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