Cook. Craft. Enjoy.

Chicken Wings

How do you like your chicken wings?  Baked?  Fried?  Grilled?  Crockpot (ick)?

I have to say my favorite way to make them is via the grill.  I like them on the crispy side so they're easy to let get away from you but I think it's a little healthier way to go then deep fried (though I'm not so sure there's such thing as a healthy chicken wing.)

I went back and searched and the only photo I have is one I took this summer when Travis requested buffalo shrimp ...

...and I made both buffalo shrimp and buffalo chicken wings.  These I happened to deep fry and while they were delicious, I still prefer them grilled.  (Not to mention that my deep fryer is very small so to feed us it took a good 2 hours to fry them all.)  I think the best way to deep fry them (if you plan on doing it .. I don't plan on cooking it that way again) is dust them with a little seasoned flour to give them a coating before dumping them in the oil.

As for the chicken wing sauce ... I think I've completely found a winner.  I've used it not only on chicken wings but as a sauce for wraps (with grilled chicken, popcorn chicken and even the "fake" chicken patties) and even as sauce for chicken pizza.  Give it a shot .. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Chicken Wing Sauce

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup Frank's hot sauce
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes to combine the flavors.

These measurements are "more or less" so taste and experiment - you want it spicy and tangy. :-)

Outing

Saturday there was an open house at the Gertrude Hawk factory and I thought "Great! Awesome! Let's go make an outing and go!  Free chocolates and all that!"  Sounds like a wonderful idea, doesn't it.  Let's just say it wasn't a unique idea.  We get there and the line to get in was up the drive and around the corner (not to mention the line of cars to find a parking spot).  While we got a great parking spot, everyone refused to get out of the car.  "The line's too long"  "I don't want to wait"  "We'll never get in".  Sigh.  "Please" I plead to ears that aren't listening.  "I want to go"  But, alas, I was outvoted and we ended up leaving.

I really didn't want to go back home ~ I knew I couldn't squander the opportunity to actually do something since we were all in the car so we rode over to McDade Park and just in time hopped on a rail car to take the coal mine tour.

Liam had gone on a school trip about 2 weeks ago there and wanted us to go see it as well.  It was really very interesting - and I would recommend it if you ever find yourself in the area.

The weather's been beautiful the last few weeks (minus a couple of days of constant drizzle that we had last week) and we should get one more "good" day before the tide turns.  I'm glad we were able to spend Saturday doing something ~ even if it wasn't what I had planned. 

More Bananas

I mentioned the banana cookies twice now and decided to share the recipe even though I haven't made them yet.  They bring back a lot of memories for me since this was one that I used to make when Travis was little.

Here he's about 20 months and you can see the cookies on the counter next to him (as well as bunches of bananas on the bar counter).  Not sure I can see the resemblance between him at 20 months and now at 18 (and away at college, sigh) but I think he's pretty cute then and now.

When he was young he didn't really care for sweets.  Put a veggie tray and a cookie tray next to him and he'd jump at the broccoli.  He also used to love, love, love zucchini lightly saute'd with soy sauce.  I wonder if that's why he's decided he feels better eating vegetarian.

These cookies, however, have such a strong banana flavor that he did like them -- though he would prefer just the banana plain truth be told.  Maybe I'll ask him to try them in his dorm oven and see if he remembers them.  I sure do.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 package chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream the shortening and sugar.  Add the egg and banana and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until it just comes together into a dough.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes.

 

'ananas

I did mention yesterday that I had some bananas to be dealt with and even mentioned baking some cookies.  I printed out the recipe, went to the pantry and found out I had no Crisco (sigh).  That meant back to the drawing board (okay, the web).  What to make?  What to make?

Hmm.. banana bread?  Nah; didn't really have the time to let it bake (had to be to work at 11:00).  Muffins?  Yes!  And the kind I chose was Banana Chocolate Chip.  Now looking at the recipe, it only got 3 stars but that didn't daunt me.  I read the reviews (gotta love recipes with reviews!) and followed the modifications from one of the reviewers.

How'd they come out?   They were fantastic.  Very moist, not too sweet, and hints of chocolate.  Everyone that's had one has given their 2 thumbs up!

Wow ....

...has it really been almost 4 months since I've posted?  I swear I'm not sure where the time goes.  Have I been cooking?  Yes, of course ... kids gotta eat you know.  Have I been crafting?  Sigh .. no, unfortunately  not - though I do have an area set up with my desk that just got cleaned off Monday to think about me crafting.

Honestly I've thought about blogging but none of the food that I've been making seem entirely exciting enough to post.  I did make these almond crusted chicken fingers from Eating Well and they were delicious - though I didn't get a photo of them (darn).  (Though they did get a mention on my facebook page.)  This recipe I did get a photo of, but I just didn't get a chance to post it.

It was really delicious too ... and I'm not a big dark meat fan.  The flavors seemed to balance perfectly and it wasn't overly greasy like some recipes.  (It was cooked in soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry and coffee if you don't want to click the link.)

For the last few days I've needed to make banana bread (or banana something) so hopefully I can do that and let everyone know what I came up with.  I remember when Travis was little making banana cookies with him ... I wonder if I can find the recipe.