Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I Made a Winner for Dinner!







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.


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!

25 comments:

  1. Happy belated birthday Jayme! I got my Pioneer Woman cookbook about a month ago and have made the chicken fried steak twice and it is AmAzing!!! I sat down yesterday morning and planned my our meals for the entire month of February. I heard about this lady on TV that plans for the whole year and thought maybe I could handle a month. We'll see how it works :) Hey in your $375 do you include things like tp, cleaners, catfood etc???

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  2. Hey Jaymes! I have a recipe for amazing biscuits that I will send you. I loved your wedding picture. Esp Glen's long hair. :) And I have never made fried chicken, just what our family calls "chicken fingers" but are really chicken breast tenders. I will have to try it some time.

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  3. I can make bacon and bread. I have only tried to fry chicken once or twice. Just not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong I like to eat it. I almost always bake my chicken and it almost always comes in the form of skinless boneless breasts. I know what you mean about cutting the chicken and looking at the poor things outside. I cannot eat meat and watch animals on t.v.
    My Grandma always made the best homemade noodles and now my nieces and nephews request homemade noodles from my mom!
    You should include that on your list;)

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  4. My mum made the best pie crust ever! Thanks for the recipes.

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  5. I'm back! Just checked out the cookie recipe and my aunt made these cookies in the seventies. Who knew? Everything old is new again~

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  6. Do you still get the Everyday Food magazine? I subscribed to it for a while and there are some very good (and easy) recipes in there.
    Can't wait to meet your hubby...

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  7. Happy belated, Jayme!
    I also make an asian lettuce wrap that is so simple yet so delicious.
    Can't wait to get back out to my own hen house, but the knee has to heal up a few more weeks before I'll be out there. Meanwhile, Farmboy is doing a great job in my place.

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  8. A lettuce wrap...who woulda thunk it? It looks good!

    Umm, should I be worried what kind of bee dreams you might have?

    Lookin' forward to the intro, high time I'd say.

    Bee well ~Andrea~

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  9. $375! I think I probably spend upwards of $600 on a month of groceries!! I desperately wish to cut it down...what do you do to keep the grocery spending to a minimum? You should post a frugal grocery shopping post sometime! :)
    kudos to you!

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  10. Well golly, gee whiz bang. I can't fry chicken with decent results nor can I do biscuits that don't come out of a Pillsbury wrapper. Guess my headstone will be blank. LOL

    Di
    The Blue Ridge Gal

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  11. Hey - I dog-eared those lettuce wraps, but never made 'em. You've convinced me (again).

    Also - Are you attempting to confiscate my Farmgirl card with those bold statements of yours??

    Can't wait to meet Glenco!

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  12. I'll have to try the lettuce wraps. Thanks for the recipe. I love fried chicken! In fact I made it tonight. Simple though... just oil and a little salt.

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  13. I have been wondering about Glenco...is that is real name?

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  14. I have had that Asian type salad in restaurants and your looks better than any of them! Nice presentation of the meal. Yummy cookies. Looking forward to meeting Glenco.

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  15. I must be hungry because everything you mentioned sounds amazing. I'm looking forward to your post tomorrow....I've got a Meadowbrook Farmer post brewing too. It's about time to meet the fella's! Enjoy your leftovers, Jayme!

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  16. OK this is spooky - I made a batch of cookies this afternoon (which I rarely do) and then come read this.

    LOL!

    The wraps look awesome - might have to try those...

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  17. Happy belated birthday! I hope you had a spectacular day ... I loved seeing your photos. I've been practicing my bread baking so I can perfect the "over 35" list. Now that I'm 36 I really have no more excuses ... I have mastered the others, but bread is not something I do often. Have any good recipes for me? Keep on keepin' on ... I love reading your posts! Your enthusiasm and happiness is contagious. And I can't wait to meet Glenco! :)

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  18. Can't wait to meet Glenco! I'll check out these recipes soon. Now, drum roll please, we burned, scorched, I mean ROASTED our first coffee beans today! I'm going to be brave and put those black beans in the coffee pot (w/ grinder) tonight so we can try them tomorrow. We'll see... it doesn't look good.. lol. It was only our first try though - better next time I'm sure! (blog-posted it of course) -Tammy

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  19. I think I'm doing ok on the chicken, bacon and biscuits, but am severely lacking in the areas of home baked bread and pie crust. Maybe it's good thing I live in the suburbs. LOL! :-)
    I seriously need to go check out this Pioneer Woman... everyone is talking about her and I am so clueless.

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  20. yep...make lettce wraps more in the summer! Yum..BUT can not fry chicken like my great grandma...miss that! jan

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  21. You mean Glenco is a REAL person? I thought he was like an imaginary friend. Can't wait! I'm gonna check out the recipe for Asian wraps. My sweetie would love those. Today is his birthday!

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  22. Jayme,

    I have a recipe for a healthy version of (un)fried chicken if you'd like.
    Will try the Asian Lettuce Wraps.

    Deborah

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