Insomnia = Inability to Sleep

Well, I’m again a day late and many dollars short. It is 8:15 AM and I have yet to go to sleep. My friend will be here at 10 AM to start on his class work that I promised to help him with, but he actually expects that I’ll be doing it all for him. We had, and will continue to have I’m sure, a loud and boisterous discussion on how that is not something a true friend would do to another friend.

I took chicken out of the freezer last night for tonight’s supper. I’m not sure what I’ll be making with them, especially since it’s supposed to be a hot one today. The humidity is already up and everything is sticky tacky. But, I think baking them is the easiest. I was thinking of putting some spices in sour cream and letting them marinate in that blend until I bake them. These are some of the leg quarters I bought last week for $.50/lb. We don’t usually use legs and thighs, but for that price, I wasn’t going to stick my nose up at it. I think I’ll boil the third quarter and make “creamed” chicken with it (kind of like chicken stew, but the chicken gets shredded and then the stew gets put into pastry cups). With there just being two of us, it only takes the one quarter to supply the flavor and the meat to go with the vegetables. I’m just not sure what to put with the baked quarters.

The cats are all asleep now that breakfast is over. They’re so boisterous when they think it’s time to eat; running around, getting into trouble, coming up and poking and prodding at you while you’re trying to get some kind of sleep. It’s like having a house full of furry, four-legged toddlers.

Since I forgot Caturday on Saturday, I’ll post some photos of them today.

Chloe in the kitchen

Baby Cat watching the outside world go by

Tiki's favorite perch

Packaged Yellow Rice - The Affordable Alternative

Iraqi Biryani (zaid khsro on Wikimedia Commons)

Have you ever decided to make something only to hesitate because it called for saffron or yellow rice? I'm telling you now, don't!! Although not all yellow rice is saffron rice, there are saffron yellow rices on the market that you can buy without needing to take out a loan.


Mahatma brands sells a saffron yellow rice. Have you ever noticed those small packets of rice wrapped in plastic wrap (you know the kind I mean - it crinkles when you pick it up; not soft like the kinds of bags dried beans are in.) If it's Mahatma brand, then you have your saffron rice. If it's not, then they probably used turmeric for the coloring, but you can still use it in those recipes.

A package of Mahatma saffron yellow rice (from  MahatmaRice.com)

I've bought yellow rice before in those packs. I remember paying something on the lines of $.69 for one pack, but I'm sure they're a bit more now. The last time I saw one, they were still under $1.00. Seriously, you can't beat the price.

Image from Goya.com

Of course, if you're a die-hard OCD perfectionistic kind of chef, my suggestion isn't for you. But, if you're an every day person with every day needs and every day budget struggles, then you'll appreciate knowing that you can make that desired recipe and your family will be just as satisfied. Really - will you use it 

often enough to warrant paying $10 for a half-gram bottle? It's true that a little goes a long way, but what if your family doesn't like what you just made? Heck, you just saved $9!!

Now, here are a few recipes, some using Goya (another brand offering yellow rice as is Zatarain), you can try using those wonderful little packets of yellow rice:


Easy Chicken and Rice (don't be afraid to add additional seasonings to your tastes)


Chicken and Seafood Paella (not comfortable with mussels? Use scallops or shrimp.)


Smoked Sausage and Yellow Rice (if you like sausage and peppers or kielbasa, you'll probably like this)


Puerto Rican Beans and Rice (replace the saffron and white rice with a pack of yellow rice in this one)


Don't let these recipes limit your choices. Yellow rice is found throughout the world's food cultures. Think Caribbean or Barbecue.  Think Indonesian, Indian or Cinco De Mayo!!! This rice would work with pork, with beef, with seafood and is perfect in pilaf. Enjoy your food adventures!

The Mexican Casserole Experiment

As I write, my first ever layered Mexican casserole is setting on the stove waiting for the asparagus to get hot so I can go try some. Of course, the asparagus was hot by the time I got done typing that sentence. So, I have returned, no longer hungry and VERY happy my foodie experiment turned out so well!!


It's not that I didn't go looking for ideas online. I knew you could make layered casseroles using tortillas and other assorted wet ingredients, but I had never done it and wasn't sure what I had on hand would work as well as all the recipes I was finding claimed theirs would. But, there is only one way to find out, right?


I took out my round glass baking dish. Almost the same diameter as the tortillas I had on hand. Then I got a bowl out and shredded Monterey Jack cheese and Extra Sharp White Cheddar into it (approximately 6 oz. total). I added a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, a 12 oz. can of white chunk chicken, drained, that I had already shredded, a can of cream of celery soup and maybe a half cup of salsa. The recipes I had looked at called for a couple cans of cream of chicken or mushroom soup and maybe a cup of chicken broth, but I just mixed it all together the way I had it with no extra liquid. It's a good thing I did!!


I placed the first flour tortilla in the bottom of the bowl and spread a portion of the chicken mixture on top of that. I had pressed the tortilla down to be sure it was firmly planted. No, I didn't spray Pam first. Then I pressed in the next tortilla firmly on top of that followed by more chicken mix. I repeated this until there were no more tortillas (the bag wasn't full). The remaining chicken mix went on top. For appearance, I spread a bit of the salsa over the top (I'm guessing maybe 2-3 Tbsp) followed by a bit more grated cheese that I grated directly on top and then spread evenly by hand. I put the baking dish in the oven, turned it on 350 and came in to play online. Thirty minutes later, I put the asparagus on and turned off the oven. I put the casserole on top of the stove so it could set while the asparagus heated. And, that's where we were when I began this entry.


I went out and found our old RC Willey ice cream scoop out (it's a flat one that was given to me by a furniture store out in Utah) and used it as my spatula. I cut myself a wedge and scooped it out onto my plate. There was so much liquid in this and I didn't even put in the liquid most recipes called for! But, WOW! Is it ever good!!! I can't believe it took me this many years to try doing this! 


I am disappointed in the asparagus, though. Sure, the flavor is good. But, they filled the can with mostly woody stem pieces, so there was more chewing to get the flavor than there was actual eating of the asparagus. I've decided what's left will be used to make asparagus soup. I can blend it to mince it up after I've made the soup. I do like the veggie, but I've never been a fan of the woody stems. 


Anyway, I would definitely recommend trying this. In a way, it's like Mexican lasagna, but only in construction. You can do these with hamburger, but I had this can of chicken I'd hoped to use and decided to try it with that. I'm very happy with the results!!