Food Lately!

homemade chicken strips with whole grain mac and cheese plus biscuit and steamed green beans

grilled chicken breast with a white sauce - sauteed baby bok choy and steamed rice - side is fried gyoza and lumpias.

kielbasa chili dogs on wheat rolls and homemade fries.

I always just ask Mr Man what do you feel like having...one night he said Chicken and he made the eating with hands motion.  So I made wings and drums - rice pilaf and a THROWN caesar salad.

Truth be told he is not a picky man but he likes contrast.  Crispy with juicy.  Sweet with Peppery.  Salty with Fragrant.  He does not eat for volume but for variety.  Everyone says he's spoiled, I just think he's used to eating well because of his Momma and his Aunties and also his Pops cooks and cooks super well.

My bestie Katie came by and we did some shopping together and then while we were out I said let's just eat at home I'll make some super nachos.

I made everything right down to the chips and rice.

We ate so dang much we passed out on the sofa mid sentence after dinner.  That is THE funniest!

The next day I found some taco shells at the store with no cottonseed, no canola, no soybean, no BHT -- the ingredients were corn, coconut oil, water, salt.  On TOP of that it was only 1.69 for 12 pcs.

So of course I had to make Mr. Man 3 crunchy tacos with a side of mini super nachos.

well they look kind of mini. hee hee

Homemade bacon cheeseburgers with homemade fries on Orowheat Crostini buns.

I haven't been making much bread lately - these cooler temps test my patience so when I do buy bread - I get it from Fresh and Easy (their brand or iL fornaio) or Orowheat - these are the last 2 I have found without cottonseed nor high fructose.

I wish people really know the carcinogenic implications of consuming a lot of cottonseed and HiFruc...tsk tsk.  That's like cooking on aluminum foil - that's the wrong kind of old school.  Heavy metals in your system have many implications but a lot of Italian studies have been made that it actually contributes to Alzheimers and drops in IQ.  I've never cooked on foil much - because I grew up in my restaurant and most of my stuff is restaurant grade so when it gets dirty I scrub it - if it's a bit caked on I soak it then scrub it - if it's really burnt on - I soak it and then bake it wet then scrub it.  Basically I don't use aluminum foil to "preserve" my kitchenware.  I don't use aluminum foil to save me some "work."  Mr. Man has always had an adverse reaction to his food being wrapped in foil - he literally gets a crippling headache as if he has food poisoning.  I heavily use parchment, stainless steel, wax paper for separating and vinyl wrap (huge saran wrap).

It is what it is.  I just think it's funny when people think what's great is actually harmful.

The other week Mr. Man said he wanted oatmeal cookies.  He said he wanted the JUICY raisins in there not the scrawny dried up ones - HAHA. A friend had sent us a vat of 7 grain oatmeal with flax and stuff and I wanted to try it in some cookies.  I went to the store and why were the raisins like 4.50 for 12 oz???  I trolled the 99 cent only and found Mariani O R G A N I C raisins --- 8oz for 99 cents which is still better than 4.50 for 12 oz.

 I accidentally made them too big for my Italian cookie jar so I had to figure out a way to use them.

I took them to work...

I made  him some oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches.  One with Butter Pecan, One with Pralines and Cream and the last One with plain old vanilla.

These suckers were so good. HA!






And finally today:

Sprouts market had a deal on these Pretty Belle oranges - 10 cents a lb...yes 10 CENTS A POUND.

I went in there this morning and bought 2 cases.  1 case is 40 lbs.  $8 for 80lbs

Incredible.

So I made 100% orange juice for us to consume.  This is the only kind of juice that doesn't make my stomach hurt.

It takes 40 lbs of oranges to make 10 - 12oz bottles plus 1 liter of 100% juice.

Fantastic.