more chicken, potatoes and vegetables

Salad dressing consisted of 3 tablespoons of white truffle oil and 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. There is something off with the white truffle oil (better suited for a bread dip than a salad dressing).

1 family pack of bone in chicken thighs
1 beaten egg
Sclafani bread crumbs

preheat over to 375 F, put in oven for 1 hour (chicken is nice and juicy)


Fresh green beans
baby carrots

I washed the green beans and cut off the tips. I cut the baby carrots into fourths (they are inherently thick and will take longer to cook if I didn't). With a tablespoon of chopped garlic and two tablespoons of a random tangy marinade (it was lemon based) I decided to stir them together.In a wok with a tablespoon of olive oil, I put on medium heat and covered with foil. It was basically steamed. I would stir the contents randomly.

pork chops & roasted potatoes

chocolate chip banana bread twins

The Laundry List (for each loaf)

• 1 4x8 bread loaf pan
• Cooking spray (for easy and quick pan coating unless you want to butter the pan)
• 3 ripe bananas (ie black skin, where no one wants to eat), smashed
• 6 oz yogurt (assortedflavor)
• 3/4 cup of Equal
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda2 oz milk chocolate bar (chopped - chips)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• ~ 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (I didn't measure but sprinkled)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix.
Pour mixture into a 4x8 inch loaf pan. I used a PAM baking spray to coat the pan. I also sprinkled cinnamon on top of the loaf.

Note there was a little over flow, which had to be addressed quickly (burning).

The verdict:

Fresh out the oven the banana bread was delicious.

The next day I brought a loaf to a bible study audience; favorable response but to me the bread was a little too mushy-moist.

For the next cake I will omit yogurt.

healthy attempt at Banana Bread

Thanks to Elise.com for the inspiration and her original recipe, I made my first banana bread from scratch. Yes! No bullshit. Who would have thought I could find an easy recipe to utilize my overly ripe bananas?

The Laundry List

• 1 4x8 bread loaf pan
• Cooking spray (for easy and quick pan coating unless you want to butter the pan)
  
• 2 ripe bananas (ie black skin, where no one wants to eat), smashed
  
• 1 cup yogurt (banana-strawberry flavor)
  
• 3/4 cup of Equal
• 1 beaten egg
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• ~ 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (I didn't measure but sprinkled)
  

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix.

Pour mixture into a 4x8 inch loaf pan. I used a PAM baking spray to coat the pan. I also sprinkled cinnamon on top of the loaf.

Bake for 1 hour. Cool.

The verdict? While the cake was moist, it tasted a little too healthy. I promised my wife to put in the butter and add a banana for the next loaf.

Somebody kick me! I learned something from Reality TV!

Besides that VH1 runner ups get their own shows and Brett Michaels attracts the best trash!
It's no surprise why I am a Reality Television junkie. I like reveling in celebrity loss.

I was watching Making the Band 4 last night and Q (Qwanell) was ruminating and sulking due to financial problems. The problem was he was being such a Debbie Downer/Bob Bummer that it was depressing. One of his bandmates told him (I paraphrase): "If God is smiling on you, why are you crying?" Considering the success of the band and a singer's dream come true, I agree.

This type of stuff tells me two things:
* Enjoying Reality TV makes me morally bankrupt one hour at a time.
* Celebreality equals a bunch of emotional girls masquerading as dudes.

winner, winner, another chicken dinner!

I dipped the bone-in chicken thighs in egg and breaded with Sclafani Italian bread crumbs and crushed red pepper. Heated oven for 400 degrees and baked for one hour.

Maybe I still got it.

I show up to North Arlington Bowl and roll a deuce without warmup.
I was shocked with Deegro's performance. He was on fire.
Slowly declining.

Ok, maybe I don't got it.