Last night I made orange chicken legs in the crockpot. I learned it about timing and layers. I seasoned the chicken add a bit of butter and water.
We squeezed one orange over the chicken and sliced two oranges just before the last hour of cooking. That the orange peel didn’t get too bitter.
I also made sweet potatoes with it, as they also taste awesome with the orange flavor.
I made a mixture of a coffee cake idea with a banana bread idea.
I took a yellow cake mix adding made coffee, a package of hot cocoa mix, and several bananas. I put the mixture in the crockpot for three hours.
It smelled so good while cooking.
Then I added whipped cream. It was sweet, moist, and comforting.
The other day. . . I through several dozen chicken wings in the crock pot with some spices and butter. . . for a few hours.
Then I put them on the panini press for grill marks and tossed them into BBQ sauce. (My brother made his own hot sauce with melted butter. )
I took the broth from the chicken wing and used it to make butter noodles with corn.
They turned out really good and I would defiantly make them again.
I have learned you can always get creative and use everything we have.
I have some German roots in my family . . . (Slovak, German, English, Scottish and Irish. . . it’s just a huge mixture. I also like to cook Italian and have had my food been approved by my Italian friends.)
Anyway, my mom always like when I make my sauerkraut with pork chops.
I always make mashed potatoes so that can mix my sauerkraut in.
I took the crock pot (slow cooker) I put the pork chops in with the sauerkraut with a pitch of season salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar for about four hours. . . the pork chops fell apart and have the flavor of the sauerkraut.
I even left the skins on the potatoes as they felt heartier.
If I had a fryer right now, I would make the left over into sauerkraut balls. I love those.
I’ve been into writing (working on my novels) so I haven’t been cooking as much.
I made a crustless quiche (Fritatta) yesterday . . . It’s like omelet meets pie.
I added mushroom and green pepper.
I melted cheese on top.
I seasoned with chives, pepper, and season salt.
I made it in a slow cooker and it just took a few hours.
I made scalloped potatoes.
It would have been awesome with salsa and sour cream and toast.
It was fluffy and flavorful.
The other day I made grilled Munster cheese with turkey.
With simplified version of Cheddar cheese broccoli soup.
They were awesome but so simple that you could make it in a hotel or dorm room.
I made the soup with frozen broccoli and canned cheese soup.
I had a portable panini sandwich press.
I made grilled cheese and tomato soup the other day. It was always a comfort food and something I remember as a kid.
I love the many combinations with grilled cheese.
There are so many combination s
Or
The combo we had
I added rice and bacon and golden fish crackers to my tomato soup.
Its just yummy comfort I had from my childhood.
I love a good rice dish. . .
It can be in a pudding or in a bake.
You can make rice in an oven, stove, or microwave. There is long grain, short grain, and even in a bag, instant rice.
It is versatile: there are so many different things you can do with rice.
You can make in minutes and just add herbs and butter.
I love sushi: fish and sticky rice. . . yum.
You can add gravy or sauce to it.
Yesterday when I slow cooked the BBQ ribs that fell off the bone. I took the render fat and extra BBQ sauce and use it as part of the liquid to make the rice so it had the BBQ rib flavor. (It was so good.)
Turtle even add a ginger hot sauce to it.
You can even add rice into stews and soups.
You can add fruit and nuts with it.
The suggestions are limitless: go bold, or comfortable.
Note: I was use a fork to light stir the rice as I feel it makes it fluffier.
Turtle, Zeroman and I take advantage when we can get access to the kitchen. We had access yesterday and we made a feast.
Zeroman made . . .
I made . . .
Turtle helped with both.
We also baked. . . chocolate pudding cake and very chewy brownies.
The lasagna and the lasagna cheesy rolls.
Here is the plain and candied bacon BBQ meatloaf.
Roasted and glazed carrots
The soured beans had bacon and were sour and yet tangy. It was grandma’s recipe and my mom had asked for them, so we made them just for her.
The brownies were chewy.
The cake was soft with the creamy pudding on top. . . yum.
It was a nice way for us to celebrate Mother’s day as Turtle, Zeroman, and I got to cook for our mothers.
We had three days worth of food as we also have leftover for tomorrow as well.
I love to cook! I like being in a kitchen, turning on the radio and just making something yummy and awesome.
I enjoy making food. I really like it when I have people enjoying the food that I made. I appreciate feedback.
However, I have some pet peeves . . . (I talked this over with Turtle and Zeroman, and they agree.)
Cooking is an exploring science. (Yes, most who know the kitchen, may not measure, but I always suggest taste as you cook, especially herbs, seasons, and sauces. Even the most studied chef will experiment with seasons, meats, veggies, and flavors.)
Baking to me is precise science. (You really need a recipe and to measure to get the brownies, cookies, cakes, or pastry exactly the way you need them. Measuring cups and spoons are baker best friends.)
If you don’t like to cook, then find friends who do.
If you are picky on your food, find people who are just ask picky.
Cooking Improv 