Tag: recipe

Cooking for Studly: Lighten Up

For any of my readers who’ve wondered, I’m still cooking meals for Studly Doright. There were many years during our marriage when my culinary efforts were sporadic at best and non-existent, at worst. The truth is, I’m not very good in the kitchen. 

But Studly and I made a deal wherein I could retire from working in exchange for becoming his scullery maid, er, cook. For the most part, I’m enjoying my end of the bargain, and occasionally I even make a great meal.

Now a new issue has arisen in my cooking experiment–Studly and I are trying to be more health conscious. My first suggestion was a diet of all salads. That got vetoed pretty quickly, but you can’t blame a girl for trying. So I’m to figure out how to make things he likes in a healthier manner.

One of his favorite entrees is a dish I’ve made successfully since discovering it in a Beta Sigma Phi cookbook published in 1981. 

  
You can tell the book has seen its share of use, and I’d like to say I’ve tried every single recipe in it, but that would be a lie. 

Golden Beef Quiche is the only recipe I’ve succesfully produced from the cookbook, and I’d sincerely like to thank Ms. Judith Essenpreis of Centralia, Illinois, for submitting it to the cookbook committee back in the day. 
Studly loves this dish, even though he’s a real man and supposedly real men don’t eat quiche. It is one of the few dishes that he will eat as leftovers. I love it because it’s foolproof, and in the kitchen I am something of a fool.

Now that he’s decided to eat healthier I’ve been using extra lean ground beef, but I would also like to replace the cheddar cheese soup with something less processed. I simply do not know how to do that. If anyone reading this could give me a suggestion that would be lovely.

Dread

  

i wait
those four typed words hanging between us:

we need to talk

with trembling hands i key in your
number,

voice mail, my reward.

what cruelty has led us to this awful
place?

how much more can my sanity take?

i jump as a ringtone signals your call.

hello? i answer so softly that even i struggle to hear.

hey, you say, i wonder…

please, just end this agony! get it over with already!

well, i just wanted to know if i could have your recipe for lasagna.

oh, well sure. no problem. glad to help. 

let’s talk again soon.

  
  

Cooking for Studly, Dammit

Yes, I’m still cooking for Studly Doright. For those of you not in the loop here’s a brief recap: 

1. I’m not a good cook.

2. I’m unemployed.

3. Studly Doright, my husband of 39 years suggested that I need not seek employment IF I began cooking our evening meals.

4. I agreed.

The quality of my cooking is like a roller coaster with big highs and stomach emptying lows. Recently I’ve relied a great deal on Marie Calender and Stouffer’s for our entrees, with Digiorno’s pizzas thrown in on occasion. And while those will never qualify as haute cuisine, at least they’re always edible. Mine cannot always make that claim.

Then last night, out of the clear blue Florida sky, Studly decided he wanted a full-blown holiday-type meal: turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, fruit salad, rolls, etc., on a week night. That’s just sacrilege! Illogical!

But of course I’m slaving away today making Studly Doright a holiday meal. Dammit. I wouldn’t mind it so much if there was a present with my name on it under a tree. Any tree. 

   
 Peace, people!

Cooking for Studly–June Update

Instead of going on and on about what a pitiful excuse I am for a domestic goddess I thought I’d share a recipe that Studly Doright and I really like. If that isn’t progress, I don’t know what is.

FIVE INGREDIENT CROCKPOT RANCH CHICKEN

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast per person

1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing

1 small potato per person

1 sweet onion

1 frozen small corn on the cob per person

–Wash potatoes and slice

–Slice onions

–Create foil packets and put potatoes and some of the onion in one for each person along with a pat of butter and some of the Ranch dressing.

–Wrap individual corn on the cob in foil packets along with a pat of butter and a bit of Ranch.

–Place chicken in crockpot. 

–Pour a half cup of water, along with some butter, Ranch dressing, and onion over the chicken.

–Place veggie packets on top.

–Cook on high for 4 hours.

No kidding, this is one of the best, easiest meals out there. One can substitute kale for the corn packets for a healthier option, and obviously butter needn’t go into every ingredient, but oh my! It’s so good.

The Noyzinator Deluxe

Daily Post’s Daily Prompt–“You the sandwich: If a restaurant were to name a dish after you, what would it be?”

Frankly I’m surprised someone hasn’t already named a dish after me, but since, as far as I know they have not, let me wax eloquent on the topic.

The Noyzinator Deluxe
Two slices of soft white bread
Mayonnaise spread on both slices
Three slices of thick sliced bacon
Ripe avocado slices
Two fresh tomato slices
Leafy green lettuce
A dash of salt
Fresh ground pepper

–serve with a side of fresh grapes–

Duchess of Sandwich
the noblest of titles
conveyed upon me.

  
 

Hot Toddy Q & A

I’m not sure if the hot toddies I imbibed helped shorten my cold or just made it more bearable. 

Question: Does one need to be suffering from a cold in order to enjoy the wondrous concoction known as a hot toddy? 

 Answer: I certainly hope not! 

 Q: Is a hot toddy really a proven remedy to cure the common cold? 

 A: Who the heck cares?  

Q: What dosage of hot toddy is recommended for greatest efficacy? 

 A: The more the merrier. Here, have another.   

Q: Could you share your super easy recipe? 

 A: I thought you’d never ask:

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In a microwave safe cup combine: 

 2 oz. Whisky 

1 tbsp. Honey 

1 tsp. Lemon juice 

4 oz. hot water 

 Place mixture in microwave for a minute or until it’s hot, but not boiling. 

Add a slice of lemon and a cinnamon stick. 

Sip slowly and feel your throat say, “thank you.” 

 As with any beverage containing alcohol, please drink responsibly. 

 Peace, People!

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.

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Peace, People!