survive! 

It will be an interesting adventure trying to re-create all my favorite restaurant food in the months to come.  Stop by and see how it goes...

When our spinach artichoke dip didn't turn out as planned, I was glad I had a plan B.  As usual, my plan B was dessert!


I'd been wanting to make these bars and I was glad when Erin picked them from the dessert choices I gave him.  They turned out every bit as delicious as I thought they would be.


I put the batter into a baking dish and not a baking sheet and they were way too thick.  Go with the baking sheet...it's an important detail.

What is your Plan B when your dinner fails?

One month ago:  Lemon Garlic Hummus

The Recipe:

Cherry Slices

From the Kitchen of:  Lick the Bowl Good blog

Makes:

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 ¾ cups sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 can cherry pie filling

¼ cup powdered sugar

Recipe Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 11x17 inch rimmed baking sheet.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  Place the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed until well blended.  Add the vanilla and almond extract.  Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, and beat until smooth.  Reserve 1 cup of the batter.

Spread the remaining batter in the baking sheet.  Spoon the cherry pie filling over the top.  Drop the reserved cup of batter by teaspoonfuls over the pie filling.  It should look uneven.  When baked, the batter on the bottom rises and creates reservoirs of cherry filling.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the batter begins to turn golden.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Cut into 2 inch squares.

chick-fil-a fried chicken...

This is my first time linking up with This Week's Cravings!  I had planned on linking up each week this month but due to my recent and unexpected move I've been falling behind on posting all the great recipes I had lined out to share!  But I finally made it around today and I'm so glad to share this recipe with everyone!

So...this week's category is 'picnic recipes'.  And I know what you're all probably thinking...fried chicken is not picnic food.  Well, maybe it isn't...to you.  But to me it's THE picnic food!

You see...when my sister and I were little my mom always took us for picnics at the park!  We'd have a picnic for lunch and then head over to the zoo and spend the afternoon gazing at the monkeys.  It was one of our favorite things to do!  We'd always pack a picnic basket full of goodies (I don't remember what all we'd fill the basket with) and then we'd stop by KFC and grab a bucket of fried chicken for our main dish.  It was so good!  Fried chicken picnics is one of my favorite childhood memories!

***

I really love Chick-fil-A.  I love the chicken.  I love the polynesian sauce.  What I don't love is the price.  But I've found a way to have my Chick-fil-A chicken at home.  And it costs next to nothing.

I found this recipe in Food Network magazine.  I was a little weirded out by the ingredients but after I tried it, I was hooked.  They seriously look and taste just like Chick-fil-A!

See for yourself...

They're easy to make, it takes no time at all to get them on your plate.  I always have a stash of polynesian sauce (shh, don't tell) because I haven't found a good copycat recipe yet.

Try this recipe.  It'll become your family's favorite fried chicken!  You can make nuggets or fry up a whole breast and make a sandwich out of it.

What's your favorite picnic food?

One month ago:  Coconut Oil Body Butter

The Recipe:

Chick-fil-A Fried Chicken

From the Kitchen of:  Food Network Magazine

Makes:

Ingredients:

2-4 chicken breasts

1 teaspoon paprika

vegetable oil – for frying

1 egg

½ cup milk

¾ cup flour

¼ cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon malted milk powder

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons pepper

2 tablespoons water

Recipe Instructions:

Cut the chicken breasts either into chicken nuggets or in half horizontally to make thin cutlets.  Mix 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon each of pepper and paprika in a small bowl and mix to combine.  Season the chicken with the salt mixture.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat or to 325 degrees in a deep fryer.  Meanwhile, whisk the egg, milk, and the water in a dish.  In another bowl, whisk both flours, the malted milk powder, powdered sugar, baking soda, dry mustard, ½ teaspoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. 

Working in batches, dip the chicken in the egg mixture, turning to coat, then dredge in the flour mixture & shake off any excess.  Fry the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

cajun spice mix...

PRO

It's not hot or humid in Amarillo! 

I absolutely hate being hot.  I'm more of a cold person.  So living in south Texas was not a good fit for me.  There were three temperatures in Austin:  nice, hot, and miserable.  Most of the time I thought it was miserable!!! 

I hated the humidity too.  You couldn't be outside for more than a few minutes before you started sweating.   And I hate sweating too. 

The climate here in the panhandle is perfect.  It gets hot in the summer but rarely reaches 110 degrees.  The last several summers in Austin it was reaching 100 degrees at the end of April and didn't cool down until October!  That's just way too hot for me.

I'm looking forward to the cool fall and cold winters; I can't wait to pull out my gloves and scarves this year!

I've decided to give making my own spice mixes a try.  So far, so good.  The taco seasoning is great!

When I mixed up the cajun spice, I had just enough of the store bought brand left in the jar to do a taste comparison.  The store bought brand was very salty compared to the one I had just mixed up.  I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but the dish we made using the cajun spice mix turned out just fine!

How do you use cajun spice?

One month ago:  Spicy Meatballs

The Recipe:

Cajun Spice Mix

From the Kitchen of:  Add a Pinch blog

Makes:

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Recipe Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and store in an airtight container.

plantain chips...

CON

It's windy.

And I don't mean a light breeze or a rustling wind.  I'm talking about 30-60mph winds.  Every.Stinkin.Day.  It's ridiculous.  It's annoying.  It's terrible.  As I made my way back home in the first week of April, a gust of wind shifted my car.  I began crying instantly.  I had just broken up with  my boyfriend of 4 years and the reason I was crying was because I HATE the wind and I was moving back to THE WINDIEST CITY IN AMERICA.  I know they call Chicago the windy city but I'm guessing the person who started that nickname had never been to Amarillo.

I can't even describe how windy it is here...I mean, if you've never lived in the Texas Panhandle then you just won't get it. 

It's so windy that your hair always looks windblown and tangled.  I think the wind might be the reason so many Texas gals have big, poufy, hair-sprayed locks.  They're just trying to keep it in place from the house to the car.  It's so windy that if you put on lip gloss your hair will be sticking to your lips the minute you walk outside.  It's so windy that when it's not windy, all you'll hear all day long is, "There's no wind!" and "It's such a nice day!" and "There's hardly a breeze!"  Everyone notices when the wind stops blowing because you can live your life and go about your daily business without being blown from here to there.  It's so windy that you always here people saying they thought their house, or car, or shed, or whatever was going to blow away last night.

It's so windy that when you see walls of dirt flying in the air and you can barely see the car in front of you, all you can say is, "It's so windy today."

No cuban sandwich is complete without plantain chips.  It's a given.  Cuban sandwiches with a side of plantain chips.  It's a thing.

But as connected as these two things are, and as many times as we've made cuban sandwiches, we have never made plantain chips.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe because I had never bought a plantain.  Maybe because I thought they would be hard to make.  Who knows.

I happened to catch an episode of Good Eats the other night and plantain chips just happened to be one of the recipes featured.  Hum...how convenient.

I bought the plantains earlier in the week when I went to Central Market because I didn't know if I could buy them at the grocery store.  Well, I found out two things:  plantains ripen very quickly, even in the fridge; and, you can buy plantains at the grocery store by the bananas.

And I learned something else:  using green plantains is better than using ripe plantains when making chips.  The ripe ones fell apart during frying.  So please, only use green ones!

I had a tiny mishap with the oil during frying.  I placed the first plantain into the oil with my hand and a huge ball of grease popped onto my thumb.

@$%# !#@ $%^*&% #$%#@!

It's the worst burn I've ever had.  Erin had to finish up dinner.  He had to help me finish making dessert and he had to help me clean up.  Luckily the burn didn't turn out as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I'm still probably going to have a scar.

Anyways...the point is, use a pair of tongs to put your plantain chunks in the oil.  Your hand will thank you.

What are your favorite homemade chips?

One month ago:  Asian Beef Kabobs

The Recipe:



Plantain Chips

From the Kitchen of:  Alton Brown

Makes:

Ingredients:

2 cups water

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

2 green plantains

Recipe Instructions:

Combine water, garlic, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat oil to 325 degrees.  Peel plantains and slice crosswise into 1 inch pieces.  Carefully add plantains to oil and fry until golden yellow in color, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side (the oil should come halfway up the side of the plantain).  Remove the plantains from the pan and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, standing them on their ends.  With the back of a wide, wooden spatula, press each piece of plantain down to half its original size.  Then place the plantains in the water and let soak for 1 minute.  Remove and pat dry with a towel to remove excess water.

Bring oil back up to 325 degrees and return plantains to pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes per side.  Remove to a dish lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.  Serve immediately.

cuban sandwiches...

I've had a few days to settle myself in and decided that I really needed to start posting again.  I love this blog.  I love the food I make.  I love all the new recipes I try.  And so I hate for that all to go to waste because I'm sad that I had to move back home, scared because I have no job and no money, and sometimes blah because I know this is right but I can't help feeling a little down.  I've been to gather most of my belongings, having to leave some things behind because they simply would not fit in the trailer my mom rented for me.  Did I mention yet that my mom is my hero?  My lifesaver?  The best mom in the world?  Well...she is.  She's always there to help pick up the pieces when things in my life don't go as planned.  I don't know what I'd do without her. 

PRO

Meet Penelope.

Long story short: my sister's boyfriend found a baby deer while he was working.  He brought it home and my mom raised it.  She turned it out months ago, but Penelope still comes around every once in a while.

Penelope was so tiny when my mom first took in the little baby. 

My sister's boyfriend said it was a girl and so they named her Penelope.  Mom bottle fed Penelope for months until she was big enough to eat other foods.  She loved apples, Frosted Mini Wheats, oats, corn.  She became best friends with the dogs and loved the wild cats that come around. 

I came home for a visit during the month of October and noticed that Penelope was getting hard little bumps on her head.  After some pondering, I thought that Penelope might not be a she but a he...so I got down on my hands and knees and took a gander at the undercarriage.  There was no mistaking it...Penelope was in fact a he.  We couldn't change his name...he already knew it by then. 

My sister called a week ago and said she'd seen Penelope and that he was covered in ticks.  So we mixed up some flea and tick dip and headed over to treat him.  We called a few times and shortly after Penelope came sauntering up from the bushes on the side of the canyon.

Penelope brightens my dreary days.  I mean...not many people get to love on a deer on a Wednesday afternoon!

Never in my life have I been a meat combiner.  You know what I'm talking about:  chicken cordon bleu, turduken, club sandwiches, even cuban sandwiches.  Two or more types of meat in one bite...ew.  No thankyou.  It wasn't until my early twenties that I even allowed a slice of bacon to top my burger.

Erin had been begging me to eat a cuban sandwich for the first two years we were dating.  Two years ago I gave in and told him I would go with him to get a cuban sandwich and I would try it.  Try it to mean I would take one itty, bitty bite and chew furiously until I could swallow.  I was convinced I would be struggling to hold down my gag reflex.  But...to my surprise I found the cuban to be delicious.  After that we decided to make our own.  And...Erin and I both think our cuban sandwich is much better than the two we've had around town!  They're really easy too!

If you're not a meat combiner either, try these cubans!  Both meats are pork, so it's easier to handle them!  Once you find that combining different types of meat really isn't that scary, maybe you'll move on to a nice, juicy turduken.

Or...maybe not.  I think I'll pass on that too.

What's the weirdest pet you've ever had?

The Recipe:

Cuban Sandwich

From the Kitchen of:  Food Network

Makes:

Ingredients:

soft french bread or other soft roll – split in half

mustard

dill pickles

deli ham slices

swiss cheese slices

1 pork tenderloin

1 quart water

½ cup sugar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons salt

Recipe Instructions:

Mix the water, sugar and salt in a dish or bowl.  Place the tenderloin in the dish and cover.  Brine for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan and bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove the pork when the temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Place on a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice the pork into thin slices.

Spread the inside of the split bread with mustard.  Fill with pickle, ham, pork, and swiss cheese to your liking.  Press down in a skillet and cook until golden.