Homemade Chicken Soup

It's quite cold out there - the sun peeks out every so often - and, of course, we are waiting for a pretty big storm.

I was at the supermarket quite early - had to get a plump chicken - I'm in the mood for homemade chicken soup. Not only is it a good tummy-warmer, but when you can feel a cold coming on, it's nice way to ward off a cold and feel better while still enjoying homemade soup.

After cleaning the chicken and cutting off the butt - he went into the 8-quart soup pot with a quartered onion, a couple cleaned carrots, chunks of celery - and then I skimmed until done.

Once the skimming was done I seasoned with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped celery leaves and a few chicken bouillon cubes. Just let that fat little bird cook until done.

When done, strained. Returned broth to pot and added chopped carrots, diced celery, potato chunks - then added some pasta and frozen peas. Skinned the chicken and added some to the soup and saved some for hot sammies with gravy.

I've got a fresh, hot-from-the-oven loaf of Italian bread for soppin'.

Meet "Rick"

I would like to introduce a friend of mine - another cook who loves making things homemade and natural - his name is Rick.

Rick has some fabulous all-natural, no fillers, no MSG, no preservatives seasoning mixes and - his Chicken Seasoning doesn't have any salt in it - you can check them out at:

http://ricksrealpitbbq.freeforums.org/ordering-information-updated-01-08-10-t67.html

http://www.oldfashionedhomecooking.net/2010/02/meet-rick.html



What originally started out as a grilling rub has turned into a spice mix that can be used on just about anything - from eggs to meats, poultry and seafood.

I hope you get a chance to visit his site and check out these fabulous all-natural mixes. I think you will agree with me that these are really the best!

Make your own dry cream soup mix!

By now you all know how I feel about making things homemade.

Yes, I enjoy playing in the kitchen - it's my favorite room in the house. It's where I can express myself freely, create, and satisfy others with healthy foods.

My mind is constantly working on new things to make - I've got tons of books loaded with so much to share with you.

For now - a member of my little cooking community is looking for my recipe to make homemade dry soup mix. So you can thank Jim for me posting this.

Why make it homemade?

Well - not only is it cheaper, but it is healthier as well.

Keep eating healthy and homemade and when you pass on to the next world, you will need to be embalmed.

Keep eating pre-packaged, chemically processed and preservative-loaded foods and when you pass on - you will not need to be embalmed - you are slowly doing it yourself - thanks to all the choices you can find in the supermarkets that can care less if you eat healthy - as long as they make a sale.

Trust me.


It just takes a minute or two to whip this up; store tightly in your pantry and you'll be all set.


HOMEMADE CREAM SOUP DRY MIX

Using a quart jar, combine and whisk well:

2 cups instant non-fat dry milk mix
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Store in your pantry or a cool, dry place; airtight.

This recipe will yield 3 cups dry mix or 9 cans of creamed soup reconstituted.

TO MAKE THIS SOUP (RECONSTITUTE):
Combine 1/3 cup dry mix and 1 1/4 cups water. Heat over medium heat until thickened.

VARIATIONS:
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP: Add chopped sauteed mushrooms.
CREAM OF CELERY SOUP: Add chopped sauteed celery.
CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP: Add chopped sauteed or steamed broccoli florets.


You can also make HOMEMADE DRIED ONION SOUP MIX

HOMEMADE DRIED ONION SOUP MIX #1

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
1 cup dried onion

Whisk onion powder, salt and sugar in small bowl. Drizzle Kitchen Bouquet over mix; stir until this mix is uniformly brown. Add dried onion and continue to mix until uniformly brown - this will take a bit of time.

Transfer to jar with tight-fitting lid. THIS MIX MUST BE STORED IN THE REFRIGERATOR! Stir before each use.

This recipe will yield 1 cup of Onion Soup Mix which is equivalent to two 1/5-ounce envelopes of dried soup mix.



HOMEMADE DRIED ONION SOUP MIX #2

2 cups instant non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup beef bouillon granules
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in an airtight container in your pantry. Stir before each use.

To use (reconstitute) combine 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/2 cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened.




HOMEMADE DRIED ONION SOUP MIX #3

3/4 cup instant minced onion
1/3 cup beef-flavored bouillon granules
1 tablespoon PLUS 1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sugar - optional

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in an airtight container in your pantry. Stir before each use.

Five tablespoons of this mix equals one 1.25-ounce package of store-bought dry soup mix.



While you are at it - we can all use a nice browning sauce - whether it is for gravies or any other recipes. This will also thicken gravies.

HOMEMADE KITCHEN BOUQUET

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups water

Place brown sugar in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and allow it to parch (just about burn)stirring slowly the whole time. When the brown sugar turns a dark brown, add water; stir well.

Store in tightly covered glass jar or bottle. Use as you would Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master.


I hope you enjoy the recipes!

Fast food - my way - part 3

I’m baaaaccckkkk!

Am I done “bashing” fast-food restaurants? NOPE! Not after what their foods
have done to my stomach!

Besides - as a consumer, paying for a meal or something to eat - I deserve better than what they present in front of me when served. Okay - I am not the Queen of England - but I am not a dog either. It’s not right the way the public gets served foods in these places. And I blame the managers, assistant managers - all of them.

I’ve run restaurants and NOTHING was sent to a table unless it looked like something that SHOULD be served. Would YOU eat that?

I miss the days when you ate in a restaurant and you were served salads that were assembled with FRESH ingredients. Not pre-packaged greens that are doused in some sort of a solution (also claiming to be pre-washed) that will make these packages last in the refrigerator for a couple weeks. I wish someone would HONESTLY step forward and tell the public just what chemicals and preservatives are in them. Not only is that bad for you - but you can taste the solution on the veggies. Maybe it’s just me - but I like the taste of my vegetables without that crap on them. And I firmly believe that you CANNOT re-wash these mixes and vegetables - that solution is glued to them.

In my house, I keep fresh salad mix in a large tightly sealed bowl. Lettuces are washed and spin-dried and placed in the bowl. In a separate tightly covered container I can have other goodies for salads - celery, red onion, carrots, etc. Salads in my house can consist of just about anything - beans of all sorts, hard-cooked eggs, beets, olives, peppers, marinated artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, tomatoes, deli meats, meats, breads - you name it!

At least I know that I am eating something that is not smothered in chemicals and preservatives. We get enough of them in our diet without adding more to our systems. And I don’t care that my fresh, homemade salad mix doesn’t last for weeks in the refrigerator. I wouldn’t want it to; it would taste terrible and stale lettuce is not very appetizing. I come from the days of having to bake bread everyday if you wanted fresh bread, and milk that wouldn’t last more than a day or two (with that wonderful cream floating on the top and we had to shake the bottle to use it!)

There isn’t a thing wrong with having to cook or prep foods on a daily basis. Why give in to eating crap because you don’t have 10 to 15 minutes to do it yourself and make it fresh and healthier?

Which brings me to these “salads” that are served in Mc D’s and BK.

TRUE STORY: I was out and about and holiday shopping several years ago in a local mall. Of course, there is a food court. And with a food court comes hundreds of others, some taking up space because they are just visiting, some tired and weary from all the walking and wanting to grab a quick bite to eat before either finishing their shopping or heading elsewhere.

After standing there and waiting for a table to be free so that we could grab something quick, I hopped in the long line and patiently waited my turn. Mind you - there were so many people there and the lines were long.

I placed my order with a BK employee - 2 Whopper Juniors, 2 side salads with dressing, 2 small drinks - to be eaten “in”. I get my order, take it to the table and begin to dole everything out as we continue our conversation. Pop a straw in my drink, open my sammie, and open the top of the plastic salad container. I drizzle my dressing over the top and take a piece of lettuce off the top and eat it.

I placed my fork back in the salad - and their he was - a dead fly. Lying on his back. Deader than dead. You know what killed him? The salad mix. I am thoroughly convinced of it.

So I pile everything back on the tray - and I mean EVERYTHING - march to the counter and no one would pay attention to me. After a good 5 or 6 minutes I hollered out loud - “I HAVE A DEAD FLY IN MY SALAD AND WOULD LIKE TO GET MY MONEY BACK SO PLEASE GET YOUR MANAGER HERE AT BURGER KING. I DON’T EAT DEAD FLIES SO SOMEONE DO SOMETHING SO I CAN GO HOME AND CALL THE BOARD OF HEALTH.” Yes I got my money back. And yes, the long line - it shortened real fast. Others with salads didn’t know what to do. Oh well - I didn’t mean to ruin their meals or appetites.

Amazing at just what ingredients are in a salad mix these days. And believe me - that is not the only episode.


So now I will move on to wraps.

When the little ones want Mc D’s and me being leery of just about everything they serve - I tried a Chicken Ranch Wrap.

I’ve tried them less than a handful of times. Let me tell you about the last two times (and the final times I will ever order them from Mc D’s) -

I ordered one a few weeks ago - asking for the “Crispy” Chicken Ranch Wrap. And being Italian - I always allow my babies to take anything they want out of my dish. The little guy sits to my left and just helps himself to what he wants. And if he doesn’t take something, I am jamming it in his mouth with my fork. What can I say - Italians feed their babies. And I will even reach over and stuff food in Princess’s mouth. It’s a habit. These two eat like adults - but I cannot stop something I have done all my life. I’ve fed more little ones in my life than anything. Even strangers little ones in restaurants. Babies need to be fed. God would punish me if I didn’t feed his little angels. And my babies will be my babies till they are 85 years old. And if they ate out of my dish until then - I would not care! Period.

Anyway - I opened my Crispy Chicken Ranch Wrap and I looked at Bruiser - he opened his mouth and in it went. He chomped down and out came the crispy piece of chicken. It was half the width and length of a chicken nugget. Of course he devoured it and left me with (when I opened it and looked) a few strands of shredded cheese, a few tiny shreds of lettuce, and a spoon of ranch dressing on a small flour tortilla.

Two weeks pass - I take them to the movies and beforehand they want Mc D’s again. This time I am ordering the GRILLED Chicken Ranch Wrap. This time, once again, the little guy took a bite and the whole thing came out of the wrap. It was a SLIVER of grilled chicken breast that wasn’t even a mouthful for the little guy.

Needless to say - that is off the menu for me as well.

I can’t see paying $1.49 for an empty flour tortilla! They couldn’t make those wraps any smaller. There should be a law against it. Where are the food police when you need them?

These places have “dollar menus” and I’m telling you - I can just imagine the portion size!

Did you ever watch an employee from Mc D’s or BK fill a small fry bag? They shove the French fry filling gizmo into the paper envelope, slide it under 3 pounds of fries from the French fry station and continue to shake the fries into the bag. Too bad only 8 or 10 fries make it to the bag. Ditto with their cardboard fry holders. I’ve seen large orders of fries with as many as there are in a small order. Gotta love these places.

Am I a glutton, wanting more? No. I just want what I pay for. And to the food police that b.i.t.c.h about SUPER-SIZING: Did it ever occur to you that you need to super-size to get a medium-sized amount of fries from these places?

Okay - take the babies to Mc D’s and a typical order is:
The most important - 2 toys - one for each of them
Bruiser: a 10-piece chicken nugget meal and a bag of apples
Princess: a fish meal, a wrap, and apples
Me???? I have to order a 10-piece meal. I eat the fries and they eat the 10 pieces of nuggets.
For the $25 that I am spending, I can make it at home, and it would be healthier and it would be much cheaper. That would even include me stopping to pick up little trinkets/toys to make it an “official: Gramma’s (or Grammaw’s) Happy/Kids Meal.

I guess for now I will stop the bashing of Mc D’s and BK - but I am quite sure there is much more I will be able to tell you.

For now - I’ll step off my soapbox!

(but I will be back - TRUST ME!)

Fast food - my way - part 2

Well - allow me to get back on my soapbox!

Do you remember the Topps burgers? Those are the frozen beef patties that you could buy in your supermarket that were the closest to the burgers in the fast-food restaurants - until they found e-Coli in them and the company closed down and went out of business.

In order to find anything close - I go to the barns. There they have 1/4-pound frozen 100% beef patties - 10-pound box for $19.95. Not bad for 40 patties.

But they come in handy if I want to play Mc D’s or BK. I never make them for dinner if I am serving burgers, taters, gravy and veggies. Those HAVE to be hand-made and homemade.

This past holiday season while shopping with friends we stopped for a “quick bite” - at Burger King. We all had the same thing - a BK Whopper with a cola. Okay - the fountain drink machine needed to be calibrated - the pop was God-awful. As far as the Whoppers went - within 36 hours all three of us were kissing the porcelain-god. My stomach did so many flip-flops and the pains were so bad - I will never order another thing from BK. It had me sick for a good day and a half.

I used to enjoy an occasional “RAT BURGER” (thus named because it has to be made with a mystery meat that no one can duplicate) which is something you can only get at Mc Donald’s. You know what those are - they call them Quarter Pounders - they fry them in the sludge from Mr. Oil Change, and sprinkle them with MSG. I watched one of their grill people flip their burgers on the grill and then season them with some sort of a “dust” which had to be MSG. Then they proceed to place the patty on the bun heel, roll the crown of the bun in some of the sludge from Mr. Oil Change, slap on the condiments and by the time you get the sandwich it looks like they stepped on it. And if you order cheese on it - it’s stuck to the wrapper/container and not on the sandwich. I think they purposely want the cheese to stick to the wrapper because:

(from an article I have:)

The DuPont Co.'s failure to report widespread exposures to a potentially toxic chemical used to manufacture nonstick pans, stain-resistant carpet and hamburger wrappers will cost the company $16.5 million in fines and compensatory payouts.

So how many of you peel the cheese off the wrappers and enjoy it?

And it’s not just Mc D’s and BK - it’s all the restaurants.

When I let the babies (remember I am an adopted gramma - to Princess I am gramma - but to Bruiser I am grammaw - don’t know where the redneck came in on that one!) pick where they want to go for lunch occasionally it’s Mc D’s. And if their mom goes with us - mom likes the Big Mac at times. We’ve yet to see a Big Mac served that looks like a Big Mac is supposed to. Usually the bottom burger is hanging half off to the right of the heel of the bun, the middle piece of bun is usually hanging half off to the left of the bottom heel (you see, the burger is so far off to the right and the center piece of bun is so far off to the left that they don’t touch in the middle). The top burger is half off to the back and the crown of the roll is hanging forwards. And you think that it would be easy to “push” is all together and stack it the way it is supposed to be stacked. NOT! They put GLUE on the cheese slices and smash it all down so that you can’t!

Make your own.

Mc Donald’s Big Mac Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours,
or overnight, so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a couple of times as it chills.
Makes about 3/4 cup.


It absolutely amazing how you can make burgers and smash them into rolls any old way, serve them like that, and people come back for more! I should open my own burger stand! But mine would be served the way they should be. That would either shock everyone or no one would want to eat them because they didn’t look like the others from fast-food joints.

Makes you wonder just how these people that own or franchise fast food places and the ones they hire to work for them were brought up. Would they want to eat something that looked like that? The television commercials make them look soooooo good. Maybe, as consumers, we are supposed to eat their slop with our eyes closed and fantasize. Who knows?

I do have to compliment Wendy’s. I have had burgers there a couple times and they were assembled and wrapped properly. And their foods never repeated on me. Just don’t order their fountain drinks. No matter what you order - they all taste the same - watered down and lousy. You couldn’t make out the flavors in a taste test - even with your eyes open! B.Y.O.B. if you eat there.

I got a kick out of the square patties.

So I made them. Press your ground beef in a square or rectangular pan and oven bake till done. Cut into squares and serve. Make them nice and thick and they go great on Thomas’s Square Sandwich Bagels. Those are really good! Unfortunately - I haven’t seen the square ones in the grocery store in ages.

And - speaking of bagels - OMG - a good bagel makes an excellent sandwich. I love burgers or a cheeseburger on a toasted bagel with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayonnaise. If you place lettuce leaves on both sides of the bagel - you’re mayonnaise won’t slobber you up.

I also like one of those frozen patties from the barns stuffed into a pita round.

Also - if I play fast-food restaurant - I like to make homemade steak fries. They are so much better. And - if you want them seasoned, try this:


CAJUN FRIES

2 8-oz each Russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning -- (2 to 3)

Cut potatoes into French fry shapes, coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning; toss and place on nonstick baking sheet. Roast 15 to 25 minutes in preheated 425-degree oven, or until golden brown and tender.


LETHAL WEAPON FRENCH FRY SAUCE

2 cups mayonnaise
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir and let stand for 2 hours or enough time for the chili powder to rehydrate and other flavors to meld together.

Dip fries in sauce or use on hamburgers and hotdogs.

CRISPY POTATO SKINS

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
salt
pepper
oil for deep frying
sour cream mixed with chives, optional
shredded cheese, optional

Prick potatoes in several places with a fork; bake in a 400° oven until tender, about 1 hour.
Remove, cool slightly, and cut in halves lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes and refrigerate for another meal or casserole topping.

Cut skins in half again.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375°. Place potato skins in deep fryer basket; lower into oil and deep fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until skins are browned and crisp.
Transfer potato skins to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream and chives, if desired, or top with cheese and place under the broiler to melt.


SEASONED FRIES

3/4 cup cornflake crumbs

ITALIAN FRIES SEASONING:
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning

CHILI FRIES SEASONING:
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

POTATOES:
1 1/3 pounds potatoes (4 medium) cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
1 egg

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat two baking sheets with vegetable cooking spray. Lightly beat egg in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix crumbs and seasoning blend of your choice. Dip potato wedges into egg; coat completely with crumb mixture. Arrange in single layer on baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes, then turn potatoes over and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, until potatoes are browned and crisp and insides are tender when tested with toothpick or fork. Serve immediately, plain or with lemon or ketchup.




And of course - onion rings can top it all off:


ONION RINGS

4 medium onions sliced 1/4 - 1/2 inches thick
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Seasoned salt and garlic salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl; mix eggs and milk in another bowl. Dip onion slices (rings) into milk, then flour, then milk again, and back to the flour.

Deep fry until browned. Drain.


Sometimes it’s nice to open your kitchen as your own fast-food restaurant. Not only will you save money, but you will be eating much, much healthier! And if you have little ones - visit some of the dollar stores or discount stores and get a supply of little toys or trinkets to make your own Happy Meals or Kids’ Meals. It’s so easy -

You can make your own apple slices - just peel an apple and slice it - and it’s not in a solution that will keep it from turning brown and supposedly will last in the refrigerator for weeks (scary thought of what is in it!)

You can even make your own Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce for chicken nuggets (which by the way are at the barns - packed in 10-pound boxes for a total price of $8.50 - that’s 85 cent per pound!)


MAKE YOUR OWN MC D’S SWEET AND SOUR DIPPING SAUCE

1/4 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor or a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.
Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water, stir, and bring mixture to a boil.
Allow it to boil for five minutes, stirring often. When the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Store sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator.



MAKE YOUR OWN MC D’S BBQ SAUCE

1/2 cup Kraft original flavor barbecue sauce
1/3 cup Bullseye original barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Combine the ingredients very well. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds, then stir again. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.


MAKE YOUR OWN MC D’S HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE

1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoon prepared mustard.
1 tablespoon Heinz 57 Sauce

Mix. Refrigerate covered. Use within 1 month

Makes 1/3 cup sauce.


To be continued………………

(TRUST ME - I’ve got more on this!)

Fast food my way - part 1

As many of you already know -

I don't get along with fast food restaurants. Or should I say - their food doesn't get along with me. The stories I could tell you about Mc D's and BK would make you stay away from them.

And then there are the television commercials showing the most succulent, huge, mouth-watering sandwiches ever.

Don't fall for it. That is NOT what they look like.

For instance - go to Mc Donald's and order their fish sandwich. You will get a roll with a 2-inch square fish patty that is grease-soaked and hanging off one side of the bun. You will find a half slice of American cheese on the other side of the bun - but just about 1/16th of the end of it. The rest is trying to escape out of the cardboard box it is in. They try to camouflage it with gobs and gobs of tartar sauce that is just oozing all around. Guaranteed that when you pick it up - you will wear 95% of the tartar sauce on that sandwich. The amount of tartar sauce you are now wearing would fill a bottle to take home. The roll looks like they slathered a cup of oil over it as well; lift once and your fingers and hands are greased for life. After one bite you begin to call it a fish "WISH" SANDWICH - BECAUSE IT TAKES SEVERAL BITES TO FIND THE FISH ON THE ROLL! And they serve this to you with withered french fries. It's amazing how fast food joints buy fries that "wither"!

I do enjoy a nice fish sandwich, with cheese and tartar sauce, and even topped with lettuce on a nice roll.

Now this takes me to the frozen fish patties by Mrs. Paul, Van de Kamp, etc. Once again - you will end up with a 2-inch square of "mock" fish that is good for nothing. So you now have 2 choices - suffer through fish"WISH" sammies or venture out and find a solution.

So - to rectify this - I go to the barns. We've called them that all our lives - restaurant wholesalers all lined up in a row at the "barns" selling everything a restaurant could ever want.

I find a 10-pound box of 4-ounce each breaded fish fillets patties. Perfect for playing Mc D's at home. I make my own breading for fish, but there are times I just want to whip up a quick fish sammie for myself and these work out just fine. All I have to do is drizzle a baking tin with a bit of oil (of use a skillet) and cook them. They turn out much better than the deep-fried, oil-soaked morsels you get at a fast-food joint. And they really taste like fish because they are fish - not what Mc D's or BK tries to pawn off on us.

Also, I purchase my sliced American cheese there. I don't buy Kraft. Kraft has lost touch with reality. They do not know what foods are supposed to taste like. Kraft just wants the profits - so they feed the masses junk foods, full of preservatives, so over-processed that you cannot eat them. Eat enough Kraft products and you will never need to be embalmed. You're slowly doing it yourself eating their foods. And Kraft cheese is the absolute WORST cheese on the market - next to Elsie the cow from Borden.

I do not eat "plastic" cheese. It's right up there with the crappy margarine they try to pawn off on us - like we are stupid or something.

The American cheese at the barns is closer to the old-fashioned American cheese we used to get when I was little. The type of cheese that had flavor and it would crack and crumble when you folded it.

Another really lousy cheese company is Sorrento Cheese. Once again - they have ruined the recipes/formulas for Italian cheeses. Plastic Italian cheese by Sorrento. And they have the world's worse ricotta cheese as well. I am so glad that I make my own - at least I am eating a real cheese and not crap.

But - as I was starting to say in the beginning - before I got on my soapbox - today's lunch was fast food my way.

I wanted one of those luscious-looking breaded chicken sandwiches that I would be able to ingest, digest, and not pay the price for later.

After soaking my skinless boneless chicken breasts in buttermilk, I coated them with delicately seasoned bread crumbs:

homemade bread, dried and processed into crumbs
Kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
fresh minced parsley
homemade garlic powder
pinch sage

Placed on an oiled baking sheet and baked until done.

Lightly toasted a crusty Italian roll, slathered with mayonnaise and sprinkled with a pinch of my homemade dipping sauce (dry mix) and stacked with fresh leafy lettuce and thin sliced tomatoes. A nice side of assorted pickles, olives and pepperoncini - we were happy.

Now that was a GOOD sandwich. I won't be paying for it later.

While I'm at it (trust me!) -

allow me to share this with you from Netscape:

Fast Food Soda Tainted With WHAT?
Nearly half of soft drinks in fast food restaurants that are dispensed in soda fountains could be contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria, according to a study from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, report CNN and ABC News.

Led by Renee Godard, a professor of biology and environmental studies, the team sampled 90 beverages from 30 fast food restaurants in a 22-mile radius of Roanoke. Samples were taken from both self-service and employee-dispensed machines. The Hollins team contained the samples in petri dishes and the bacteria multiplied within 48 hours, so much so that they actually became visible to the naked eye as 300 to 400 tiny dots, Godard said. All types of beverages that came out of the machines were contaminated, including sugared, diet and even water.

The specific findings:


About 70 percent of the beverages had some form of bacteria.

48 percent of the beverages contained coliform bacteria.

17 percent had Chryseobacterium meningosepticum, which could sicken newborns or adults with weakened immune systems.

11 percent contained E. coli, which are mostly harmless, but some can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia.

Only 20 percent of the sodas sampled had coliform bacteria that exceeded the limit for drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
While we come into contact with bacteria every day and some of those are even good for us, one thing we don't want is E.coli in our Coke, Pepsi or 7-Up. Even though the EPA's drinking-water regulations require that all samples test negative for E.coli, many of the sodas from the tested dispensers fell below U.S. drinking water standards.

"The large number of beverages and soda fountain machines containing E. coli is still of considerable concern...and suggests that more pathogenic strains of bacteria could persist and thrive in soda fountain machines if introduced," the authors wrote in International Journal of Food.

How is the soda contaminated with bacteria? The study didn't identify the potential sources of how the bacteria were established, but Godard speculates that someone--an employee or customer--dispensed soda with a hand that was not clean. In addition, wet rags used to wipe down a machine could also transmit bacteria. Once the bacteria are on the fountain nozzle, they could grow up inside the lining of the plastic tubing and start colonizing within the machine. The plastic tubing is not routinely cleaned.


And did you know that worms grow in these tubes that are never cleaned?

Anyone for lunch at a fast food joint????

comfort food - MEATLOAF

It's so cold out there and the weather is just crappy!

The sun is shining and we've got too much ice out there. A good day to stay in and make a nice comfort food to warm the tummy!

I've got 3 lbs. ground chuck to make a nice big meatloaf. Combine beaten eggs, dry bread crumbs, salt, pepper, fresh minced parsley, fresh minced garlic, grind a bit of fennel, add tomato soup to the mix and I won't forget to add the raisins and I'm all set. I'll bake it smothered in tomato soup as well.

In our home you can have meatloaf with rice, raisins, plain, with tomato sauce in it, with tomato sauce in and on it, in gravy, in tomato soup - however you want it. I don't use fillers such as oatmeal - just meat.

But I love the taste of the tomato soup and with mashed potatoes, use some of the soup as a gravy on them. Buttered peas, homemade bread - great meal.

Of course there will be leftovers - and having an institutional sized can of tomato soup will give me soup for warming as well. Tomorrow I can serve open-faced meatloaf sammies with tomato soup over them with a nice loaded salad. E-Z cookin' for tomorrow!

I may even be able to get a couple homemade TV dinners out of this to freeze and enjoy another time!