Recipe Thursday - Perfect Mashed Potatoes

I figured I would start off with items I am making to take to daughter's house for Thanksgiving.

My family calls these the perfect mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 pound Russet potatoes
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup half and half
4 ounces softened cream cheese
3/4 coarsely ground pepper

Directions:
1. Peel potatoes then cut them into 1 inch pieces and put into a large pot. Cover with cold water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 16-20 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain.

2. Return the potatoes to the pot. Cook until all water evaporates and potatoes look dry. Push potatoes to one side of the pot then add the butter, half and half, cream cheese, pepper and remaining salt. Cook 1-2 minutes or until the butter is melted and the mixture boils.

3. Remove from heat and beat with a hand held mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don't overbeat. Serve immediately.

Inspirational Sunday - Everlasting Life

It is weeks like this that I am thankful for John 3:16. It reminds me that anyone that is no longer with us on this earth are with God and have everlasting life. They have reached their final destination. They are at peace.

John - I will miss your witty humor. I left a piece of candy for you on your journey and know that you will never hunger for a piece of candy again. I also left you a 'buck' since you always asked me for one. I hope you never have to use it. Be at peace. We will watch over Gert for you but I don't think Gert will be with us long. She was already seeing you. Stay with her if you can until she comes to you.

Brett - You were so young on this earth and just starting your life. You had finally met the girl of your dreams. All of your friends and loved ones are mourning you trying to find answers to why. But sometimes there is no reason - no answer to the why - it just is and one day we will meet again and learn the why. We know you are still amongst us.

Margaret - You were a beloved step-mother to a wonderful family of doctors. You will rejoin your husband and child. Go in peace. You were loved.

Recipe Thursday - Nutty Crusted Chicken

Sorry - this was posted a few days late. It is one of my granddaughter's favorite recipes - she nicknamed it nutty chicken :) She still loves her honey mustard to dunk the chicken in. I usually serve a stir-fry of vegetables with it.

Nutty Crusted Chicken

This recipe is best with almonds, but works well with any type of nut. I prefer kosher salt in this recipe so if you use table salt, reduce salt amounts by half.

Ingredients:
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed, trimmed
Kosher salt
1 cup almonds, chopped coarse
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, I then that the lemon I used for the zest and cut it into wedges
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using fork, poke thickest half of breasts 5 to 6 times and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer breasts to prepared wire rack and refrigerate, uncovered, while preparing coating.

Pulse almonds in food processor until they resemble coarse meal, about 20 pulses. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes. Add shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add bread crumbs and ground almonds and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer panko mixture to shallow dish or pie plate and stir in lemon zest, thyme, and cayenne. Place flour in second dish. Lightly beat eggs, mustard, and pepper together in third dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working with 1 breast at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off excess, then coat with egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Coat all sides of breast with panko mixture, pressing gently so that crumbs adhere. Return breaded breasts to wire rack.

Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

Dysfunctional Family

Someone posted this today on Facebook. I don't know about other families but this is not true in the family I grew up in or the one my husband grew up in. I don't know about my son and daughter - I would think they would be there for each other since my husband and I tried to raise them as separate entities but that of a family and a family supports each other.

This kinda makes me wonder if maybe the dysfunction in my husband's and my family is actually normal?

Maybe for a family to be normal is for them to be dysfunctional.

Pet Peeve - Words with Friends Part 2

This is an update on the unusual words used by a few friends who definitely cheat with me on this game. I posted Version 1 on 8-20-15 so you can check what I posted on that day and the words they used.

Again, this has been a large pet peeve of mine.

Here is the latest vocabulary:
LEBENS
TOLUID
PULE
HERN
KAIL
AZO
NIZAMS
KENDO
DOIT
GAZARS
NUTLETS
JOUK
JYBO
CONGEE
EDHS
OSE
MEWL

It just keeps getting worse. So karma is a bitch. I have been using their words in conversations with them. They will say "Huh?" I will say, well, I know you know that word since you used it last week in Words with Friends with me. Not one has come back and admitted they don't know the word but every single one? All of a sudden have a phone call or door bell or an emergency that they can't answer me.

And for a few days.........I get real honest words used in everyday conversation. Then they revert.

Oh yeah, I have a notebook and I am keeping track.

KARMA

Inspirational Sunday - Cubs vs Luck vs God

My husband and I were talking last night about the chances the Cubs had to win last night's game. My husband said they won't win because of the name Murphy and went on to spout instance after instance where the Cubs lost against the Mets whenever someone named Murphy was playing for the Mets or even that a black cat walked across the field and it was named Murphy. Of course there is also some goat. But I was totally flabbergasted that he firmly believed that these instances were why the Cubs lost.

I obviously don't believe in luck. I believe in God. All the things my husband was talking about: superstitions. That is all. An answer to why they didn't win or why something happened or why someone has to wear a particular item of clothing or sit in the same seat or do anything for the same 'luck' to happen: pure coincidence. If it really worked, there would be scientific evidence that every time those things happened or didn't, it was more than superstition. But no - it is not used as an excuse that a better team played.

Recipe Thursday - Apples

I actually use apples in a lot of recipes but I have a lot of old recipes that usually call for apples that are no longer around. So I was always trying to figure out which one to buy or use for each recipe and in today's world, walking into the produce area where apples are, you are confronted with a zillion different brands.

I started compiling this cheat cheat so thought I would share it with you:

FUJI apples: I find them too juicy for baking but I love eating them. They add sweetness in salads or with cheese. I will use them in my applesauce with a couple of different apples.

GALA apples: I find these sweet, good smelling, and a good all around apple. They are great for sauces but can also be added to salads. I love gala apples when I bake them whole. I will also use them by slicing them thin and baking them to make a apple chip snack.

GOLDEN DELICIOUS apples: A lot of people told me to stay away from these apples because they have a dull taste and a icky texture but I never had that problem. I later learned that if a Golden Delicious was picked too early or stored too long they did that. A ripe freshly picked Golden Delicious apple has a rich almost custard taste. I use these as one of my apples in my applesauce and in pies.

GRANNY SMITH apples: These apples are tart with taut green skin. They bring a crunch to salads and are great in applesauce if you like apples that don't go all mushy. I also use them in pies with other apples. However, I do not like them in my stuffing (dressing).

HONEYCRISP apples: These are now the baking apples because they are more like a candy taste than a fruit taste. They can be pretty pricey.

McINTOSH apples: These are bright, fresh, and juicy. I love these in either savory baked dishes like stuffing or in a casserole or sweet dishes like pies and applesauce.

NORTHERN SPY apple: This is a new one. It is tart but honey tasting. It has a pale green skin flushed with red stripes. It is tart at first but then has that honey sweetness taste after. They do best in pies and cooked desserts although can be eaten fresh.