Posts Tagged ‘cooking’

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a recipe! Since I am in the heat of the Nanowrimo, I decided to do one!

Are you looking for something yummy and pretty healthy for your family? This one fills the bill. As usual, I don’t provide exact measurements for ingredients. I like to cook by the seat of my chef pants!

Spicy Oven-Baked Chicken

Ingredients

Packaged fresh chicken tenderloins (I imagine you could use whole chicken, but I like that the tenderloins cook up so quickly!)

Hot Sauce

Buttermilk

Bread Crumbs

Cooking Instructions

Put the chicken tenders into a bowl and add hot sauce. I used a lot–almost a half of a bottle for my 2 pounds of tenders. Remember: I am feeding the giant boys. I layered the tenders and hot sauce until the bowl was full. Then I poured buttermilk to cover. I marinated for about 2 hours, stirring everything every 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pick up chicken tender, shake off marinade, roll in bread crumbs until covered. Layer in oven-safe dish in a single layer, trying not to have pieces touch. Repeat till all the chicken is covered in bread crumbs. Bake approximately 30 minutes.

I served these with sweet potato fries, which baked at the same time.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes

Olive Oil

Cooking Directions

Cut sweet potatoes into small cubes, approximately 1″

Toss with olive oil.

Spread out on baking sheet, making sure no pieces touch. Bake along with chicken tenders, turning twice during cooking so all sides get slightly crispy.

Let me know what you think of this meal! I’d also love to hear how you made it differently. Did you skip the hot sauce? Add anything to the bread crumbs?

Seriously, the WORST MOVIE EVER!

What? You’re thinking, “it can’t be that bad.”

Oh, but it is. And I am here to spare you. Save you money. You can thank me later.

Do not, under any circumstance, go see Piranha 3-D. Yes, I went. Simply so you won’t have to.

I have never been to a 3D movie. What could be better than a campy, fish-filled frolic? I’m always up for a good bad movie. Jim & I spend many a Saturday nights watching SyFy movies. I spent this Saturday night watching Lake Placid 3–how bad could Piranha 3-D be compared to that?!

Let me tell you, Lake Placid 3 is an Oscar worthy movie compared to the dreck of Piranha 3D.

We had to take Aaron with us because the twins were busy. I had no idea that the entire movie was blood and boobs. Naked women frolicking in an underwater synchronized swimming routine. Boobs. Boobs. Blood. Blood. And more boobs and more blood.

Don’t be fooled by the opening scenes with Richard Dreyfus. It’s just a joke. He’s only there to lull you before the shit hits the screen.

Jerry O’Connell is fun as the director of the Wild Wild girls he’s brought to frolic at spring break. But even he can’t pull off a Speedo. Seriously.

Elizabeth Shue is the highlight of the movie. As the sheriff she performs mean feats to save the day.

The 3D part was cool. I jumped out of my seat more than once as things flew at me. I liked the multi-dimensional effect. Honestly, though, the best 3D part was the advertisement right before the previews meant to showcase the 3D. That was cool!

I could have done without the hour-long massacre scene as college students are attacked by the mutant prehistoric piranha. It might not have been an hour, but it seemed like it. It would have been so much better if the dead people had turned into zombies. Remember, directors of film–zombies can always save the picture! It was at that point that I suggested we leave. But we stayed.

I can’t even say save this one for DVD. It’s that bad. Save your money and do something else.

I’m starting a new weekly post listing the meals I am serving each day. There are many articles that discuss the importance of the family dinner. Here, here, and here are just some of the available articles.

Since becoming a family, it has been the routine to eat dinner together most nights of the week. We didn’t do it to strengthen our family, it just happened to be the way it worked out. We’ve had interesting discussions and arguments. We’ve laughed. Sometimes Aaron even makes me cry because he’s so picky! Just kidding! Takes more than an 11 year old kid to make me cry!

Each Saturday I make a list of the week’s meals. This is the hard part. I seem to get into ruts and we end up having the same things over and over, week after week. Once the meal list is made, the grocery list is created from that. The meal list isn’t etched in stone. Some weeks things get jumbled up. Some weeks we’ll end up getting pizza one night. We’re nothing if not flexible!

This week’s meals:

• Sunday, meatloaf: ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, mustard, worcestershire sauce
• Monday, Italian sausage and peppers
• Tuesday, enchilada casserole: black beans, salsa, frozen corn, diced chilies cooked and then layered between tortillas and topped with shredded cheese
• Wednesday, spaghetti primavera: sauteed zucchini, onion, mushrooms with jarred spaghetti sauce and canned crushed tomatoes.
• Thursday, chicken tenders
• Friday, breakfast

I’m really trying to cook with whole foods, but some things are just really easier store bought: spaghetti sauce, salsa, breaded chicken tenders. I use mostly frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables.

Will you share your menus? Maybe we can get some ideas from one another!