Nearly Healthy Oat Bars.

These are absolutely delicious, easy to make and practically healthy. In fact, if you replace my secret ingredient (a snickers bar) with an equivalent volume of nuts, grains, seeds, or whatever..it makes a really nutritious AND good for you food! I have one for breakfast every morning and snack on them any time.

Here is the rundown: 

    1-3/4 cups rolled oats
    1 Snickers bar, chopped. (or nuts, seeds..)
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1 tsp sea salt (med coarse)
    1.25 cups milk (I use whole)
    1 egg (Eggstra Large)
    1 tsp vanilla
*I have inadvertently dropped a Tbs. of brown sugar in these from time to time. It does not suck. 

Mixology:

    Preheat oven to 350*
    Mix dry ingredients.
    Mix wet ingredients.
    Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.
    Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment.
    Bake for 40 minutes.
    Cut into squares or rectangles...

Breakfast:

These come out nice and soft. Refrigerate to keep on-hand. This is really good run out the door food.

Tabasco and Cheddar Soft Pretzels.

I made these this afternoon. They are absolutely incredible! This recipe was originally from Alton Brown at the Food Network, but I added 3.5 oz. of grated cheddar cheese to the dough during Kneading and put about 7-10 shakes of Tabasco into the egg wash. Yum! I served them (to myself) with a wasabi mustard. I like the heat. These are a minor chore to make, especially if you do the mixing and Kneading manually, like I do, but well worth the results! Omnomnomnom.

Eggciting Easter Eggformation.

The Easter Icon:

The egg is seen by followers of Christianity as a symbol of resurrection: while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.

In the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ, shed on the Cross, and the hard shell of the egg symbolized the sealed Tomb of Christ — the cracking of which symbolized His resurrection from the dead. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal Vigil (which is equivalent to Holy Saturday), and distributed to the faithful. Each household also brings an Easter basket to church, filled not only with Easter eggs but also with other Paschal foods such as paskha, kulich or Easter breads, and these are blessed by the priest as well.

Blessing of Easter foods in Poland

Similarly, in the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, the so-called święconka, i.e. blessing of decorative baskets with a sampling of Easter eggs and other symbolic foods, is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions on Holy Saturday.
During Paschaltide, in some traditions the Pascal greeting with the Easter egg is even extended to the deceased. On either the second Monday or Tuesday of Pascha, after a memorial service people bring blessed eggs to the cemetery and bring the joyous paschal greeting, "Christ has risen", to their beloved departed.

Egg Sports?:

An egg hunt is a game during which decorated eggs, real hard-boiled ones or artificial ones filled with, or made of chocolate candies, of various sizes, are hidden for children to find, both indoors and outdoors.
When the hunt is over, prizes may be given for the largest number of eggs collected, or for the largest or the smallest egg.
Real eggs may further be used in egg tapping contests.

In the North of England, at Eastertime, a traditional game is played where hard boiled pace eggs are distributed and each player hits the other player's egg with their own. This is known as "egg tapping", "egg dumping" or "egg jarping". The winner is the holder of the last intact egg. The losers get to eat their eggs. The annual egg jarping world championship is held every year over Easter in Peterlee Cricket Club. It is also practiced in Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, and other countries. They call it tucanje (who?). In parts of Austria, Bavaria and German-speaking Switzerland it is called Ostereiertitschen or Eierpecken. In parts of Europe it is also called epper, presumably from the German name Opfer, meaning "offering" and in Greece it is known as tsougrisma. In South Louisiana this practice is called Pocking Eggs  and is slightly different. The Louisiana Creoles hold that the winner eats the eggs of the losers in each round.

The Food:

The egg is a complete protein food because egg protein has all nine of the essential amino acids (as well as all nine of the non-essential amino acids). Scientists often use egg protein as the standard against which they judge all other proteins. Based on the essential amino acids it provides, egg protein is second only to mother’s milk for human nutrition. A Large egg contains 6.29 grams of high-quality protein, about 12.6% of the Daily Reference Value (DRV) for protein.

     
Blood Spots

Occasionally found on an egg yolk. These tiny spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Instead, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct.

Mass candling methods reveal most eggs with blood and those eggs are removed. However, even with mass scanners, it’s impossible to catch them all.

Both chemically and nutritionally, eggs with blood spots are fit to eat. You can remove the spot with the tip of a knife, if you wish.

Copper Bowls

There has long been a great controversy about the merits, if any, of using a copper bowl to produce volume in beaten egg whites. The copper in the bowl reacts with the conalbumin of egg whites much like cream of tartar to stabilize egg-white foam. With the addition of cream of tartar, a stainless steel or glass bowl works just as well, is much less expensive and avoids excess copper in the diet.

Because they tend to absorb fat, plastic and wooden bowls aren’t suitable for beating egg whites. Any film or residue of fat will keep the whites from forming a stable foam.

The size and shape of a bowl is important. When you use an electric stand mixer, use the bowl size, large or small, specified in a recipe. A deep bowl with enough room for expansion is best for a rotary beater or portable electric mixer. For hand-whipping with a balloon whisk, use a bowl that’s rounded at the bottom, at least 10 inches across the top and 5 to 6 inches deep.

Baked

Eggs baked in a dish in the oven, also known as shirred. Break and slip 2 eggs into a greased 10-ounce custard cup, shallow baking dish or ramekin. Spoon 1 tablespoon milk, half and half or light cream over the eggs. Bake in a preheated 325º F oven until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the number of servings you’re baking.
Cooked in the shell

Eggs in their shells cooked in water. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Add enough water to come at least 1 inch above the eggs. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Turn off heat. If necessary, remove the pan from the burner to prevent further boiling. Let the eggs stand, covered, in the hot water about 15 minutes for Large eggs (about 12 minutes for Medium, about 18 for Extra-Large). Immediately run cold water over the eggs or place them in ice water until they’re completely cooled. (Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to cook eggs to this stage at altitudes above 10,000 feet).

Fried

Eggs cooked in a small amount of fat in a pan. In a 7- to 8-inch omelet pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons butter or cooking oil OR cooking spray until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. (If you use a very large pan, you’ll need more fat.) Break and slip 2 eggs into the pan. Immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook slowly until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, covering with lid, spooning butter over the eggs to baste them or turning the eggs to cook both sides.
Steam-basted variation

A lower-fat version of fried eggs. Use just enough butter to grease pan or substitute a light coating of cooking spray and/or a nonstick pan. In 7- to 8-inch omelet pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the butter until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Break and slip the eggs into the pan. Immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook until the edges turn white, about 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon water for each 2 eggs. (Decrease the water proportion slightly for each additional egg you cook.) Cover the pan tightly with a lid to hold in steam. Cook until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard.

Poached

Eggs cooked out of the shell in hot water, milk, broth, tomato juice, wine or other liquid. In a saucepan or deep omelet pan, bring 2 to 3 inches of water or other liquid to boiling. Reduce the heat to keep the water gently simmering. Break cold eggs, one at a time, into a custard cup or saucer or break several into a bowl. Holding the dish close to the water’s surface, slip the eggs, one by one, into the water. Cook until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift out the eggs. Drain the eggs in the slotted spoon or on paper towels. Trim any rough edges, if you like.

Scrambled

Egg yolks and whites beaten together before cooking in a greased pan. Beat together 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk and salt and pepper to taste, if you like, until blended. In a 7- to 8-inch omelet pan or skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon butter or cooking oil OR cooking spray until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Pour in the egg mixture. As the mixture begins to set, gently draw an inverted pancake turner completely across the bottom and sides of the pan, forming large soft curds. Continue until the eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly.

Smoked
Yes. You can smoke an egg. Here is a recipe from Livestrong.com. SMOKED EGGS.

Enjoy your Easter holiday and enjoy some eggs while you're at it!

My Very First Loaf of Bread

I decided it was high time I learned how to bake bread for myself. This is the result from my very first attempt. I can't say I am displeased. I will be baking all my own bread from now on! This was a very simple recipe, but I am slowly going to learn how to make ADVANCED bread. LOL! Now, I give you the BREAD PORN!

NOMNOMNOM...I am addicted! This is the best Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich I have ever eaten!

How to Weave an Omelet

This is a concoction I made for dinner tonight. It requires a little work, but if you are looking to really spike your LDL levels, I can't imagine a better way to do it. This recipe is essentially a quarter pound of cheese, wrapped in four large eggs and surrounded by a pound of woven bacon.

Grab a baking dish that will accommodate your bacon slices length wise, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and get to the basket weaving!

 
Toss this in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
In the mean time, Scramble 4 large eggs and doctor them up however you like. I use white pepper, Worcestershire and a bit of garlic powder.  
Shred, or slice about 1/4 of a 1 Lb. brick of cheddar cheese.
Mince up about 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes.

After the bacon looks relatively well cooked, but not crispy, remove from oven. Drain the fat and return the dish back to the oven for five more minutes. It should now look a little something like this.

 
Now add your egg to this dish and put it back in the oven until they appear almost finished. Add your cheese and whatever else on top of the egg, cover with tinfoil and place back in the oven (Which you can turn off at this point) Let the whole mess rest fore a few more minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool a bit. Work a spatula around the edges to make sure nothing is sticking.
 Roll the sucker up and you have the most delicious heart attack you will ever experience. 

Chicken With Spinach and Grapes

This is a recipe I have been doing for some time. It's pretty simple and delicioso! These instructions will render a dinner for two. Make adjustments for your situation.

The Culprits: 

A few strips of boneless, skinless chicken breast.

1cup of chopped red bell pepper.

1/2 cup of chopped onion. 

1Cup of halved, seedless, white grapes.

1.5 cups of chopped baby spinach. 

1/4 cup of white wine. (or cooking wine)

1/4 cup of chicken stock.

1 tablespoon of butter.

Olive oil. 

Crushed red pepper. 

Ground Black Pepper.

Take your chicken strips and sprinkle some white wine, black pepper and crushed red pepper on them.

Cover the strips and send them back to the fridge for a time-out, while you prepare the rest of the dish. 

Coarsely chop some red pepper to get about 1cup. Set aside.  

Finely chop half a medium white onion (or Vidalia). Set aside.

Make about one cup of halved seedless grapes. Set aside. 

Coarsely chop around 1.5 cups of baby spinach. Set aside.

Go have a glass of wine. You deserve it. 

This will cook in just a few minutes, so don't get ahead of yourself. 

It's Saturday night, you're among friends. Have another glass of wine. 

Time to cook! 

Bring a 10" non-stick fry pan, or skillet to a medium-ish heat and toss a bit of Olive oil in there. 

Cook your chicken strips pepper side up for about three minutes, flip them over and cook them for about two minutes.

Now turn up the heat to high, add your wine,butter and chicken stock. Let the chicken and liquids share the pan for a minute more. Remove the chicken to a comfortable, covered place to rest. 

Reduce the heat on the remaining liquid to a simmer. Reduce it until it is a very thin gravy consistency.

Take this liquid and set it aside.

Place the pan back on a medium high flame and toss a little more oil in there with Onions and Red Pepper.

Let these cook for just a couple of minutes, then add the grapes. 

You want the finished product to have peppers that are still slightly crisp.

Add the spinach last. Turn off the heat. You merely want the spinach to wilt.  

Place the vegetables on a plate as a bed for the chicken strips. Pour the liquid over the chicken.

Now it's time to eat! This is a mildly spicy, sweet and unique dish that any dinner guest would enjoy.  

Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad

This recipe is so easy, you will have a hard time believing the taste.
You will need a grill of some sort, a couple of chicken breasts and a few habenero peppers. My local store just had a special on "mixed habeneros" so I took one of each.
This recipe is truly spicy, so if you are not into that sort of thing, do not attempt! On my personal heat tolerance scale, I would rank this a 5 out of 10.
So I physically assaulted the peppers you see below with half a medium white onion..
I do a medium chop..these are all going to get cooked along with the breasts and end up in the salad, so it's personal choice really. The finer you chop the ingredients, the more intense the flavor (and heat) will be.

I adjusted my attention to a nice set of boneless breasts on the opposite counter. I tweaked them a bit with some salt, black pepper, fresh basil, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. I then followed an impulse and sprayed them down with a few shots of Worcestershire.

Then I took the vegetables I had previously knifed into submission and remorselessly dumped their remains on top of the two glistening pieces of white meat.

I double wrapped this mess in some heavy duty tinfoil and took it deep into my back yard, where I had pre-heated my grill to a medium high setting. Temp? I don't know. I cooked the foil wrapped fowl for 15 minutes on the meat side and 20ish minutes on the vegetable laden side. (Closed grill top.)

I pulled it off the grill when my digital probe was about 165 degrees. I took this package and let it rest for a half hour as-is, in the foil. It looked like this when I opened the foil.

At this point, you could easily serve this as a hot dish, but we're here to make chicken salad. I discarded the basil leaves and then sternly cubed the chicken. I placed the chicken and cooked veggies in a container, mixed in a bit of (Jalepeno)Ranch salad dressing, and mixed it up. At this point you can add some raw veggie texture with celery, or what have you. Into the refrigerator from there to cool it all down completely. Warm chicken salad just isn't my style. The final result is this.

It will melt your face off! Hope you like it!