A sanctuary is a place of peace and quiet, where you can feel safe and secure, be yourself and relax. For most of us our home is such a place. It's our personal space, a place we long to go to at the end of the day, where we can let our hair down, put our feet up and reboot. When that place of sanctuary disturbed and our personal space is invaded, it can be traumatic.
My home, my sanctuary was broken into last Friday, during the middle of the day. I had a doctor's appointment and was gone for about 3 hours. When I came home, I noticed a few odd things, a fan in my son's room had been knocked over, the security bar on the back door was removed. At first I thought my son had come home from work during his lunch hour and was in a hurry and knocked the fan over. I wondered if I had been in such a hurry to leave that I forgot to lock the back door. But something didn't seem right. I walked back through the rooms again, then I saw it. There was broken glass on the bathroom floor and it hit me. I turned and saw my son's tv was gone, his laptop was gone from off his dresser. I had left my laptop on the kitchen table, it was gone, along with a crystal necklace that my son had bought me for my birthday last year.
It must have been a quick job, probably one person, since only a few things were gone. I'm thinking maybe Lola scared the thief off when he came out of my son's room and started through the living room towards my room. He broke the bathroom window and climbed through. He/they didn't go through any drawers and left a few other items that I was surprised weren't taken.
I am grateful because it could have been a lot worse, more things taken or he could have hurt Lola or let her out the front door. But I don't know that I will ever feel the same about my house, hopefully I will in time, but it's going to take a while. My sense of security has been shattered, my sanctuary doesn't seem so peaceful.
I spent the entire weekend replacing the glass in the bathroom window, buying and putting up security bars on some of the windows, and extra locks on the doors. I still need to buy some more security bars for the rest of the windows. I will do that one at a time, but at least they're up on the bathroom window and my son's bedroom window. If I could afford to get a security system installed I would, but I just can't do it right now.
I've been trying hard to get out of debt and this sure has set me back. Between getting the locks and security bars. I did have to get a new laptop. not only for me but my son uses it also for his college classes. I still feel traumatized by it all.
My son's laptop had actually crashed a couple of years ago and he just uses his phone unless he needs to do something for a class then he uses my laptop, so I guess the thieves will get a big surprise. I was most upset by losing the necklace my son gave me and the pictures that were on my laptop that I lost.
It's a sad thing that you have to barricade yourself inside your own home to feel safe. That people who are too lazy to work feel entitled to take things that other people work hard to be able to have. That I don't feel a sense of peace in my home. That I have lost interest in the plans I was making to work on making a bigger garden next summer. That I look with suspicion at everyone who walks down my street. That I have to hide things when I leave for work in the morning or take them with me.
I'm sure a lot of those feelings will go away with time, but will my home ever feel like my sanctuary again? I hope so.
Kathy
Monday, October 28, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Walnut Oil
I bought this walnut oil a couple of years ago. Well, not this particular can, another can, this is a new can.....you know what I mean. Anyway, I bought it for a recipe I saw in a magazine for walnut bread. I never did make the bread but I did use it to make my own salad dressing.
I know salad dressing seems like such an easy thing to make from scratch, basically it's oil and vinegar, but for some reason I never could get it just right. But on the back of the can was a "recipe" for salad dressing:
4 Tbl. of walnut oil
1 Tbl. of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of mustard
salt and pepper
and just shake it up
Pretty simple right? Yes, yes it is. One thing that I like about it, besides that it tastes good, is that it makes just enough for an individual salad. I don't like my salads swimming in dressing and the portion is just enough. I have seen recipes for homemade dressings before, but it's always way more than I need.
I've played around with this recipe by substituting different vinegar, like champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar. One thing that is really good is using lemon or lime juice in place of the vinegar. Something else that I've thought about but haven't tried yet is maybe using lemon and then honey instead of the mustard as a dressing for fruit salad......hmmmmm.
Lots of times I will add different flavors of Mrs. Dash seasoning to the dressing along with the salt and pepper, maybe the fiesta lime, lemon pepper or the extra spicy flavor. It really does make it tasty. Plus an added bonus to using this oil is that it's got lot's of omega 3 being it's made from walnuts, the good for you fats.
Now I must tell you that this oil is a little pricey. I believe I paid about $7 or $8 for it, but it will last me quite a while because I only use it for salad dressing and I don't eat salads everyday. It may last me a couple of months so I feel it is well worth it, being healthy and all.
Kathy
I must tell you though that this
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Sunday Cookin'
Here it is Sunday again and I've got time to cook. I'm actually roasting a turkey breast in the oven for supper tonight, but I wanted to get something cooked ahead a time for later in the week and to put in the freezer for a couple of future meals.
I decided I had a hankering for nachos. Yummmmy. So I figured if I could cook up some "taco" meat ahead of time then I would just have to throw it on some chips, add some cheese and there it is. The meat could also be used in actual tacos or burritos. See how versatile it is and it freezes well too.
So I browned 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck. I got a 3lb package at the grocery that was on sale. I'll use the 1 1/2 to make chili at a later date.
These are the spices I used to make the meat taste "nacho-y". But later I decided not to use the basil.
1 1/2 tsp of cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
Add crushed red pepper to taste, depending on how much heat you want.
salt
pepper
1 medium diced onion
Once the meat is browned and the excess grease drained off, add the spices and onion, stir around and let simmer for a couple of minutes.
This is a new ingredient that I saw used on a cooking show, so I bought it and was very anxious to try it. It is Mexican tomato sauce, found in the Mexican section of the grocery store (duh). It is nice and spicy. I poured it little by little into the meat mixture, letting it simmer for a while before I added more. I didn't want to make it too soupy. But I ended up using the whole can, it's only a 7oz can. Then I let the meat simmer for a while.
I had planned on soaking some black beans over night and cooking them today. But I was on the go a lot yesterday and was too tired to do it last night. But, you can always improvise, so I used a can of kidney beans that I had. I just drained and rinsed them and threw them in the meat mixture. No problem.
I let this all simmer for a while and even though I hadn't plan to eat any today, I had to have a taste for lunch. But there is still plenty for another meal of nachos or burritos during the week. I'll then freeze the rest in individual portions for future use, when I'm in a hurry and don't feel like cooking!
I shredded some of this cheese to put on my nachos. But you can always change it up by using Mexican cheese, pepper jack or any other kind of cheese that you like.
This was my quick lunch today, I just had to have some because it smelled so good. I did stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to melt the cheese. When I will fix it for dinner, I'll add some diced grape tomatoes, and have a little salad with it, you could maybe add olives if you like them ( I don't!).
I hope you will try it, it's pretty simple to make and you can add anything you like.
On a completely note, this is what my kitchen table looks like after a week of just throwing the mail and assorted things onto it instead of dealing with it daily.
Later......
Kathy
I decided I had a hankering for nachos. Yummmmy. So I figured if I could cook up some "taco" meat ahead of time then I would just have to throw it on some chips, add some cheese and there it is. The meat could also be used in actual tacos or burritos. See how versatile it is and it freezes well too.
So I browned 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck. I got a 3lb package at the grocery that was on sale. I'll use the 1 1/2 to make chili at a later date.
These are the spices I used to make the meat taste "nacho-y". But later I decided not to use the basil.
1 1/2 tsp of cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
Add crushed red pepper to taste, depending on how much heat you want.
salt
pepper
1 medium diced onion
Once the meat is browned and the excess grease drained off, add the spices and onion, stir around and let simmer for a couple of minutes.
This is a new ingredient that I saw used on a cooking show, so I bought it and was very anxious to try it. It is Mexican tomato sauce, found in the Mexican section of the grocery store (duh). It is nice and spicy. I poured it little by little into the meat mixture, letting it simmer for a while before I added more. I didn't want to make it too soupy. But I ended up using the whole can, it's only a 7oz can. Then I let the meat simmer for a while.
I had planned on soaking some black beans over night and cooking them today. But I was on the go a lot yesterday and was too tired to do it last night. But, you can always improvise, so I used a can of kidney beans that I had. I just drained and rinsed them and threw them in the meat mixture. No problem.
I let this all simmer for a while and even though I hadn't plan to eat any today, I had to have a taste for lunch. But there is still plenty for another meal of nachos or burritos during the week. I'll then freeze the rest in individual portions for future use, when I'm in a hurry and don't feel like cooking!
I shredded some of this cheese to put on my nachos. But you can always change it up by using Mexican cheese, pepper jack or any other kind of cheese that you like.
This was my quick lunch today, I just had to have some because it smelled so good. I did stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to melt the cheese. When I will fix it for dinner, I'll add some diced grape tomatoes, and have a little salad with it, you could maybe add olives if you like them ( I don't!).
I hope you will try it, it's pretty simple to make and you can add anything you like.
On a completely note, this is what my kitchen table looks like after a week of just throwing the mail and assorted things onto it instead of dealing with it daily.
Later......
Kathy
Friday, October 18, 2013
Fried Food Fridays
Try saying that three times really fast!! Today didn't start out to be "fried food Friday" but that's how it ended up. And I make no apologies for it, it was hot, tasty, salty and good.
Now I do try to eat healthfully during the week and sometimes I'm more successful that others, but I do make the effort. I try to incorporate more fruit and veggies in my meals. I try to bake, roast or grill any meats with maybe a fried option every now and then. I drink lots of water and limit myself to just one soft drink (coke) a day. Whole grain cereals and whole wheat bread is the order of the day. Now I may not be perfect and at times I don't succeed but I do make a conscience effort. I also make a lot of food from scratch.
But Fridays are a different story. I like to think of it as my "free Friday". By that I mean I am not so diligent about what I eat, I can indulge myself and not feel bad about it. I might have pizza, French fries, bacon or even have a big bowl of popcorn with butter for dinner. Of course I'm not saying I eat all that every Friday, it just options.
Where I work there is a coffee shop in the lobby that serves breakfast and lunch at very reasonable prices. They have bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy, French toast and also cereal, fruit, muffins and yogurt. For lunch there is assorted sandwiches, hamburgers and fries, chili, cheesesticks but also salads, cottage cheese and fruit. Most days I bring my lunch from home, but of course, not on Fridays! Everyday there is a lunch special for $3 and it could be anything from nachos to soup and a sandwich or salads or philly cheesesteaks. Let's just say that there is quite a bit to choose from.
Well, today I brought a couple of pancakes from home. I had made them from scratch several weeks ago and then froze them to use when I wanted to. They aren't big, about the size of the palm of your hand. Anyway, I brought two of them from home and then got some bacon from the coffee shop, a yummy breakfast since I usually only eat bacon about once a week.
The lunch special today was a fried, crispy, spicy chicken sandwich and onion rings, yummy, yummy onion rings. I couldn't help myself, I hadn't had any onion rings in forever. It was well worth it. I was full and I didn't feel the least bit guilty about it. But I could have used a nap......and a mint.
This was not a usual Friday splurge with all the fried foods, sometimes I might just have a big salad, a wrap or just some chili and a grilled cheese sandwich. Although, Friday will always be "bacon day". But my point was that I like to have one day a week where if I wanted to eat really bad all day then I will and I won't feel guilty about it. And I found that if you give yourself permission to splurge, more than likely you will pick "not too bad foods" a majority of the time but if you're too restrictive (at least for me) then when you go off track you REALLY go off track.
I did redeem myself by just eating a bowl of cereal, Wheat Chex, for supper.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Kathy
Now I do try to eat healthfully during the week and sometimes I'm more successful that others, but I do make the effort. I try to incorporate more fruit and veggies in my meals. I try to bake, roast or grill any meats with maybe a fried option every now and then. I drink lots of water and limit myself to just one soft drink (coke) a day. Whole grain cereals and whole wheat bread is the order of the day. Now I may not be perfect and at times I don't succeed but I do make a conscience effort. I also make a lot of food from scratch.
But Fridays are a different story. I like to think of it as my "free Friday". By that I mean I am not so diligent about what I eat, I can indulge myself and not feel bad about it. I might have pizza, French fries, bacon or even have a big bowl of popcorn with butter for dinner. Of course I'm not saying I eat all that every Friday, it just options.
Where I work there is a coffee shop in the lobby that serves breakfast and lunch at very reasonable prices. They have bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy, French toast and also cereal, fruit, muffins and yogurt. For lunch there is assorted sandwiches, hamburgers and fries, chili, cheesesticks but also salads, cottage cheese and fruit. Most days I bring my lunch from home, but of course, not on Fridays! Everyday there is a lunch special for $3 and it could be anything from nachos to soup and a sandwich or salads or philly cheesesteaks. Let's just say that there is quite a bit to choose from.
Well, today I brought a couple of pancakes from home. I had made them from scratch several weeks ago and then froze them to use when I wanted to. They aren't big, about the size of the palm of your hand. Anyway, I brought two of them from home and then got some bacon from the coffee shop, a yummy breakfast since I usually only eat bacon about once a week.
The lunch special today was a fried, crispy, spicy chicken sandwich and onion rings, yummy, yummy onion rings. I couldn't help myself, I hadn't had any onion rings in forever. It was well worth it. I was full and I didn't feel the least bit guilty about it. But I could have used a nap......and a mint.
This was not a usual Friday splurge with all the fried foods, sometimes I might just have a big salad, a wrap or just some chili and a grilled cheese sandwich. Although, Friday will always be "bacon day". But my point was that I like to have one day a week where if I wanted to eat really bad all day then I will and I won't feel guilty about it. And I found that if you give yourself permission to splurge, more than likely you will pick "not too bad foods" a majority of the time but if you're too restrictive (at least for me) then when you go off track you REALLY go off track.
I did redeem myself by just eating a bowl of cereal, Wheat Chex, for supper.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Kathy
Monday, October 14, 2013
It's That Time Of Year
I've been meaning to post on here for days and days, but I've been so busy getting the house and myself ready for Autumn. I know, I know it is already Autumn and has been for several weeks, but around here it has been between 75 and 80 degrees for the past couple of weeks Not exactly Autumn weather. Of course when you consider that during the summer it was between 90 and 100 degrees, then it is fall-like.
Despite my well-known love of Summer and the hot, hot weather that comes with that, I do really enjoy Autumn. And there is always what I think of as a "magical" two and sometimes three weeks in October when the afternoon temperature is 75ish and the nights are in the 50's, warm days and cool nights. During this short period I have no need of air conditioning or heaters. My gas and electric bill really loves it too!! I can have the house opened up all day and since my kitchen windows sit up high, I'm able to leave windows open all night, makes for wonderful sleeping weather.
But there is a cold front coming later this week, so I've been busy "putting summer away". Last week I was washing blankets and getting out my flannel sheets. I loooove my flannel sheets. I got out my sweaters, jackets and hoodies and made sure they were clean and ready to go, changed out Lola's sheets on her bed and put on warmer blankets.
This past weekend I kicked it up into high gear by cleaning my ceiling fan and all the regular fans and covering them to store in the basement and I covered the air conditioning unit outside because there are a lot trees around my house and all the little seed "thingys" are falling and the leaves are starting to come down at a faster pace. I also gave Lola her last bath outside.
I then went outside and cut down all my hostas and my rose bush. I won't be raking leaves for a while yet, probably another month. I like to wait til they all fall and then rake them up at one time and I usually end up with about 25 to 30 leaf bags full.
I then moved back inside and took my summer clothes downstairs and brought my winter clothes upstairs. It's not like I have bunches of clothes but I live in an old house and these old house typically come with only one closet. But mine actually has two, small closets, one for me and one for my son. So I have an area in the basement that I can keep clothes that I'm not currently using. I must have made at least 25 trips up and down the basement steps this weekend between doing regular laundry, switching out clothes, taking the fans down that by the end of the weekend, my rear end was sore. Using those butt muscles which was probably a good thing.
So every evening for the past week, I've been exhausted once I sit down in the evening and could barely stay awake some to even fire off a quick post. This past Sunday I really wanted to make some homemade soup and post about that but I never got around to it. But I'm looking forward to next Sunday and cooking something good.
Autumn is nice.... crunchy leaves, Halloween and Thanksgiving Day, cool nights, sweaters and boots, soups, stews and baking pies, football and tailgating, hot chocolate. But then it all leads to winter.......ugh.
Be back soon.
Kathy
Despite my well-known love of Summer and the hot, hot weather that comes with that, I do really enjoy Autumn. And there is always what I think of as a "magical" two and sometimes three weeks in October when the afternoon temperature is 75ish and the nights are in the 50's, warm days and cool nights. During this short period I have no need of air conditioning or heaters. My gas and electric bill really loves it too!! I can have the house opened up all day and since my kitchen windows sit up high, I'm able to leave windows open all night, makes for wonderful sleeping weather.
But there is a cold front coming later this week, so I've been busy "putting summer away". Last week I was washing blankets and getting out my flannel sheets. I loooove my flannel sheets. I got out my sweaters, jackets and hoodies and made sure they were clean and ready to go, changed out Lola's sheets on her bed and put on warmer blankets.
This past weekend I kicked it up into high gear by cleaning my ceiling fan and all the regular fans and covering them to store in the basement and I covered the air conditioning unit outside because there are a lot trees around my house and all the little seed "thingys" are falling and the leaves are starting to come down at a faster pace. I also gave Lola her last bath outside.
I then went outside and cut down all my hostas and my rose bush. I won't be raking leaves for a while yet, probably another month. I like to wait til they all fall and then rake them up at one time and I usually end up with about 25 to 30 leaf bags full.
I then moved back inside and took my summer clothes downstairs and brought my winter clothes upstairs. It's not like I have bunches of clothes but I live in an old house and these old house typically come with only one closet. But mine actually has two, small closets, one for me and one for my son. So I have an area in the basement that I can keep clothes that I'm not currently using. I must have made at least 25 trips up and down the basement steps this weekend between doing regular laundry, switching out clothes, taking the fans down that by the end of the weekend, my rear end was sore. Using those butt muscles which was probably a good thing.
So every evening for the past week, I've been exhausted once I sit down in the evening and could barely stay awake some to even fire off a quick post. This past Sunday I really wanted to make some homemade soup and post about that but I never got around to it. But I'm looking forward to next Sunday and cooking something good.
Autumn is nice.... crunchy leaves, Halloween and Thanksgiving Day, cool nights, sweaters and boots, soups, stews and baking pies, football and tailgating, hot chocolate. But then it all leads to winter.......ugh.
Be back soon.
Kathy
Sunday, October 6, 2013
"MAD" Cookies
That's not really the name of these cookies but the recipe is from a great cookbook called "Mad Hungry, Feeding Men & Boys" by Lucinda Scala Quinn. It is one of my favorite cookbooks. She use to even have a cooking show on the Hallmark Channel until it was canceled to make room for some insipid home show full of household hints, crafts and blah blah blah.
Many times she would have her sons or other members of her family on to help her cook, the recipes were for, as she says, to bring back the family meal.
This particular recipe is for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Now, I have never been a fan of oatmeal cookies. I find most of them fairly tasteless or just plan icky. Maybe that's just me, but I decided to try these because, one, I like her recipes and two, oats are supposed to be good for you, right?
Well, I absolutely LOVE these cookies. Plus they taste nothing like store bought oatmeal cookies or any oatmeal cookies that I have tried before. Also, no raisins either, yuck.They are pretty easy to make and the recipe makes about 24 (or there about, haha) cookies.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp coarse salt (I didn't have coarse salt so I just used regular salt)
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
6 tbl granulated sugar
6 tbl light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp water
1 cup rolled oats
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
The recipe says to whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl, but I just dumped it all in after I mixed together the batter. Your call.
Beat together the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and water and then this is where I dumped in the dry ingredients. Mix to combine and add chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 375F and I used parchment paper on the cookie sheet so they wouldn't stick. I love parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, butter the cookie sheet.
Drop by teaspoons (mine where more like tablespoons) one inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove and let cool.
Of course you can imagine how good they taste warm......uh huh!!
I got 22 cookies from this recipe since I used a tablespoon and not a teaspoon. They also freeze well if you are so inclined.
It's been a really rainy weekend here, really, really rainy. But it's been soothing for me to bake cookies. This morning I put a roast on, made my homemade breakfast muffins for the week and made homemade pancakes for breakfast this morning. It's good for my soul.
Just for the heck of it I'm including a couple of pictures of Lola.
She's hoping I drop a cookie, she likes them warm also.
What? What's that? Somebody must be walking their dog past the house. I must go bark at them.
Later
Kathy
Many times she would have her sons or other members of her family on to help her cook, the recipes were for, as she says, to bring back the family meal.
This particular recipe is for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Now, I have never been a fan of oatmeal cookies. I find most of them fairly tasteless or just plan icky. Maybe that's just me, but I decided to try these because, one, I like her recipes and two, oats are supposed to be good for you, right?
Well, I absolutely LOVE these cookies. Plus they taste nothing like store bought oatmeal cookies or any oatmeal cookies that I have tried before. Also, no raisins either, yuck.They are pretty easy to make and the recipe makes about 24 (or there about, haha) cookies.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp coarse salt (I didn't have coarse salt so I just used regular salt)
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
6 tbl granulated sugar
6 tbl light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp water
1 cup rolled oats
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
The recipe says to whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl, but I just dumped it all in after I mixed together the batter. Your call.
Beat together the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and water and then this is where I dumped in the dry ingredients. Mix to combine and add chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 375F and I used parchment paper on the cookie sheet so they wouldn't stick. I love parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, butter the cookie sheet.
Drop by teaspoons (mine where more like tablespoons) one inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove and let cool.
Of course you can imagine how good they taste warm......uh huh!!
I got 22 cookies from this recipe since I used a tablespoon and not a teaspoon. They also freeze well if you are so inclined.
It's been a really rainy weekend here, really, really rainy. But it's been soothing for me to bake cookies. This morning I put a roast on, made my homemade breakfast muffins for the week and made homemade pancakes for breakfast this morning. It's good for my soul.
Just for the heck of it I'm including a couple of pictures of Lola.
She's hoping I drop a cookie, she likes them warm also.
What? What's that? Somebody must be walking their dog past the house. I must go bark at them.
Later
Kathy
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The Other White Meat
I believe that I have talked about my son's picky eating in earlier posts. It's always been an adventure to cook for him, to say the least. But, fortunately, he's 19 yrs. old now and getting a little better with trying different foods. This seems to have come about because of going out to eat with his friends. However it's happened, I'm thrilled.
One food that I had a hard time getting him to eat when he was younger was pork chops. While he is a meat lover and would always eat steak and chicken, trying to get him to eat a pork chop wasn't easy, I'm not sure why. I eventually told him it was white steak and he ate it a liked it. Go figure. Hey, a mother's got to do what a mother's got to do.
I did finally 'fess up and he kept eating them. But, they had to be cooked a certain way, no breading, pan fried, but not browned and no fat. That's not an easy thing to do, food, especially meat, gets brown when you cook it. If any part of it got browned, he would cut it off. It's really hard to cook a pork chop and keep it "white". I did discover that if I went ahead and dipped them in egg and milk, then floured them, then after frying, you could scrape the crust off and the chop would not be browned.
Then I had a revelation, he loves chicken tenders and also eats the crust on them, I know it doesn't make any sense. So one day, I took boneless pork chops, cut them in strips, dipped them in egg, then dipped in flour and fried them, just like chicken tenders. Well, the heavens opened up, the angels sang and the world was right again.....he ate them and liked them, crust and all. Victory!!!
I still fix them that way today and I have to admit, they are pretty tasty. There is no magical formula, no special ingredients, except maybe the seasoned flour, but here is how I fix them.
I like using this flour when I cook, I think it has a nice flavor that gives food a little extra "umpf".
I would like to use local, pastured pork, but it wasn't in the budget this time so I used these thick cut boneless pork chops from the supermarket. I then used a mallet and flattened them out a little and was able to get four "tenders" from each chop.
After soaking in a egg and milk mixture and dredging in the flour, I just plopped them in the skillet to fry. I usually use my iron skillet, but used the electric skillet this time, that way I could get them all in there at the same time with enough room in between.
Sorry this picture is blurry (still working on my photography skills) but I think you get the idea. Drain the "tenders" on a paper towel, and I guarantee you will like them. Great finger food. You could even pair them with some dipping sauces. Yummy.
Kathy
One food that I had a hard time getting him to eat when he was younger was pork chops. While he is a meat lover and would always eat steak and chicken, trying to get him to eat a pork chop wasn't easy, I'm not sure why. I eventually told him it was white steak and he ate it a liked it. Go figure. Hey, a mother's got to do what a mother's got to do.
I did finally 'fess up and he kept eating them. But, they had to be cooked a certain way, no breading, pan fried, but not browned and no fat. That's not an easy thing to do, food, especially meat, gets brown when you cook it. If any part of it got browned, he would cut it off. It's really hard to cook a pork chop and keep it "white". I did discover that if I went ahead and dipped them in egg and milk, then floured them, then after frying, you could scrape the crust off and the chop would not be browned.
Then I had a revelation, he loves chicken tenders and also eats the crust on them, I know it doesn't make any sense. So one day, I took boneless pork chops, cut them in strips, dipped them in egg, then dipped in flour and fried them, just like chicken tenders. Well, the heavens opened up, the angels sang and the world was right again.....he ate them and liked them, crust and all. Victory!!!
I still fix them that way today and I have to admit, they are pretty tasty. There is no magical formula, no special ingredients, except maybe the seasoned flour, but here is how I fix them.
I like using this flour when I cook, I think it has a nice flavor that gives food a little extra "umpf".
I would like to use local, pastured pork, but it wasn't in the budget this time so I used these thick cut boneless pork chops from the supermarket. I then used a mallet and flattened them out a little and was able to get four "tenders" from each chop.
After soaking in a egg and milk mixture and dredging in the flour, I just plopped them in the skillet to fry. I usually use my iron skillet, but used the electric skillet this time, that way I could get them all in there at the same time with enough room in between.
Sorry this picture is blurry (still working on my photography skills) but I think you get the idea. Drain the "tenders" on a paper towel, and I guarantee you will like them. Great finger food. You could even pair them with some dipping sauces. Yummy.
Kathy
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