Must be PMS...

I think I'm a little down today. I've noticed that I've been more negative than usual, and that it's only 9:53 and I've already come close to tears because there are women parading around my neighborhood "preaching" (I tried to tell them this is a no solicitation neighborhood, and they told me they weren't selling anything, which is true, but they apparently need to look up the definition of solicitation because it's not limited to selling). I appreciate that people have and enjoy faith. I totally do. In some ways, I'm envious of that. At the same time, when I'm already not having a good morning, I'm really not in the mood to listen to you ask me about my faith. Really.

I don't really have an excuse for this crabby mood I'm in, except that perhaps I'm PMS'ing. Baby has been crabby today, too, because he woke up some time before 5:45, and I think was just really tired this morning. Not too sure why he was up so darn early, but hopefully it was a fluke. I like to get up early, so I can have some time alone before everyone else wakes up...but I only like to get up early to be alone. Not to play with Baby.

I decided that I wanted to treat myself to something fun today, in part because I'm in a crabby mood, and in part because I've felt like the last several weeks have included very few fun things for Mom, and with this weekend being Mother's Day, I wanted to do something nice for Mother's Day with Baby. Only problem is I can't actually think of anything. Sure, I could go to the mall, but how would that be fun? I go there every other week to visit the play area with Baby. Plus, it's not like money grows on trees to shop with (oh boy I wish it did). Then there's lunch, I could go out to lunch with Baby, that might be nice. But where would we go? Where would he behave? Where would we not get stared at when he has a fit? Some place probably that isn't too high on my "let's go there for lunch" list. So, the mall's out. Lunch is out. What else is there? Sure, I could go to a bookstore. But I have so many books I haven't read.

Are you sensing a pattern here? Every time I think of something, I talk myself out of it. Is this one of those things that inherently changed in me when Baby came out? There are so many, is this just another? That I just can't possibly let myself have some fun? I mean, sure I had fun with Baby at the spray park on Tuesday. And yesterday in his first movement class at the YMCA. But grown-up fun? Seems hard to come by because I won't let myself have it. Sounds like something I need to work on.

Off to go get a morning snack ready for Baby and to gather my coupons for grocery shopping. There's some real fun for you (dripping with sarcasm here!).

Indoor Barbecue Chicken

Last night's dinner went quite well and was surprisingly fast and easy - yay! I always love when that happens. I made the Indoor Barbecue Chicken recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Heavy-Duty Revised Edition. It's an awesome cookbook to begin with, and so far there's not been a single recipe I've made from it that I didn't like. I highly recommend it. Unfortunately for you guys, though, I forgot to take a picture of how the chicken turned out. Oh well. A word to the wise, also: make sure to use a nonstick skillet. Here's the recipe all the same.

Indoor Barbecue Chicken
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Heavy-Duty Revised Edition
Printer-friendly recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons light molasses
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Pound the thicker ends of the chicken as needed. Pat dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until light golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the skillet and return to medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, maple syrup, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Turn the heat to low. Return the chicken to the skillet, with any accumulated chicken juice, and coat with the sauce. Cover and simmer until the chicken in fully cooked and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.

Swim diapers suck

Today was our first trip to the local spray park for "spray-ground" - well, not entirely local, it's in the next city over, but it wasn't too bad of a drive. Baby had an awesome time there, but dear old me here got quite a bit flustered before we even managed to make it to the car. Only I can master such an amazing feat.

When Baby woke up from his morning nap, I dressed him in his swim attire, so that we could hit the road right after we were done with his quick snack. He had on his swim diaper, swim trunks, and his rashguard shirt, and I parked him in his high chair for his snack of a little yogurt smoothie and some yogurt nibbles. He did great with his snack and seemed perfectly content when he signed "all done" to me repeatedly. So, I cleaned up and then unbuckled him. When I scooped him out of his high chair, I realized that the back of him was sopping wet. He was soaked.

Best I can tell, he must have peed, and the swim diaper didn't actually absorb any of it, so it must have gushed right up his back. The back of his swim trunks were soaked through, and at least half of the back of his rashguard was dripping. Lovely. So, I had to rush him back into his room, attempt to track down another pair of swim trunks and a rashguard that fit (I didn't do so hot there) and change him. Then I rush him out to the car, to get ready to leave, only to remember that I forgot his swim shoes.

So we rush back inside and get his swim shoes, and then high tail it back to the car. Baby was positively mismatched with his lime green rashguard and kelly green swim trunks, but he did have a great time at the spray park. At first, he was a little bewildered by the water, water everywhere, but ultimately, he had a great time picking up all of the buckets and and filling them up.

Phew. Now I need a nap, too. The heat out there was killer.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

I just finished reading one of the most haunting books I think I've ever read. It's called "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova, and it's the portrait of a 50-year old woman, a distinguished professor of linguistics at Harvard University, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease.

It's a compelling, gut-wrenching tale of her spiral into disease. I couldn't put it down. It was an incredible read, and it's the kind of thing that should be required reading. Admittedly, I didn't know much about Alzheimer's Disease, and I certainly wasn't familiar with the early-onset variety before reading this, so it was very educational in that respect. The story is told through the viewpoint of Alice, and you experience her rapid descent into dementia. The story is disturbing in that way, to see how quickly she goes from teaching complicated lectures to asking the same questions repeatedly because she keeps forgetting she'd asked the question already. My grandmother on my mother's side had Alzheimer's, and from what my mother says, when she first met me as a baby, she thought I was my mother. The idea of not recognizing the people I love or the fact that I love them is positively frightening, but it's a reality for far too many people. That's why I think it's important for this novel to be read. The story shows you the total devastation that Alzheimer causes, not only for the patient but also for the patient's family. Oh, just thinking about it now, it just makes me want to weep.

This was a difficult read, in that it definitely taxed my emotions, but it was a very good read, and I will be recommending this book to many, many people. In fact, I think I'll nominate it for my book club!

Note: I've read that a portion of the sales of this book go to the Alzheimer's Association, which I think is awesome.

Menu Plan Monday for May 4th

It's Monday again...how did that happen again? Now that Husband is finally home for more than a day, we can have a week of yummy, yummy meals. This is going to be a good food week, that's for sure. I'm really excited about this week's new recipes, too, Indoor Barbecue Chicken and Sesame Chicken . I love Asian-inspired dishes (in case you can't tell), and these two seem pretty promising. A lot of Asian dishes I've tried have been total garbage, and tasted dreadful, but lately, I've been a lot better at spotting a bad recipe (here's a hint: if it calls for bottled teriyaki sauce, find a different recipe!). So here's hoping that these two go well. The rest of the week is a little uneventful, but should still be tasty. The other recipe I'll be posting this week will be my glazed pork chops on Friday. Those chops are absolutely delicious! I can't wait to share the recipe with you.

Monday - Pancakes
Tuesday - Indoor barbecue chicken (a new recipe!)
Wednesday - Mini penne pasta and garlic bread
Thursday - Fish fillets and fresh corn on the cob
Friday - Glazed pork chops (one of my faves!)
Saturday - Sesame chicken and fluffy white rice (a new recipe!)
Sunday - My famous homemade pizza (unless Husband surprises me with some kind of dinner for Mother's Day)

Do you need a nice little dessert for the week? I made Triple Chocolate Cookies this weekend, and boy are they awesome. Very tasty. Also, they were quite easy to make as well. Make sure to check out the recipe!

As always, stay tuned throughout the week for new recipes after I make this week's new dishes along with pictures, assuming they are edible. Cross your fingers for me! Don't forget to visit Org Junkie for many, many, many more menu plans, and menu with recipe links!

Tennessee Whiskey Pork Chops

Tonight's dinner was another new recipe - I know, two in a row, I'm on a roll! This one is built quite similarly to one of my favorite recipes, Glazed Pork Chops (which I'll be sharing later this month), but instead of an apple juice glaze, it's a whiskey glaze. Kind of like the glaze you see at T.G.I. Friday's. But according to the recipe from "Cook's Country," it's supposed to be way, way better. I can't really speak to that, having never had the glaze at T.G.I. Friday's. Anyway...

This recipe has one key step that I have a tendency to skip over in recipes - a marinade. This time, though, I didn't skip it, and I think it's a very important step in the recipe, so yes, I know it's irritating to have to think about dinner two hours in advance, but it's worthwhile, I promise.

Tennessee Whiskey Pork Chops
adapted from Cook's Country TV
Printer-friendly recipe

1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
1/2 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I skipped that part)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoon cider vinegar
4 bone-in center-cut pork chops
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Whisk whiskey, cider, brown sugar, mustard, cayenne, vanilla and 2 teaspoons vinegar together in a medium bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup of this mixture into a gallon-sized plastic bag, add chops, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn bag to coat chops with marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and as many as 2 hours. Reserve remaining whiskey mixture separately.

2. Remove chops from bag, pat dry with paper towels and discard marinade. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season chops with salt and pepper and cook until well browned on both sides and a peek into the thickest part of a chop using a paring knife yields still-pink meat 1/4 inch from surface, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to plate and cover tightly with foil.

3. Add reserved whiskey mixture to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon. Cook until reduced to a thick glaze, 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and, holding on to chops, tip plate to add any accumulated juices back to skillet. Add remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, whisk in butter, and simmer glaze until thick and sticky, 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

4. Return chops to skillet and let rest in pan until sauce clings to chops, turning chops occassionally to coat both side, and a peek into the thickest part of a chop using a paring knife shows completely cooked meat (145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), about 5 minutes. Transfer chops to platter and spoon remaining sauce over. Serve hot!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Here's two of the chocolates, just waiting to become Triple Chocolate Cookies.

Don't they just sound deliciously sinful? Well, they are. If you haven't already, you need to check out America's Test Kitchen. It's an awesome cooking show that airs on PBS, that is also affiliated with Cook's Illustrated, the magazine (a super awesome magazine that I love!), as well as Cook's Country, another cooking magazine. I came upon ATK by accident last year, and have been addicted ever since. They recently did an episode on cookie jar favorites, and that's where this recipe comes from.

America's Test Kitchen's Triple Chocolate Cookies
adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Printer-friendly recipe

NOTE: The key to the fudgy texture of these cookies is letting them cool directly on the baking sheets. Avoid using bittersweet bar chocolate--the cookies will be too rich and won't hold their shape.

Makes 24-28 cookies

Ingredients:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons instant coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (yes, only a half cup)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Melt unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chips, and butter in heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently, until completely smooth and glossy. Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool slightly.

2. Stir coffee powder and vanilla extract together in small bowl until dissolved. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla-coffee mixture and beat until incorporated, 20 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add chocolate mixture, and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Using large rubber spatula, fold flour mixture and semisweet chips into batter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes until batter firms up (it will more closely resemble thick brownie batter than cookie dough).

4. Meanwhile, adjust two oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 heaping tablespoon batter per cookie, place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are shiny and cracked on top, 11 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool cookies completely, on baking sheets, before serving.

Oh my gosh, these cookies are good. Not too rich, they're just right. I need another one...

P.S. - Thanks to everyone who voted as to what I should bake this weekend. Not to worry, the rest of the recipes I mentioned will be coming soon!

Last night's chicken teriyaki

So, I tried a new recipe last night for chicken teriyaki. It was so-so. I think it was a bit heavy on the soy sauce. Don't get me wrong, I love sodium and soy sauce, but this tasted so thoroughly salty that I couldn't eat a ton of it (though that's probably not a bad thing). I paired it with some simple brown rice, and it was okay. Again, the saltiness really was overwhelming. And I'm a salt fan! But here's the recipe. I will make it again, but I will make sure to cut down the amount of soy sauce I use.

Chicken Teriyaki
adapted from blogchef.net
Printer-friendly recipe

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup rice wine
1 cup soy sauce (I'd cut it in half and use 1/2 cup)
4 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (NOT toasted sesame oil)
1/3 cup white sugar
7 minced garlic cloves (I only used 5 because my mincer is acting up)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (I only used 1 teaspoon because Husband doesn't like too much ginger)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. In a saucepan over high heat, add rice wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the wine for 10 minutes. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar. Season with garlic, ginger, and any salt or pepper you would like. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Allow sauce to cool completely.2. Place chicken in a bowl, pour in cooled teriyaki sauce. Seal and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Make sure to marinate for at least 12 hours, but 24 is even better.
3. Remove chicken from the marinate when it's cooking time. Reserve the liquid if you want to use it to make a sauce (I did). Grab a cutting board and slice up your chicken into stir-fry strips while heating up a skillet to medium high with a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
4. Pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Cook chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, and then add to the teriyaki sauce.

Virtual Girls Night Out: The Pot Luck Edition

It's Friday, so that means it's time for another Virtual Girls' Night Out - yay! Ann is our host as usual, and she is celebrating May Day today by preparing to have a party, so today's question is pot luck related.

I always love making things for a party. In fact, this weekend, I have booked my first paid baking gig - my neighbor friend is headed to a Cinco de Mayo party this week and has hired me to bake Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes for her. I'm usually the girl who brings sweets to a party. I don't have other party-related recipes, really. I've been pretty fortunate, my baked goods are always a hit (otherwise, I re-make them, witness the Elmo disaster from Baby's first birthday). There was, however, one book club meeting I went to some time back from my former moms' group, where I brought my super outrageous brownie recipe and no one touched them. Not a single one. Perhaps that's why I'm not part of their group anymore.

Have you been the one that brought the party dish that nobody ate? Please share! Ann's May Day party guests will read all the posts posts and they will select winners. The winners will receive packets of flower seeds to help celebrate this May Day. Aww, isn't that sweet? Don't forget to visit Ann to join in on VGNO and to sign the Mr. Linky.

Speaking of baking for parties, don't forget to visit my poll on what I should bake this weekend. And, just so you know, I'm also running a commenting contest this month, so if you're a blogger, you should definitely check it out.

Please help, I don't know what to bake!

I need some help, everyone. I have found far too many super yummy recipes in the last week or so that I want to bake. So many that I have put myself in a bit of a conundrum (I love how that words sounds). I don't know what to bake this weekend. But I want to bake, and I want to share a super-yummy recipe with you all...but I'm stumped...so I'm turning to you! I need your help! Please vote in the comments section as to what recipe you'd like to see me bake this weekend:

1. Snickerdoodles
2. Triple Chocolate cookies
3. Pudding cookies (a chocolate chip cookie with mix-ins)
4. Sugar cookies
5. Peanut butter cookies

Help!!!! I want to bake them all, but there are several things stopping me, one of them being that I don't want to spend the entire weekend in the kitchen. So tell me what you'd like to see me bake!

P.S. - Don't forget today starts the monthly comment contest, so make sure to leave me plenty of comments this month so your blog can be featured on June 1st!