GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN BREAST

OMG! Go to Wal-Mart, of all places, and buy you a box of Innovasian Cuisine’s General Tso’s Chicken Breast (if cooking for two – two boxes if cooking for 4 or more) in the frozen food section! It comes with a spicy sauce that is out of this world – kind’a sweet and lots of spicy kick!

Pop the chicken into the oven as the directions indicate. Remove them and add the included sauce for another 5 minutes before finishing the dish.

However, the dish needs something else – that’s where ol’ Mushy comes in!

In a skillet or large “stock pot”, add about ¼ cup of EVOO, and turn the heat up. Take about a 3^rd of the box (if cooking for two – ½ if for 3 or more) of Barilla “Plus” Thin Spaghetti and break the spaghetti into 3 pieces. Drop the spaghetti into the hot EVOO, pour in about 1 cup of chicken stock, sprinkle with salt, and put in 4 or 5 whole pieces of garlic, dash in about a table spoon of soy sauce, and about 1 heaping table spoon of butter.

As the liquid begins to boil, crush the garlic with a large spoon, and stir the mixture until all the liquid is absorbed and the spaghetti becomes limp.

When the chicken is ready (after pouring the enclosed sauce over them), dump the chicken and sauce into the pot with the spaghetti and mix thoroughly.

Man…you talking about a taste wake up, this dish will make you say “WOW!” out loud!

Look at my Katie Bug enjoying the finished dish!

A QUICK CHORIZO BREAKFAST WRAP

Open and squeeze one tube (approx. 2.7 oz.) of Ole’ Mexican Chorizo sausage into a medium skillet and heat it on low heat.

Cut into small pieces, enough onion to mix with the appropriate number of eggs you plan to cook. I cooked for two, so I used 3 eggs. The chorizo will make its own grease, but you will need to blot that out with a paper towel before adding the eggs.

Once the sausage is cooked through and the onion pieces are translucent, reduce heat and remove the skillet until you have seasoned the eggs with salt and pepper. Do not use as much as normal for scrambled eggs since the sausage contains a large amount of both!

Break the egg yokes and mix the chorizo, onions, and eggs into a batter. Put the skillet back on the heat and cook until eggs are done.

Hopefully, you have already prepared your coffee, and have placed one Ole’ Mexican Xtreme Wellness Tortilla wrap on a plate. I prepared 2 plates for the 3 egg scramble I made. I like to put a little Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil on my wraps!

Spread the chorizo and egg mixture evenly over the tortillas you have prepared and serve with hot black coffee!

A MEXICAN TWIST TO BREAKFAST PIZZA

I bought myself a new camera, not for Christmas, but for my wildflower and hiking hobby! So, this morning while we were engaged in cooking up a twist on our “breakfast pizza”, I made a few snaps of the yummy pizza being constructed!

The basics are the same, a roll of large Pillsbury “Big and Flaky” Crescent Rolls, a round pizza baking sheet or dish, some eggs, cheese, and some kind of meat!

While I gently coaxed the triangles of dough into the round shape of the Pampered Chef pizza dish, Judy chopped up some sandwich ham, cut and opened two rolls of Ole’ Mexican Food Chorizo Sausage, and half a small onion. In some EVVO she sautéed everything together until the onions turned translucent.

Having finished the dough, I then beat up 3 large eggs, added salt and pepper, and some diced jalapeños. I poured the mixture into the middle of the dough and worked it out evenly over the dough’s surface. I then took the skillet of ham, chorizo, and onions and sprinkled them over the beaten eggs. Finally, I layered on the Kraft Pizza Cheese!

I then popped the dish into a 375 degree pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes.

When the pie came out it had bubbled up in a few places, but as it began to cool it shrank back into a perfect pizza shape!

Let me tell you, coupled with our coffee, this was delicious!

We sat and watched CBS NEWS Sunday Morning, as we’ve been accustomed to doing since we were married almost 29 years ago! If you’ve never tried the taste of jalapeños with your morning coffee, you have missed an incredible taste sensation! The hot of the pepper and the coffee mingle romantically in your mouth…it can’t be described adequately, so just try…trust me!

BREAKFAST PIZZA

Judy and I discovered a long time ago that we love to drink coffee with the heat of jalapeños in our mouth. This means that we must occasionally have a spicy omelet or breakfast pizza, loaded with diced onions and jalapeños, in order to give us that special taste in our mouths.

We had the omelet earlier this week, but when we discussed what to fix this morning, we both remembered the crescent rolls in the refrigerator – naturally, we both said “breakfast pizza” at the same time!

The first step to preparing bacon, or anything fried, in our house is prefaced by the "lighting of the candles". Judy loves her candles, so there are always at least half a dozen to light! Notice the Christmas flower arrangement she made…lovely huh!?

Jeff asked, “Who died” when I shared the photo with him earlier in the week! Judy may never speak to him again!

While Judy cooked a couple of strips of bacon, and sautéed the diced onions and jalapeños, along with a couple of strips of sandwich ham, I sprayed the Pampered Chef pizza dish with EVOO, and spread out the triangles of Pillsbury® crescents with the Baker's Roller® Judy had hidden in a drawer of implements we rarely use.

The triangles want to separate, but if you work hard at kneading them together, they will eventually cooperate and flatten out together.

Once it was all spread out as far as I dared to push it, I poured three beaten eggs over the top. The eggs were seasoned with salt, pepper, and Tennessee Sunshine hot sauce. The mixture will run off the edges unless your put the dough into a smaller pan with sides, but as it turned out, on the pizza stone, the egg cooked up just right in the oven. We simply cut it from the edges of dough and laid the cooked strips on top of the pizza.

After pouring on the eggs, I layered on the bacon, and sautéed onions, jalapeños, and ham! Yum!

This was all popped into a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 13 to 14 minutes.

The taste was wonderful and the jalapeños and coffee bit at our taste buds!

WIENERS, RICE AND BEANS

Being retired means you try and make everything as easy as possible, without sacrificing good taste!

Judy and wanted something quick, delicious, and we promised to eat only one serving. It's our way of trying to cut back - put a normal portion on the plate and put anything left over up for next time! Seems more logical than doing without the foods you really like...doesn't it?

Anyway, as Baylee girl looked on, hoping I dropped something, I prepared wieners and onions for cooking.

Judy busied herself in measuring and cooking the right amount of brown rice, and opened a can of black beans.

I chopped a small onion into slivers and set them aside.

I cut the wieners in half length wise, then each half into quarters. I cooked the sliced wieners in a little EVOO, then poured my famous half Heinz 57/honey sauce over them. At the same time, I added the onions over the top and mixed it all up.

After adding the onions, I watched for them to start to get translucent, and then supper was ready!

You can tell the difference in our eating habits by looking at the different servings. Judy likes to compartmentalize, while I pile everything on! After all, it wall winds up in the same place...as my dad used to say!

Now if we weren't trying to cut back a little, we would have served this meal with some cornbread on the side! Man, that would have been great too!

Sorry Baylee...Daddy Dog was just too hungry!

VISITING APPLEWOOD

Once a year, Judy and I take my Mom up to Pigeon Forge, TN to make her advance Thanksgiving Dinner Reservations at the Applewood Farmhouse Grill. She is very old fashioned and does not believe she can accomplish the same thing over the phone!

I pointed out to her this time that all she has to do is request seating in the Fireside Dinning Room. I think I saw a light come on, as she looked up at the side on the doorway to the dinning she favors. The other dinning areas in the restaurant have different names and, therefore, different signs hanging above their entrances.

She tried the phone one year and ended up in the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant, which is a few hundred feet further down into the Applewood area. The restaurant is several years older and she has always preferred to have her “wonderful” Thanksgiving Dinner in the Grill, and in the “Fireside” dinning room. However, until today, she did not know they had specific names that she could request and be sure of her seating.

However, going up once a year does give us an excuse to eat and enjoy the day together. If for nothing more, we may drive the 115 mile round trip next year. Who cares?

Today, Judy and Mom had a traditional vegetable plate, while I could not get the “fried bologna” sandwich out of my mind. I wanted the chicken livers, then I wanted vegetables, then I wanted the catfish, and then…heck, I wanted everything they had! I ordered the sandwich and appeased my watering mouth with a couple apple fritters slathered in apple butter!

I was all beautiful…as food is to me!

FRIED SQUASH AND PINTO BEANS

As promised, mom cooked for me Sunday afternoon. However, she went to two places and could not find okra or green tomatoes, but she prepared a find meal just the same.

The fried squash was delicious, dipped in egg and rolled in corn meal! She added pinto beans, with lots of juice so the corn bread muffins could soak it up! She also made mashed potatoes and meat loaf.

To add to the taste combination were fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet onions! Of course, I added to the flavor of the potatoes by adding a dab of Miracle Whip Salad Dressing! Yep, and it is great! You put mayo or Miracle Whip in your potato salad don’t you? Well, you should! I learned this little “common-sewer” tip from my Uncle Tom. He loves his mashed potatoes this way, of course, he is one to eat a raw onion while drinking a Pepsi!

My little 80 year-old "mama-zoody", who weighs a good 100 soaking wet, can still stand by the stove and cook with the best of them. She has forgotten more about cooking than I’ll ever learn!

She promised to get okra and green tomatoes soon and do it all again. I personally can hardly wait!

SZECHWAN CHICKEN

Tonight’s menu:

• Bring to boil 14 ounces of chicken broth and add one slice of American cheese for additional flavor
• Add in 14 ounces of white rice, cover and set aside
• Add 1 package Szechwan oriental seasoning, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 3 table spoons of soy sauce and ¼ cup of water in boil, mix, and set aside
• Heat olive and sesame oil and table spoon of fresh garlic in skillet
• Add 3 boneless chicken breast cut into thin strips and brown
• Add the following fresh vegetables and stir fry until soft:
  Green beans
  Asparagus tips
  Squash
  Orange bell pepper
  ½ red onion
  ¼ cup almond pieces
• Add ¼ cup of pineapple juice and pineapple pieces and the seasoning mixture
• Stir fry until sauce is thick and hot and remove from heat

Present as shown in photos

AH, I REMEMBER WHEN

I remember when I used to invite my future wife over for Mushy’s Special steak and baked sweet potato by candle light! I think my cooking was part of what wooed her in the first place.

We tried to re-live one of those wonderful evenings the other night – wanting to make it just as special.

For her, it was a thick juicy filet and for me, a big juicy t-bone!

The weather was perfect for grilling, not too hot, and not too cool, with the smell of spring flowers blooming in the backyard, the birds were still singing, and the Black Dog Ale was cold.

In the oven, the huge sweet potato was baking for about an hour, while I prepared the butter and brown sugar!

All went well; the steaks came off the grill perfectly cooked, having resisted turning them more than once.

The meal was delicious, even if the fresh portabella mushrooms and sweet Vidalia onions were still safely hidden in the fridge! They would have been nice with the steak, like in the old days, but best I can remember…there was no room anyway!

WALNUT ENCRUSTED SHRIMP

I bought a large package of frozen cooked shrimp a week or so ago for a snack with cocktail sauce and crackers. As it turned out, we needed something for a meal tonight.

It just came to me to try the “breading” I used previously on fish, and it turned out tasty!

After completely thawing the shrimp, over about 2 hours, I drained them on a paper towel and removed the tail shells.

Judy prepared some brown rice and dumped in about a half a cup of frozen peas. They cooked while I prepared my shrimp.

Sipping on one of my favorite libations, the best sipping whiskey made, George Dickel, I finely chopped walnuts and spread them out on a paper plate.

In a bowl, I cracked a jumbo egg, added salt, black pepper, a little blackened seasoning powder, and a little paprika (why…I just wanted the color). I whipped the egg and ingredients, mixing them very well.

I then dumped the shrimp into the bowl and tossed them, thoroughly mixing the egg mixture on them.

I then placed the shrimp into the crushed walnuts and turned them to get nuts on both sides. I then placed the encrusted shrimp into a skillet of hot EVOO and garlic. I let them cook on each side until the nuts looked “browned”!

Dividing the rice and peas, and the shrimp, we soon began to swoon and moan over the goodness of the shrimp and walnut flavor. It was quite a surprise meal that just happened!

QUICK SOUTHERN RAINY DAY MEAL

The weather is definitely changing this time – a front moved through this afternoon blowing yellow leaves all over the yard and dropping the temperature some twenty degrees cooler than yesterday. I is supposed to be down to 38 Friday night, so I guess Indian summer is about over!

This weather change called for some quick thinking about something simple to cook and good to eat on a cool damp evening. In the south that calls for pinto beans, cornbread, onions, and maybe some smoked Johnsonville Beef Brats as an extra comfort kicker!

Sure was good while watching the cool air chase the clouds away!