What the hell is going on in the world these days?

Drug Stores!  Maybe I am seeing things or maybe not.  I just cannot believe how many drug stores there are these days.  And what is worse, there are more springing up each and every week.  I see a drug store on almost every major street in my home town.  Back in “the day” there was a handful in town.  No longer!  CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgrens, just to name a few and of course we cannot count out our famous Wal-Mart pharmacy.  Jesus!  How friggin’ many drug stores does a town need?  To make matters worse I look at the lines formed at each counter and sometimes the damned things are backed up to the front doors.  What the hell is up folks?

I must be an old time shit who just doesn’t see things in the eyes of generation X.  What I mean is in this day and age there seems to be a “prescription remedy” for every damned ailment known to mankind.  There are little pills for feeling “low”, more pills for feeling “stressed”, for being tired, for hyper kids (NEWS FLASH:  Hyper kids might be a good thing, or maybe we all want them to sit in front of a tv monitor and be a Nintendo zombie)…yeah, that makes parenting easy doesn’t it?  Back to the bull shit pills, there’s pills for every ache and pain that you can imagine, pills to make you sleep, pills to wake you the fuck up, pills for making a penis work, making you “lose weight….ha ha ha), pills for cramps, the list goes on and on and on.

Here’s a little Jim thought, yes, pompous, arrogant and obviously opinionated, but here it is anyway. 

Let’s address that kid issue.  Ritalin and its little pill shaped genre.  Kids are supposed to be a little hyper.  That’s how they burn off energy, explore, learn and discover new things.  Hey out there!  Be a parent, don’t DRUG the kids out, teach them (what a concept), you made them, now take the responsibility to help them learn, discover, see things through kid eyes…..remember those?  Or you can just pop them full of pills, let them veg out in front of the TV and play games or let them surf the net and discover porno at 5 years old.  Hey, this is the land of the free, might as well, eh?

Over to the pills for stress or anxiety.  Oh yes, my boss is an ass hole and I just can’t “DEAL WITH THINGS”.  PUSSY!  You are a human aren’t you?  We are engineered to “deal with things”!  In fact, how we deal with stressful situations and how we manage our lives (without the use of band-aid medicine) is what defines the greatness we all have inside us.  MAN UP!  Or Woman Up if the case may be…deal with your LIFE problems and stresses by using your mind and coping skills.  Gee, what a concept.  Shit happens, it happens when we least expect it to and also when we expect it to.  This is part of life.  Life will not end if you have to handle a tough situation using the gift we were taught, learned or were born with, try it.

Now, LOL, those dick pills.  Ever thing for just a micro second maybe, possibly some of the reasons your stupid pecker can’t get hard anymore might be your friggin’ diet?  Or maybe you drink too much, or use some shitty DRUGS?  Yes, I do well understand there are some men out there with “real” issues.  I’m not referring to that 10%.  Think about it.  You eat fast food 5 times a week, then snack on sugar filled sodas, drink a 12 pak of beer, smoke 7 packs of cigarettes, grab a few donuts, eat on the run and then never leave your recliner or desk to exercise.  Hmmmm, maybe there’s something with this theory, ya think?  Get your fat ass up, take a brisk walk.  Drink some WATER!  Stop letting McDonald’s make your dinner and for God’s sake quit fucking smoking and get off the dope dude.  Then maybe Mr. Happy will smile once again for you on your 40^th birthday.

Damn! 

Bottom Line:  Life isn’t easy all the time.  Some days are far better than others.  Hey, that is what life is all about.  Take a little time to help yourself (WITHOUT CHEMICAL HELP).  Those things are nothing more than a band-aid.  They are not a cure or a miracle remedy.  They often do nothing more than mask or delay what is eventually going to catch up to you.  So let all this shit in life catch you and then just HANDLE it!  I realize all too well there are some things out there in the chemical world that are very necessary.  I’m not speaking of these things right now.  The point I’m trying to convey is this.  Quit trying to go out and solve all of life’s little issues with a shiny little pill.  Think about it, use your head, make a decision, raise your kids, talk with your boss, watch your weight, exercise and please drink a little water instead of the “other stuff”.  You might find life to be rather interesting instead of just passing time in a malaise.

Cheers!

  

Absent for a few weeks due to a tragic death

March 18th I received a call from my youngest son Mikey informing me he found his mom passed away at her home in Arkansas.  Mikey had just arrived on his spring break from University.  She was only 44 years of age and apparently passed due to complications of Multiple Sclerosis.  Needless to say when hearing this I packed my bags and left to be with him, his sister and brother who also left on emergency leave from the USAF.

The kids and I spent the better part of the week cleaning out her home, sorting out various information and everything else that is included when a tragic event occurs.  Now, almost 2 weeks later the pain of this loss for the kids is still there, however life is moving on forward be it ever so slowly for them.

Their mom (Sheri) was an avid supporter of the VFW and the US Army Golden Knight parachute team.  Her father Gerald was one of the founding members of this elite squadron while serving as a career helicopter pilot in the US Army.  Her work history included employment with the State of California Department of Developmental Services, California Department of Corrections and recently she was re-schooling in Arkansas for a new career in the medical realm.  Sheri is survived by her 3 children (James, Kimberli and Michael), 2 sisters (Teri and Cari), a brother Gerald A, father Gerald F and 2 grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her mom Jean.

Sorry to bring such a sad moment to the blog, but during such times there are a few moments that bring a smile when you least expect it.  My trip back east started early the morning of the 19th, as I chose to drive instead of fly due to the remote location of where the tragedy took place.
I started out with a nice cup of Joe from a local establishment and headed for the California/Arizona border on Interstate 40.  Upon arriving in Needles, California I stopped into an AM/PM mini mart for a quick coffee refill and a banana.  I noticed 4 employees in the store and thought to myself the food must not be good in this neck of the woods due to the gaunt build of these individuals.  When I got a better look I discovered something rather unique about the collective group.  Just off the top of my head I'd say they had collectively 30 teeth in their mouths.  I had to think for a moment and recalled I have 31 in my mouth.  I had one knocked out years ago while playing baseball.  At this moment another thought buzzed past my feeble brain.  Maybe these folks got a few things mixed up on their last trip to the store and purchased CRACK instead of CREST when shopping for toothpaste.  Naaa, reality check:  Skinny as a rail, missing most of their teeth.....nuclear waste?  OK, OK I suppose they all had a little drug problem.  Time to leave.
Later that day I stopped at another little town further down the road in Arizona.  I know in reason that a few of you out there like the music group The Eagles and are familiar with a number of their songs.  Well, I stopped in Winslow, Arizona.  Stood on a corner and had hoped a girl in a flatbed Ford would slow down and take a look at me.  NOPE!  Didn't happen at all.  What did happen though was this>>  While standing on a corner outside the Love's truck stop a very, very fat Native American man drove past in a little Nissan pickup and starred at me like I was some sort of Leper.  Not a pretty image at all and something that may haunt my dreams for eons.
A little further down the road in Geronimo I prayed as I drove past that I would not be attacked by a maniac wearing a feather head dress and wearing nothing but a pair of buckskin boots and a french tickler.  Fortunately this did not occur.
As I rolled into Gallup, New Mexico I had a curious desire to get on a horse and take a fast ride.  Not sure why.  Just something that blitzed through my gray matter.
The day ended with a motel stay in Albuquerque.
The morning of the 20th came early and out on the road I flew.  Top down on the mustang and podcasts on the radio.  The eastern part of New Mexico was a dry, barren wasteland with very little that interested me.  The Texas border came into view soon and the western part of the "panhandle" was much the same as New Mexico.  Amarillo, Texas however brought a sweet surprise.  The Big Texan for lunch.  NO!, I did not attempt the 72oz. steak challenge here.  Who on God's earth could eat that much?  My answer came on the wall of fame.  Several hundred people have done this and when perusing through the list I noticed many of these hearty eaters were rather small folks (120-140 lbs).  WOW!  72oz. sirloin steak, baked potato, bread roll, salad, shrimp and vegetables.  Sounds like a weeks worth of meals to me.  Comments from some of these munchers were as follows:  "Nice snack, where's the main course?"  "Bring on dessert"  Disgusting!
In the spirit of Mac Davis:  Happiness was Amarillo not Lubbock, Texas in the rear view mirror.  Onward!
Into Oklahoma a little later and finally some green grass.  A nice change from the desolate desert areas of AZ, NM and TX.
Dinner time was in OKC (Oklahoma City for those who need a little more).  A very simple subway sandwich since lunch was a slice of prime rib and coleslaw at the Big Texan.  A simple dinner for a simple mind.  Driving eastward toward Fort Smith, Arkansas (my destination for a motel) the remainder of the day was fairly uneventful.
I know, I know, what a way to end this entry, but remember I was in Oklahoma.
More food coming next week as I'll be out of the kitchen this weekend due to the fact we are having new counters, sink and plumbing installed.
Cheers!

Stuffed Zucchini

How to stuff a wild Zucchini.  For those of you who are old enough to remember those beach movies with Frankie and Annette that last sentence will make sense.  If not, don't worry it was a silly play on words anyway.
Tonight I plowed through the refrigerator to look for something that would be tasty and yet not so heavy.  If you've read some of the past blogs you can see there have been a few rich and heavy items made.  So tonight is going to be lighter, but packed with some taste.  I had 2 large (12") zucchini squash that were staring back at me from the crisper just screaming to be eaten.  Well, I'm not a vegan so I answered back to them and informed these green giants they needed something extra to add to them in order to make it on my plate.  Plain zucchini?  BORING!  Here's something I tossed together on a whim with simple items from the pantry and fridge.

My Ingredients:
2 large zucchini squash
8 wild brown mushrooms
1 medium shallot
2 cloves garlic
4 oz bacon
1 stalk celery
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

My Method:
Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water, add a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil.  Drop your zucchini in and boil on medium high heat for about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from water and cool.
Dice your bacon into 1/2" pieces and fry on the stove until crisp.  Set aside to cool, then crumble into bits.
Whip your egg in a bowl (scramble) and set aside.
Dice your celery, mushrooms and shallot finely, crush or mince your garlic, set aside.

Heat a sautee pan (medium heat), add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, add in your celery, shallot and garlic and sautee for about 2 minutes, then add your mushrooms and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the

mushrooms have lost most of their moisture.  At this time add your egg and cook for about 2 minutes stirring often, then add the crumbled bacon to the pan, toss and stir in, then add your bread crumbs.  Continue tossing until well combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Now that your zucchini has cooled, split them lengthwise and remove the core, seeds and ends.

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees and set your rack to the top level.  OPTION:  Use your broiler.

Place your zucchini on a foiled baking sheet and fill each one with your mixture.  Then sprinkle on your cheese and cook in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.

EVEN THE KIDS WILL LIKE THIS ONE.  Lots of flavor and I ATE VEGGIES, MOM!

NOTE:  This recipe is only for 4 zucchini's.  Since this one is off the top of my head feel free to comment on items you might like in the stuffing or other versions of a stuffed zucchini you may know.

Pork Chop/Apple Chutney Dinner

Oh Yeah!!!  That was the first words out of my mouth when this FANTASTIC, FLAVORFUL, DELICIOUS meal was plated up and a bite went into my mouth.
Pork Chops/Apple Chutney...what could be better I ask?  OK, OK, you might have your favorites out there, but if you savor flavors in every bite try this one on for size.  I served this tonight with a nice quartered red potato and fresh peas.  When serving a main with such a variety of flavors I wanted something that would not distract from the taste.
The late time I had a chutney was in 2009 in Scotland.  My wonderful friends Gordon and Jan Cuthbertson put me up for a week in a lovely town "Grantown-On-Spey_" near Loch Ness.  During the visit I managed to see a few ancient ruins including; castles, barracks, viewing stones, burial grounds and of course The Loch.  Sorry, no Nessie on the day of our visit.  Getting back to the chutney.
From Wikipedia:  Chutney is a loan word incorporated into English from Hindi-Urdu describing a pasty sauce inIndian^[1] and other South Asian cuisines. It is derived from caṭnī (Marathi: चटणी, Tamil: சட்னி,Kannada: ಚಟ್ನಿ, Hindi: चटनी, Urdu: چٹنی, Malayalam: ചമ്മന്തി, Telugu: పచ్చడి) a term for a class of spicy preparations used as an accompaniment for a main dish. Chutneys usually contain an idiosyncratic but complementary spice and vegetable mix.

Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several Northern Indian languages use the word for fresh preparations only. A different word achār (Hindi:अचार) applies to preserves that often contain oil but are rarely sweet. Vinegar or citrus juice may be added as preservatives, or fermentation in the presence of salt may be used to create acid.

In the past, chutneys were ground with a mortar and pestle made of stone or an ammikkal(Tamil). Nowadays, electric blenders replace the stone implements. Various spices are added and ground, usually in a particular order; the wet paste thus made is sauteed in vegetable oil, usually gingelly or groundnut oil.

My Ingredients:

2 large granny smith apples (peeled and diced)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup honey

3 tbsp white vinegar

pinch salt

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp dry English mustard

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp olive oil

5 boneless pork chops

My Method:

I quartered the red potatoes and then tossed them in some olive oil and then set them on a foiled baking sheet.  Sprinkled on some coarse salt and a few grinds of pepper and place into a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

After the potatoes have been cooking for 20 minutes or so I started the Chutney.  In a large sautee pan add the apple, raisins, dry spices, vinegar and olive oil and mix well,  Cook on medium heat, tossing often.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes until all of the liquid is reduced.  Then simmer on very low heat until ready to serve.

I simply pan seared the pork chops in a large sautee pan to give them a nice brown color, then cooked them on low/medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until the juices run clear.

For plating (see photo) I placed the chop with chutney over.  Can also be served on the side.

SIMPLE, RIGHT ??  But, Ohhhh, so delicious.

Another Cookie: Tart Fruit/Chocolate Chip

The urge to make another cookie on the heels of the OCC Cookie was tugging at me so it was out to the pantry and shelves to see what ingredients I had available.  I do a mega-bake at Christmas time each year and take all of the creations that are concocted to friends and people I work with as a sort of Christmas bonus.  Needless to say we "stock up".  Our shopping list includes among other things:  30 pounds of butter, 10 pounds of cranberries, apricots, walnuts, 50 pounds of sugar and flour and so much more.  Thank goodness I have a pick up to haul this storeroom of items.  Well, getting back, I noticed a new sack of dried apricots and another bag of craisin cranberries.  Ooh-la-la!!  Tart fruit.  Mix that with a walnut and it just might be dandy says I.  Now, for a cookie base.  This didn't take much thought since a good ole Tollhouse cookie is one of the best around, so here's the finale.

My Ingredients:  (The cookie is right off the Tollhouse recipe with additions)
2 1/4 cups sifted flour\1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
NOW THE ADDITIONS:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries

Method:
As in the Tollhouse recipe...
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.
In your mixer whip the butter until creamy, add in your granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.  Beat until creamy.  Add one egg at a time while beating and then slowly incorporate your flour mixture.  Whip until smooth and creamy.

With a heavy spoon (wooden is good) stir or fold in your chocolate morsels, fruit and nuts until all are combined well into the mixture.

Spoon out a rounded tablespoon size of mixture and drop onto your baking sheets.

Cook for 11-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the sheet for 10 minutes.  Cool them on baking racks until firm.

YEAH BABY, YEAH !!!  These are awesome.

OCC Cookies (Oats/Chocolate/Cranberry)

OCC....hmmm, what does that bring to mind in some of you?  Choppers?  Like in Orange County Choppers?  Fortunately for me there are no chopper or other motorcycle parts in these delicious cookies and no "Choppers were harmed in the making of these".  I like the acronym vs. the entire words anyway.  Besides, if you say the whole title of the cookie you end up wasting half of your day instead of getting these into the oven.  So, OCC is what I am calling these.
This morning I took a nice walk with my pal Ernie, not the same Ernest who went to camp however, Ernie and I did meet at camp in the 6th grade.  Ironic, eh?  OK, OK back to the point.  During the walk I asked him if he had the recipe for a really terrific cookie he concocted late last year and unfortunately he didn't.  He mentioned it was a combination of a few different cookies and he just slapped it together.  All I can say is, that cookie he made was pure heaven.  Slap it together, slap leather, slap a knot on your head, slap shot, slap me on the ass.....it was good and I just had to figure out how to make something similar, but with a Jim twist.  Hence, the OCC Cookie is born and here is what I did.

My Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/14 cup pack light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups quaker oats
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts

My Method:
I put my chocolate chips in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to starting to make them nice and hard.  I put the cup of chips in the food processor and chopped them into little pieces (about 30 seconds of pulse chops).  Remove the chips and set aside.  Repeat the same process for the cranberries and then again for the walnuts.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl combine your flour, baking soda and salt, whisk together and set aside.  In another bowl combine your brown sugar, granulated sugar, oats, cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips and mix well with your hand or a large whisk or spoon.  Set aside.
I use a stand mixer for all of my baking but a hand mixer will work for this job if you are diligent and have strong wrists.
In your mixer add your butter and start mixing until creamy, then slowly add in your nuts and berries mixture.  When all of the berry nut mixture is added, drop in your 2 eggs, milk and vanilla extract.  Mix well and then slowly add in your flour mixture.  Mix on medium to high speed until well combined.  If using a stand mixer, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides to ensure a great mix of the ingredients.  Mix for about 90 seconds.

NOTE:  I use "Air Bake" cookie sheets because I feel they work the best and they do not burn the bottoms of cookies, however you can use any cookie sheet you like for these.
Now, drop rounded tablespoon size portions of your cookie dough onto your cookie sheets.  Bake them in the oven for 12-13 minutes.

I found in my oven 12 minutes on the air bake sheets was perfect.  When the cookies are done, let them rest on the sheets for about 6-7 minutes and then cool on baking racks.

These cookies are not so sweet they give you a sugar shake and not dry and hard as to break your teeth into little fragments.  They are moist, sweet and tangy.  

DELICIOUS !!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Tonight's dinner was a classic.  Chicken Cordon Bleu !!  Along with this dish I did some multi-tasking to front load a few meals due to our work schedule over the next 2 days.  Later in this post I'll share my quick recipe for some out of this world Fajita meat and a really tasty spaghetti sauce.

To the Pièce de résistance, Chicken Cordon Bleu.  I served this with some delicious Garlic, Parsley and butter potatoes and fresh peas.


My Ingredients:
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Sliced Black Forest Deli Ham
2 Slices Aged Swiss Cheese
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp paprika
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup rhine whine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1tbsp cornstarch


My Method:
NOTE:  There are quite a few different methods for creating this dish, this is my particular method and it was awesome to say the least.


I pounded the chicken breasts to about 1/2" thick (in order to thin up the thick side of the breasts) with a meat tenderizer (flat side).  
NOTE:  I always use a glass cutting board for chicken (never my wooden or bamboo board).  This help prevent any contamination to the porous boards, as you all know of the possibilities of bacteria from poultry.
Next I placed a slice of cheese and a slice of ham on top of each breast and trimmed it to keep it about 1/2" from the edges of the chicken.  I then folded the ends over about 1/2" and secured them with a toothpick.  Then fold the edges of the chicken over and secure with a toothpick.  This should give you a cylindrical looking shape with your ham and cheese encased within the chicken.  Set aside.  Now mix your flour and paprika on a bowl and lightly coat the entire outside of the chicken in the flour mixture.  Set aside.
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

In a sautee pan, melt your butter at medium heat and get it nice and hot.  Place the chicken in the butter and brown all sides ( about 10 minutes cooking time).  
Remove the chicken from the sautee pan and place on a baking dish or cookie sheet lined with foil.  Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  Test the internal temp, chicken will be thoroughly cooked at 165 degrees on your meat thermometer.
While the meat is cooking in the oven pull out a small sauce pan.  Whisk your wine, cream, cornstarch and bouillon together and heat on medium heat until boiling.  Cook the sauce for about 12 minutes, whisking often.  After sauce has thickened a bit (12 minutes) strain it into a serving pitcher.
Remove the chicken when cooked and rest for 3-4 minutes.  Plate and pour a light amount of sauce over the top and around the base.

DELICIOUS!!!  
As stated before I served this with a terrific Garlic, Fresh Parsley and Butter cubed potato dish and fresh buttered peas.


Here's the quick recipe and method for the potato side.
2 lg russet potatoes
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves crushed garlic
salt pepper
Wash, peel and cube your potatoes about 1/2" - 3/4" cubes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a large sautee pan and melt your butter, add the olive oil and get it hot.  Add the potatoes and toss well to ensure covering with the butter and oil mixture.  Cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes, flipping often.
Now add about 1 tsp salt and 10 grinds of fresh pepper and your parsley.  Continue to toss and stir for about 2-3 minutes.
Place the contents of your sautee pan onto a foil lined cookie sheet and cook them in the oven for about 25 minutes on the middle rack.  Potatoes are done when a fork will penetrate easily.  FANTASTIC!!

As promised here's a quickie for Fajita meat that will please the taste buds.
2 lbs beef (today I used a tri-tip roast, however I have used chuck, london broil, skirt steak and others)
1 tbsp chili powder
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fined diced onion
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup hot water


Trim as much fat from your meat as possible.  Cut the meat into 3/4"-1" pieces.  Dice onion finely.
Heat a skillet (use a skillet that you have a lid for) and add your olive oil, get it nice and hot and add your meat.  Stir the meat until it starts to brown slightly and the juices start to build up.  Add your dry ingredients and onion to the meat and stir well.  When the natural juices of the meat start to reduce add 1 cup of hot water to the skillet.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking until all of the liquid reduces (about 10-15 more minutes).  VOILA, it's done.  And it tastes great on a nice herb tortilla with shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, hot sauce and avocado.  WOOT!

  

Chicken Rice and Veggies

What do you do with your leftover chicken?  There's a bunch of answers for that question out in the world.  I myself have dozens of different things I use "extra" chicken for.  Tonight however I had 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts leftover.  Originally I had plans to make Chicken Cordon Bleu, but time constraints, work schedules and Gayle's sleep pattern kinda made that idea skid off the stove.  Mark my word however, it will be on the menu soon.  So, getting back to the leftover chicken.  Knowing I have a terrible schedule of work and extra events this weekend I wanted to put together something that is portable, tasty and filling.  Here's what I decided to make.

I don't have a real or official name for this dish other than Chicken Rice and Veggies so that what I'll call it.  Tonight I used broccoli, celery, carrots, mushrooms and onions however you can use a variety of your favorite veggies in this dish and it will come out virtually the same.  So, indulge yourself.

My Ingredients Tonight:
2 lg boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
4 medium carrots
8-10 button mushrooms
4 stalks celery
1/2 medium yellow onion
3 cups brown rice
6 cups chicken broth (made from bouillon)
salt
pepper
2 tsp butter

My Method:
Wash and finely chop your celery, onion, carrots, mushrooms and broccoli (no larger than 1/2").  (see photo)  

As shown in the photo, keep the mushrooms separate from the other veggies.  Set both bowls aside.
Additional Step Optional:  You can steam your veggies for about 5 minutes to ensure tenderness.
Cut your chicken into small 1" chunks.  Heat a medium sautee pan and add your olive oil.  When the oil is hot add your chicken and cook until browned nicely.  With a slotted spoon remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.  In the olive oil sautee the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.  Strain the mushrooms in a wire strainer and set aside.
In an OVEN SAFE Skillet (with a lid), melt your butter.  When the butter is hot add 1 1/2 cups of your rice and cook until browned nicely (see photo)

Now add the other 1 1/2 cups of rice and your chicken broth.  Bring to a rolling boil.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Now add your veggies and mushrooms to the skillet and bring to a rolling boil.  (see photo)

Cover the pan and cook on the stove top for 3-4 minutes, then place the covered skillet in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes remove the cover from the skillet and cook an additional 5-7 minutes.  This should give the dish a nice browning.  (see photo)

Now remove the skillet from the oven, recover and let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes on the stove with NO HEAT.
This is a meal in itself or can be used as a side.

Delicious "Aussie" Bites Muffins

Introducing Gayle the Ukrainian-Canadian (my wife) in her first shot at a goody, here on FOOD JIM-POSSIBLE.  The urge to have a kitchen conquest overwhelmed her today I suppose, for the first thing I see after returning from dropping off mail is my mini-mouse sized wife cooking like a maniac.  Gayle fell in love with a little muffin creation called Aussie Bites.  She found these at Costco quite some time ago and couldn't put them down.  Reminded me of a crazed chocolate addict or something similar.  The problem I noticed with the Costco Aussie Bites is the calories and HUGE amounts of sugar.  Eating just one could throw you into a foaming, rabid, sugar rage or a damned coma.  Needless to say this had to be rectified in order for us to even want these within 100 meters of the house.  Gayle had a plan and here's how it went.  

Gayle's Ingredients for 48 Bites:
2 cups Quaker Oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
1/3 cup sunflower seed kernels
1 cup assorted dried fruit (chopped) Gayle chose craisins and apricots)
1/4 cup honey
1 stick butter
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp hot water
3 eggs (whisked)
1 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup apple sauce

Gayle's Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chop the fruit in a food chopper (see photo) or dice finely and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients (oats, wheat flour, brown sugar, coconut, sunflower seed kernels).  Mix by hand until well blended, then add the chopped fruit and mix again well.  Set aside.
In a microwave approved bowl or measuring cup melt the honey and butter together, stir.
Mix the baking soda and water together and add to the honey/butter mixture.
Now the fun part, pout this honey mixture to the dry ingredients and add the eggs, mix until very well blended together (see photo).

Lightly grease a mini muffin pan (available at all department stores, yes, even the W Store).  Spoon out enough mixture into each muffin compartment and flatten with your rubber spatula or spoon.  (see photo)

Bake on the center rack of your oven for 12-14 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  (see photo)

These Gayle creations have quite a few less calories than the store bought version and obviously a lot less sugar.  I know this because I ate one and didn't fall over flat on my face or end up in a quivering pissing fit like the original Costco version.  These taste fantastic as all the fruit, nut and natural flavors speak for themselves, not being overwhelmed by SUGAR.  Serve these with coffee, tea or your favorite warm beverages.  Gayle suggested a dab of butter while still warm for those who aren't watching that cholesterol or calorie count.

CHEERS!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Oh Yeah baby!  My pal Ernie has a great lemon tree in his back yard.  So when life (or Ernie) gives you lemons you make lemonade, right?  Wrong!!  You make lemon meringue pie baby, yeah!  Follow me and you shall see, the pie that's tart and (with 4 eggs), hard on the heart!  WOO!  Here's how it went tonight.

My Ingredients:  (Pie Filling)
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest (We got a nice new zester today for this trick)
1/4 tsp salt
1 9" pie crust (I used a store bought, ready to cook crust)

My Method:
CRUST:
Remove your ready made pie crust from the freezer and let it thaw for about 20 minutes.  Prick the bottom and sides when thawed with a fork or pin roller.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Bake the pie shell for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside.
FILLING:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Place you oven rack to the middle position.
In a mixing bowl, whisk your 4 egg yolks and set them aside.
In a medium sized sauce pan combine your water, sugar salt and cornstarch, whisk until well blended.  Turn on your fire or heat to a medium level or setting, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.  Continue mixing after bringing to a boil for about one more minute, until the mixture is very thick.  Now remove the pan from the heat and mix in about 1/2 of the contents to your whisked egg yolks.  Mix in a few tbsp or whisks full at a time until about 1/2 the mixture has been added to the eggs.  Whisk well until a beautiful yellow color.
Return the sauce pan to the heat and adjust to a low setting, whisking constantly and begin adding your egg mixture back to the sauce pan.  When all the mixture has been combined, cook for 1-1 1/2 minutes until very thick and nicely yellow.  Remove the sauce pan from the heat and gently stir in your butter, lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk until well blended.  Now, pour (while still HOT) lemon filling into the pie crust.
MERINGUE TOPPING:
4 egg whites
2 tbsp granulated sugar

In a copper bowl (if you have one) or a regular mixing bowl, pour your egg whites and beat for several minutes at a very fast pace (high speed if you are using an electric mixer) until the egg whites are "foamy" and make small peaks when you pull out your beater.  At this point slowly incorporate your sugar, whisking or mixing rapidly.  Continue to whip the egg whites for about 2 more minutes at a rapid pace until the meringue forms nice 1" peaks when you remove your whisk.  (This is terror on the arms with a whisk).  Electric mixers make the job much easier.  Now using a rubber spatula, add the meringue to the top of your pie filling, spreading it out evenly to the edge of the crust.  You can try and add a few small peaks to the meringue for a decorative look if you like (see photo).

Place your finished pie in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes until the meringue is a golden brown.  Remove from the oven and rest the pie for about an hour at room temp and then refrigerate for a few hours.  Now, it's ready to enjoy!

My Newest Acquisition: Copper Mixing Bowl

WOOT!  It finally arrived.  The newest weapon in my arsenal of cooking equipment, dedicated to my waging of war against basic, bland and terrible food.  COPPER MIXING BOWL !!  Full of supreme fire power when fighting those nasty egg white beatings and such.  Now, to load it and put it to good use.  Maybe a nice lemon meringue pie?  We'll see, keep checking in and find out what terrible task this beautiful bowl has thrust upon it.

Copper bowl (from wikipedia)

Copper bowls have been used in France since the 18th century to stabilize egg foams. The copper in the bowl assists in creating a tighter bond in reactive sulfur items such as egg whites. The bond created is so tight that the sulfurs are prevented from reacting with any other material. A silver plated bowl will have the same result as the copper bowl or a pinch of powdered copper supplement from a health store used in a glass bowl will yield the same result as well. Drawbacks of the copper bowl include the expense of the bowl itself, as well as the fact that the bowls are difficult to keep clean. Copper contamination from the bowl is minimal, as a cup of foam will contain a tenth of one's daily normal intake level.

Blackberry Puff Cream Dessert

All my friends from this area know all too well how wonderful the wild mountain blackberries from above Springville taste when freshly picked.  Unfortunately, the fabulous, juicy blackberries I am referring to ripen in the heat of summer.  Ummm, it's a brisk 37 degrees today.  A far cry from the balmy upper 90's or 100's of summer when this bounty comes to maturity.  OK, OK, enough babbling about the berries.  Even when it's cold and damp out I can get great berries thanks to hot houses and imports.  Tonight was round two for this one.  I neglected to post my first attempt at the Blackberry Puff Cream due to the fact my pastry didn't puff the way I wanted it to, and consequently I became enraged at myself, my lack of baking prowess and basically everything else I could conjure up to be enraged about.  Needless to say the first attempt went straight into the garbage bin.  This time the baking gods decided to show mercy and the creation was truly a feat of blissful delight.  Here's how it went.

My Ingredients:
1 10oz package of frozen puff pastry shells
4 oz Phillly Cream Cheese
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup milk or half and half
3 pks turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw)
10 oz fresh blackberries (frozen will work too)

NOTE:  The first time I tried this one I made puff pastry from scratch using a French recipe I found.  Well, long story short, I obviously and not a French baker and totally goofed that.  I didn't add enough butter and didn't roll it out thin enough and the recipe ended in a disaster.  I have not given up the ship however and plan on tackling the puff pastry again in the future and will blog it here.

My Method for 6 Desserts:

Preheat oven to 385 degrees.....yes, 385

Sparingly grease a cookie sheet.  I prefer to line mine with foil and thinly butter it.
In a small mixing bowl add the sugar, cream cheese and cinnamon then whisk or beat with an electric hand mixer until you have a nice creamy texture (about 2 minutes, remembering to scrape the sides of the bowl).  Now with a rubber spatula, fold your mixture over several times to ensure all ingredients are well blended).  Set your bowl aside.

Place your puff pastry on the cookie sheet and brush a thin coat of milk or half and half over the top of each one.  If you use the Pepperidge Farms frozen brand as I did this time make sure to place them cut side up.  When the pastry is brushed sprinkle on a nice light coating of turbinado sugar over each one.  I found some of this sugar at a local Starbuck's.  I used 3 packs for this job.  When the sugar has been sprinkled over the pastry place the cookie sheet into the oven on a middle high rack.  Cook these for about 15 minutes, until nice and golden brown, ensuring the puff pastry has fully cooked.  When cooked, remove from the oven and lift the tops of the pastry off of each pastry, set the tops aside on your sheet.

With the tops of each pastry removed spoon in about 2-3 tsp of your cream cheese mixture and about 6 or 7 blackberries on top of the cream cheese.  Then replace each pastry top, over the berries.  Place back in the oven for about 6 minutes or so, giving the cream cheese time to warm nicely and pastry top enough time to crisp and brown a bit more.  Remove from the oven and plate.

YUMMY!!!