Author Archives: Wendy Lee

Leather and Lace

The 11th of each month leaves me listening to this song. Not one has gone by yet that I’ve missed. This 11th marks 17 months since Michael passed away. We spent our early times together in the establishment I worked in…mainly a Karaoke bar…listening to the DJ’s serenading us with this song we requested. It spoke to us and we loved to hear it, dance to it…and sometimes Mike would sing it….and I use “sing” loosely!!! It evolved into a song that when on the job site, Michael would hear this song (as he often would with his classic radio stations blaring!) and immediately call me. When I would answer, there was no “hello”…just music in the background until the song ended. And if I couldn’t answer, I would get the voicemail that played the whole song to me.

I found this rendition tonight. I thought it was beautiful. Not only because this song is so special to me, but because I get to hear this song I love in a new way. My love and hurt is still there…but different now. This composition of Leather and Lace is a perfect expression of that.

Oven Fried Buttermilk Chicken…a kid pleaser for sure!!

I got this recipe from Chow.com and have made it several times.  Super easy and delicious if you love fried chicken!  Paired with corn on the cob and cranberry sauce…everyone was happy!  The buttermilk soak makes the chicken so tender and juicy.  I was actually able to soak this Friday night and cooked it according to the recipe the next day.  I packaged it when cooled in an airtight container in the fridge.  Tonight when I got home (Monday night) I heated it in the oven preheated to 375 for about 25 minutes while the corn was steaming.  Dinner was on the table in 1/2 an hour…Perfect!

My photo from tonight:

Image

Oven-Fried Buttermilk Chicken Recipe

 
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 50 mins, plus 12 hrs marinating time | Makes: 4 servings

 

Ideal for a picnic, this crispy cornflake-coated chicken needs no utensils to be enjoyed. Marinating it overnight in rich buttermilk and a heaping dose of hot sauce makes for moist, flavorful, tender chicken with a kick of spice.

What to buy: Kellogg’s Corn Flake Crumbs are the perfect size for coating chicken. If you can’t find them, you can use 5 cups of cornflake cereal and process it in the food processor until finely ground, or place it in a plastic bag and crush the flakes with a rolling pin.

Game plan: If you cook the chicken just before leaving on your picnic, transport it warm, uncovered, in a basket lined with paper towels and foil. If you make it a day ahead, let it cool, then refrigerate it overnight. Pack the cold chicken in a plastic container lined with parchment paper.

The chicken needs to marinate overnight, so start this recipe a day in advance.

 

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
  • 3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
  • 4 bone-in chicken drumsticks, skin removed
  • 1 1/4 cups Kellogg’s Corn Flake Crumbs or 5 cups finely ground cornflake cereal
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Combine the buttermilk, garlic, hot sauce, measured salt and pepper, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl and stir until evenly combined. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and transfer it to a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate 12 hours, turning once.
  2. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Fit a wire rack inside a baking sheet and set it aside.
  3. Place the Corn Flake Crumbs in a shallow dish and season generously with salt and pepper. Remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk marinade, letting the excess drip off, and place it in the Corn Flake Crumbs, turning to coat completely and pressing the crumbs onto the chicken to adhere. Set the chicken aside on a cutting board and repeat with the remaining pieces. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the chicken pieces and transfer them to the rack on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. Bake until golden and crispy and a thermometer inserted into the chicken (but not touching the bone) registers 165°F, about 35 minutes.

Beverage pairing: Agrapart & Fils Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, France. Champagne is a great match for fried chicken, oven or otherwise, for three reasons. One, the bubbles just seem to go wonderfully with the texture of the batter. Two, the lemony flavor complements the chicken. And three, there’s the pleasure of the high-low: Champagne for chicken, not caviar.

Busy Moms need a plan…

Yes, busy Moms need a plan.  As a single Mom who works two jobs and has three children at home…I definitely need a lot of plans.  First and foremost, I need a menu planned for the week and a grocery list built off of the menu.  My menu is generally compiled with three things in mind; what’s already in my pantry, what’s on sale, and what the kids are begging for as a dinner idea.  Those three things in addition to keeping it quasi healthy and to continue to introduce different vegetables to the kids.  It usually takes me hours to make the list and execute the shopping.  I am hoping by posting my menu ideas here it will help me with my planning down the road and minimize the time commitment for me in the future!!!

This week’s Menu follows…however, as much as I plan, I usually sway off the meal plan one night a week due to varying reasons.  Lets see how I do now that I have put it to print!  (Please note that I do not add a lot of whole grain to my meals as my kids are all grazers and get enough of that with sandwiches and snacks…usually whole grain breads or crackers of some sort. I myself am trying to limit the gluten in my diet just for weight maintenance reasons.)

My Week:

Beef Fajitas with Chipotle Sauce  (for the little guy I will serve the sliced beef with cut up cucumbers and yogurt)

Oven Fried Buttermilk Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Cranberry-sauce

Apple Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Cauliflower

Lightened up Chicken Broccoli Alfredo with a Caesar Salad

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons served with Carrot Sticks

Egg Salad Sandwiches With Melon Wedges

I will add recipes throughout the week for this menu.  Tonight’s meal? The Beef Fajitas.  I had a New York Sirloin in the freezer that was on sale a week or two ago…it was soooo tender!  The kids gobbled this up, although they opted for regular sour cream as opposed to my spicy lightened up version.  I had a mini margarita to accompany my little Mexican dish. Every one was happy!

Image

Beef Fajitas with Chipotle Sauce

Serves 6

This needs to be started earlier in the day or the night before to properly marinate the beef.

The marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients and put into resealable bag. Add beef and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

————————————–

The Fajitas:

2-3 lbs beef.  I used NY Sirloin and it was Fab.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 flour tortillas

Shredded Cheddar and Chipotle Sauce (recipe follows) for serving

Take the marinated beef out of the fridge and let come to room temperature…about 20-30 minutes. Broil the marinated steak in the oven for about 7 minutes per side or until desired temperature.  Transfer to cutting board and after letting rest for 5 minutes, slice the steak into very thin strips.

While the steak is broiling, heat the olive oil in large saute pan.  Add onions and peppers and stir, coating them with the olive oil.  Add the chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper and continue to stir well over medium high heat until onions are nicely browned and peppers are tender (about 10 minutes).

Warm the tortillas per package directions.  Pile the veggies and beef on a platter and let everyone assemble the fajitas with the cheese and chipotle sauce and devour them!!

Chipotle Sauce

Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce (canned)

1/2 Cup Light Sour Cream

Take one pepper out of the can and cut into a very small dice.  Add to sour cream and stir well.  Serve and enjoy! (Warning…a bit of heat!!)

I couldn’t agree with this more…

I read this article with tears streaming down my face.  The comments that followed made me ill.  People were disagreeing with the author…belittling addiction and that it is someone’s free will to stop drinking/drugging.  Clearly these folks have never been touched by the disease of addiction.  I have.  I have seen a man deteriorate before my eyes.  Anyone who knew him saw the way he looked at his children and the way he spoke of them.  Given the chance not to live in his hell and be here right now to watch them grow…I have no doubt that is 100% what he’d do.  Right on Corrigan.

Corrigan Vaughan

PhD student and pop culture blogger for ElectricFeast.com

A Note About Philip Seymour Hoffman: Addiction Is Not Selfish

Posted: 04/02/2014 09:30
Philip Seymour Hoffman
 P

hilip Seymour Hoffman’s death is the worst. Seriously. In much the same way that Chris Kelly’s was. Or Cory Monteith’s. And if you’re now looking at me like I’m crazy for even using Hoffman and Monteith in the same article, hear me out: It’s not because they were equal talents. Your opinion on that probably depends on whether you’re 15 or 35. This is not about losing one of the greatest talents of our time. Their deaths are horrific because they died alone, victims of an incredibly lonely disease. And what’s worse, they didn’t have to be alone. Loving significant others, loving children, admiration from everyone around them- if they could, I’m sure they would have chosen those things.

My dad was my biggest fan. He was the biggest fan of all of his kids. I was probably the only one who realised it, and I understand why. But when he died, wasted away and a shell of his former self after a lethal fall, the only possessions he had were photos of us and letters we’d written him decades ago. He would have liked to have been at our sporting events and our graduations, but instead he was drinking himself to death in a second-floor apartment in my hometown, bipolar disorder only adding immediacy to the fatal inevitabilities of his alcoholism. Anyone who thinks dying from an overdose is selfish has a weird idea of what an addict wants out of life. There comes a point at which drinking, drug use, all that – they’re not fun anymore. Philip Seymour Hoffman wasn’t out partying. He was alone in his bathroom, compelled. Cory Monteith in his hotel room. Chris Kelly in his living room. All the money in the world, all the adoring fans in the world, and, to see the comments people make on their deaths, they were selfish assholes who chose drugs over the people who loved them.

I guarantee that every time Hoffman put that needle in his arm, he felt guilty. He felt conflicted. He craved that high that would take the pain away, but knew the pain he caused himself and those around him every time he took a hit.

We all have destructive habits. If we’re lucky, it’s watching too much TV when it’s inhibiting our productivity, or looking at porn when we think it’s a sin, or lying, cheating, overeating. If we’re lucky, our addictions won’t kill us. The majority of us can go through a partying phase and then grow up, settle down, and put down the sauce. But for an unfortunate group, the need to keep going becomes as pervasive as the need to eat or sleep. And we call them selfish, as if they would prefer to be a slave to the thing that’s ruining everything good in their lives.

When tragedies like these deaths happen to celebrities, they should be a wake-up call for the rest of us. If someone who has everything going for them can be so horribly enslaved to what they know could kill them, imagine what it’s like for the average addict. Addiction is bigger than class, race, religion, or any other factor that one might hope would reduce its captive hold. Succumbing to it isn’t selfish. It’s horribly sad and extremely difficult to prevent, even though it is, in theory, preventable. The way we talk about a celebrity who ODs says a lot about the way we think about people who are struggling around us. It’s time we tried to understand struggles we don’t endure ourselves. It’s called empathy, and we could all use a lot more of it.

This post originally appeared on Electric Feast.

Wendy’s California Style Eggs Bennie

Image

I have been taking a little blog break the last month or two.  I am bouncing in my head how to capture the adventures of the weeks over the holidays…but I am still not sure which angle to take in purging it here.  So, until then I figured sharing a recipe would be a safe way to ease back in to my writing. (Not to mention I have been hounded for this recipe since posting the food porn picture to Facebook!)

It was a snow day and I was home with the kids.  I made their traditional breakfast sandwich.  English muffins, egg, ham and cheese (Zzzzz). Same way I’d been making it for years.  After a few trips to the fridge while assembling breakfast, ingredients kept jumping out at me and I started to get a hankering for something a little more than the boring sandwich my kids were happily gobbling up.  This was going to be my fist attempt at Eggs Benedict. But with a twist.  With all my years cooking I had never even poached an egg!!  Easy peasy. The sauce was more involved than I had expected, but definitely worth it!! I have to say, when ordering it in a restaurant, I NEVER eat more than half and I always take the rest home for the dog.  Not this time…I ate the whole thing!  Then I couldn’t help but take a long winter’s nap!

I will definitely be making this again when I want a treat!  I will work on a lighter version in the near future for those of us who like to watch the calorie intake.  And for those of you who don’t…stick with this!  Yum!

Wendy’s California Style Eggs Bennie

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the hollandaise sauce:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (I know…YIKES! Let this be a splurge day!)

6 large egg yolks (Yikes again!)

1/2 cup boiling water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Pinch black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

For the eggs benedict:

2 eggs, poached (recipe and tips following)

2 English muffins, split, toasted and buttered

4 slices thin sliced deli honey ham (I used Inspiration wildflower honey ham…delish)

4 avocado slices, 1/4 inch thick

4 tomato slices, 1/4 inch thick

2 slices Provolone, cut in 1/2

For garnish:  Sea salt, scallions, black pepper

Instructions:

For the hollandaise sauce:

1. In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water set on medium heat, whisk the butter and egg yolks together until smooth.

2. Very…very slowly, add the 1/2 cup boiling water to the mixture, whisking constantly.  (You do not want the eggs to cook).

3. Whisking constantly, heat the mixture until it is thickened and reads 160 degrees on your instant-read thermometer.  (It took mine about 10 minutes or so).

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

5. Gently whisk in the lemon juice, black pepper, garlic salt, sea salt, cayenne and nutmeg.  Serve warm.

6.  To assemble the Eggs Benedict: Place the 1/2 slice cheese on top of the toasted English muffin.  Warm the ham slices in a fry pan and place one slice on top of the cheese. Top with avocado, then tomato and poached egg.  Lightly (or not !!) drizzle the hollandaise sauce over top.  Garnish with fresh scallions, salt, and pepper, if using.

Tip:

For poaching the eggs add a teaspoon of vinegar to the just boiling water.  I used rice vinegar, but I am told you can use any type.  This helps hold the egg together while cooking. Use the top lid of a mason jar and drop that into the gently boiling water. Carefully crack the egg into a teacup and then hold the cup at the water’s surface and carefully put the egg in the water over the mason jar lid.  The egg should settle right into the lid. Cover the pan and remove from the heat and let sit for four minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop the egg and lid out of the water and remove the lid from the egg. A perfectly round and perfectly cooked poached egg! Ta da!!

***”F” IT!!!!***

wordp

I have been craving to blog lately…it’s been a while…a long while…too long.  I have a few blog ideas dancing around in my mind, but none are complete and a few are mildly inappropriate.  One is definitely inappropriate.  So, while I complete my ideas before putting them to print…or cleaning them up before publishing, I thought I would post one of my favorite Facebook posts from last July.  It rewarded me with the most heartfelt and inspiring comments and personal messages.  Those words people wrote kept me pushing forward and healing.  I admit there have been many steps back in the last 6 months…but at the end of the day, I am a little further ahead than I was yesterday.  Here it goes:

From July 10th, 2013:

***”F” IT!!!!*** Okay, I’ll explain….Here we are. It’s the 10th of the month. Which is not monumental…except for the fact that the past nine months it’s a day I spend dreading that the NEXT day marks another month since we said goodbye to Michael…since we last saw him living. September 11th. The 11th is the monumental day….but the 10th is usually spent worrying about getting through the 11th. This month feels different for me, though. Why? “F” it. The F’s in my life. Faith. My faith in God has been there for me and the love of God for me NEVER fails…not only that, it gets stronger. Next, Friends and Family. I am in awe of the support and love I have felt from them (you) over this past year. My cheering sections and uplifting words of encouragement when I felt I was failing. Time devoted to me that I am so grateful for. Even the “likes” and “comments” can mean so much!! And next, Fitness. My “me” time and natural anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and just all over feel good about myself remedy. My body is feeling strong, which makes my mind and soul feel much stronger now. And finally, Future. I feel like this time healing has allowed me to realize that I not only have the past memories, the present pain…but a future full of unknown new memories…good ones…and I’m sure some bad… But I look forward to them. So,”F” IT!!!

In the thick of hand-me-down Hell…

In the thick of hand-me-down Hell...

I worked last night and did not put the kids to bed. There was a sitter at the house, but I had to guess Mackenzie was instrumental in putting Bray down for the night. The telling signs were that I first had to hurdle over stuffed animals and babies that had been “tucked in” and scattered about  the room when I went in to check on him when I got home. Second, was his attire when I got him out of his crib this morning. Thankfully, he didn’t escape the house in his “Big Sister” shirt, but it sure put a smile on my face and gave me a few chuckles throughout the morning.

I’m sure he’ll get her back someday…especially after he discovers the pictures of himself in the make-up and tiara we have hidden away!

I have distinct memories of having to wear multi-colored striped bell bottoms lovingly handed down through three sisters of mine and then on to me.  They were very stylish when my sisters wore them…in the 70’s.  By the time I got them it was the 80’s.  The time of Jordache and Sasson. Not striped bell bottoms.  Anyone out there have any similar clothing calamity or other hand-me-down horror stories?

“It’s all about…

“It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self love deficit.” ~ Eartha Kitt

As this “List things people don’t know about you” game is circulating around Facebook, I have been fascinated at not only what people are writing about themselves, but writing about myself as well!!  I started thinking, “Am I that self-indulgent” that I loved taking on the task so much and I am actually itching to do it again with a whole new set personal stats??!!

I came across this quote and it dawned on me.  I have spent the last two years restoring my love for myself.  Restoring my self-worth.  Up until then I had become someone who second guessed every action and every word that came out of my mouth…the inevitable side effects of living with a partner that has an addiction for many years.  Being questioned and doubted and inadequately treated for quite some time takes its toll and eventually you start to do the same thing to yourself.

I am happy to say that taking this time to focus on myself (and obviously my children) I am restoring that self confidence and self-worth and have taken the time to fall in love with myself for the first time.  Not in a selfish or narcissistic way, but a respectful love in knowing that there are positives and negatives about me.  It’s what makes me…me!  I think that’s where this list comes into play…I love looking at my good, my bad, my uniqueness, my shortcomings.  And I adore reading about others’ admissions of themselves.

So all this time by myself without a partner, the self love deficit is being satisfied.  Work in progress…but definitely in the right direction.

Now, can we get back to my next list???

Chicken soup for MY Soul…

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” 
― A.A. Milne

I have to say, I am so very blessed to have so many friends and family in my life that build me up, create a confidence in me when I am beginning to waiver and have me believing in myself when there seems no reason to.  When I feel like I am about to give up, unknowingly they come along and pat me on the back giving me praise to keep me going.  Sometimes it’s just a few words to put a smile on my face.  Sometimes it’s literally “lifting me up”! I have to thank God for placing them there for me at those very moments.

 I’ve had more than one person say to me recently that they felt so terrible that bad things keep on happening to me.  I was taken back because that’s not how I feel at all.  This world is filled with bad and good.  They both touch us all at times.  All of us.  No matter what has been going on around me there has never been once that I haven’t felt taken care of, loved on or lifted up. 

I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve the showering of blessings that rain on me, but I pray for it to continue.

 

 

Ditchin’ the Bitchin’

We all have that friend (I may be using that term loosely) that complains about everything, right? I know I have a few.  And since the introduction of Facebook, we get to be exposed to it even more.  Thankfully there is a “block” and “unfriend” button for those that go overboard.  I am pleased to say that I am not that person, or so I thought.  We all complain from time to time, things suck sometimes and for us chatty people, we are going to share it with you.  I always like to think of myself as a positive person.  I see the upside of things and like to compliment people regularly.  That’s why I was so shocked that when I did this exercise at just how much I do still whine and complain.  It was a while ago that I was first introduced to this lesson, but felt that after my ride to work this morning and all the profanities that were flying out of my mouth, it was time to re-visit.  

The rule is you cannot complain about anything or anyone for 24 hours.  Nothing.  Not the jerk who cut you off, not the kid who will not stop whining, not the teenager who bagged the milk with your now squashed bread.  I’d love to hear your feedback…even after the first hour.  It’s not as easy as you think.

On your mark, get set, go!