Sunday cat...... Whiskers

This is Whiskers. You can't see them but he has the biggest white whiskers.
When we had the last cool spell wife had the comforter in the back to be washed to be put up for the summer. The cats loved to snuggle down in it.
Whiskers was an outside kitten but after his mom and siblings disappeared, one a week. We felt if he was to survive we had to bring him in. Wife was real upset because his brother Marbles was her fav (Black of course). I was also upset because we had just had them all fixed two weeks earlier. We think some one trapped them but don't know what they did with them. Wife was really upset for weeks.

Chicken Pita Sandwich

This was a quick sandwich
Just get some pita bread and we use
2 chicken breast
season with salt and pepper and what ever seasoning you like sometimes we use Emerils or Paul Proudhomme seasonings.
cook in skillet with a little oil and then chop up.
We had some cilantro lime mayo we used (recipe on side bar)
chopped red onion,celery,lettuces and cherry tomatoes. You could add cucumber but I do not like that so I always leave it out.
And a little of your favorite cheese on top.

Steak rub

Ramona this is one hubby would like.
We got lucky and found some T-bone steaks on sale or marked down and thought what the heck is been years since we splurged for a T bone.
I get to eat out when I'm on the road and have been to Outback and really like the seasoning on their steaks so I found this one on the net and its pretty good.
This was so much steak that we had it for three days. Or eyes were bigger than our stomach.LOL
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
8 teaspoons salt (we used a lot less and a lot depends on what salt you use. Kosher and sea salt is not as salty as the box salt so may just want to taste test the amount here)
Mix all together and rub on to steak. This is also good on hambugers.
Grill
We always grill some Polk's sausage and threw a few shrimp in the barbie also. Rounded out with sweet potatoes and califower.
Yum Yum

Cold Slaw

I'm pretty sure everyone has their own favorite cold slaw recipe. I like it tart or sour and wife likes hers sweet. Most of the time its not so sweet.
And since its just us we do not use a whole head of cabbage. We use the other half later.
1/2 cabbage grated
3-4 baby carrots grated (you can add more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon mayo and Yogurt(we are trying to use more yogurt)
more if needed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
garlic powder,Greek seasonings and dash of cayenne to taste.

Fried Corn

The grocery had some corn on sale and it;s been since last summer since we had fresh corn that I could not resist. I felt it would go good with our BBQ dinner along with some cold slaw.
It has been a long time since I fried corn we have been using it in other recipes so I thought I would do an old stand by.
This is so easy and I forgot how good it can taste.
Since it is just the two of us we only used 2 ears sweet bio colored corn.
Cut it off the cob
we used our good old black cast iron skillet(reminds us of our grand mothers cooking)
a little bacon grease
butter
cream or half and half
a little water as needed
heat bacon grease and cover skillet
add corn and stir it around to coat if corn is thick add a little water.
but in a bit of butter (abut 2 tablespoons)
Cover and let corn simmer over low heat
You do need to keep and eye on it and stir it till it thickens.
We also garnished with cilantro.

Sunday Cat tree

Here are some of our babies enjoying their time in the cat tree.

Smoked Pork Butts

We had these two pork butts and needed to cook them so we got out the smoker before it got to hot and cooked these babies up. We have several cups put up in the freezer now so we can just pull out and eat a good BBQ sandwich when it is hotter. Of course we like the Sweet Baby Rays sauce and have several different ones. For how we cooked this see smoked meats or 7/30/10 post. It is an all day event but well worth it.
I must say we were ready to eat when it was finished.

Sunday Cats

The space at the back door is at a premium when it is warm enough to open. Unfortunately it has seemed to jumped into summer and there are only a few days to open the door. They have a huge front porch but they seem to like the view of the back yard better. Baby boy(Casper)aganist the door Look how huge Sstinker is next to him and Sweetie Pie is on the left.
Just to let everyone know we have been under a boil water notice since April 26 and was just released on the 4 so we have been living on sandwiches and stuff so that we did not have much to clean up. This past weekend we were back and will post new food all next week.

Cinco de Mayo

I guess in honer of Cinco de Mayo (Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day)but a celebration of the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry.
But we are always looking for a party and we love the food.
Our favorite salsa 623/08
mexican beef casserole 3/18/11,
wet buritto 5/11/09
mexican cornbread 1/11/08

Breakfast

Its been a while since we had a bird in the nest so that was on the menu this weekend. Its real easy take a glass and make a whole in your bread we toast it a little first. then crack the egg in the bread hole and cook. We have been adding a little turmeric to our oil so our eggs are looking really yellow. Wife read that the turmeric helps with reducing cholesterol. Every little bit helps. We are still under a boil water notice but is nothing compared to those affected by the tornadoes.

Sunday Cats Casper update

Well our baby boy has been out of his collar of shame for a month now. We are giving him a pill everyday that's like a benadryle. He is still cleaning a little to much for wife's taste but his bald spots are healing. Believe me he looked in terrible shape with all the raw spots on him.

Wife looked up on net and found info some cats develop grain allergies.
We do not know if the science diet light they had been eating changed the formula or what but opening the bag all you could smell is corn. Sooooo.. we took up all the food and went to can only. Now with our brood this was a big step. Think litter box.
Believe it or not after a few days there was less litter box mess and less water consumption.(at lest that's what wife said.) One side note is all the big fat cats are losing weight!

Since the boil water notice has been on we did get some dry food to put down and it is Wilderness by Blue Buffalo that has no grain. Very expensive but they love it. It is intended as a treat not full time.

Here is Casper squeezed by the window. You can see his bald spot filling in. He is so happy to be out of the room with Ms T and have the run of the house again.

Pineapple Casserole

We would like to thank Deep South for this little gem. Here is the site for the recipe. http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2011/04/ritz-cracker-baked-pineapple-casserole.html
Go visit her site as she does have some yum dishes over there.
My wife's mother is from Houma La. and she loves to go look at her site. Now her mother cooks some things a little different but its all good.

1 20 oz and
1 8 oz can of crushed pineapple
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese and
1/2 cup of the cheese to top
1/2 stick butter cut in thin pieces

Preheat oven to 350
We used a 9 .5" pie Pyrex dish lightly greased with butter.
Crush crackers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin and set aside.
take the can of pineapple and drain the juice in a sauce pan add sugar.
Cook over medium high heat stirring till sugar melts and a syrup forms. This took about 20 minutes all I can say is eyeball it.
Now add pineapple and sir till blended.
Pour 1/2 of pineapple mixture in dish top with 1 cup of crushed crackers place 1/2 of butter slices on top and sprinkle 1 cup cheese.
Repeat layers reserve last 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes till bubbly. Remove and place last cheese on top and place in oven till cheese is melted. Melt in your mouth goodness.

Bad weather

Just want to say we are praying and thinking of everyone who has been threw this latest tornado outbreak.

Wife was watching live streaming on line of Birmingham as that's where her family lives as it was hitting Birmingham. Her sister in Pinson had debris from T town in her yard. They are all ok but for my mother in law it was just to close for her. The pictures are just hard to believe.

Here in our little town we were spared but it was all around us. WE have to boil water and we had to throw a bunch of stuff out from the refrigerator as the electricity was out over 6 hours. We are just glad to have water and a home. With that said I thought I would post a list of stuff we got from USDA. We were out over 8hours so we had to throw a good bit away. SO we hope to be better prepared as hurricane season is coming.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/keeping_food_safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp

Always keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40 °F and frozen food at or below 0 °F. This may be difficult when the power is out.

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
When to Save and When to Throw It Out
FOOD Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD
Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes
Discard
Thawing meat or poultry Discard
Meat, tuna, shrimp,chicken, or egg salad Discard
Gravy, stuffing, broth Discard
Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef Discard
Pizza – with any topping Discard
Canned hams labeled "Keep Refrigerated" Discard
Canned meats and fish, opened Discard
CHEESE
Soft Cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco
Discard
Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano Safe
Processed Cheeses Safe
Shredded Cheeses Discard
Low-fat Cheeses Discard
Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar) Safe
DAIRY
Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk
Discard
Butter, margarine Safe
Baby formula, opened Discard
EGGS
Fresh eggs, hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products
Discard
Custards and puddings Discard
CASSEROLES, SOUPS, STEWS Discard
FRUITS
Fresh fruits, cut
Discard
Fruit juices, opened Safe
Canned fruits, opened Safe
Fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates Safe
SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS
Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish
Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hrs.
Peanut butter Safe
Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles Safe
Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, Hoisin sauces Safe
Fish sauces (oyster sauce) Discard
Opened vinegar-based dressings Safe
Opened creamy-based dressings Discard
Spaghetti sauce, opened jar Discard
BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES,PASTA, GRAINS
Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas
Safe
Refrigerator biscuits,rolls, cookie dough Discard
Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes Discard
Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette Discard
Fresh pasta Discard
Cheesecake Discard
Breakfast foods –waffles, pancakes, bagels Safe
PIES, PASTRY
Pastries, cream filled
Discard
Pies – custard,cheese filled, or chiffon; quiche Discard
Pies, fruit Safe
VEGETABLES
Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices
Safe
Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged Discard
Vegetables, raw Safe
Vegetables, cooked; tofu Discard
Vegetable juice, opened Discard
Baked potatoes Discard
Commercial garlic in oil Discard
Potato Salad

Chicken Scaloppine

This recipe comes from ehow.com
We have a bunch of chicken and like to find new ways to fix it. And this was another winner and we will make it again.

two chicken breast boneless
3 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
cooking spray
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 lb mushrooms sliced
4-5 green onions thinly sliced
capers (optional but they do add a burst of flavor we liked it)
rice or pasta we used pasta
(Note.....we felt this needed a little ummph so we added a little garlic and red pepper flakes.to taste)

Cut chicken into 1/2 to 2 inch pieces
in large skillet use cooking spray add oil and place over med high heat.
Cook chicken till until pinkness is gone.
Add onions and mushrooms,capers and cook for about 2 minutes stirring to get onions and mushrooms heated.
Add wine or chicken broth, and lemon to skillet bringing to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
Serve over pasta or rice

Chicken tenders

Who has not tried Cracker Barrel's chicken tenders. Wife loves them so we found a copy cat recipe and gave it a try. Well it was close but still missing something.
Now we did cook in skillet instead of grilling but the taste was a little off. Most people in the comment sections said they were better grilled. Maybe a splash of teriyaki sauce would do the trick and a little red pepper flakes. Any way they were good with a hot biscuit and easy and quick for a week night. We also did half of the recipe just for the two of us.

1lb ck tenders
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 1/2 honey

Mix dressing lime,chicken and honey in plastic bag and marinate for one hour.
Cook in pan or on grill until golden brown.