My oh my these were the best party wings made right here at home. I am going to share this recipe that I adapted. We will always make these when we want wings. As I cannot have hot sauce, hubby likes these wings just seasoned and coated and fried and then he adds his buffalo sauce and ranch. I just dip into the ranch. We had a wonderful slaw and shoestring fries to go with. We ate the entire ten pieces between the two of us.
Here is what you do.
ten wings or party pieces
one shy half cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
salt and pepper
Dry wings and roll in flour mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes. They will get sticky, then put into the flour mixture a second time. This how they get a double crispy crust.
Heat oil to 375 degrees or until a wooden spoon dipped into the oil begins to sizzle(this is what I do).
Add the wings and fry till golden and done about ten minutes or so depending on the size of the pieces. Keep them moving in the oil.
After they have fried put them on a wire rack to drain for a couple of minutes.
Put in your mouth and crunch away! So good.
So tonight in my kitchen we are having sausages from the meat market(so good.
I just put them in the slow cooker with a bottle of beer. They will simmer slowly all day in the beer. We have not done this method before but it was recommend by the meat market. For a side I am making fried red spuds with the skins on with shredded savory cabbage mixed in. I will make a horseradish stone ground mustard sauce to go with. A very simple dinner the kind my hubby loves.
Speaking of my husband he has been working two days now painting the garage cabinets. They are gray and he is putting red metal handles on them. I think it will look smashing.
Today I will finish the Cover Oregon forms and put into the mail tomorrow. Then my extra paperwork will be finished. Thank goodness between that Cover Oregon form and taxes I am worn out from it all.
It is rainy and showery here today. Gray and wet. The weather coming up though in a couple of days is to be sunny. We are watching the weather at the coast. I can be ready in no time at all.
As you know I do not much on Sunday's and today will be no exception.
I remember my childhood when Sunday's meant church in the morning for my mother, little brother and myself. No way my dad was going to church so we left him to tinker in his garage. After church we would come home and Mom would spend the rest of the day in the kitchen making a delicious Sunday supper as she called it. More than likely there would be company for dinner, either family or neighbors. It was always a nice special day.
Have a lovely one yourself.
Yep a little spring happening right under our noses. Fields full of daffodils and crocus. Most trees have budded out overnight it seems. Now I will just be happy if my allergies are not bothersome this spring or better yet not affecting me at all.
Oh what a fun filled day we had yesterday on the deck. The spring sun is so warm and penetrating. I went out in jeans, shirt and tennies. Well that lasted only a short while and I was back in the house slipping into crop pants and flip flops. My legs would have blinded us if we were not wearing sun glasses!
The deep blue sky was ringed with white bright summer clouds. But later in the day those clouds scudded off to somewhere else leaving behind only the blue.
We spent the entire afternoon on the deck letting our winter skin pick up some color.
After the sun dropped out of sight we came in and played card games. I lost every one. Five dollars of my hard earned winnings went into my hubbies money bag. Well to be honest my bag is full to the brim and so heavy with quarters as opposed to my husband puny lightweight bag. So I will say I could not have lost to a more worthy opponent.
We did not make dinner our mexican fare keeping our tummies content.
We walked out on the deck after the card games and the sky was black velvet with sparkling diamonds scattered about. The moon was about a third full and was so bright you could not look at it for long. All looked so mystical and surreal.
We looked at each other and both said at the same time, hot tub? So off for our spa duds and back out to enjoy the very hot water under heaven's roof.
Well after we came in I did not make it long before falling asleep. I drifted off on the sofa watching something on PBS woke and in a trance wandered off to bed.
My son wrote late last night on email. The power window in his pickup stuck in the totally down position. So Mike took the door off and apart trying to fix it. He could not. He had to go to Sisters this morning a visit with his father for the weekend. So he said he hoped for no rain as he would get sopped. So I surely hope it all works out for him. Maybe he will get it fixed over there before heading home.
If the weather is decent mid week this coming week we are going to Florence for three nights. At this point it looks good Tuesday through Thursday. Of course we are taking our little munchkin trailer. We will spend the first afternoon and evening in the Three Rivers Casino parking lot. We have stayed there before in our motor homes. It is quiet and not bad at all on one side you are bordered by the sand dunes. The next two nights we will spend at the KOA by the beach. It is a two block walk. The campground is nice and the spaces are very private each spot enclosed by high shrubs and evergreen trees. Picnic tables, fire pit and grass lawn make it nice for being outdoors. The plus is if it is windy you are protected in that campground. And you know the coast sometimes when it is sunny the wind is perfect for kite flying!
So we are hoping this will work out.
We also decided when we go to my brothers we are going to meet up with him at Silver Lake where he has his large travel trailer permanently set up. We will get our own space, hubby has his favorites spots with views of the lake. So we are hoping for April weather permitting.
Then in May over my birthday we would like to go Seven Feathers in Canyonville. The RV park there is one of the best we have ever stayed in with outstanding views and always so warm in the canyon there. A summer fix in spring that is why we like to go that time of year. So we have a few things lined for fun when their are pauses in the work schedule and the weathers blesses us.
Well in my kitchen tonight we are making fried chicken wings, with ranch dip and buffalo sauce. Accompanying those little tasties I am making a coleslaw out of savory cabbage and also we will have fries. So a nice little weekend meal that my husband will love.
I am going to go now and try to do something constructive. I had too much fun yesterday and so today I am feeling a little tired.
Later.
A new cell phone for me soon. Next week for sure. I have been looking online and I think I have decided on the Blackberry 4G Z 10. I like this one as it has a full keyboard on the touch screen. I have not had a touch screen before but must get used to it as there will not be the old style cell phones in the future. Besides I want to be on the internet and text. Hubby may get one also if we can get a family plan we like. Right now I am on a senior plan so it may more reasonable to do our own thing. Anyhow I am excited to get my new toy.
I had big plans for the day but they went south I guess. I got up talking to my son this morning and got waylaid. Then by the time I did my email and checked on FB and read the paper it was getting so late that I bagged the grocery shopping and will go tomorrow.
We woke to a big storm this morning. At first it appeared nice as the house was light like sun, but then as if someone pulled the shades all went dark. The wind came in from the southeast and rattled the windows and bent the trees.
So now it is a day later. Did not finish the blog as I got involved in other endeavors.
We have just returned from a lunch of mexican food. Now we are comatose. I feel like a lump. I must move past this. Our little eatery is a ten minute drive from here and such good mex fare though nothing fancy, owned and operated by a Mexican family. You get a lot for your buck and the atmosphere is inviting. Now I do not need to make dinner except for a snack perhaps. This food will hold us throughout many hours.
I will leave you now as it is a pretty day with spring blue sky and summer clouds. Hubby awaits my company on the deck. We are digesting the heavy lunch and having a toddy a bit to early in the day but that is way we do at times.
The trees have budded out in the past few days. Our three along the street are sweet looking with their red buds. I can feel spring in the air and it feels good. I only hope it will not cause the allergy problems it caused last year with the itchy eyes. I suffered for over two months with irritated eyes. Not fun.
So off I go to the deck to enjoy the warmth of spring sun on my exposed body parts that are still in their winter faze. Not a pretty sight believe me.
Later.
This has always been a favorite photo of my mother. She was such a beautiful human being inside and out. In this picture she just looks perfect. Her great smile, dark silky hair and sparkling black/brown eyes set her apart from others. She sits so composed with her back so straight. She always keep that posture her entire life until she passed at eighty-five.
So we made it through last nights meal though I did not know what to make. We wound up having chicken fried steaks with boiled yukon gold potatoes with gravy and salad. Not bad and quite quick to fix. Nothing fancy, but hubby said he wanted comfort food so this menu did the trick.
Tonight I am making chili with a base from our fresh tomatoes I made up last summer and froze. This batch has garlic, peppers and onions roasted along with the tomatoes. I think that will be just perfect for a pot of chili. I will make cheesy corn muffins to serve along side or plop in the bottom of a deep bowl and ladle the chili over. This is my favorite way to have them.
I have a laundry list of to-do's today as well as more laundry, laugh. So it will be a busy full day for me.
We climbed out of our warm nest very early this morning. Not that I wanted to, I was so relaxed and my body felt like cement I did not want to stir. But hubby was signing in the shower and making racket as his went through his morning routine so I pleaded with my feet to hit the floor and get moving. I groggily put a breakfast together for him and stayed in sleepy mode while making his lunch. I surely hope I did not do something stupid like forget the lunch meat in his sandwiches or worse. After the door closed behind him still early I made my tea and made it strong. Read the paper and I finally felt awake.
My husband called from the job site after he arrived and informed he forgot to put out the recycling and garbage. So maybe he was not so awake either. Regardless this did not make me happy. It was thrashing rain at the time. I had to dress, grab my rain coat and cap and get the two bins and blue box to the curb for pickup. This was while I was still in a stupor! I had not yet finished my tea!
Well now that I am awake and functioning I should get on with my day filled with chores. Oh happy Wednesday!
Later.
It is truly spring like outdoors today. Oh I love it. We woke to a sunny sky with big fluffy clouds haphazardly lazing about. Daffodils are popping up everywhere they look like yellow happiness.
I will write some on this post and then I will take my walk. I have had a busy morning so I am waiting for my back to rest a bit before walking.
My sweet husband will be home early today and attend to the jerky we started last night. We each made our own marinade and put the sliced london broil into zip lock bags to marinate overnight. So when he gets home he will put the strips in the dehydrator. Our last batches turned out nicely but we both wanted to make subtle changes.
No office work today for me. However I need to finish up the Cover Oregon forms and mail in. As their online system is still not working. We are shopping for hubby's insurance. He has insurance of course but the rates are almost doubling so we are shopping for insurance for him. This whole insurance thing is tiring. We were set had affordable insurance and now this.
I still have no clue what I making for dinner tonight and that is not good. I have leftover salad in the fridge, but that does not seem that exciting does it? I have every kind of meat in my freezer, I am just not in the mood to make a thing I suppose. What kind of Zo's Kitchen is that? I certainly do not get like this often, thank goodness.
As the weather gets warmer it tugs at my heart to hook up that little trailer and go somewhere. To be out in nature, go for walks, cook outdoors, have a campfire at night. Oh sounds so fun after such a dull gray cold winter.
I have now rested my back so best put on my walking shoes and head out for a stroll. When I return to the house, I must finish my house chores. But I want to walk before the clouds shroud the sun.
I hope you are enjoying a nice day where you at.
It seems every week I am making pizza. Now this is turning into a bad habit. Too many calories, too many carbs and just not that healthy. But oh how we love it. And each week it just continues to get better and better. I made the dough perfect yesterday, it was so pliable it stretched and flipped and did all the tricks I asked of it . Of course it was ladled with my homemade pizza sauce, then a layer or mozzarella cheese, then covered with thinly sliced leeks and finely sliced tid-bits of pepperoni. Ah pure perfection.
We enjoyed it last night while watching the Oscars.
I really enjoyed the Oscars last night. Ellen does such a great job as host. She is so bright and so funny. I think I will have hubby record her daily show so I can watch at my convenience.
I decided not to run errands today and mail the taxes off to the accountant. They are ready to go but my husband and I will do that running tomorrow as he is off and then stop afterward for a quick lunch. So today is filled with very necessary household chores. The clothes in the hamper are creeping their way out and both bathrooms need attention.
We are finishing off the pizza tonight and I will make salad with ranch dressing to go with. So no cooking for me tonight.
A tip. To reheat pizza set the oven to 355 degrees, put the pizza on a pizza pan(I use an aerated pan it works so well) and bake for about six minutes. The pizza comes out almost as good as freshly baked. This works best if you do not slice it first. We learned this trick from reheating Little Cesar's pizza's. That is their instructions on the side of the box. I for one do not like reheated pizza in the microwave as it limps it and that wonderful crunchy crust is ruined. Nor do I care too much for cold pizza I must say I did when I was younger though. But now I like that cheese on there remelted.
My husband is busy in his garage again today. It gets messy so quickly when he is working every day. So today he cleans the garage and then takes his sawdust bags to Lane Forest to dump them. As he has been busy there are many bags. Really this is an awful chore as when he dumps the sawdust out of the bags it flies every which way. He has to wear a mask.
Well I am off to sort laundry and get that chore underway. While the washer does it thing I will be scrubbing toilets.........oh what a fave!
See you tomorrow.
So this is what my husband does to bring the bacon home!
He is so good at laying and refinishing hardwood floors as he has been at this craft for some while now. Some have said he is an artist. He gets many referrals and sometimes notes along with the final payment for his work stating how much they love their floors. I am very proud of him and believe me it is not easy work.
He working today finishing up a job with the last two coats of finish. He will be home though at a decent hour today.
I am making crispy oven fried pork portions for dinner with a veggie and rice casserole featuring fresh broccoli and carrots. The reason I say pork portions is I bought pork chops and steaks a mixed family pack. So they will need to be trimmed and cut into smaller portions.
I made a white cake yesterday, called old fashioned fluffy white cake. It is rich the recipe called for a whole stick of butter plus a cup of milk and lots of vanilla. It is very rich so I made no frosting just sprinkled a little powder sugar over the top. We each had a slice topped with the sherbet last night and I was humming. It was so refreshingly bright tasting with the lime, orange and strawberry sherbet playing off the rich buttery cake. Instead of two cake pans or a rectangular cake pan I opted for a round nine inch pan. So I needed to add some extra minutes to the baking time. The cake is high and fluffy just as the recipe said it would be. Yummy!
Sad to say it is another gray day here in the valley. But my mood is not gray as I am finished with the taxes as of this morning. So today is a day of some catch up house chores which I mostly have accomplished at this point. The washer is sloshing away on it's second load of the day.
I took a short walk earlier and then visited with my neighbor. She was trying to work in her rose garden bed which is full of daffodils at the moment. It is so chilly for working outdoors but Dee is a devoted gardener and enjoys it.
I had planned to go over to the mall this afternoon as there a couple of things I wanted to purchase. But I am giving up on that for today anyhow. Better to finish up the laundry and relax this afternoon(I may nap) as I had another restless night. Does anyone sleep well? The folks I talk to all have sleeping problems and are taking this and that for it. I take nothing except on rare occasion I will take an advil and it does help relax me. As I rarely use any type of meds even over the counter, a little goes a long way with me.
Well now the dryer beeping is really starting to annoy me. My dryer has the most obnoxious buzzer you will ever hear on this planet. So loud and it goes forever it seems. So I must attend to it before I lose hearing in both ears.
