DO YOU LIKE NOW WHAT YOU USED TO NOT LIKE?

Have you found that you now like foods that you never liked growing up?

I could not stand cooked oatmeal for breakfast when I was a kid and early adulthood. For hot cereal I only liked Cream of Wheat. If Mom made oatmeal, the only way I could eat it was to put it on my toast. I have no idea why! Now it seems really weird.

I don't know when I started liking oatmeal for breakfast. It may be when the flavored instant oatmeal packets became popular several years ago. Lately, out of need because of not buying groceries for quite awhile, I made regular quick oatmeal in the microwave and adding my own dried fruits, nuts and sweeteners and like that even better than the packets. It doesn't take any longer to make in the microwave either. The instructions on regular oatmeal for a single serving is twice the amount in the packets also, so is really enough for 2 servings if you have more people to feed. Sometimes I am hungry enough to make the whole thing, and sometimes I will cut that in half.

For sweeteners I prefer brown sugar. I am a huge fan of brown sugar anything, even right out of the bag. I have also used pancake syrup, honey, white sugar and stevia.  I try to have a variety of dried fruits on hand, and a few kinds of unsalted nuts like walnuts and pecans. I think real maple syrup would be great but I never buy it since it is more expensive.

Recently I tried something different that I found very good. Sinfully good! I made the single serving of regular oatmeal and added a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast (for added protein and vitamins) in chocolate flavor, plus the one cup milk that is needed for both the oatmeal as well as the instant breakfast powder, some dried cherries and walnuts. Yum! It tasted like a chocolate-cherry oatmeal cake or brownie with nuts, and only takes 2 minutes in the microwave.

It doesn't take long to put it all together in the morning, but if you are always rushed in the morning, you can mix the dry ingredients the night before and just add the liquid the next morning.

I never used to buy the Instant Breakfast but that was one item suggested to eat after having my knee surgeries. It is also one way to get your chocolate. However, it is not sugar free and still has calories so not necessarily a diet food. But it is really good!

This is a good breakfast for someone living alone like I am, or if you still have a spouse.

HOW DO YOU UN-FRY A CHICKEN?

 (I intended to send this out June 10 but it seems I must have forgotten to hit 'publish' as I see it is still in draft mode. See what lack of sleep does!)


I sure didn't do what I said I would. I can't seem to get my brain to 'want' to blog for awhile. It doesn't help that I rarely sleep longer than a couple hours at a time and often have to get up and watch tv because I start to toss and turn and wide awake between 2:30 to sometimes 5 or 6 AM before going back to bed and finally able to go to sleep again. That doesn't help to keep the mind from getting foggy.

I have kept busy running to doctor appointments the last few months. For one, I go to the local clinic and have a protime test every one to two weeks to check how thin my blood is since I was put on coumadin, actually warfarin is the generic name. The clinic is only 5 or 6 blocks away and takes about 15 minutes including wait time, but it does mean that I have to get out of my sloppy clothes I wear in the house, and sometimes even my PJ's, and take the time to go.

I also saw a orthopedic surgeon that specializes in knee and hip replacements and have scheduled knee replacements for both knees in the coming months. He will do one and then wait two months to do the other one, providing I have recovered well from the first. That takes place in a city 60 miles away. So between pre-op checkups and post op checkups for both surgeries, I have several more appointments to get to. Add to that, my 3 month checkups with the oncology doctor.  In 10 months I can change that to every 6 months so that will be some relief.

If any of you have had bone-on-bone joints for awhile, you probably know how it hurts to walk or stand and I am long overdue for the surgery. I wish I didn't have to wait longer but the doctor wants me to lose weight and go to physical therapy to gain some strength in my legs before the surgeries. So I finally kicked my behind and got to work on dieting again. So far I have lost 14 lbs! That brings me to this blog title about unfried chicken.

Many years ago Oprah featured her personal chef, Rosie, on her show who showed how to make unfried chicken and unfried french fries, two of Oprah's favorites. I have to agree with Oprah about the chicken. It is very good and you can find that recipe here.

I did change it up a bit this time since the doctor said to eat lots of protein and vegetables and no carbs, so I did not add the flour and breadcrumbs when I made it the other day. I also did not dip the chicken in the yogurt first since I was not breading the chicken. Instead, I just mixed all the spices together, put in a plastic bag and shook the chicken with the spices to coat each piece.

I had a package of 6 boneless chicken breasts that I used. Those breasts were so big that the total package weight 5 pounds! I had to mix up the spices about 4 times in order to cover all 6  and so they were heavily spiced, but oh-so-good! I did cut the breasts in half after they were baked and one piece was plenty for a meal. I will certainly make this again.

I have sliced a piece up and added to a green salad for a main dish and it is very good that way too. I think today I will use some of it to make a chicken vegetable soup that is included in the diet plan I am using.

Until next time . . . . .

MMM.. . . MMM. . . .GOOD!!

Do you need something quick, easy and delicious to serve with coffee to your friends or family? Have I got a treat for you! Only 6 ingredients and 5 minutes needed to make it, and 40-45 minutes to bake, for a piece of heaven. Quick, easy and delicious. . . . my kind of recipe.

I just tried this recipe today and it is a keeper for sure. For my Dutch friends who love almond patties, this tastes a lot like them, without the flaky pastry. You gotta give this a try.

5-MINUTE ALMOND CAKE

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract (I use Watkins)
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
Powdered sugar (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Melt butter in glass bowl in microwave. Using a fork, beat the eggs into butter. Add the flour, sugar and almond extract and mix well. Pour into a small (8-inch) pie plate or an 8-inch cake pan and sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using. Serves 8.

No mistake, there is no leavening in this recipe. And when it says 'pour' into pie plate, I think it should read 'spread' as the batter is thick. I did not add the powdered sugar on top as it is sweet enough and I think is only used for appearance, plus I didn't feel like going back out to the pantry to find the powdered sugar. I thought I had put plenty of sliced almonds on top but after baking I wish I had added more because I love nuts (all kinds, even human ones).

Naturally I had to have a piece right away to see if it was any good, so it was still warm, and I love it that way!

Come have a cup of coffee with me as I go have another slice. I will share.