For the Love of Pasta

Hurried, hassled, hungry and not in the mood to cook unless it is simple and quick? No particular worry about calories, fat or salt content?

Packaged shells and cheese (the kind where the cheese is squeezed out of the package) with added vegetables and your choice of a fish or meat protein will satisfy your need for a speedy meal. The recipe below will make 3 portions.

1 package shells and cheese
1 large fresh firm ripe tomato cored and diced
2 tablespoons small dice sweet onion
4 oz fresh sliced mushrooms (canned will work, fresh is better)
2 to 3 stalks celery – about ½ cup (the tender pale ones), sliced
6 to 8 oz diced ham – or cooked chicken
OR - one 6 oz can premium solid white tuna in water, drained and broken up
6 oz finely shredded cheese that melts (cheddar or favorite that harmonizes with other cheese)
Black pepper to taste, freshly ground

Assemble ingredients. Prepare vegetables and meat or fish. Add more or less of each as you like. Gently toss together in a separate bowl.

Next, prepare pasta according to box directions (taste test to be sure it is the way you like it). Drain and put in a casserole dish with lid that can go in the microwave. Keep pasta hot, do not rinse in cold water. Immediately add cheese from package and the extra shredded cheese to top of pasta. Microwave covered on lower power until both pasta and cheese are hot and can be easily combined. Carefully stir in the vegetables and ham, chicken or tuna. Serve immediately.

Serve in warmed bowls and pass the pepper grinder.

FAST TIMES IN THE KITCHEN (AND ABSTINENCE DAYS)

Just when you thought you were going to get to read a really hot article, you find it is about fast and abstinence and food. Well, since you are already here, you might as well read this. You will find a wonderfully hearty hot soup for the dinner meal during days when meatless meals are part of the Lenten Season, or just because you like it.

We do not usually eat canned soups because the levels of fat and salt are too high for my family. We read the back panels for information before deciding to buy.

For instance, the soup that I do use, Progresso Traditional New England Clam Chowder, 18.5 oz. notes that a one cup serving is 190 calories, 10g fat, 2.5g saturated fat and 880mg sodium served as is out of the can. Fortunately, this soup works very well combined with other ingredients that reduce the fat and sodium per serving. The following recipe is a little expensive to make, but you are worth it. It is a hearty and very satisfying main dish.

This recipe will make 6 nice sized servings. Crusty French or Italian bread (wrap in foil and heat), a favorite salad and some canned fruit make easy accompaniments.

4 stalks celery – peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/8 inch slices.
5 Medium Potatoes - Peel about 5 medium potatoes (about 4-1/2 inches long and 1-1/2 inches high) more if your potatoes are smaller or you want to make the soup very thick. Cut into quarters, then slice into approximately 3/8 inch slices.
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon or so of fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (no salt),
1 teaspoon of dried parsley
1 lb. shrimp – peeled, de-veined and rinsed. (Keep whole, 31-40 count per pound)
Optional additions: Cooked sliced carrots, sliced mushrooms, fresh onion, frozen corn
3/4 cup 2% milk
1 tablespoon sweet butter
One can Progresso Traditional New England Clam Chowder, 18.5 oz

Prepare celery first. Place sliced celery in 3 cups of gently boiling water. Keep the lid on the pot. Cook celery for 10 to 12 minutes until it starts to become tender. Add the onion powder, parsley and fresh ground pepper. Add potatoes. Cooking time will take about another 20 minutes. Test at this point.

Mash some of the potatoes into the liquid to thicken it. Keep entire mixture at a gentle boil. Add shrimp, stir into the potato/celery mixture to cook for about 5 minutes after mixture regains enough temperature to return to the gentle boil.

With the mixture still slightly bubbling, stir in the can of soup, sweet butter and 2% milk. Heat until mixture just begins to boil. Taste test to see if you need some additional onion powder and more pepper.

If this mixture is not thick enough, try mashing a little more of the potato and stir.
Soup has kept well refrigerated for two days after the day you make it, assuming it lasts that long. Do not let soup boil when reheating.

Miraculous Immediate 10 Pound Loss Without Dieting

It's a Miracle! It's a Technological Miracle!! Hewlett Packard Photosmart digital cameras have a way for you to loose 10 pounds......in your picture. So if anyone has ever mentioned your baby cheeks or love handles, perhaps you might want to take a look at the HP's the next time you are ready to buy.

I'm also imagining another 10 pound loss in addition to HP's help by using a large elastic body stocking (the ankle to the above the ribs variety). If that still doesn't work, I am going to look into a blackbelt in photoshop!

I’d Like To Order The 4 Bombillas Please

Perhaps you are thinking watts up here? This post is not for dim bulbs, but all those out there who love to pinch pennies or make the buffalo on a nickel complain. Tightwads rejoice! The local hardware chain, Home Depot*, now has quite a few shelves just full of sizes and selections of the low wattage, high output light bulbs.

The package promises that a 14 watt bulb is equivalent to 60 watts. There are some nice choices in the lighting as well. Soft white, bright white, and day light. There were also various equivalent wattages from which to choose. Choosing the day light was a no-brainer for me since it is still winter and gets dark early. These are supposed to last the equivalent of 9 years or 10,000 hours. Drawing 14 watts for 60 watts of light will save about 75% on electric costs. Sounded like a great deal to me and I bought a couple of four packs for $8.97 each. Hopefully the prices will go down as they become more popular.

Actually, these are kind of cute. Without my glasses, they look like soft swirled ice cream cones. There are some downsides to these. The bulbs contain mercury and should not be placed in any lamp that could be knocked over and the bulb broken or hit by flying toys or footballs. They will also need to be properly recycled so that we are not putting the mercury (which is highly poisonous) back into the soil and water.

When you turn on the light, it takes just a little bit of time for the light to power up to its full brightness level, but for a 75% savings on my electric rates I’m not having any problem with that at all.
_______________

(Disclaimer: I have not yet checked the other stores for selection and pricing.)

And furthermore: if you need a little laugh, check out the sounds that animals make when humans say the sounds in various languages, it’s not the same. Unfortunately, though, buffalo was not listed on this site and the only reference on another site listed a sound for a particular life activity that has nothing to do with saving pennies and nickels – http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/ballc/animals/animals.html.

Have You Seen My Washcloths?

Tradition has it that socks leave home at an early age -- this I understand and accept, but why do washcloths do it too? I know that both feet were with me at the time I took off my socks and put them in the hamper. I have never suspected the hamper of helping the socks run away, but haven’t yet figured out if the washer or dryer might be the real culprit. There’s always one missing. I’ve even thought sometimes that the sock manufacturers put something in the socks so that every week, one of them totally disintegrates, but I’ve never been able to prove a thing. It’s happened since I was kid and nobody even mentions it anymore. It’s just expected.

What seems strange is that the same thing has recently been happening to the washcloths on a regular basis as well. It’s a nice comfort every time you wash your face or shower to have a nice clean dry one. Is that really so much to expect? Do they also totally disintegrate one at a time in the washer or climb out when I’m not looking?

About once a year I buy an additional package of 18 (I don’t have to run the dryer as long as they are thinner and dry quicker), and we always seem to be missing some of them. Invariably, those 18 packs are foreign made, so maybe their little terry cloth bodies are homesick and escaping to go and book a flight home. Guess I’ll check the packages next time I buy some and see where they might be heading.

Fry Pans Can Get It, Why Not My Car

The virtues of the Teflon fry pan are many, but non-stick seems to be the biggest benefit. Imagine the time that we could all save if none of the ice would stick. It took us about two hours per car that were left outside during the heavy snowfall with hours and hours of freezing rain and more snowfall. We might have to make do with brown and silver colors at first, but surely, colors we like could be made available.

I had thought of spraying my car with Pam before this last heavy snowfall and freezing rain hit us, but wasn’t certain if it might just grease up the windows and make a tough situation even worse. The storm hit with full force where we are (on top of a big hill), and one of the cars had a broken windshield from the sheer weight of the ice. The ice covering was a good 1/3 to 1/2 inch and in some places an inch thick. The severe cold made it almost impossible to work outside for so long and remove the ice.

Fortunately, we had a big collection of ice scrapers that weren’t left inside the cars to use to remove the ice. It was a lot of work. Years ago my car was parked in an outdoor lot in town. An ice and snowstorm had turned the lot and all the cars into quite a mess. It was getting late and there was one other woman who couldn’t get into her car because her locks were frozen. I had my lock de-icer handy and we both were able to open the door locks but the doors wouldn’t budge. Pulling on the handles any harder would have ripped them off. Somebody should have had a camera to take movies of us getting our cars open – In total frustration, I finally decided to body slam the door. When I got my door open, the other woman decided to give that a try that as well. We were both successful.

Keep a little can of lock de-icer with you instead of in the car and if you carry a tote bag, a bigger spray bottle of de-icer is helpful as well as a short heavy scraper when you are out and the weather threatens your ability to get into your car. It’s best to get a better scraper so it doesn’t break easily from heavy use.

There has to be an easier way instead of using a garage that goes down a slope and into the back yard that would have required a tremendous amount of shoveling to get the car out and up the driveway. That would have been just as big an ordeal.

Besides the slick teflon-like coating on the cars, I would like to suggest to the manufacturers that every four-door vehicle have locks on each door. It would provide us a much better chance of one of them opening.

Any ideas?

die Fliegenwespe

(The Flying Wasp) - Blame it on the Babel Fish translation if this isn’t right. The first translated word there, “die” is great English for what is going to happen to those little wispy-winged, deranged annoyances with stiletto stingers that invite themselves into my home.

There is a lot of forest where we live and the wasps just love to visit the area. You would think that word would have gotten out that it is inhospitable over here, but it doesn’t happen. In any event, it is probably my own fault. When they check in, I make sure they don’t check out to live and tell about it.

Wasp sprays will work outside, but these buggers sneak inside and we aren’t willing to spray such harsh chemicals inside the house.

What is truly fortunate is that I have never gotten stung. My former favorite method was to wait until one landed on something and then cut them in half with a sharp scissor. That still left the problem of what to do with the still wiggling halves. If the one with the stinger on it fell into the rug and somebody stepped on it, it would have been the wasp’s revenge.

In order to prevent wasp revenge, the method has been updated. According to my unofficial survey, wasps prefer climbing on my windows. The windows are warmer and I am sure their little bug brains think they can get through them. We have devised the perfect method to put an end to them. Spray Wax. It works very well because they can’t use their wings to fly, although some have tried to swim in it.

A good heavy blast of the spray wax (or furniture polish) usually knocks them right off the window and onto the ledge where they are crushed with the bottom side of the can. The upside to this is that the ledge gets polished when I clean it off. That is also why my kitchen windows are always clean.

A Wonderful Surprise From Wyler’s

We have to limit our sodium intake, and cooking from scratch instead of a pre-packaged mix is a necessity. The Wyler’s brand makes a sodium free instant beef and chicken bouillon. It is a major staple in our home. It’s almost a food group.

What is even better is that one small jar makes 21 cups. A comparable amount of the canned bouillon would involve dragging home a lot of cans; even the lower salt varieties offered I have tried do not compare to the flavor that Wyler’s provides. The little jar of Wyler’s costs around $3.39 and still beats the price of canned bouillon, even when they are on sale. That adds up to a lot of storage space saved as well.

Nutrition labels on the back of products are helpful guides in determining just what we are eating. No one in my family thinks that an 8 oz. cup of soup is enough and at 500 to 1200 mg. of sodium for 8 oz., I just don’t serve the canned variety as is. If you are really in a pinch for time and the type of soup you have would be good with more vegetables, or leftover meat you already have, cook a cupful or more of frozen mixed vegetables, cut up the leftover meat and add two cups of water and two teaspoons of either the beef or chicken bouillon. You can reduce the sodium content by 30 to 50%.

Stews, soups, gravies, rice and sauces have all turned out flavorful without the enormous amounts of sodium that most manufacturers seem to think we want. It might be just my opinion, but I really like the taste of the food cooked without everything saturated with salt.

When you are ready to eat food cooked without salt, but still would like the salt flavor, sprinkle just a few grains of salt over the top of it. You get both the full flavor of the food and the full flavor of the salt without the massive quantity of salt cooked into the food. It’s a winner.

Look into other ways to preserve yourself instead of heavy daily doses of salt.

Remodel Your Bathroom Yourself, Then Call In An Expert To Finish It.

Old houses have their charm. You just have to have enough time to be able to enjoy the charm and keep it going. Otherwise, you will usually need a professional company to come in and clean for you or finish what you started.

We made a mistake in trying to fulfill our desire to update the bathroom and do it all ourselves. We had old fixtures, the original tile floor and original tile walls. We had to be careful with the colors we selected because the tile walls were a pale yellow and the floor tile a yellow-beige with cranberry accents. Old fashioned, but very nice, very durable. I should still look so good when I am that old.

Fortunately, the toilet had already been replaced some years ago, so that didn’t need an update. I had already replaced the ceramic tub surround and recaulked it inside and out, and a new window had been professionally installed. That was the beginning of let’s do more. It’s like earning more money, there still isn’t enough.

My husband wanted fancy faucets and a shower door to enclose the bathtub. We didn’t want a major rip it all out overhaul, just some nice things to make it a little more up to date while retaining the “charm” of an older home. A little modern updating without looking like it was out of place.

The faucets we found were very nice and we were able to install those in the existing sink properly. We even found a toilet handle in the same color that -matched the faucets. So far, so good. We were batting 1000.

Quite happy with our handiwork so far, I continued to shop and managed to find an exact match to the heavy ceramic soap dish and toothbrush holders that were mounted from inside the tile wall. It was well past replacement time as both had been super glued back together even before the house was ours.

There was a lot more work than was expected to remove them from the wall and after some very unladylike outbursts, success was finally mine . A quick-setting heavy-duty grout worked perfectly to firmly and securely install the new fixtures. We were really on a roll and still batting 1000.

The perfect shower door took some time to find as the walls are sloped inward on both sides of the outside of the tub and something that fit was difficult to find. We were finally able to buy what we needed and it exactly matched the color of the faucets. It was time to tackle the removal of the shower curtain rod. It was a large fixture with fancy ends that were embedded in the sloped walls. It made a mess removing it from the wall and we had to quickly replaster and paint so we could get the rest done. Otherwise, no shower for you.

Well, that wasn’t so bad, so far; but it was tough drilling the holes for the outside structure of the new sliding door because we had to drill through the wall tile. None of the bits we had for the drill worked and that meant yet another trip to the hardware store for something appropriate. Fortunately, we again obtained what we needed, the rest of that part of the job went smoothly and everything fit well.

The last planned update we wanted to do came to a halt when my husband investigated what he would need to replace the faucets and shower fixture in the tub. The tiny door to the back of the tub had to be accessed through a closet and the space allotted behind the tub through the door was too small to permit any kind of major replacement work.

Since we had so many things already done, we gave up on doing it ourselves and called a plumber. Hindsight is always 20/20. If we had really thought about it, we could have done it ourselves and saved a lot of financial aggravation, it was really expensive. We could have done just what the plumber had to do. He had to remove the little trap door behind the tub and take out some of the wall. Now we needed some new plasterboard and time to repaint yet again. You really learn your lesson that old homes were meant to stay built the way they were originally done and the materials and workmanship were far different than today’s standards.

Now that it’s February, I can’t wait until the weather warms up as there are other projects needed to keep the charm of this old house “charming” and I can’t wait to get started.

I Know It's Crummy, But Somebody Has To Do It

If you refuse to bread your chops and fry because you are losing your hair over it, don't reach for any more anti-anxiety meds. Beer or wine is optional, but that part of the procedure is strictly for you.

Pork chops (or your other favorite meat) and fish are easily breaded by hand and this method won't give you an overly heaving coating. Meat or fish should be just from the refrigerator and not frozen.

You will need the following:

Buttermilk in a shallow bowl (you can use a pie or cake baking pan)

A shallow bowl (like the pie or cake pan) into which you place your crumbs

A couple of spoons and forks, and some plain (cheap) plastic sandwich baggies

Plain bread crumbs (which are usually lower salt content (you have to read the container), and to which you can add a little onion powder and pepper); or your favorite brand of ready made crumbs if you want your herbs and spices in there and it won't conflict with the flavors of the other foods you are making as part of your meal.

Olive oil and butter (use unsalted butter if your bread crumbs already come complete with lots of herbs and spices)

Teflon safe pancake flipper

A sheet of non-stick aluminum foil large enough to hold the meat or fish after it has been breaded

A large non-stick frypan with a lid. When you are frying a breaded item, make sure there is plenty of room so that nothing is up against each other. You might want to use two frypans with lids. Non-stick pans are preferable.

Dip each piece of meat or fish in the buttermilk so that it is well coated. Use the back of one of the teaspoons to press the piece into the buttermilk so that it gets into any crevices.

Lift the piece out of the buttermilk and let it drip off just a little.

Now place the meat or fish into the other pan with the crumbs. If you never thought of yourself as an artist before, here is where the artwork comes into play. Shake and bake tech doesn't work well here. Quickly sprinkle more crumbs on top to nicely coat the piece over the top. Use a spoon to push crumbs onto the sides. Insort your hind ina samwish boogie (sandwich baggie for those who aren't self-medicating during this process with beer or wine, otherwise, you'd understand) and begin to press in the crumbs tightly against the meat or fish and into any crevices. Once you get the top crumbs well pressed into the piece, turn it over and do the bottom side. Make certain that the sides are well pressed into the crumbs as well.

As you finish each piece, lay it out flat on the non-stick foil. When all the pieces have been finished and are on the foil, they should be left to sit there for at least ten minutes - 5 minutes a side so that the crumbs solidify a little more into the item.

In the interim, start heating your frypan(s). They will need to start out at a medium heat or just a little more because the meat or fish will reduce the temperature in the pan. This can take 3 to 4 minutes or more. It helps to put the lid on to heat the pan so the heat gets distributed more evenly. Before the pan reaches the temperature to place the meat or fish in, add enough olive oil to just nicely coat the bottom and a pat of butter.

When the pan is ready, lift it and gently swirl the oil/butter mixture so that it more evening coats the bottom of the pan. Carefully place the meat or fish to begin to fry on one side. You don't want to move it to reposition it. Do not use the lid at this point. As soon as it becomes nicely lightly browned on one side, lift those pieces out and place them browned side down in the frypan lid. (Don't wait so long to move them that the top of the meat begins to gather moisture. If you waited too long and you see moisture from the heat seeping on the top, add more breadcrumbs and press them in well, using the back of a spoon.) Add more olive oil and butter and turn the heat up a little. Then take the pieces from the frypan lid and turn them over so that the unbrowned side gets nicely lightly browned.

It is important to avoid the misshaping of the piece on one side due to the action of the heat and browning. These pieces should be turned once more on each side for extra browning. When you have turned the pieces for the second time, turn down the heat and put on the lid. The lid should cover most of the frypan and rest on the handle so that the heat primarily stays in the pan, but the meat or fish does not become steamed. Carefully watch your heat so that the side that is against the pan does not burn, and the food continues to cook on low until the desired point of doneness is achieved for serving.

Work carefully and you'll not lose a hair on your head.

You Can Make Your Kids Eat Their Vegetables And Like It

This is a little extra work for mom, but worth the effort. As long as you are not planning meals for a child that is lactose intolerant or has other special needs, this might work a miracle for you. The kids will eat because the following dinner is just sooooo special. The adults will get a kick out of this one too.

Prehistoric dinner on a plate. Gather up the plastic dinosaur figures and use them to decorate a centerpiece on the table or if you have enough of them and your children are all old enough to play with them, have them facing each place setting.

You will need:

mashed potatoes made with milk and butter fresh from real potatos, use red potatoes, they taste better, this works best when still very warm

broccoli steamed just until tender and still very green , then carefully cut into individual little bite-size trees, keep these just warm enough not to turn color

your family's favorite yellow (orange) colored cheese, melted and kept hot for pouring, you might want to add a little milk to make it pour a little easier

meat cut up into small kid-size pieces and gravy, keep hot for serving

well cooked frozen leaf spinach (spinach often takes about
45 minutes or more to the melt in your mouth stage).
Drain the spinach well and butter it just a bit, keep it serving temperature

The smallest beets you can find (canned), gently heat these.

Three section picnic plates (the better ones that won't seep any liquid through the bottom)

Now here's where the fun comes in. You take appropriate portions of the mashed potatoes and shape them into volcanoes. Poke a hole down in the top so that the magma (i.e., the melted cheese) can sit in there. Place the volcanoes on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a non-stick foil. Melt enough butter to gently brush the sides of the volcanoes and place in a medium hot oven so that the outsides will crisp. 375 degrees works for me, check at 10 minutes to see if they are getting a little brown and crispy on the mountain sides of the volcano.

Once the potato volcanoes are done, you will need to assemble everyone's plate quickly. Insert the broccoli trees on a mountain side or two, and let some of the trees be fallen away from the "blast" so that a real serving of vegetable is there. In another segment of the plate, arrange the tarpit. Place the cut up meat and cover with gravy. Serve just a few of the small beets and explain that these are the dinosaur eggs.

The spinach can serve as the nest that the beets (dino eggs) are placed in.

Now pour or ladle the melted cheese over the volcano, filling the center and over the sides, get some of the cheese over the trees you poked into the mountain and the ones that were felled by the blast. Extend the cheese onto the nest (the spinach) but don't put it on the beets (dino eggs).

The kids can save the earth by eating all the volcano, the trees, the tarpits and the dino eggs and nest. Their favorite dessert awaits cleaned plates. Do watch over the kids as the potato volcanoes have come very hot from the oven so they don't burn their mouth on them.

Invite a friend or two of your children for this special dinner along with their mom and you just might find that the children are enjoying their vegetables.

I HATE Icing, I Really HATE Icing. Have I Told You How Much I HATE Icing?

Now before you get your chef's outfit in a twist and you are wondering how boring my life can be, if you promise to read on, I'll let you in on my secret. Just between you and me. My cakes are not naked. Far from it. We love our cake and eat it too. All that's needed is enough refrigerator space for the plate and the giant microwave dish cover to keep it fresh, that is, if there is any left.

You don't always have to bake and decorate by the rules. It's just that cakes should never be greasers and your stomach will agree. If you love cake, good cake, there's a lot bigger piece just waiting for you. Fresh coffee, tea or plain cold milk are great go togethers. The perfect ending to a great meal or just because you want some.

Just keep in mind a few basic changes and learn how to conduct your cake topping research, and you will be well on your way to substantially lower calories, and you really won't notice the difference without the grease.

Duncan Hines cake mixes have been my favorite. Just modify the recipe. Two eggs instead of three, and replace all the oil (1/3 cup) with just under a half cup of applesauce. Follow the rest of the directions. The baking time is just about the same, but since oven temperatures and your bakeware vary, plan on checking your cake about 3 to 4 minutes before package directions tell you it is supposed to be done.

Your cake starts out with a lower calorie content, and it is more healthful for you too. Let it cool and if possible, chill it in the refrigerator with a cover.

Choose a quality instant pudding with a flavor that will work nicely with the flavor of the cake you have made and make that according to package directions. Cover the first layer (on the top only) and place the second layer on top. Cover that top layer with the rest of the pudding. Add whipped topping on top of the pudding and fresh or canned fruit to the top. Spread the rest of the whipped topping on the sides and chill all covered until it is time for dessert, that is if you think you can wait.

Jarred soft marshmallow can be a little difficult to work with, but if you make your cake in a lasagna pan (and chill the topped cake), especially a spice cake, it's very good, even if a little messy to cut and serve. Don't use that topping too far in advance of serving, as the marshmallow tends to slither off the top.

The possibilities for toppings are limited only by your imagination. Ice Cream toppings such as chocolate fudge or carmel also work, but those work best when added to the cake as you serve. Also, honey mixed with Amaretto Disaronno slathered on top and sprinkled with almonds is good too (keep cake in pan in single layers, and add just before serving).

If you really insist on what we have all been taught is real cake icing, maybe you just need some aversion therapy. Close your eyes and imagine yourself with two spoons, one with sugar in it, one with your favorite hydrogenated white greasy stuff in it fresh from the can. Well, do you still want it? You won't miss the grease/sugar roses that much -- but if you do, get some big gumdrops, chill them and carve out some flowers.

Use your imagination for the toppings. Chances are your family will love the experiment in the kitchen before you present your masterpiece for guests. Just keep notes on what you put together.

And don't forget to bake and tell how you topped your cake.

It's Always Better When It's Bigger And Doesn't Cost As Much

Make a real hit at your next gathering, whether you are planning food for a simple get together or everyone has come over to your place to watch an important game.

Quit serving the wimpy chicken wings you picked up from the store that day. Chances are they get soggy and have the creeping yuck factor. With a little advance preparation, you can make your own unforgettable wings. Just be prepared to have extra on hand as these will go as fast as your liquid refreshments.

Figure about 6 wings per person (and then extras). If you have a freezer, you are really in business to prepare ahead. What you really need are chicken drumsticks. Get the family size packages when they are on sale and remove the skin. Wrap each in a cheap plastic baggie so they don't stick together and place those in plastic freezer bags so you can defrost them in the refrigerator about two days before your big event.

Once defrosted, dip them in buttermilk and roll in flour that has been lightly spiced with onion powder, Season-All, and extra pepper. You can then deep fry them in an electric skillet or deep pot. Your other choice, and possibly a little easier, is to get a commercial mix from the store that let's you fry it in the oven. If you do, choose something plain as you don't want the flavor of the oven fry mix to detract from the hot sauce.

Once the wings have been deep fried or baked, transfer them to an electric frypan to keep at the temperature you like and in the meantime prepare your favorite hot sauce. Serve the hot sauce in a separate container with a ladle. Your guests can use a bowl or better yet, a divided paper plate for the hot wings and only put the hot sauce on when they are ready to eat. This will keep their supply of hot sauce ready for more dipping. Nobody will be tempted to eat and dip from the common pot and spread their germs.

Everyone will appreciate that they have more chicken to eat on the drumstick and it won't be soggy. Now, don't forget the celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. Remember also, that if children are participating, that the drumsticks have a thin, longish bone inside that is sharp, and perhaps someone should help with the removal first before the child eats.

Your cleverness with the mighty wings might even be talked about as much as their favorite player that scored, or at least asked for at the next party. In any event, even if your guests eat more wings, chances are that it won't have cost you more than buying the ready made.

Don't forget to let me know if you try this.

Whining and Dining in the Kitchen at this Old House

You've burst through the front door, and you are tired and hungry after work. Your family wants to eat now, and you are not in any mood for another round of toast and a can of soup. Redundancies aren't your favorite speciality, but something quick and satisfying is most important. And the fewer ingredients the better.

For each Person (or for 2 little persons to share):
1 8-1/2 inch flour tortilla
2 beaten eggs (add a little milk when scrambling them)
1/2 cup cubed ham or thin slices of deli ham - or -
any other combination of meat you would like
1/3 cup shredded cheese (choose your favorite)
Freshly grated black pepper - optional

You can also add any combination of the following:
Fresh or canned sliced mushrooms
Thin slices of Green or Red Pepper
Thin slices of tomato
Or your favorite vegetables combinations. Your vegetables can be fresh or stir fried before use.

You will need a 7 inch skillet (non-stick works best) with a lid, which should be buttered on the bottom and up the sides and warmed. Place the tortilla into the warmed skillet. It should fit the entire bottom of the skillet and arrange it so that it reaches up the sides as equally as possible.

Gently turn up the heat, but keep it low. The bottom of the tortilla needs to brown slowly and become nice and crispy. Pour in the two scrambled eggs, grate in some black pepper to taste, and arrange the ham, vegetables and sprinkle the cheese on top. Put the lid on and check progress in about 5 minutes and 2 to 3 minutes at a time after that. You can check the side of the tortilla to make certain the heat is not too high. The eggs with meat and vegetable mixture are usually done in about 12 minutes. Your tortilla bottom should be crispy, not burned, it needs to be cooked on low.

When you are ready to serve, a large pancake flipper can be used to flip one side of the filled tortilla over top of its other half and slide it onto a plate. Canned Pineapple rings make a nice side to this.

I suggest that you use two skillets to make two at a time. This is an easy and filling, satisfying meal. Once you feel confident, you might even decide to use more than two skillets. Just watch your timing on each one so that the bottom tortilla crust doesn't burn.

For those of you who are watching your salt intake, read the information on the package before you buy the flour tortillas. I have found that the sodium content varies significantly by brand. Check your shredded cheeses also, or just use a little less cheese. You can also ask at your local deli for a ham that has reduced salt.

Let me know if you found this recipe to be enjoyable.