Category: food

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chili cold weather Cooking food Uncategorized

Chili..did I do this already??

Batman Says:

Ask Peach how much I dislike cold weather, she will roll her eyes and expound on the subject. The only benefit I see to cold weather is Chili, that’s right, food.

Chili for us is a staple food but to be honest it was for years an occasional cold weather food, that was until I developed Batman’s “World Famous Chili” at that point it became a “anytime we want” food. Oh I hear the naysayers “world famous my tuckus” (that’s polite for the north end of a southbound animal). Well I’m here to tell ya, just cause you ain’t heered or tasted it, don’t mean it ain’t world famous someplace!

There are a bazillion of chili recipes out there so I’m not divulging mine, but I will tell ya it has meat, beans, maters (thems tomato’s), salt pepper onions and a bit of this and that, slow cooked in a cast iron (Lodge) pot and left alone until you can’t stand it and gotta sample. We have used hamburger, turkey, and stew meats, venison and all wind up making your tongue want to do a dance inside your mouth and whistle Dixie upon tasting them. Some people make chili without beans, why I am not sure, but they swear it’s really good, I’m gonna “give it a miss” thank you, without beans, it’s just tomato coated meat. But as someone said someplace, sometime ago “each their own” I guess that goes for chili also. Something about the smell of chili slowly bubbling away on the stove, and the aroma slowly winding its way into every room of the house, transports my tired old self back to younger times and I really like that feeling. Good Food really is good for the soul at times.

Anywho, I’m gettin a bowl, and settling down to eat, y’all try and stay warm out there, and if you smell chili, stop on in and have a cup or bowl.

“We got any of those saltines Peach, and where’s my blanket?”

Categories
Cooking food gravy kitchen Life Uncategorized

Couple Recipes

Batman says:

Been tinkerin in the kitchen recently and figured I’d share what I have come up with, pull up a knife and fork and give it a try, I do not think you will be too disappointed.

Peach and I try and eat healthy, I know “fried” is a supposed unhealthy way to cook, but we like it, if you don’t, try the next one šŸ˜¬

Fried Pork Cutlets

4 Cutlets

Salt

Pepper

Red Pepper

Creole seasoning

Egg wash

Panco bread crumbs

Skillet

Oil

Gravy

1/2 Tbsp butter

1/2 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup milk

salt

Pepper

Put cutlet in egg wash

Put in bread crumbs

Salt and pepper again one side

Put in 1/4 inch oil in skillet salted side down

Salt, pepper other side

Cook till 159-160 deg temp

Rest on plate let carry over cook rest of way

Gravy

Melt butter

Add flour,

mix

Add milk

Cook till gravy thickens

Put over cutlets and munch

Nice glass of Yellow tail “Big Bold Red” wine goes good with it.

Ok, so the next will be fried too..*shrug*

Chicken Fried Steak

4 cube steaks (about 1/3 lb each)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided

1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt, divided

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk/or cream

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, baking soda, and baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper. Set aside.

In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together milk/ or cream, and eggs. Set aside.

Pat cube steaks dry with a paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible. Season with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes and pat dry again with paper towel

Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dredge in the milk/or cream-egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and then once again in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. 

Place breaded cube steaks on a sheet pan or metal rack and press any of the remaining flour mixture into the cube steaks making sure that the entire steak is completely coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 225 to 250 F.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. How much oil you need depends on the size of your skillet. You want it to be about 1/4-inch deep. We aren’t deep frying the steaks, just shallow frying. 

Test the oil by dropping a bit of the breading into in. The oil should sizzle and bubble around the breading. Look for the oil to be glistening but not smoking – about 320-340 degrees F. Now we’re ready to fry.

Place two steaks into the pan at a time and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Do not flip more than once or the breading will fall off. Do not fry more than two steaks or the pan will be too crowded and the breading will fall off. 

Remove steaks from pan and drain on paper towels. Place in preheated oven to stay warm till the gravy (use same from above recipe if you want) is done.

Serve and consume with vigor

These are my own making, bits and pieces are taken from other recipes I have seen or heard, but I add things and make them my own. Which by the way, I hope you all do and make them “your” own, as we all like tinkering and coming up with good stuff to share.

“Thanks Peach for the grilled cheese and tomato soup, you know it’s my favorite”

Categories
family food health life styles

Batmanā€™s Lamb Chops

At the risk of being accused of pilfering someoneā€™s recipe (which actually I didnā€™t) and if it resembles yours I do apologize but it just popped into my frond (Stargate SG1 reference, means head) today while contemplating a way to cook lamb chops in a skillet.

Most important is the skillet, it has to be cast iron and it has to be LODGE (has to!) my momma used LODGE, my grand mom used LODGE, and I am sure on down the line my family used LODGE. They make the best cast iron anything. Not sure if I mentioned this or not USE LODGE CAST IRON.

Ok so letā€™s start with the recipe:

1/4 cup or so, freshly chopped rosemary

5 cloves garlic, minced

kosher salt

black pepper

2 lb.small lamb chops

1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Combine rosemary and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Press lamb chops into mixture on a plate and rest a couple minutes on a plate.

In a large skillet (use LODGE if I didnā€™t mention that earlier) over medium heat, heat oil, add lamb chops, cook 4-5 minutes per side (times vary) until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let remove from skillet (LODGE) and let rest for 5 minutes, then give thanks to God for the meal, the day, and your life, then commence to consume with vigor.

You can if you wish heat the pan again to medium, stir in 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth and de-glaze the skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon to get the brown yummy bits off the bottom (the French have a name for these bits, but I donā€™t remember it and if I did, I would probably misspell it) reduce the liquid by half stirring occasionally. Once reduced, add 2 TBSP butter and stir till thickens a bit and pour over chops as a pan sauce.

This recipe came about as a result of a grocery shopping trip with Peach (she lets me actually go inside the store sometimes) where we were trying to find an alternative meat to chicken (before you sputter it out, I know chicken is not meat, let it go). Pork chops are one choice, fish, turkey (seriously, donā€™t go there I know). We had stumbled on lamb chops about a month ago and so we got a couple more chops during this trip. If yā€™all know of other alternatives, let me know! Peach and I will try them (Wait!! Not liver, I know of no way on this good earth to cook liver that will make it taste good, sorry but ainā€™t gonna happen).

Food experiments have always been something I like doing, and this recipe is probably a combination of numerous dishes we have made over the years. If it sounds like your recipe, donā€™t write me and say bad things, I freely admit I could have taken parts from many recipes, but as far as I know, itā€™s all outta my noggin.

Sorry got off on a side road there…lamb, if not over cooked is really flavorful and tender and served with the right sides it can make an awesome supper. Peach and I had it with Brussels sprouts, cooked in butter, salt and pepper. The meal was outstanding, and the cost of the lamb was well within reason. Anyways, feel free to try it, add/subtract ingredients, see what you think. If you feel like it, share the recipes on here and we will try it.

Last things…if I didnā€™t mention it before use LODGE cast iron, and no I have no affiliation with LODGE cast iron, I just really believe they make the best cast iron stuff, AND itā€™s made here in the USA.

Bony AppletitešŸ˜¬

This is a repost of one I did last year I think

 

 

Categories
food health life styles Uncategorized

New Trend

Batman says:

Peach and I discovered the next new “Buzz” word or new trend.. laugh now, but you watch and see..

We were working together in the kitchen as we are wont to do from time to time and needed some herbs, as luck would have it we happen to be growing fresh Thyme, Rosemary and Basil, and as bad luck would have it, it was out on the front deck in the pouring rain. So out I go and cut off what we need and come back inside and between the two of us being silly, we discovered the new trend that I’m sure will pop up all over once discovered.

“Rain washed Herbs”

Are your herbs rained washed? If not you’re doing it wrong! Imagine all the new age people and others with their herbs rushing to plant them outdoors where they can be rain washed instead of using tap water.

šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

“Yes Peach I really did post that”

Categories
family food Gratitude Life life styles Uncategorized

Baloney

Peach says:

You know, Batman and I are from the last of the generations which had a bit of an old fashioned bent to us. We were raised by people who worked, made things last, you were taught not to be wasteful, you ā€˜cleaned your plateā€™ and ā€˜if youā€™re hungryā€™ (in between meals) youā€™ll eat bread and butter (thatā€™s a whole ā€˜nother story!šŸ¤£šŸ¤£)

Part of that was there wasnā€™t the plethora of fast food or junk food, that was around when we raised our kids, or especially now. There also, were not near as many food choices period. If you didnā€™t grow up in those times, I am not sure you could understand it.

In our house particularly, I learned to bake because that was the only way we got snacks. It was good for me! Mom just turned me loose in the kitchen. I had total access to do anything I wanted with the recipes in her cook books and the ingredients in the cabinet. Heaven! šŸ¤—

Each household has their certain ā€˜go toā€™ foods, and I think a lot of them are just habits, routines, and the ā€˜tastesā€™ of who does the shopping. At least it seems like that to our experience.

Growing up, I can remember one stint we did, where my Dad introduced us to fried baloney sandwiches! Something of a delicacy to his mind!! It was fun to learn how to make. I never really ā€˜took to itā€™. Because we grew up on the only ā€˜Brown breadā€™ readily available back then, because my Mom did not believe in white bread, (or kool aid), she was trying to help one of my brothers not have so many additives in his food. Her and Dad also preferred Guldenā€™s Spicy Brown Mustard, which the combination of the Roman Meal bread and Guldenā€™s Spicy Brown Mustard, was realllly an flavor combination for a mature taste palette, for which I still donā€™t think mine has matured! Lol! We are a decidedly Yellow Mustard family now days!

Anywho, the result was I temporarily bonded with my Dad by appreciating the Fried Baloney sandwich, but I never craved one again. And I donā€™t think we ever had baloney in the house again, if we did, I did not notice!

Fast forward a few years and Iā€™m a very newly wed young bride living (the first year of our marriage) with Batmanā€™s family. Batman and his Dad LOVED a good baloney sandwich on soft, white bread, with mayo and (the cherry on the sundae) YELLOW MUSTARD! šŸ˜

I remember being introduced to this one day, his Dad was a Marine Patrol Officer, and he was on his days off for that week. He drove down to the local country store (which Batman has told you about here), and came back with FRESHLY MADE baloney!! I wouldnā€™t even know where to find that now! Such a shame! And fresh cheese. So good!

That was the best half sandwich I ever did eat!

Today I was making my sweet Batman a baloney sandwich for lunch, and I donā€™t know what made me remember it, but, all of a sudden I was remembering the day his Dad picked up that fresh baloney, and how different it tasted! Then I remembered when Batman worked at a local aeronautics factory, right down the road from my work! He got 35 minutes for lunch, and by the Grace of God, if he hustled I could meet him at the picnic tables in front of the county Sheriffā€™s Office where I was working at the time. We would have a nice quiet lunch, act like two kids, flirt, say good bye and both go back to work. Many years ago! Before cell phones. So you had to watch the clock, and be outside waiting when he pulled in, because not much time was available!

Fast forward a few more years, I was back to work after a very short 6 week maternity leave, after our second child, and now I was meeting him at his parking lot, because we were temporarily carpooling every day. Iā€™d be there waiting when he got out for lunch, we would eat and listen to Paul Harvey on the radio. We were starting to grow up, and pay attention to what was going on in the world just a bit. Paul Harvey was a good way to get acclimated to keeping up with the world.

Looking back, I can see so many things to be grateful for, like that my work was just barely down the road from his work, at a time we really needed it. That we had those old school values to make and bring lunch and spend time together during those crazy, hazy days of being young, working our behinds off, raising a family, and at the same time, not really knowing what we were doing, but we kept plugging, and God kept blessing!!

And of course! Thankful for BALONEY!

Hope you are all doing well!! Pack a lunch, eat a sandwich with someone you love!!

Just not with Batman, heā€™s all mine!!

Peach šŸ˜

Categories
Faith family focus food health Life

Peachā€™s Cookin

Batman Says:

I did one smart thing in my life, I married Peach, not only is she beautiful and witty and God fearing, she’s an amazing cook.

“Find a woman that likes to cook and who’s good at it and stick with her to the end” someone said sometime and they are right. My Peach makes every meal, from eggs and bacon (mmmmmmmm BACON think I did a post on that…) to fancy roasts, and makes the best cookies on the planet (don’t take my word for it, ask any of my fellow Police firearms instructors who look forward to them each year). Peach has the uncanny ability to make what would seem plain, into something unusually delicious and I’ll give you just a short example.

We have a crock pot, slow cooker whichever you call it and we like to use it, it’s handy and you can put all your ingredients in it a day before (or night) store in the fridge and start it when you get up. Anyways squirrel ran by…

Peach did a pork roast this week, and I have to say was the best she’s ever done and that’s saying a lot. I’m guessing at some of this cause I only chopped the fresh herbs, but it was pork, thyme, rosemary, and carrots, I’m sure salt and pepper, and Peach usually adds something else to her stuff as well as it’s always done with Love. Can’t bottle that last one, so do your best work at keeping it alive, just sayin…anyways it was freakin delicious, she served it with cauliflower and it was perfect.

Peach never admits anything is as good as it actually is, always finding some “flaw” in her cooking that no one else sees or tastes. I find that amusing as as long as I have known her 37 + years (first date was an Alabama concert which was awesome) she has never screwed up a meal. She will deny it but take my word for it, the girl could cook a rock and it would end up being the best meal you ever ate.

We sometimes collaborate and cook together (she lets me chop stuff) and it’s always fun, it’s just one more thing we enjoy doing together. These meals also end up being delicious and have the added benefit of being fun to do as we are together.

Recently someone asked for the secret to staying together, well it’s not “THE” secret, but it’s one of them. Find the person that you like spending every waking moment with (especially helps if they are an excellent cook, sorry I got the best one, but there are lots more to find) and spend every waking moment letting them know that without them you are not whole. Not only will you eat well, you will have a partner (husband/wife) that you love for being themselves and for the things they do.

Peach will deny that any of the things I’ve said about her cooking are true, and that’s just one more reason I love her like I do, she’s modest (left that out of the earlier description on purpose) and truly doesn’t believe that she’s such a good cook.

I captured my Peach and therefore I do not go hungry for sustenance or love, y’all go find your own, but if you’re ever by here, I’ll let you sample one of the best cookies on the planet.

“What’s for dinner Peach?”

Categories
coffee family food health Life life styles photography

Coffee

Batman Says:

Elixir of life coffee is. I’m sure in Heaven there is always a super fresh pot of coffee perking away, it’s aroma filling the air like so much scented candy.

I love coffee, and I think that it in its plain form, maybe with creamer is an awesome drink. Straight black can be bitter if not done right, sugar added used to be the only way I would drink it, tastes and people change. As long as it’s hot and somewhat fresh I’ll fill a cup.

I do not frequent “coffee shops” with their 14,000 different ways to murder coffee, Starbucks, besides being over priced, does not like gun owners, and their coffee really isn’t that good. I have had coffee at a few mom and pop shops and I have waited in line laughing to myself at other places while some millennial orders a drink contaminated with so much junk it barely has room for coffee in it and therefore cannot really be compared to “coffee”. The other reason I sometimes go into these places is to watch the server/clerk/whatever they are called, faces go blank and freak when I order a “coffee”, my own little joke to humor myself.

At home we have a French press (after 15 years our old black and decker coffee maker finally kicked the bucket). Interesting coffee tool the French press, boil water in a kettle let it cool just off the boil, pour it in the press over grounds, stir, let set 3-4 minutes, then slowly press it. Pour into cups and consume the goodness. New coffee maker will be gotten soon, but till then, this is pretty cool to use. Haven’t decided on what kind yet but it will be something simple with a timer (waking up to fresh brewed coffee smell is divine).

Here ya go Peach, fresh hot Black Rifle Coffee Company….Coffee

Categories
family Fear focus food health Life life styles photography

Hummingbirds

Batman Says:

Hummingbirds, cool little creatures that buzz around almost always unnoticed by us clumsy humans. Beautifully colored feathers, wings beating 900 bazillion miles per hour (don’t go there, they beat really fast). One of those funny little birds that does it’s job (pollinating) without a care what we think.

I, for one, think this is an excellent attitude to have. Imagine if more people were focusing their attention on what they were doing, instead of worrying about what everyone else was doing. I mean think about it, if we are honest with ourselves, we would realize that we probably are worrying about other people’s job performance, their personal lives, how they dress, or their opinions, about 90% of the time. It bothers us how others do things, don’t do things, say things or not, voice their opinions or not, when instead, we would be more productive and be happier if we only worried about ourselves. I’m not talking isolationism, I’m talking about paying attention to your wants and needs, instead of being upset that “Bob or Susan” got a raise or promotion when they “never do anything”. Focus on you, the right people will know who does what eventually, and if not, I bet you will still be happier, concerning yourself with your stuff, instead of others.

Be like the hummingbird, eat drink and be happy just being you.

“Yes Peach I know I need to refill the bird feeders…”

PeachandBatman.smugmug.com

Categories
family food health Life

ā€œLinnerā€ today

Batman says: So today Peach had to work for a few hours, again, it was left up to me to fend for myself for food šŸ˜¬. Welp, lets plunder…

First what main course should we have … hmmm fridge check… left over hamburger from taco Thursday’s… no, hmmm eggs and bacon, no, ok fridge is out. Freezer check, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, chicken chicken good grief hope chik-filet don’t have a shortage…what’s this? Salmon? Hmmm that will work, take four filets and put in sink to thaw…oh look steam in the bag asparagus… that will work too. Hmmm what’s in the pantry…can beans, no, can corn, no..wait! Canned cream corn hmm that will do.

Easy peasy will make Linner for Peach and I and we shall eat when she gets home.

In a fry pan melt half stick butter …check… put filets in pan sprinkle either bottle lemon juice or squeeze the real thing on the asparagus, salt and pepper, turn heat up to med-high and cover..meanwhile put asparagus in microwave… check filets, all good. Put cream corn in microwave dish, take asparagus out put corn in, flip filets.

Make a bed of asparagus, lay filets on top sprinkle lemon juice to taste , get corn from microwave, burn finger because bowl is hot (u can omit the burn finger part), dish corn on plate and salt and pepper to taste.

Eat.

Enjoy šŸ˜¬

Luv ya Peach…didn’t really dirty that many dishes either..

Categories
Faith family focus food health Life Uncategorized

Canā€™t Stop. Wonā€™t Stop.

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Peach here! A few months back I wrote about my current goal to get more skillful at navigating diabetes in a winning, healthy, and consistent fashion. I thought Iā€™d share my progress and current focus. It is not a diet. It is a change in habits that evolves, because this is my life now. And for our life, I have to find a way to be consistently healthy and once I find how that works for me, for us together, we have to keep up the higher standards, the healthy choices. Though Batman is as healthy as a 25 year old, šŸ˜ he does it with me, because thatā€™s how life works! We are in this together! Together we go! Together we win and together we thrive!

So for me I have a two pronged issue. 1) Figure out how to keep my sugar numbers consistently low, resulting in a low A1C (which is an average of your sugar up and downs for the past 90 days). When I was diagnosed in April 2016, my A1C was 14 some odd. This time last year I was changing doctors, at the recommendation of my parents, because after having some success, my numbers were headed in the way wrong direction. And 2) last December when I made the Dr switch, I was put on insulin. Guess what? Turns out insulin can put weight on you. šŸ™‹ā€ā™€ļø Something I had no idea! I could actually feel the weight coming on quickly, it was so alarming. Weight has been a struggle for me my entire life and this was an Ā extremely unwelcome development. In the first 7 days I put on 9 lbs. by the time things evened out (by March) I had put on 33 lbs. Obviously, I was going to have to find a way to become the boss of the scale again, while still using insulin, (until such time as I am completely healed, always a possibility!). šŸ™šŸ»šŸ‘šŸ»

So, Batman and I determined to consistently cut way back on carbs, which is without a doubt, the best thing for us both. Along with that we are calculating every day how to increase our activity. We are not really gym type people, but, we are blessed to have some great equipment and we are happy to use it. We also use activities (going to the woods to check trail cams, etc) cutting the grass, bike riding, all sort of things, day by day. He has responded to it quicker than me, šŸ˜šŸ‘ŒšŸ»šŸ‘ŠšŸ»šŸ’ŖšŸ» Ā but we both are committed and realize that these two things work, and you can never stop them. If we continue, we will most definitely enjoy the results. The key is never stop. Canā€™t stop. Wonā€™t stop. The first result I got to see was a loss of 5 lbs. Then I continued to gain it back and lose it again and again andddd again, until I have finally gotten to a new low of 7lbs! Now, I fluctuate between the 7-5 lb weight loss, but the excitement is, now Iā€™m finally, 10 months after being put on insulin, getting the mastery over the scale again!

The second thing to happen was even by FAR the most exciting! I was so excited to find out my new A1C is now 5.9!!! Working on my next A1C average, and it is my goal to be firmly in the 5 range! To realize that we are figuring out the right timing and combination of medicines, injections, foods and exercise is so heartening!! It makes me excited just to talk about it!

We still have carbs. But, we really work to not let carbs ā€˜haveā€™ us! We have ocassional meals that donā€™t reflect our low carb life, but, are always deliberate and always get our activity up, if we do. And we always gladly, get back on that low carb boat, and row, row, row. We make 2/3 of our meals low/no carb. Iā€™d say we are enjoying the dance of calculating when and how to choose carbs. Paired up with protein and activity. Additionally for me, itā€™s the right management of targeted shots of insulin, interspersed with all the other choices.

Itā€™s definitely my thorn, and thusly, our thorn ā€” in the flesh…BUT, His Grace IS sufficient for me, for us!! (2 Corinthians 12). His strength is made perfect (complete) in our weakness. He is showing us the way, lighting up our path! He. Always. Makes. A. Way. Gotta run!! Time to row, row, row our boat!

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We canā€™t lose when we wonā€™t quit, and the same is true for YOU! Happy Monday!