E is for Eggs

My daughter and I went to Golden Corral on Saturday for their breakfast buffet. I've been wanting to go for a while and we were right behind them at America's Best Eyewear for Deb's appointment. 

Scrambled Eggs

The only way I will eat eggs is scrambled (I count quiche as a type of scrambled), but I especially love how eggs taste when they're made in mass quantities like they are at Golden Corral and other breakfast buffets. I don't know what it is about them - maybe because they cook them moist to allow them to sit on the buffet longer. I don't like dried out eggs or even ones that are overly browned. But, when they're shiny and wet (not raw), I'm totally all about them. 

SOS - I can eat it like this, too.

They also had cream dried beef (SOS) on the buffet table. I just love that stuff! They also had hash browns, so that's what I put my gravy on. I'll eat it on toast, but I'd rather have it on potatoes. And, Golden Corral has Texas toast, which isn't my favorite. But, their biscuits were surprisingly good - tender and flaky. Oh, and a tray stacked full of super crispy bacon. Wow, we'd been craving bacon all week. Deb wants to participate in a bacon eating contest if she can find one. We both enjoyed bacon. And, they had grits! Happy days!!

Fried eggs - a lot like home.

My kids like fried eggs. They got that from their dad because I won't touch the things. I know how to cook them, but I will never eat them. Deb likes hers over medium, which in our area means the whites are set, but the yolks are mostly runny. When she's in Utah, she orders over easy, which means she'll get them the same way. Funny how cooking terms mean different things regionally.


But, I do like scrambled eggs - I just wish I could make them at home like those in the steam pan at Golden Corral. Then I could make myself some egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches on toast. (Oops - I think I'm getting hungry. I'd better go to sleep before I decide to cook.)

D is for Diner!

Angelo's Diner in Glassboro, NJ

Diners are among the most popular eating destinations in New Jersey (as well as around Philadelphia). From breakfast to dinner to homemade desserts and handmade shakes, diners offer a variety of choices unmatched by any specialty restaurant. They even offer night owls sustenance during cram sessions, after late nights out on the town, when the shift is done or after the bar closes. Diners are a commercialized "Mom's kitchen".

The 24-hr Club Diner in Bellmawr, NJ

Admittedly, there aren't quite as many round the clock diners as there used to be, but nostalgia is causing new ones to pop up where they weren't before. And, they are being styled in a glitzier version of the original. Shiny steel exteriors and neon lights harken back to their origins, but many have added bars and dance floors to steer the former bar crowds their way.

Phily Diner in Runnemede, NJ

Those of us who grew up with diners have learned over time which foods are best not ordered in a diner. Hoagies are popular in our area of New Jersey because of our proximity to Philadelphia, but diners just can't pull them off the way a hoagie shop can. However, because of increasing Greek ownership, the quality and variety of dinner options is amazing. And, breakfast all day long can't be beat! As my daughter says, it's hard to ruin bacon and eggs.

My favorite local diner

An example of portions. Eggplant Parm.

The Black Horse Diner, Mt. Ephraim, NJ

C is for Cheesecake (See? I told you there'd be food!)

I do so love cheesecake. It's probably one of the last things I should have in any great quantity, but it is so amazingly good - especially when it's extremely rich and loaded with cream cheese.

I absolutely love (there is no superlative that's really adequate here) White Chocolate Raspberry cheesecake made by Cheesecake Factory. Not that I go there to get it - they sell it at the pizzeria next to where I work, which is where I've really gone overboard. I buy a slice a week and it's just so decadent and rich and buttery. And, the chocolate crust is unbelievably wonderful with little chunks of dark chocolate in it. Shaved white chocolate on top and raspberry swirls throughout - it's heavenly!!


Then my friend Tom bought a cheesecake on Friday to treat me to for doing him a favor. Not nearly as good as the previously described cheesecake, but I could still eat a good lot of it if left to my own devices.


Thankfully, my daughter loves cheesecake, too, so when I bring some home, I know I won't be able to eat it all since she'll be eating it with me. Also thankfully, I don't buy it often because I WILL eat it. I've only been buying it because of its close proximity to me, so I've started taking my lunch. That way I won't be able to stand by the display case where the cheesecake's siren call beckons me until I crash my ship upon the rocks of its shores in order to reach it.

B is for Backwards and Blouses

I'm scheduled to work today through Wednesday. I was sure my schedule was 9-5 for three days. I got myself up, washed, dressed, and left for work - late, unfortunately because I couldn't find the keys right away. My daughter had put them in her purse and neither of us remembered that. So, being the diligent person I try to be (I'm not always successful), I called the office when I was two miles away to let them know I was on my way. 


When I was about a mile away, the office called me back to tell me I wasn't scheduled 9-5. What? That can't be, I have the schedule here in the car with me. So, I pulled over to check. 


OMG! I had read 5-9 as 9-5!!! When did I become dyslexic??? I mean, I just got new glasses last week! I then realized being backwards was the perfect B Day topic.


How do blouses fit into this? Well, I just got the mail and there on the porch was a box addressed to me. In it were two really nice blouses that my friend in Virginia had seen and thought of me by buying and mailing them to me. So, I started the day out feeling like a complete idiot, but was able to be here when something really nice happened. Kismet? Who knows, but it gave me another B to talk about!! LOL

April Fool's Day! - Beginning of the 2012 A-Z Blog Challenge

As soon as I came upon this challenge, I knew I had to take it. It would be what I needed to get back into blogging. I haven't been as diligent as I should be, so I hope this makes a difference.

For 26 days in April, I (and those others who have taken the challenge) will be posting short blog entries. They will run in alphabetic order, A - Z, every day but Sunday.



Now, their instructions do say that we will start on April 1st, but they also acknowledge that April 1st is a Sunday. Since it is April Fool's Day as well, I had assumed that they'd actually begin on April 2nd, but true to the day, the joke is on me. So, this April Fool's post is my first.



My themes are generally food related. Whether I'm talking about something I made, something I ate, a recipe I found or a restaurant, I will have a food connection. I hope we all have fun this year! I'm looking forward to seeing what is being said.


Please visit the blogs of other participants found below!

February already? Where's my box of candy??

Yeah, it's almost Valentine's Day. Can you believe it? I've already bought a couple of boxes of Dunkin Donuts Valentine's donuts to share at work and one box for home. I love their donut dough. At least, the raised donut dough. I'm iffy on cake donuts, unless they're moist. Like, most pumpkin and apple cider spice donuts are cake donuts and are pretty moist - not dry and crumby. I never used to like plain donuts - the kind with no coating at all. My dad loved them. But, I've come to appreciate them and really enjoy dunking them in my coffee. As far as having a box of chocolates goes, I can live with out it. If someone gave me a gift card to Dunkin Donuts, I'd be thrilled! I don't need much to know I'm appreciated. Usually my guy friend and I go out to dinner. Nothing romantic - just an acknowledgement that all is well. This year, though, he'll be in Arizona and isn't coming home until Valentine's Day. Oh well. He's leaving his car with me while he's gone, so I won't need to be asking for rides. That's as thoughtful as any dinner out.

Now, as far as Holidays go, St. Patrick's Day is next on the list and McDonald's Shamrock Shakes are already available! I got my very first one today, courtesy of my daughter. It's funny, though. For years I avoided them because I thought mint milkshakes were just a strange combination. Yet, in the past year, I've had Chocolate Chip Mint Milkshakes several times and they're WONDERFUL! So, I decided, "Why not?" They're OK, but I like my CCM shakes better. I'm spoiled.

I ought to also tell you that I started working again last month. My first job in four years! I am an official tax preparer, authorized by the IRS, even, to prepare and sign off on returns. It's a seasonal job, but it feels pretty darned good to be working, I have to admit. And, I like the work, so that's another plus. It has made it difficult for me to hang with my guy friend like I used to, though. With me working and him taking night classes, we just don't see each other as much as we used to.


That's about it for this installment. Sorry it's been so long. I'm getting used to being back in work and not online nearly as often as I used to be. But, I promise that I haven't given up on my blogging. And, I'll have a wonderful turkey salad recipe here soon to share. A coworker made the most amazing salad to share at work and no one was eating it. Needless to say, it came home with me and it was fantastic! I've already begged her for the recipe that she promised to bring in. Can't wait to share it.

For Shame!! Making Promises I Didn't Keep!!! (Chicken Paprika recipe)

Wow - I've really been lax in keeping up with this blog, even though I've apologized and promised to try to do better. Shame on me!! I haven't given up, but when my get-up-and-go got up and went, it done got lost!!!


But, I'm still here and I still want to keep this blog alive, so I do hope you'll hang with me in this not-so-grand effort of mine. I mean, I'm ALWAYS talking food, be it on Facebook or at home or in emails or wherever. What's NOT logical about having a foodie blog where I can do what I'm already doing??


Anyway, I was at the Goodwill a week ago looking for a chair to replace the chair my friend broke - and I do mean broke! It was from the 60s and had come with a desk that we'd given away three years ago. My daughter had put screws in all the joints to reinforce them because it was the noisiest chair to sit in with the squeaking and creaking. So, while she was in Utah, my friend would go on my daughter's computer while I typed up his college assignments. I could always tell when he was there (or when anyone was there) because of the chair's constant complaints. Well, this one day I heard him thrashing about making the chair cry out in agony (squeaking and squawking more than usual), so I hollered up the stairs for him to stop before he broke the chair. About 15 seconds later, I heard it again and this time the chair did more than cry out in pain - it literally screamed. In other words, I heard a loud, thunderous CRACK!! I hollered again and told him he was breaking the chair and to get downstairs since he wasn't able to use it properly. He replied that he wasn't breaking the chair - and then silence. Shortly, a subdued friend began to descend the stairs and when his head cleared the ceiling, he said, "I broke the chair."


When I took a look at it I found that he hadn't broken apart any of the joints - he had LITERALLY broken the wood, splitting the back support away from the seat making the chair unfixable (without a lot of glue and braces being added). UNBELIEVABLE!!! I told him he owed her a chair. That was Friday. By Tuesday, he still hadn't begun looking for a chair and she was scheduled to come in Tuesday night. He kept offering to loan me a chair which I had told him already more than once was not sufficient. He'd found excuses every day (not counting Christmas) for not going to look and I'd had enough. So I went to Goodwill.


I found a perfectly good chair that day, fully padded on the seat and back and only $3. So, I got it. But, I'm not one to go into a thrift store and NOT look around, so I went through my favorite departments to see what was what (jeans, household items, books) and found a neat little paperback cookbook called Potluck Cookery by Beverly Pepper. A quick flip-thru showed me that I would like the recipes therein, so I bought it.


After finding several recipes I wanted to try, I thought about sharing them with all of you, but wanted to see if anyone out in cyberspace had ever made them and had images because, quite frankly, that's easier than making them myself - and it helps me know if the recipe looks as good as it sounds. That's when I learned that my little paperback, despite its well-kept appearance, was actually printed in 1955! I knew it looked vintage (as I am also beginning to, unfortunately), but it was in such good condition, it never occurred to me it was over 50 years old!! Nice!!!


So, even though I haven't made anything yet, I wanted to share with you the first recipe that caught my eye and a picture that links to another blogger who actually made several recipes from this little book. I suspect that her version looks different than mine will but, it's a start.


"Chicken Paprika"
Potluck Cookery by Beverly Pepper, pg. 72

I happen to like Chicken Paprika with its saucy paprika gravy and buttery egg noodles, but I think it would work equally well over rice. This blogger used brown rice and green beans which makes it look entirely different than I had imagined. She admits having burnt this which altered the color of the sauce, so there's another reason for it to not look quite like I expected. I still think I'm going to try it, though, because it's a very easy recipe and because you can use either leftover chicken or some that you've cooked special for the dish. Of course, if you have leftover turkey, that works, too.

Chicken Paprika

LEFTOVER: Cooked chicken
At least 4 slices or 1 ½ cups

AND

Fat, 2 tablespoons
Sliced onion, 1 large
Paprika, 1 tablespoon
Egg yolk, 1 beaten with 1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in hot fat until golden brown. Add chicken and paprika. Cook 5 minutes. Add egg yolk-sour cream mixture, salt and pepper. Simmer very slowly 10 minutes.

Serves 3 – 4

SUGGESTED: Serve on buttered noodles with Mushroom Croquettes and buttered rye bread slices.

Surprise!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Well, I just put a meatloaf in the oven - waited until after 9:30 to make it, but heck.....I always eat late. Looking forward to it, too, because I LOVE cold meatloaf sandwiches!


I'm also drinking a wonderful cup of Starbucks coffee (Venti size) that Tom brought me after Mass. Love that boy - he's so good to me.

This reminds me of Mom's house. I have that green dish,
but in amber.

But, here's the other thing I wanted to share. My daughter and I are going to have Thanksgiving Dinner in Medford courtesy of Scotch Bonnets restaurant. I couldn't believe it when I saw their post. Free Thanksgiving dinner for people who are down on their luck and, believe me, this year has been a tough one. 


We currently have a shut off notice on our electric even though we haven't missed a single payment for the last year and a half. BUT, because we were late a few times due to when MY check arrives, they are demanding payment in full of the previously agreed-upon payment arrangement and a new deposit. It apparently doesn't matter that it's November or that we haven't missed a single payment, or that our current usage is less than our equal payment plan (so we're in credit status there). It's frustrating beyond understanding!! So, Thanksgiving dinner at home this year just wasn't going to happen. Then this came along and, thinking they'd just take names and choose later, I registered. I immediately got a link for the tickets and an email confirming that we will be included in the dinner. WOW! I am impressed. 


The owner of this restaurant is so grateful for the opportunities she's had in this country that this is how she's giving back. I was there once as a customer and practically moaned my way through my meal, it was that good. If someone else hadn't paid, I might not have been there. I haven't been in a situation since moving back to New Jersey where finding a free Thanksgiving dinner was something I sought - and I didn't seek it this time, either. There were a couple of times in the past, when we lived in Arizona, that I partook of the generosity of different organizations, for which I am grateful. I was on welfare at the time and the money didn't even cover my rent, so the occasional helpful boost was much appreciated. But, this notice just appeared as a post on my Facebook wall. I had "liked" them after experiencing my meal, so when she posted this announcement, I received it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known about it at all.

Short and Sweet (or at least Savory!)

PA Dutch-style Chicken Potpie

I've been craving chicken potpie for a week or more. I'm not talking about something with a pastry crust. I'm talking about the kind of potpie I grew up on that can be found in many parts of South Jersey and in Lancaster County, PA. Sometimes called "slippery" potpie, sometimes called rolled potpie, it is basically strips of rolled dough that are cooked in chicken broth or stock like noodles until they are tender and the broth is thick. In the Southern US, they have a version of chicken and dumplings that resembles this very much because it, too, is made with strips of dough (usually cut into smaller units) that are then cooked in the broth. They just add the shredded chicken with it where we generally don't.


Well, I got tired of dreaming about it and finally made a short-cut version of it using flour tortillas that I cut into strips and then shook in some flour that would then thicken the broth when they were cooking. The broth I made using powdered chicken stock. I have to tell you - it may not have been the same as Mom made, but it sure did satisfy my craving!! It was the perfect comfort food!!


To top it off, I had a new jar of cinnamon applesauce just waiting to be opened. If I don't have cranberry sauce to eat with my potpie, then applesauce is the next best thing. And, let me tell you - it was WONDERFUL!!


So, if you're a fan of this kind of potpie and don't want to be bothered making the dough, rolling it out and letting it sit while you make the broth, then satisfy your craving using flour tortillas (really - tortillas and potpie dough are made from the same ingredients!) and using a broth base to create the liquid portion. It'll sure do in a pinch!! 


Let the comfort begin!!!

Late Nite Dinner and Other Food News

Happy November!! It's my birthday month and I've been promised a trip to Vermont as my present. We shall see. Money is tight for both of us, but other than gas, I think we can budget it fairly well. Maybe this time I'll get to see the Grandma Moses exhibit in Bennington that I was promised the last time we were there.

Apparently, I had an older version because ours had egg noodles.

Anyway, I am in the process of making Hamburger Helper Beef and Noodles, but I added a can of green beans to it as well as another cup of gravy so it will go farther. It always seems the gravy isn't nearly enough when you make these, but that won't be a problem this time. I'm also using soy milk instead of regular milk because my daughter has an unusual intolerance to milk. Most of us who have reactions have digestive issues. My daughter breaks out all over with acne. It's a shame because she just loves milk and dairy products, but as often as possible, we try to make them so she won't react. It's funny, too, because she can drink LactAid without a reaction, so it is apparently the Lactose that's the issue, but she doesn't have the most common reaction.

Anyway, I decided that, while the food is simmering the required 10 minutes, I would come in and post a long-overdue blog entry in my food blog.

I had the feeling when I wrote my last food blog entry that I was forgetting one of the places I had gone to eat. I just realized I'd forgotten TWO! LOL

Example of an Indian buffet

I went to another Indian buffet in Pennsauken called Palace of Asia. There have been others I liked more, but there have also been others I liked far less. The food was fresh and varied, something for everyone. I loved the fruit custard they had available for dessert. I'd love to know how to make the "custard" they put the fruit in. It wasn't vanilla or chocolate - it was fruit flavored, yet thick and creamy. Delicious!

Lobster Bisque

We also went to Cap'n Cats Crab Bar in Voorhees last week. It was my turn to treat and I had bought a certificate worth $30 for $15. So, that and an additional $6.21 at the end fed the two of us some delicious seafood. We both started off with Lobster Bisque, which was excellent. I had Coconut Fried Shrimp with onion rings and he had grilled Mahi Mahi, also with onion rings. He was a bit disappointed with the quantity of fish he got for the price, but otherwise it was all excellent. My shrimp came with a Pina Colada dip, but I opted for the cocktail sauce instead. And, we had a bottle of French cabernet; not one of my favorites, but I had a glass while he finished the bottle himself. Good thing I was doing the driving!

Still here, still behind, but not giving up!

Hi, everyone. Here I am again. I'm so behind, but I am getting better. I have posted several things on my creative writing blog in the past couple of weeks, but haven't been cooking much lately, so didn't really have much to say here. Money is tight right now, so I haven't made anything requiring more than a few ingredients. I made tacos two days ago - I had tortillas and shells on hand, had plenty of hamburger and a pack of taco seasoning in the pantry. I had also bought some cheddar on sale recently, so had the cheese, too. I sent a message to my daughter so she'd bring home lettuce and tomatoes. I put some French fries in the oven (I know - they don't really go with tacos, but I wanted something else) that I had seasoned with Parmesan cheese and steak seasoning. I haven't made tacos in years, if ever, so I wasn't sure what to expect from the taco seasoning, but it wasn't at all what I had expected (I expected something sharply bitter from the chili powder). I was happy with it. I was happy I had the fries, though, because it just didn't seem like enough. My daughter, though, was happy with just tacos. 

The original recipe from Plain Chicken blog

Right now, I'm thawing chicken broth to make another batch of mac-n-cheese from the no-boil recipe I posted a while back. I love it!! I never have creme cheese on hand, but have had sour cream that I used instead and it turned out perfectly fine. This time is no different, other than I'll have to shred the cheese myself. That's OK. It's really good cheese. I'd like to get some sharper cheddar, but I'll use what I can afford to buy and this was on sale for $.99 for 8 ounces. That's $2/pound - a good price by any standard.


I have gone out a couple times with friends recently and had some pretty good food. A week ago, a friend from Utah was here for a brief visit and we all went to a local diner. They were impressed by the quantity of food that came for the price. I'm pretty sure they ate their leftovers for breakfast since their flight was scheduled for the next morning. But, I had ordered "steakhouse" chops because it sounded pretty good. The kitchen instead cooked breaded pork chops, but that was OK since I like them, too. And, they were really quite good, not at all greasy, and definitely moist inside. I couldn't eat both of them, so I brought one home that my daughter ate.

An example of Vegetarian Thali

Earlier that day, my guy friend and I had eaten lunch at an Indian restaurant next to the Starbucks he likes. Because their lunch specials were close to ending, we ate before getting coffee and I had the non-vegetarian Thali (a "sampler" meal that gives a little taste of several different dishes all on one tray). My meat choices were Chicken Tikka Masala (a creamy tomato curry) and Lamb Curry as well as Dal Mahkani (lentils), Basmati rice, Raita (a yogurt cucumber sauce that reminds me of Tzatziki sauce), papadam crisps and Naan bread. Other than the Raita, I love all of it!


Then, this past Wednesday night, the same friend decides to go to another Indian restaurant where he had seen a sign for AYCE buffet for $9.99. He stopped by after his class, which is unusual, so it was at least 9PM when we got there. They were pretty busy, too, because that day was the Hindu Festival of Lights and many families stopped by after they attended whatever services or festival they attend for the holiday. The main waiter told me they hadn't expected many customers because of the holiday, and he was apologizing for how noisy it was (kids running and playing, one screaming, which I can live without), but it was interesting how apologetic he was. Then he explained how he used to work for a restaurant in Florida and most of his customers were non-Indian, where up here in New Jersey, most of the customers were Indian. I kind of got the feeling that he thought that bothered me, which it didn't. It just means their food is genuine when those who grew up on it flock to enjoy it. It was more the decibel level I had a problem with and that wouldn't matter WHO was causing it. But, I enjoyed the food and will be looking forward to going there again for their weekend buffet sometime in the future.


At the moment, I am straining the chicken broth that is finally thawed to remove the bits of seasoning and vegetables my daughter had added to it when she made her soup. I don't think they'll work well in the mac-n-cheese. At the very least, they'll alter the appearance, I think, to something not so pleasant to look at. Not that I have the proper strainer. I'm using a colander lined with paper towels. LOL Ya gotta do what works!


That's about it for today. I hope to be posting more often, even if not every day. I know I've said that before, but honestly - I mean it! They've predicted snow (IN OCTOBER) for the weekend. As much as I hate the summer heat, I'm definitely not ready for snow! LOL Stay warm!!

Let the guilt begin!

I haven't been as good about posting as I should be and I am sorry. I promised myself that I would post regularly, even if it wasn't every day, but it hasn't happened. I'm not ready to give up yet, though.

I have been doing other things during this time that have kept me pre-occupied - I'm not even as active on Facebook as I was and you all know how addictive that can be! I decided to get working on my family tree again and find as much as I could with some temporary access to Ancestry.com. I got so into it, I even worked on my ex-husband's tree (which, of course, is also my children's tree), my landlord's tree and my childhood friend's tree. There's a lot of information out there, but my two brick walls remain sealed. My father's paternal line and my mother's paternal line are proving to be more challenging than I'd have imagined - and in both cases, the ones who are hiding were born in the 1820s. I'm not sure if people from that decade were more private when census takers came around or if there is some other mysterious force behind all this (assuming there is any explainable reason at all). I'm hoping at some point, they'll allow me to find them so I can get beyond the double greats in those two lines.

I've also been window shopping again (I can say that, right? I do use Windows.) I have a thing for kitchen gadgets, utensils, equipment, servingware, etc. I love walking through those departments at stores even though there's no way I can buy anything. A girl can dream, can't she?

I love the new non-traditional shapes that dinnerware have. You ought to see all these different designs in this dinnerware sets clearance online! They're gorgeous! You don't have to go to some high end restaurant any more to present your friends and family with a touch of elegance! I especially like the Caldo-Freddo Kon-Tiki green set with the tall, square coffee cups. I like the plates with sharp corners better than the rounded corners, too.

After my mother passed and I was going through her things, I just fell in love with all the cut glass and crystal she had in the china cabinet - some of it from her mother or older. With the mirrored backing in the china cabinet, it all looked so pretty when the light hit. Plus, she had several sets of antique salt cellars and what we believe to be a 4-legged knife rest - things you just don't see today. So, I really enjoyed going through the page of Shannon Crystal by Godinger since Mom's stuff is all packed away. I got some really good ideas for Christmas gifts for my Irish Catholic landlady!

While looking at all they had to offer, I happened upon something I didn't even know existed - a grill light for your barbecue grill! Since I don't grill, I'd have never considered such a thing, but I know people who grill year round, so when the sun goes down early in the winter, I'm sure they'd like having a bit more light on what they're doing at the grill. I think they're a great idea, one that might just make your favorite grill master very happy this Christmas.

But, that's about it this time around. I promise to try to get back more often so that my blog isn't just sitting unattended and uncared for. It deserves better. And, so do those who have chosen to follow me.

Cupboard needs replenished, but money is tight.

It's going to be a Dollar Tree kind of month because the money just isn't here right now. My daughter took a second job just to have some more money because bills are killing us. Houses are expensive to live in.


This morning I wanted something to eat that wouldn't take long to make that wasn't the same old thing, so I mixed some pancake mix with chocolate Malt-o-Meal hot cereal and made chocolate pancakes. I must admit, they were pretty tasty. Not too chocolately, thankfully, because I'm not a chocoholic like my father was, but just a hint of chocolate without ruining the lifelong pleasure of the butter and syrup. I believe it bumps up the nutrition factor of the pancakes when I add a hot cereal to the mix (I've done oatmeal in the past with success). There's more iron in cream of wheat (which is what I think this basically is) than in the pancake mix plus some of the grain factor from the cereal. Maybe I'm fooling myself, but it was still a nice change of pace.


I've been adding vanilla flavoring to my coffee water before I make a pot and that has worked wonders for my pleasure of drinking the coffee. It never tastes as good at home as it does at the diner or at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, right? Well, now there's a definite improvement in the overall flavor. It doesn't take much flavoring to alter the entire pot. I'm sure you could do the same thing with any extract if you were of a mind to.


I came downstairs this morning and found that one of the cats (Chloe, I'm thinking it's you!) had torn a hole in the 20 lb. bag of litter and scattered it across the floor - the floor I had cleaned yesterday after changing the litter in the cat box!! I don't know WTH she, whichever she it was, was thinking, but good grief, cat!! The bag of food wasn't far away, but that wasn't touched. Silly little beasts!!


Got all the dishes done today after making my pancakes. I hate washing without a full load, plus we have to pay for water, so why run it when it's not fully loaded. My small pan plus bowl and utensils were just enough to finish filling the dishwasher. I even washed the lid to the recycle since some of the cans had splashed onto it. Great way to get that done!!


Speaking of recycle, tonight's recycle night, so I need to get it together and set out front for pickup in the morning.


Going to Dollar Tree in the morning, so wish me luck finding as much as I can for as little as possible to last until my next check. It's always an adventure, to be sure!

Parents reject technology

After our recent intruder incident, a family friend wanted to share something.


Author: Joseph Sandoval


Since I was born, my parents have always lived in the same house. My father bought it when he first graduated from high school and he has lived in it since then. It was an old house when my father first bought it. He gutted it and started from the beginning. Since that was over thirty years ago, it is not what you would call a “smart” house. I told my parents they needed to make some minor technological improvements. Of course, I recommended the internet and that was quickly shot down. For some reason my parents like to reject technology. I then recommended wiring their lights to be controlled by their smart phones. This was also shot down. I then suggested an alarm from SECURITY CHOICE. They said they would think about it. I guess I can be thankful it was not another no. To be honest, I do not understand why they want everything to be exactly like it was thirty years ago. However, I guess as long as they are happy, then I should be happy too.

It seems forever and a day!

It really has. I haven't been here in so long. I've been really busy working on genealogical research for myself, my childhood friend, my ex-husband and my landlord. I had a month's worth of access to Ancestry.com and made the most of it. I had a blast. All those documents in digitized form that I could see what was REALLY said and not just what someone else claimed was said (believe me - some people see words on documents that aren't even there! It's amazing how far off transcription can be at times.) I found burial records, military records, immigration records, marriage records as well as other people working on the very same lines (which is how I was able to get my ex-husband's lines back to when the American Southwest was part of New Spain - they had used Spanish colonial records and Catholic mission documents to back up their search. It was great!)


Lots of things have happened during this time. Of course, I've gone out to eat. And, I've made a few meals. I was taken to an Indian buffet in Philadelphia called San Samosa. It was so good! And cheap, too. $10.99 for AYCE. And, I discovered something I'd never had that I really liked - that was keftas. They look like meatballs and actually taste very much like meatballs, but they're all vegetable. San Samosa had them sitting in the most wonderful curry sauce. I'm not sure if it was a Makhani sauce or a Masala sauce or something else entirely, but it was delicious!!! I love meatball sandwiches, but if someone put those veggie balls on a good Italian roll with loads of that curry sauce, I'd enjoy them just as much, I swear. If you're in the Philadelphia area, go check them out. They're on Walnut between 12th and 13th. A most excellent choice, I promise.

More recently, I was taken to a Middle Eastern place in Philly, just off South Street on 4th, called Alyan's. I'd never been there before and I'm glad I went. I had the mixed grill pita sandwich because I'm not a fan of hummus which comes with the mixed grill platter. I didn't want them wasting it on me, and the sandwich had just as much meat as the platter did for $4.00 less. I also ordered a side of grilled zucchini, which was delicious!! The mixed grill included lamb, beef, chicken and kafta kabab. Now, if you're thinking that kafta sounds very much like the kefta already mentioned, you'd be right. It seems that part of the world does share a certain amount of food culture and some of the words are very similar for those items. This kafta, though, wasn't vegetarian, but was very much ground meat, basically a mix of seasoned lamb and beef. They are not ball shaped, either. They are elongated and placed on skewers to cook, just like the cubes of meat and chicken were. I've had them elsewhere and wasn't too thrilled with them, but at Alyan's they were DELICIOUS! The pita they put this meat on (with a green salad filler and tahina sauce much like we'd use mayonnaise) was also wonderful. I've had pitas in the past that were of questionable quality - more dried out and almost impossible to make a pocket in whereas these were fresh baked, soft, moist and just plain wonderful. We also had baba ganouj for an appetizer. I'd never had it before, but I like eggplant and wanted to try it. It came with quartered pitas and some tahina sauce on top and was excellent. It's a cold appetizer, although the eggplant is cut into tiny cubes and baked (or baked and then cubed...I'm not sure which). If someone wanted to take me back, I'd go in a heartbeat. I was truly full when I left, yet I didn't feel weighed down by my meal.


But, something else happened during my absence from Blogger - we had a daytime intruder in our home. My daughter had gone to work and left the front door unlocked as we have always done while living here. We've never had a problem and didn't think it was an issue as long as we were home. But, this particular morning, I was still in bed when I heard someone knock. Now, I wasn't dressed to be answering the door, so I ignored it. If it was important, they'd come back. The next thing I knew, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turn to go down the hall to my daughter's room. I knew it wasn't my daughter since she wouldn't knock first. I actually thought it might be her ex-boyfriend who still comes around from time to time - they're friends - so I called out, "Who's here?" fully expecting Steve to answer that it was him. Instead, I heard the footsteps stop and come back down the hall, down the stairs and out the front door. It happened so quickly, I didn't have time to be afraid. But, as it sank in, I realized that it could have been a much larger problem than it was. My daughter thinks it was an ex-friend of hers who wants to get back at her for whatever reason (I don't know what happened between them - she won't say) while I thought it was my landlord's nephew who will take anything that isn't nailed down that he can make a quick buck on. I can tell you, though, that we now keep the door locked all day, even while I'm here. That was truly a wake up call.

A Very Busy Week of Food

Well, this is a long-awaited post (if not by you, then by me since I've been lacking in consistency). A lot of food has gone under the bridge in the last week or so. I'll go over part of it now.

Interior, take from about where we sat.

On Friday night, I went to dinner to a Jamaican restaurant in Medford. I've never even been to Medford, so the entire thing was something new to me. First of all, I fell in love with Medford. It is all original homes from the 1700s, built by the first settlers to the area. I just love old towns with original architecture.


But, then I enjoyed one of the most fabulous meals I have EVER had the pleasure of eating in my life! We dined at Scotch Bonnets, a new restaurant that opened just this past March, by a woman who immigrated from Jamaica. I had the Country Time Chicken Curry and my dining companion had the Coastal Curry Shrimp. 


As an appetizer, we had Calypso Cod Fish Cakes. Honestly, I didn't think I'd like them. I didn't like the sound of "salted cod" as an ingredient. I had wanted the Plantation Pastry Patties (seasoned ground beef surrounded by flaky puff pastry and baked). But, his wishes prevailed and I was surprised to learn that I liked the cakes. They weren't fishy or even all that salty. And, they were very thin - not thick like crab cakes (which is the image I had in my mind.)

Fried Sweet Plantains

For sides, he chose steamed mixed vegetables and I chose fried plantains. I thought his vegetables were very interesting because they actually shredded them before steaming - almost like they were preparing them for a slaw. I might actually enjoy veggies prepared like that since they would cook more thoroughly for my taste. The plantains were wonderful, as they always are wherever I get them.

Scotch Bonnet's Curry Chicken

But, when our entrees arrived, I was at first hesitant because I know they cook with scotch bonnets, but had been assured that the curry chicken was fairly mild. Plus, the pieces of chicken still had bones and I am not fond of picking bones. But, WOW!! I didn't expect the meal to taste so fabulous that I couldn't stop eating!! There was no heavy curry flavor, the chicken was literally fall off the bone tender (I never had to use my knife) and the potatoes tasted as though they'd been roasted before being added to the broth with the chicken. They were great!


After dinner came dessert. Because we'd purchased a coupon for a discounted pre fixe meal, that meant we had to share dessert like we had the appetizer. They gave us our choices and the two that sounded OK to me were coconut rum cake and coffee rum cake. He agreed to the coffee rum cake. HOLY COW!!! There was no skimping on the alcohol on that cake!!! The menu says it was Jamaican rum and port wine. I don't doubt it in the least. But, you know what? It was really good!! Not a dry crumb in the entire slice.

The only disappointing thing about our visit was that the service really and truly needs to be improved. It's not that they weren't helpful or weren't pleasant. It was more that they just "weren't" - there to wait on us, there to bring us plates so we could eat our appetizer, there to take our orders. The owner was there often making sure our glasses were filled and that we were enjoying our meals, but the server seemed overwhelmed. Fortunately, the food was spectacular enough that I would still go back.

Wow - I'm really here! I'm soooooo behind!!!

Really, I am so sorry for anyone who subscribed to my blog when I was making daily entries and who now wonders what is going on. I really would love to post something every day, but without cooking frequently or another writing challenge like I was doing then, it's not easy to come up with a daily topic. But, I do want to at least post something once a week. If I happen upon another challenge that pushes me to do more, I will try to take it on because I really enjoyed interacting with everyone.

Now, with food in mind, let me tell you about my most recently cooked meal. Definitely nothing fancy, by any means, but it was pretty good nonetheless. Last night, I decided to get some chicken out and quickly thaw it to make something for my daughter and me. When I discovered that she had bought a pack boneless, skinless thighs, I thought breading and pan-frying them would be nice. I used to do that for my mother when I was caring for her. But, instead, I decided to bake a couple of them since there was just the two of us. I put a small rack in a casserole dish to keep them above the drippings and set about to mix up a coating to put on them.

One of the things I like about Indian cooking is that they will mix their spices with yogurt and marinate their chicken in that. The acid in the yogurt helps tenderize the meat and helps adhere the spices to it as well. It's likely the reason so many recipes call for soaking chicken in buttermilk before breading, as well. I've done something similar with sour cream, although with other spices rather than Indian, and I've been happy with the results. This time, though, I didn't have any sour cream. So, I took some mayonnaise and mixed it with some spicy Mexican salad dressing and covered the thighs, front and back. I placed them on the rack (bone side down - I know there was no bone, but that's the side I put down). Then I sprinkled bread crumbs on top and a little "soul food" seasoning on top of that. I baked them for an hour at 325°.

Now, one thing I learned is that mayonnaise doesn't "meld" into the chicken like the sour cream did when I used it. That may prove to be a negative for some. Additionally, the saltiness of the mayonnaise and the saltiness of the seasoning was a bit much, so thankfully the seasoning was only on top. But, I still think they turned out otherwise well and I will use the same technique in the future, although either with plain yogurt or sour cream. I paired them with corn and enjoyed a tasty impromptu meal.

This dish has sweet potatoes, which I'd rather have.

I've gone out to eat a couple of times this past week and wanted to talk about that as well. The day before yesterday, we went to Aunt Berta's Kitchen in nearby Oaklyn. She specializes in Southern cooking and I've always enjoyed everything I've gotten there. Her sweet potato pie is the most glorious thing I've ever tasted. I'll take that any day over pumpkin. We ordered the family chicken dinner. Eight pieces of chicken plus three large sides and corn bread. We got half fried and half roasted. OMG, her roasted chicken is the most delectable chicken I have ever set my teeth in. Tender, moist, and so full of flavor, I just can't get enough. Our sides were macaroni and cheese (another spectacular dish), collards (which are delicious!) and cabbage (his favorite, not mine). All of this for $19.99. There is enough food to feed 3-4 people. We took home the leftovers. It's been several years since I was there, so I was happy to go. I've been wanting to go for a while, and it was well worth it!!!

One type of kofta

A few nights earlier, we went out and he wanted Indian food, which I love, but he only wanted buffet. Well, unless you're going for lunch, Indian buffets in Jersey are rare. The one we had gone to the week before is good, but they've changed their seasonings and their foods are a lot hotter (it used to be that the buffet was more mild to allow people to try the cuisine, but I guess since most of their clientele is Indian, they've bumped up the heat factor). I didn't want to go again, but knew that there was at least one Indian buffet over in Philly, which is actually closer than the one in Jersey. Other than the parking, which is a pain in the ass (sorry, but it is) in the city, there are so many places to eat in the city and, surprisingly, the Indian places are very reasonably priced. We ended up at San Samosa on Walnut Street, between 12th & 13th Streets. I swear, I died and went to heaven, it was the most wonderful flavor experience for me. Just walking into that heady aroma of curry and then tasting the chicken tikka masala with basmati rice as well as the kofta, which I'd never had before. They look and taste like meatballs, but are actually vegetable balls in a wonderful, thick, mild curry gravy. They're texturally different than meatballs, but not so much that someone who didn't know they weren't meat could tell. They'd probably more think that someone put too much filler in the meatball. They were seriously good eats! I would even eat them as a vegetarian meatball sandwich if I had them and a roll on hand!! The only thing I was disappointed with was the naan which was fairly dry. Everything else was wonderful!! I'm going to try to go back there again soon.

Well, that is all for this time around.

Absence Makes the Writing Harder

I have to say, it's been hard keeping up with my food blog this summer since I haven't been cooking as much or doing any blogging challenges related to this blog. But, I'm going to try to do better.


I have mentioned in the past that I am diabetic. I haven't been as diligent as I should be with maintaining a good diet, but I know I have improved compared to my old eating habits. I try to stay away from heavily sugar-laden foods and to eat more whole grain foods when they are available. I still eat the occasional sweet treat, but maybe only once a month. I've even taken to asking for sugar-free syrups in drinks when I want a flavored coffee or soda. I'm far from perfect, but I felt that I was treating my body much better than I used to.


Well, apparently I was right. I finally got back to see my doctor who scheduled long overdue blood work for me. When she got the results, she was happy to see that three years of no appointments hadn't thrown my numbers off the charts. My triglycerides were still high, but my LDL and HDL numbers were actually acceptable. My blood pressure was well within normal range and my A1C was 6.9, which is within therapeutic range for diabetics (maybe at the top, but I haven't been to the doctor for years!) 

The other thing was that I hadn't monitored my blood sugar for almost as long as I'd seen the doctor, mainly because I didn't have a clue where my monitor was after moving twice in a year and a half. So, a couple weeks ago, I went online looking to see where I could get another glucose monitor and found Abbott Labs were offering a free monitor if I registered for their MyFreeStyle Promise Program. It provides copay discounts for those with insurance so that they don't have to pay more than $15 for their test strips. I still have to call them to find out if they have any discount for those of us without insurance, but considering they will replace the monitor every three years for free as long as I am in the program, I think I can find a way to get the test strips along the way without complaining too much. 


When I tested my sugar, I was pleasantly surprised that my pre-prandial (before eating) readings were all under 110, which has never happened since I began testing my blood. I was shocked! I'm hoping it's because I'm doing something right and not because the meter is poorly calibrated. Now I need to get more strips so I can proudly show my doctor next month how well I'm doing!

Courtesy Wikimedia

To change the subject, do you like to grill? If so, which do you prefer? Charcoal or propane? It's funny how popular grilling has become. There's nothing quite as good as a steak or a burger cooked over an open flame! Yet, I don't particularly like to do it. When it's hot in the summer, I don't even like to cook INSIDE, let alone cook outside in the heat. I have done it, though, and can enjoy it when temperatures are right. I would take my kids and my mother-in-law to one of the city parks where grills were provided and we'd cook hamburgers and hot dogs with the charcoal we brought while the kids ran around the park playing. We always had a good time, but also plenty of shade trees and a nice breeze to go with it.


But, I've noticed just how elaborate home grills have become. There are so many different kinds these days, some even with separate burners for sauce pans. Sometimes I will go online and look at all sorts of different items just because I get curious. Well, curiosity hit me again and I decided to see what was up with the different kinds of gas grills that were around. I came upon a marketing site that showed both charcoal and propane bbqs. Wow! I thought the gas grill my parents had was pretty upscale since it also had a rotisserie (that they never used once), but some of these are big enough that they'd work in your kitchen (if you had proper ventilation, obviously). Others are more like the smaller versions I've used in the past, both table top and free standing. Some remind me of the old Coleman stoves, but on steroids. There really are so many choices out there these days. If you love to grill, I can't imagine not being able to find something to suit your personality.

Plain Chicken's No-Boil Mac & Cheese - Worth a Second Post!

It's been quite a while since I posted and I am sorry. I really haven't done much cooking during this horrible heat we've been having. The desire to work in the kitchen just hasn't been there. But, I threw this together last night and am so happy with the results after a few tweaks that I had to tell you about it.

Steph's Casserole

Plain Chicken: No-Boil Mac & Cheese: "This was the best traditional baked mac & cheese we've ever made. It was SO simple and SOOO delicious! The best part about this mac & che..."

That's how Steph's blog begins for this wonderfully easy mac n cheese recipe. Now, I don't know that it's the best I've ever had, but it's sure up there with the best!

I already blogged about this before, but now that I made it again with some adjustments, I can safely say it will be my primary mac n cheese recipe from now on!

The first time I made it, I used her directions other than the cream cheese - I didn't have any, so I used sour cream instead. Although it tasted wonderful, the macaronis just weren't fully cooked and it was a bit on the hard side. I attributed that in part to the fact that I had used two casserole dishes to make it. But this time, I used slightly more than 2 cups of chicken stock and more than a cup of milk as well as the sour cream instead of the cream cheese. Plus, I baked it in one of my dutch ovens instead of splitting it between two casserole dishes. I also downgraded the oven temp to 350 from 375 and cooked it for 40 minutes. It turned out fantastic.

Now, this comes out pretty solid, so if you want yours a bit looser, you might add even more liquid. I haven't tried that yet to guarantee it, but this recipe is good enough that it deserves several efforts to see how it turns out.

The other thing that's different about what I did than the recipe is that the chicken stock I used is simply salted water that chicken was poached in. I didn't want to see all that flavor tossed down the drain, so I packed it in containers and froze it. I am sure glad I did!!