Seven Things…

I follow a handful of cooking blogs (okay, a really large handful) and sometimes a recipe post will roll around inside my head gaining momentum until I just HAVE to make it. Other times I read a post and mentally tabulate what’s in my pantry. If I have everything I need, I’ll make it right that minute. Some recipes make it into my monthly rotation and I carefully plan to include their ingredients on my grocery list.

I thought I’d take a minute to mention a handful of recipes that I’ve tried from blogs that I follow that, in this simple little house, bearing zero in the way of fancy kitchen gadgets, were a  huge phenomenal success. Follow the links provided to try these crazy good dishes yourself! The photo above was my first attempt at General Tso’s Chicken, shared by Tia at IAMSIMPLYTIA.com. It was better than any take out I have ever had anywhere, I promise. ***Note: breading with cornstarch yields perfect results, but makes a sticky mess. Wear an apron and keep the water running*** Also from Tia, I made a blackened chicken rub for grilled chicken that was spicy and delicious. Chad brushed ours with a little sweet barbeque sauce before taking the chicken off the grill and laying it to rest on my plate.

This is how you feed a hungry man after work. I made Smothered Pork Chops, posted by Allison at Main St. Cuisine. Hers was an adaptation of a Good Housekeeping recipe. I saw that issue (February 2012), and Allison’s pork chops put theirs to shame. I was in a hurry that day and did not take any decent photographs of my creation, but it was a quick easy recipe and I highly recommend it.

The tomato sauce pictured here was a recipe from Creative Noshing. It was full of veggies and delicious tomato flavor and made this rigatoni so so happy. I used this tomato sauce for the mini pizzas my family made at our last birthday bash. From Creative Noshing’s site I have also made caesar dressing (which I pulled off without a food processor- it was super yum), and baked oatmeal (which was delicious and kin to having dessert for breakfast; next time I make it, it will be accompanied by a big scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt).

These recipes are totally copycat worthy. Try them! You’ll see!

On another note… last week I posted a handful of awards, but I felt like I was getting a little long winded. Awards come with a set rules for acceptance, and I postponed fulfilling the requirements for another day. Another day has arrived. The Beautiful and Kreativ Blogger Awards both required me to share with you seven things. And yesterday I received another Kreativ Blogger award from Tabkhet el yom who with her blog does some really amazing things! It’s traditional Lebanese cooking from a mother of four who posts recipes for things like biscuits with anise and falafel (my own personal favorite). So if we are keeping track here, I’m supposed to tell you 7…14…21 things. And that’s too many.

I’m gonna break it up…

This is my favorite picture of Chad & Me

2. I am totally opposed to having things on my feet. I prefer to be barefooted at all times and refuse to sleep in socks.

3. I used to sell and install cable tv.

4. I am terrified of spiders. Once when I was opening the store I worked in, a gigantic spider flew out of the light above me and landed in my hair. I have ALOT of hair and I just thought it was a moth buzzing around me until I got inside, locked the door behind me, and a spider the size of my fist crawled down my arm. I flung it into the floor and let out a blood curdling scream, and then left Chad a hysterical voice message at 6 o’clock in the morning. He still laughs at me about that.

5. The gum balls from two sweet gum trees in my front yard have become my natural enemy.

6. I live in a dry county. Prohibition is going strong down here, ya’ll.

7.
This is my happy family.