Heck of a week so far, it's all okay - no worries - we have alcohol which must have been created specifically for these special times...thank the heavens! (what a joke, ya'll know I have "these special times" every night :) Okie Dokie, let's get to it! Tonight's fantastical meal looks like it must come from chicken cutlets!!! OOOH YEAH, I have just the ticket for these sweet babies, "Chicken Cutlet Purses". I'm so tickled, I adore these things!!
     Taking a little gander around the kitchen, this is what I've got:
                  1.  4-6 chicken cutlets, depending on who's eatin'
                  2.  4-6 slices of baked ham, sliced thin
                  3.  4-6 slices of Swiss cheese (the packaged Swiss comes in long rectangular slices so if 
                       that's what your using, cut those slices in half)
                  4.  a handful of fresh spinach leaves (you only need 2 or 3 per cutlet)
                  5.  Italian style breadcrumbs, just enough to coat the purses (I know...more freakin'
                       breadcrumbs)
                  6.  some parmesan cheese for sprinkling
                  7.  1 garlic clove, peeled &  a little smooshed
                  8.  2 beaten eggs 
                  9.   salt & pepper
                 10.  a little olive oil for baking and drizzling
       Got it all together???  Let's top off our glass and get to cookin'!
                        Pre-heat oven to...take a guess...yup, you got it, 350 degrees (shocking huh)
  Grab a small baking dish (an 8x8 size should do)  Drizz about a tablespoon of olive oil around the bottom of your baking dish then place the squashed garlic clove in the oil. Put the dish in the micro for about 30-40 secs. on high to flavor the oil and just let it sit while you prepare the chicky.
Find a couple of dishes, one for the egg & the other for the breadcrumbs. Lay the chicken on a flat plate. Salt & pepper each cutlet. Place one square slice of ham, one slice of cheese and 2 or 3 spinach leaves on each cutlet. Sprinkle a little parm cheese on top of everything.
   Carefully fold each cutlet in half, the best you can & don't worry if anything is sticking out, big whoop! Stick 2 or 3 toothpicks around the edges of the cutlets to keep them together (sounds like lots of trouble but believe me...well worth it)! Take the baking dish out of the micro. and remove the garlic. Now, with love & tenderness, take your 'purses' and moisten each one with egg then very carefully cover them with breadcrumbs. Place each one in the baking dish and sprinkle a little more parm on top. Just a teeny tiny bit more olive oil over the top of each little breaded 'purse' to help brown and ready for the sauna! MMMM, I can't wait!!
    Bake in the oven, uncovered for approx. 20-25 mins. Again, DO NOT OVERCOOK! Dry chicken is gross  :)  Fill up yer glass, fix a little salad and oh yeah! (don't forget to take out those stabby tooth picks).    Now, time to feast on these DERN TASTY jewels...Wahoo!!!!

       And so it continues, another Wednesday...another freakin' dinner for family consumption - what about me??? Why doesn't anyone cook for me??? Well who gives a rat's patooty, gotta cook!! It's okay, life will be MUCH better after cocktail time! Ooooh yeah, now a little more relaxed & settled a bit, time to stick my head in the freezer. What frozen rock do we discover this fine evening? Why, it's pork chops...I have just the thing, I'm thinking SCRUMPTIOUS!! In fact, I see something else I will use with this one...bacon...yes, I said BACON! I must tell you, I really try to take full advantage of the buy one get one free deals at the grocery store (or any store for that matter) so when bacon is on 'BOGO', I load up!  Time to get down to business -We're doing "Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops".
           This is what I have:
           1.  4 (sorta thick) pork chops, I like bone-in cause the bone brings more flavor
           2.  8 slices of bacon (yes, again, I said bacon :) That will be 2 slices per chop but you can really only need 1 (but don't be stingy)!
           3.  some of your fave bbq sauce, you don't need much, a few tablespoons should do
           4.  just a pinch of salt & some pepper to taste
        Pre-heat the oven to 350 (of course)  Another good, long drink...aahh, sweet! Now
Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up). A roasting rack would be great for these chops to drain the grease during baking.
Next, sprinkle a tad bit of salt (not too much, bacon is salty enough) and as much pepper as you like on each pork chop. Wrap each chop, as evenly as possible, with one or two slices of bacon. If you are having trouble keeping the bacon on, stab a toothpick or two into the pork at the ends of the bacon.
       Bake for approx.15 mins. Take them out of the oven and remove the toothpicks if you used em'.
       Brush each pork chop, both sides, with a little bbq sc and stick them back in the oven.
       Cook for another 10-15 mins till no longer pink inside (do not over cook, pork dries out quickly)
        If the bacon is not crisp enough for you, stick them under the broiler for just a few minutes per side to crunch it up a bit but DON'T overcook!!! Cut a little slice into the center of one of the chops to check for doneness. If the redness is gone, remove them from the heat. Done and done!
      Serve these with a little extra sauce on the side and maybe some creamy mac & cheese...oooh, YUMMOLICIOUS and as always, DERN TASTY!   Now, go eat :)

       PLEASE...give me strength, is it the weekend yet??? Yeah sure, just one of those days I guess - No problemo, let the wine flow!! There now, life is good again so...off to the freezer!
    I spy with one of my eyes (I got a leaf from the damn oak tree in the other one and it's swollen) a baggie of large shrimp, Excellent! Let's cast our nets (hehehe) on "Teriyaki Shrimp with Fried Rice" for tonight's meal , DELECTABLE!!           This is what I have:
      1.  1lb fully cooked lrg shrimp, tails on (this bag has about one & a half lbs but who's counting)
                  p.s. you can always use raw shrimp, it will just take a little longer to cook
      2.  1 cup cooked rice (as I'm sure I have mentioned before, I use the 'quick' cook brown cause of my doggie food but you use what you like best)
      3.   bottle of teriyaki sauce (it will only take a few shakes, according to your own taste. I've got lo-sodium, it tastes just the same as reg. in the end) 
      4.   1/2 cup veggies...brocc, carrots, gr. beans etc. whatever you need to use up. (I always have bags of frozen mixed veggies in the freezer for my chickens, I think I've mentioned that before too but oh well, I said it again so enough already :) 
      5.    1 or 2 green onion (I have a bunch in the fridge drawer and I need to use them before they start to shrivel and rot. Thin sliced reg onion will work too)
      6.    1-2 tablespoons veg oil or if you just happen to have sesame oil (I keep my soy sc, teriyaki sc & sesame oil in the fridge door with the salad dressings to keep them fresh)
      7.     Now, if you really want to go all 'chef boyardee' and you happen to have a lemon, fresh parsley or sesame seeds...well then...you ARE amazing, I'm proud of you! A few options with this dish would be some sprinkles of fresh parsley & lemon zest over the top at the end & a spoonful of sesame seeds cooked in with the rice. Mmmmm
      Must relax some more, sip sip sip (gulp) there, good...that's better. Here we go.  Let's cook!!
 Fix the rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large, non stick fry pan (or a wok if you really want to show off)  heat your oil on med - med high. When oil is hot, drop in your veggies. Stir veggies around for 3 or 4 mins then plop in the cooked rice. Shake a few tablespoons of teriyaki sc (or more if you want but taste for saltiness first) This is where you will sprinkle in the sesame seeds if your using them. Toss rice & veggies around till veggies are fully cooked and rice is browned & covered with the teriyaki sc. Throw in the shrimp and cook long enough to just heat the shrimp through (cook raw shrimp until it turns completely pink throughout). How fast is that??? Really, that's all there is to it. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle some chopped green onion, fresh parsley and a few scrapes of lemon zest right over the top. GORGIOUS, you got it baby!!!
               Like I always say, DERN TASTY!!! Have a great rest of your week :)

      Take a moment, breathe, now have a cocktail. Aahh...isn't that better? Of course it is! Told you so!! Time to see what's in the freezer...This IS a discovery - it's meatloaf mix (ground beef & ground pork packaged together). Just fab, this night will be "Stove Top Lasagna",  this night will be remarkable! I do believe this is probably one of my favorites...easy to make, easy to eat - let's get on with it.     This is what I have:
   1. 1lb ground beef & 1lb ground pork (a couple lbs of whatever type of ground meat you have will be fine and DERN TASTY)
   2. about 6 lasagna noodles (along with different kinds of soups, spices & sauce packets, I always have a variety of pasta noodles in the pantry for a quick 'go-to' meal in a pinch. Today I have reg lasagna noodles which I will have to boil separately but say, who says you can't layer with spag or ziti noodles - who cares? No boil noodles would save time and use less pots that must be cleaned but of course...ain't got none)!
   3. pasta sauce  (home made is usually better but I am using one of my favorite store bought jars that I have on hand)
   4. mozzarella & parm cheeses are really a must in this dish (nuts...I only have an 8oz bag of shredded mozz in the fridge which isn't really enough but I also have a 16oz plastic container of shredded parm & several little bits and pieces of asst. cheeses so I will use every kind of cheese I have in the house, it's all good)!!
   5. 1/2 of a med onion, diced (some diced green pepper would also be awesome)
   6. 2 minced garlic cloves (you can sprinkle some garlic powder over the meat if you don't have fresh cloves).
   7. I happen to have an 8oz package of sliced white mushrooms in the fridge so I will definitely use them up in here (don't have em', don't need em' BUT they do add a little something I love, canned or jarred shrooms work too)
   8. salt & pepper (if you like things a little spicy, sprinkle some red pepper flakes or a pinch or two of cayenne...you go hot stuff :)!
                    Geeze, that's a mouthful, got to refill...there - and begin!!
   Plop the meat into a large, high sided skillet, salt and pepper to taste (sprinkle a few good shakes of garlic powder here if that's what your using) & cook on med heat until browned. Meanwhile, boil the noodles 2 or 3 mins under package recommended directions & drain, set aside. When meat is done, spoon onto a paper towel to soak up excess grease but leave the rest of the grease in the pan. Keep heat on med and throw in  your onion & mushrooms. Cook about 4-5 mins to soften. If your using fresh, add the garlic here. Lower the heat to med-lo & cook 2-3 mins more. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC!!!  Drain off the grease. Put the meat back into the pan with the veggies and stir it up a bit till well combined and meat warms up. Remove 1/2 the meat mixture. Spread the remaining meat mix evenly over the bottom of the pan. Pour enough pasta sc over the meat and spread around just enough to cover the meat. Lay about 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce (cut or rip it to fit, whatever it takes to cover)  Now sprinkle the mozz (use 1/2 the bag if you have 16oz.'s. I will only use 1/2 of my 8oz bag with extra parm on this layer). I also have 1/2 of a leftover 8oz container of ricotta I must use up before it starts growing so I'll just scrape a few little spoon fulls onto the noodles and get rid of it.You can really use as much cheese as ya like. Here comes a good handful of the parm. spread it out. Got some cheddar...why not??  Repeat layers.  Top it all off with the rest of your cheeses (if you happen to have a few herbs such as parsley or basil, rip up a few leaves & sprinkle on top...it looks pretty) Cover the pan and simmer for about 15-20 mins until the cheese is all melted and everything is bubblin'.    Dear Lord...I am so thirsty :)
          Ooooh...Fantastical!!!  Voila'  "Stove Top Lasagna"!  Uncover. Let it sit for a few minutes before digging in. Serve with some garlic bread or not. MMMM...So DERN TASTY!!!

     This my friends will be quite interesting! I am in a cabin in the Tennessee mountains on a ski trip with good friends so there is no S!#T in this cabin freezer...WHAT?? How the hell am I supposed to create something spectacular while I'm trying to keep from fracturing a hip or breaking a leg? What kind of madness am I trying to accomplish here? We will just have to see :) We do have a few groceries in the small fridge to get us through the week like beer, wine, beer oh and did I mention wine? We've also got some eggs, a bag of raw veggies and a few other little tidbits...It's Frittata Wednesday!!! We'll have a vacation drink (or two) and cook!!! This is what I've  got..
              1.  a dozen eggs (you only need as much as you want)       
              2.  cheddar cheese (shredded would be best but I only have the fake cheese food  singles...individually wrapped mind you).
              3. a bag of raw mixed veggies (I think I will only use about a cup total of the broccoli & cauliflower on this recipe but you use what you like)
              4.  approx. 1/4 diced onion (we got a small onion for breakfast and for sandwiches)
              5. "whipped spread" (I think this is their mountain version of margarine but it will do)
              6. salt & pepper
               (cut up pieces of sausage, bacon, or even pepperoni would do gloriously in this recipe)
        This one again is quite easy and takes very little time, got to love these! Moisten the lips then preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a couple of tablespoons of your "spread" or marg in a med, oven approved skillet (a cast iron pan is really the best for this stuff but of course NO DICE, I've got stainless). When that's sizzlin', toss in the onion. While the onion softens, cut the veggies into small pieces and throw them in with the onion to soften a bit as well. While everything gets familiar in the pan, whip the eggs up with some salt and pepper (for two of us I use about 6 - 8 eggs, leftovers of this recipe are out of this world, even at room temp)! Use the whole dozen if you wish, it's all you kid! I put a couple of teaspoons of water in with the eggs but I would much rather heavy cream or even milk and of course...don't have any!! When the vegetables have softened some and the eggs are whipped up, pour them evenly over the buttery veggies. I ripped the fake cheese into strips and laid them wherever I liked over the top of the egg mixture, if you've got shredded, a good handful should do. Lower the heat and cook for just 5 - 6 mins. Don't stir!! Now carefully place the whole shebang in the oven and cook for about 15 - 20 mins.  DON'T overcook or the eggs will get dry and brown on the bottom.
     Quench the thirst then take your frittata out of the oven, cover with some foil and let it sit for 10 - 15 mins until the center doesn't jiggle any longer. Serve with warm, crusty buttered bread or just by itself...WHO CARES???
    And naturally, this recipe is DERN TASTY.........Bon appetite!!!

       WOW, another Valentine's Day come and gone - Oh well, who gives a flyin' flippola...let's have a drink!   Now we're talking :)   Sticking my head in the freezer this week I discover fish fillets...YEEHA! I do believe we can rock out a recipe in no time with all the jazz I keep around this place.  Tonight, it must be "Something Fishy This Way Comes" (I just kill me :)  I could always batter-up these puppies & fry them but NAAA.      Lemme see what I've got:
     1. 4 lrg Tilapia fillets (any white fish will do) 
     2. 1 (or 2 depending on yer taste buds) .07oz packet of Italian dressing mix, I have Good Seasons
     3. 1 tablespoon capers (don't have capers, no biggy, I just love the twang they provide)
     4. 1 lrg lemon 
     5. olive oil to cook with
     6. Cocktail or tarter sc. if you like that sort of stuff (I LOVE Texas Pete Pepper Sauce on my fish
         but hey that's just me)
Got to wet the whistle - aaahh yes, much better, thanks for asking! Let me just say, this is probably the quickest, easiest recipe you will ever see me put together but that's a good thing
 right?...huh?...huh?     Okay, that's enough of that.
          Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a large non-stick skillet & heat on med. heat
          After it warms up some, toss the capers in & allow them a few mins. to flavor the oil  
          Meantime, sprinkle the dressing mix over both sides of the fish fillets trying to keep the 
              mix spread as evenly as possible (we sure don't want any little fishy left out)!
          Carefully place the fish into the hot pan. Cook approx. 4-5 minutes on each side depending on 
              the thickness of the fillets (don't overcook, you just want the fish white all the way through)
THAT'S IT!! Was I right...well, was I right??? How fast was that! I'm thinkin' some big ol' salty potato wedges or herbed roasted tates would be great with this recipe unless of coarse your trying to be healthy, then you could do roasted veggies instead but for my fat...it's got to be potatoes!!!
  So with another drink, a few gorgeous lemon wedges and a dollop of your fave sauce you will again realize that this recipe is DERN TASTY!!!

     My goodness, Valentines Day is this week - Wahoo - Let's start with a toast!! Oohh yeeaahh, that's much better...feeling groovy :) For this special occasion we should fix something warm & fuzzy  (oooh, that sounds nasty)! The frozen mystery meat we find this week turns out to be 1/2 of a pork tenderloin, well you know what I always say - "1/2 of a pork tenderloin is better than no pork tenderloin at all"! K, so what can we do with this? I've got some teriyaki sc. in the fridge door, a small onion & a few more things I think we can use so...we've got dinner, "Teriyaki Pork with Brown Rice"   
 So this is what I have:
 1. 1/2 of a pork tenderloin (approx. 1lb)
 2. 1 sm onion
 3. 1 sm can of button mushrooms (I would prefer fresh, sliced         mushrooms but ain't got none)!
 4.  3/4 bottle of teriyaki sc. (we don't need all of it)
 5. 2 cups quick cook brown rice (I make my own moist doggy food for my babies cause I don't trust that crap they sell at the store & I use this rice quite a bit)
 6. a little olive oil and margarine for the pan (some pepper is good also but no need for salt except for the rice)
      Let's get cookin' kids... I think we deserve another toast (just sayin)! Now drizzle a few teaspoons of olive oil and a little glob of margarine in a med. skillet and heat on med. heat for a few mins while you slice the onion. When the oil/marg is hot and sizzley (?) throw your sliced onion in the pan and sprinkle in a tablespoon or 2 of teriyaki sc. & some pepper. Toss the onions around, lower the heat to med-low and let them cook until the onions are soft, light brown and caramelized. In the meantime, cook the rice according to the package directions (geeze, that's easy enough right)? While that sits, slice your meat (it will cook faster the thinner the slice) and drained mushrooms (you can leave mushrooms whole if you prefer, they're small). Let's toast again...to love, what a ya say? At this point I would spoon the fabulously sweet, salty onion onto a little plate and set a side. In that same (hot) pan, put your meat & mushrooms in with another small amount of oil, marg & few more "good" tablespoons of teriyaki. Stir this jazz around with a little pepper & cook on med heat until mushrooms are hot & meat is just about done. Now shove the onions back into the pan with the meat, stir it up and cook just long enough to heat the onion through (be careful not to keep the meat on the heat too long...nothing like chewing shoe leather :) Spoon the meat deliciousness  over the rice, top it with a few more sprinkles of teri. sc, pop some champagne (in the name of love of course) and enjoy life! As usual...DERN TASTY!!! Happy Valentine's Day   I LOVE YOU GUYS :)