Tag Archives: baking

Are you alive?

Okay, so I admit: I haven’t really made good use of this blog lately; I apologize if you’re a devoted reader and been hungering for a new post. Things have been very, very busy. I promise, I’ll try to devote a few times a week to getting back on track.

So, what have I been up to? Well…

The Olympics

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O Canada!

Yeah, the Olympics sucked me in once again this year. It wasn’t quite as fervent a dedication to them this year, as they weren’t being held on home soil like they were in 2010. That didn’t stop me from watching sports that I’ll never watch for another four years (curling, bobsleigh and luge come to mind). That said, it was a pretty exciting few weeks and for it to be topped off with both the Canadian women and men’s teams winning hockey gold, well… I was very excited. I even woke up in time to watch all but the first five minutes of the game. Pretty impressive for someone who despises mornings with a passion.

On a side note for the Olympics, I think it’s cool that they can be a uniting force and engage everybody. One thing I found particularly neat was that, through social media, I engaged with a former prime minister! Pretty Canadian to talk hockey with a former PM, if I may say so.

Bad Music

Oh yeah, there’s been some bad music found. I recently started using the app Rdio, which I highly recommend. It lets you listen to almost any album imaginable – including obscure ones that are hard to find these days.

The other benefit to this app is that it has led me to find some really bad music; from terrible covers of good songs, to perhaps the best thing ever… Mariachi versions of ABBA music. It is so bad, it’s good.

Work

Work has been… an interesting few weeks! It’s certainly been an occasion to learn a lot about the issues management side of the public relations world. It never ceases to challenge (and sometimes frustrate) me. That’s the way of almost any job, though, so I can’t complain.

New Home

I’m all settled in the new place. Today, I finally broke down the empty boxes and took them to the recycling. Doing so freed up a lot of space in the living room, and I actually rearranged it ever so slightly. Now, I just need to buy the curtain rods for the living room and we’ll be all set.

“Conferences”

"To a Whale of a Wife"

“To a Whale of a Wife”

My dearest friend in the whole wide world had a birthday recently. And, as she invited all of us to celebrate, we all canceled… I told her I had a conference to go to. Then we surprised her with a party anyways! As known die-hard Simpsons fans, naturally the cake was dedicated to “A Whale of a Wife.” We added “and a Super Friend” because, well, we aren’t all married to her.

And that, in a nut shell, is what’s been up! I promise to get more regular with the blogging again. I miss the engagement and the sharing of thoughts. It’s just been hard to get motivated and find the time when the rest of my life has been busy!

Kitchen Adventures: Making “Fried” Chicken

After looking through the stats for my blog, you all like when I write about food. So, while I assure you that I’ll continue to write about other topics, I’ll throw in regular doses of my cooking adventures as well.

Tonight, I decided to make “fried” chicken. The recipe originally comes out of a cookbook I helped promote in my last job. The recipes are from the Dietitans of Canada and are healthy. Both my roommate and I have enjoyed the Baked Fried Chicken – it’s relatively cheap, it’s filling and it’s delicious.

(I apologize that the photo is upside down – but it doesn’t change anything. This is what it looks like after 25 minutes in the oven)

I don’t use the recipe anymore, I just wing it. I use chicken thighs (with skin on, and with bones – I found it got better results than the boneless, skinless thighs).

Here’s what I use for the batter:

  • White flour (about two cups for four chicken thighs)
  • Dill (to taste – I use lots)
  • Paprika (be very liberal with this)
  • Onion powder (just a little bit)
  • Seasoning salt
  • Pepper

Mix the batter in a large, shallow bowl. Unfold the thighs and coat liberally. I cook the thighs at 350° for 25 minutes, before flipping and cooking for another 15 (or until crispy). I find just lining a baking sheet with foil works for cooking this dish – it doesn’t need to be oiled or anything, as I’ve always found the chicken just slides off.

As for sides? Mashed potatoes go wonderful with this dish – simple, delicious comfort food!

If you try this, let me know what you thought!