I Made a Winner for Dinner!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Last week when I posted my menu, among the things I'd planned to make were these.

Asian Lettuce Wraps.

I'd torn the recipe out of an Everyday Food magazine years ago.

I couldn't believe how easy they were to make, and how incredibly delicious!

I seriously kept going over and over the recipe, thinking for sure I'd forgotten to do something!

I think you'll love them too.

I didn't add the mango.

Couldn't find a decent mango in NW Indiana this week.

I also made these cookies which won me praise and adoration from friends and family.

They are called 'Best Cookies in the World'

They might be right.

Here's the recipe.

Sorry about the photos, I'm still waiting on my camera.

I also tried Pioneer Woman's Fried Chicken and Pie Crust.

I have bad and good to say about both, but please, try them for yourself and see what you think.

I didn't like the chicken! I really liked the technique of frying it, and finishing it off in the oven. I really liked the breading sticking.

I didn't like the thyme in the seasoning.

It just didn't taste right to me.

The piecrust worked up like a dream, was almost like making a pie with play-dough. The end result was ok, a bit sandy feeling in my mouth. Good for savory dishes, but I wouldn't use it for a fruit pie. I think it would be a great crust recipe for someone that is a bit timid about rolling a pie crust.

I believe that any farmgirl worth her salt in the kitchen should be able to make the following well:

Pie Crust

Biscuits

Fried Chicken

Bread

Bacon, lots and lots of bacon

I'm not sure anyone under the age of 35 has the emotional maturity to do them well.

Oh my, I'm laughing at that last statement. Please know I'm joking. They do take practice, and patience and a good attitude. A mean woman can't cook well.

My Aunt Jean made them all very well, and without recipes. The lightest, fluffiest biscuits you've ever eaten. It runs in the family, cause her son, my cousin Jim, does the same. My mom made the most delicious fried chicken ever. I remember it being a dance of turning and covering, and uncovering and turning.

I still wrestle with biscuits.

I would be honored if my headstone were in-scripted:

She fried a mean chicken and baked a light biscuit.

Speaking of frying chickens.....I did use a whole chicken, and I cut it up myself. I like to use the back to make stock. I felt pretty bad cutting up that bird in the kitchen, and looking out in the window, seeing mine walking about. Poor dead chickens. Last night I dreamt that Mrs. Puffington was buck naked, walking around in the yard with nary a feather. She had a lovely scarf tied around her neck though.

This week's menu is lasting a long time. Today was supposed to be the day I went back out and got more groceries, and we plum don't need them. In fact, tonight is leftovers from my birthday dinner. I don't think I'll need to venture to town for vittles for at least four more days. I need to track my spending for one month on groceries, I'd bet it's about $375 or less.

You've got to stop on over at RiverRockCottage and see the level that Amy took the menu and recipe planning to!

Tomorrow I'm going to do a blog post about Glenco.

Don't you think it's about time to introduce him, proper like?

Thank you all again for the wonderful birthday wishes!