Tag: cooking

Things I Love: Good Friends

IMG_2500

Since deciding to learn to cook for my handsome husband, aka Studly Doright, I have experienced a flood of support and advice from more domestically-minded friends. One such friend, Lee Ann, sent me a lovely gift (pictured above) to help me in my quest. Lee Ann and her husband Gary visited us at Doright Manor last month just as I decided to become the cook no one ever thought I could be.

Lee Ann, besides being one of the sweetest women I’ve ever known, is a true domestic goddess. She cooks, sews, keeps a spotless home, and never seems to break a sweat. Even better, she’s never made me feel inadequate for being the exact opposite. That’s the real gift, if you want to know the truth. Supportive and non-judgemental. Now, if I could convince her to support the Dallas Cowboys instead of the Indianapolis Colts, she’d be about the perfect human being.

Love you, Lee Ann! Thanks for the cookbook. Look, you could still wear blue if you ditched the Colts for America’s Team!

IMG_0717

IMG_0718

Cooking for Studly: He’s Late for Dinner!

Well it was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Dinner, Studly’s favorite chicken and rice casserole, is ready for consumption and he is nowhere in sight.

Now what? Should I leave it in the oven and hope it doesn’t dry out too much? Do I take it out and reheat it when he gets home?

Studly’s job is a demanding one. His stress level is high, and his schedule erratic. I know he’d have called if he could. Nonetheless, I’m not sure what I should do.

I absolutely detest chicken and rice casserole. Made to Studly’s specifications it is the blandest slop in the world. It’s like eating paper only with less pizazz. So maybe there’s no right or wrong to taking it out of the oven. It’s not going to miraculously grow less bland, right? And I doubt it can become more bland. I’m voting to leave it in.

Wow! Thanks for helping me with my dilemma! Sometimes you just need to talk it over with a friend.

Peace, People!

IMG_0182

Cooking for Studly: Another Cookbook

IMG_2474

My hilarious daughter thought I needed this cookbook for my new adventures in cooking. Apparently she inherited her mom’s sick sense of humor.

I couldn’t be prouder!

Cooking for Studly: Recipe Worth Sharing

Studly Doright gave his stamp of approval to our dinner on Tuesday evening, so I thought I’d share the recipe. After all, I’m not one of those stingy folks who keeps all the good stuff to herself.

I found this recipe for Crockpot Orange Chicken at www.thefrugalgirls.com while searching for easy crockpot recipes. Usually when I find a recipe that sounds too easy I’m often disappointed in the results, but this time Studly and I were both impressed.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 c. Sweet Baby Ray’s original bbq sauce
3/4 c. orange marmalade
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Thaw chicken breasts. Cook in crockpot for 3 hours on HIGH. After 3 hours, drain off liquid.
Mix bbq sauce, marmalade, and soy sauce together and pour over chicken.
Cook for 30 min. In crockpot.
Serve over rice.

I’m not a big fan of orange marmalade, so I was apprehensive about that element, but it couldn’t have been any tastier. I’ll be trying more of www.thefrugalgirls.com recipes.

IMG_0657

Peace, People!

Slippery Slope

I wandered around the kitchen wares department at Bed, Bath, and Beyond today. It’s amazing how many tools, gadgets, storage containers, etc., are out there. What’s even more amazing is my new compulsion to buy them. All of them.

IMG_0650

IMG_0649

The question is, do I NEED a melon baller? Do I NEED a garlic press? No, probably not, but dang, they’re cute! Why didn’t anyone ever tell me how much fun it is to shop for cooking paraphernalia?

IMG_0651

IMG_0652

And the ideas! Holy cow! It’s almost as if they’ve been waiting for me my entire life! Is it too late for me to have a love affair with cooking? Or at least a fling with the gadgets? 😍

Peace, People!

Goodbye Candy Crush

Today is a momentous day. I’ve deleted Candy Crush and its demented sister, Soda Crush, from my electronic devices. Gone, as well, is Bejeweled Blitz. Snap! Just like that.

Now that I’ve discovered the joy of cooking for Studly Doright I want to spend my hours in pursuit of the perfect Studly-pleasing recipes. That and I need to get up and move more. My chair and I are starting to look like conjoined twins connected at the ass.

I must admit when I hit the little “x” on the quivering Candy Crush app icon my heart squeaked in protest. After all I was on Level 657. Let that sink in. If every level took just one minute to solve, and if I’d solved each of those levels on the first try that would have been 657 minutes of my life spent playing Candy Crush. But I spent WEEKS on many levels. I could have earned a Masters Degree in the time I spent playing Candy Crush alone.

And that was just one game. Soda Crush required roughly the same time commitment, and Bejeweled Blitz, well, it was addictive on a whole different level. Some nights I’d lie awake trying to picture ways to boost my scores. Fruitless, pointless, insomnia-inducing thoughts.

I’m sure there will be some withdrawal issues. My fingers might have to learn to relax, and my eyes to refocus. There was one game I didn’t delete, though. I’ve kept Words With Friends. It seems to serve some educational purpose. How else would I know that qi and qat were words?

2015/01/img_2438.jpg

Peace, People!

Cooking for Studly: An Update

Since Thursday I have cooked three major meals for Studly. That might be a record-setting accomplishment for me. We’ve had roast chicken and potatoes, steak with some healthy veggies, and French dip sandwiches. I even have his meal for tomorrow night planned.

What has happened to the carefree, happy-go-lucky member of the No-cook Cathedral of the Coast? I guess I’ve been converted, baptized into the House of the Holy Homemaker.

I have had help from friends all over the country, indeed, from all over the world! Recipe suggestions, cooking tips, do’s and dont’s have been so welcome. I guess I’m not as alone as I imagined. Thank you friends!

Studly has raised an eyebrow at the amount of money I’ve spent on various cooking gadgets and ingredients. I told him the initial outlay would pay off in the long run.

I bought a new, larger crockpot, a tenderizing hammer, a new hand mixer (my old one was a wedding gift in ’76, and somewhere along the way I lost one of the beaters), a new grater, a new paring knife, and a new Calphalon saucepan to match the cookware we bought when we moved to Tallahassee.

My poor old mixer. Goodbye old chum.

2015/01/img_0642.jpg

2015/01/img_06071.jpg

2015/01/img_0630.jpg

2015/01/img_0610.jpg

2015/01/img_06081.jpg

2015/01/img_06091.jpg

I’ve spent quite a bit on spices, too. And I’m making an effort to cook healthy. Continue to send good thoughts and recipes. I hope this is a journey and not just a phase.

Peace, People.

Cooking for Studly: What, Again?

One would think that after I’d produced a beautiful roast chicken dinner on Thursday that I could rest on my ass, er, my laurels, for awhile, but noooo! Studly is asking what I plan on cooking tonight. Slave driver.

I did get a reprieve since Friday was pasta night at the golf club, and there is a steak in the fridge. All I need to make are a couple of side dishes. Of course Studly Doright would be quite happy with corn and a salad, but by golly if I’m going to cook, I’ll put some thought into it.

He needs the exposure to veggies, so I’ll fix a salad anyway. Now, what else? His little heart would flutter if I made a green bean casserole. I hate green bean casserole, but this is cooking for Studly, not cooking for Nana, after all.

I’ll cook some squash or Brussels sprouts in a little skillet for me. What do you call it when it’s not fried, just cooked with a little olive oil? Is that sautéing?

Any thoughts? Tips? Suggestions for mild, yet lingering fictitious maladies that might get me out of this cooking gig?

Peace, people!

2015/01/img_0620.jpg

Cooking for Studly: A Rousing…

Success!

I’ve had three lovely glasses of wine, and can now report that dinner was a huge hit. Studly walked in the door and declared something “smelled good enough to eat!’ Thank goodness, since that was the intended purpose.

Truthfully, I thought the chicken was slightly overcooked, but Studly Doright declared it was just right. He is a fan of the slightly overcooked, you see. The seasonings were absolutely perfect. I believe I’ll add a little olive oil to the mix next time, maybe that will make it a little more moist. I’m open to suggestions.

There is one thing that’s missing–someone to clean the kitchen. I hardly ever have to do the clean up when we go out for dinner.

2015/01/img_1010.jpg
Studly gave the meal two thumbs up!

Peace, people!

Cooking for Studly: In Progress

My roast chicken and potatoes are in the sixth hour of slow cooking. The odors emanating from the crockpot are seriously mouth watering. Since I could no longer resist the instruction manual’s admonition against lifting the lid, I did so very briefly. Mmmmmm.

The chicken is tender and appears to be as potentially tasty as it looks. Now is the time my anxiety kicks into high gear. In my limited cooking experience I tend to screw a meal up in the final stages of cooking. So the time is ripe for doing something ill-advised.

I never know what form the screw up will take–over cooking? Under cooking? Dropping said meal? Realizing too late that the instructions were continued on another page that I didn’t read? Opening the lid one too many times? Oh yes, I’ve done them all, and more.

2015/01/img_2408.jpg

Damn! I opened the lid again, but I need input. How does it look to an experienced cook? I wish I had an “add aroma” button on the iPad.

Studly should be home around 5 p.m. Eastern time. I’ll cook corn and put together a salad to complete the meal. And just for good measure, I’ll have a fortifier, or two, ready. Tell me, white whine or Blue Moon or both? I think both.

2015/01/img_2409.jpg

What’s the old adage, “Cooking Lasts, Kissing Don’t”? I’m planning on puckering up anyway, just in case the cooking goes awry.

Here’s the recipe:

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken and Potatoes
Serves 4

1 whole chicken, skinned (4-5lbs.)
4-5 garlic cloves (Studly doesn’t much care for garlic, so I used only 2)
1 onion, quartered
4-5 golden potatoes
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Onion powder
1/2 tsp. Dried thyme
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper (I used freshly ground pepper because I feel chef-like turning the grinder.)

1. Scrub potatoes, prick with fork, wrap in foil, and place in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Clean, skin, and rinse chicken; pat dry.
3. Stuff cavity with onion and garlic.
4. Combine seasonings and rub over chicken.
5. Place chicken over potatoes, breast down.
6. Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Because I’m really slow at prep work, I got the chicken ready last night, and let it hang out in the fridge wrapped in foil. I sure hope that was ok.

Peace, People!