27 January 2010

Pioneer Woman Recipes

I had a brilliant idea to cook and blog all of the Pioneer Woman recipes. But since they are added so frequently, that creates a moving target. So I'll just start making at least one per week and see where that leads me...to the gym.
Two weeks ago, I made the pot roast. It was the best pot roast I have ever made. May potatoes and onion soup mix never grace my crockpot again. The juice poured over the mashed potatoes was sublime, and the whole meal made my lunch guests wax poetic. It was a promising start.
Last week, I tackled Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. My man said, "You could make this every week!" The meat was a little tough for me, but I sliced in a hurry, so maybe the meat was sliced parallel instead of perpindicular.
My husband is now noticing friends' fb posts about her recipes, and I have been granted free rein cook any PW recipes.
Tonight, we had tacos. He cooked the meat, so I'd have plenty of time to make Pico de Gallo. I went ahead and made some guacamole, too. It took about twenty seconds. The plastic cup method has revolutionized my guacamole making forever. I used leftovers to make the Mexican Layer Dip.
I'm well on my way. :)

22 January 2010

Two Different Worlds

Growing up, I was educated in proper grammar, elocution, good manners, and the like. Apparently, I even coerced my college buddies into using perfect manners and required them to use different forks for each course. People thought I was a snob, but surely I wasn't...I just didn't approve of anything I considered to be low class or coarse.
And then I met my husband and knew that life would never be the same without him. We were engaged, and as we prepared to spend Thanksgiving with his family, he left me with the following gem...
"You know how your family uses china at Thanksgiving? Well, we use Chinet." I politely laughed, and then saw his face and understood that this was not a joke. And my world shifted. And ever since, I have been trying to reconcile the proper Southern belle with the fun-loving country girl. And I've decided I prefer a healthy dose of both.

19 January 2010

Let's Glide, Not Plod

Years ago, I walked around the house balancing books on my head, always conscious of my posture. Now, I plod on in a hurry, paying no mind to proper positioning, and then wonder why I'm not pleased with the reflection in the glass.
A recent experience caused these memories to surface, and today I walked taller and straighter. I sucked in, lengthened my spine, held my shoulders back, and rediscovered how to glide.

13 January 2010

Tuna Croquettes

I am a food snob. My husband and daughter are not. I created this dish tonight, and the response was, "Can you make this twice a week?" Um, probably not. But's it's a great option when I haven't thawed any meat and don't have other plans for dinner. And it's much cheaper than fast food. If I make a salad, I can pretend it's a spa lunch. Until someone asks for more tuna fish patties.

Lemon Pepper Croquettes (Fancy Tuna Fish Patties)
1 6oz can Safcol Lemon & Pepper Tuna
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed... See More
2 eggs
2 T vegetable oil
Heat oil in a skillet until sizzling. Mix ingredients together and form into palm-sized patties about 1/4-1/2" thick. Pan fry a couple of minutes on each side. Pick your favorite condiment and add a dollop, zigzag, or monogram to make it fancy. :)