Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

Description:
Instead of batter-dipped, deep-fried nuggets, we coat chicken tenders in a seasoned almond and whole-wheat flour crust and then oven-fry them to perfection. With half the fat of standard breaded chicken tenders, you can enjoy to your (healthy) heart's content.


Ingredients:
Canola oil cooking spray
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large egg whites
1 pound chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.

Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.

Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips & Notes
Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”

How to Eat a Chicken Wing - An Eating Chicken Wings Breakthough!

http://video.yahoo.com/network/100000089?v=6343611&l=100022574
'Cause we all needed to know! LMAO

Cake Wrecks

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/10/13/dining/20091014-CAKE_index.html
Some of these are hilarious...especially the "Nothing" one!

Taste of St. Louis this Weekend

http://www.tastestl.com/
This is how we do it!

To Que or Not to Que....

that is the question!

Am I the only grown azz woman in the USA who has never learned to utilize the above contraption?

I admit it! I don't know how to BBQ!

I do own a grill, have BBQ utensils & er'thing, just never learned how or had the desire to learn to use them.

I thought I would've had a husband by now & that would be his job. (Boyfriend 2.0 is history.)

As of now, I'm taking applications for a BBQ tutor....preferably of the tall, dark & handsome persuasion....but hey, I'll take what I can get!

Amazing Wedding Cakes

Move over "Ace of Cakes" (luv that show too).  See attachment.

Attachment: Wedding_Cakes.pps

Truvia™ - Nature's Perfect Sweetness™

http://truvia.com/
Has anybody tried this?

Swiss Miss "Pick-Me-Up" Hot Cocoa

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Y'all know I love my hot cocoa & now there's finally a solution for those who don't care for coffee and try to stay away from the Pepsi & Mountain Dews first thing in the a.m.

Stop Being Cheap!

I've made up in my mind that if something works for me, I won't skimp to save a few coins...ever again.  Sometimes it's just not worth it. 

For instance, I'm addicted to hot chocolate with marshmallows (whipped cream will do in a pinch).  I've always bought Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallows, but on my last grocery trip, I decided to try more economical versions of certain items I normally purchase, including but not limited to my beloved marshmallows.  Let's just say, I'm disappointed and sat the remainder of the bag in coffee center for the office vultures to partake in.  Kraft Jet Puffed for life!! (Now that we're almost outta the Bushes, hopefully, I won't have to eat my words.)

Now for the question - what items have you skimped on, only to be disappointed by the outcome?

 

A Real Turkey Deal at Deals!

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Spend $10.00 (yes, 10 dollars) at Deals and get a Honeysuckle Young & Tender turkey for $5.00 (yes, 5 dollars)! I got a 13 lb one.

I've been on the phone making calls to my people so they can get the deal. Happy shopping & eating!

Tasty Tuesday: Home Menu Planning

How many of you actually plan your home menus?

I ask this because my *ahem* boyfriend loves to cook & he needs an audience when doing so.  He won't admit it, but he gets off on it. *lol* I haven't cooked a dinner since I started seeing him.  I even offered to help once or twice & both times was told, "Stay out of my way & do what you do best - sit there, look cute & keep me company."  Who I am to argue? *lol*   We are barely finished with one meal before this man is sketching out the next one.

Also, this dude loves the grocery store & Sam's Club.  Now, I love shopping as much as the next person, but he is just sick with his.  Sick, I tell ya!  He's a union man & gets paid every Friday and every Friday we are in the grocery store & Sam's Club.

Those who know me & who've been to my house know I'm a kitchen gadget freak, but I don't like to cook.  I enjoy making desserts, but y'all can have that cooking crap.  Not to brag or boast but I have some pretty nice stuff in my kitchen & a lot of it has never been used.  Boyfriend was in hog heaven when I gave him free reign of the kitchen & all it's glory. 

My dining table seats 8 & my island seats 3....with 4 resin chairs to the side if necessary.  My house has been full every weekend with his family & mine (his brother is married to my cousin).

I just have to be careful because my ass will be wide as the doorway if I let him feed me like he wants.

Popacookie.com -- Cookie & Diet Products. Simple and Effective Weight Loss Program. Medical Diet for fast weight loss.

http://www.popacookie.com/
Of course they are expensive as all get out & they probably taste like all to be damned too.

US Cellular presents Taste of St. Louis

Start:	Sep 26, '08 4:00p
End:	Sep 28, '08 9:00p
Location:	Location: Downtown St. Louis at 14th and Market

Date: 9/26/2008 - 9/28/2008

Time: 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. (26); 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. (27); 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (28)

Cost: Free admission; tastes for a small charge
For more information call: (314) 306-1162

Website: www.tastestl.com

St. Louis's top restaurants will serve "tastes" from their menus, plus national act concerts, Macy's restaurant row, The Marketplace, ArtDimensions Village, The Grant's Farm Kid Zone, The St. Louis Bread Company Culinary Competition and much more.

Badass Mother Cluckers

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/chicken-recipes?layout=print
You know we love our yardbird. Here are 50 ways to turn a paltry breast into a funky feast.

The Chef Jeff Project with Jeff Henderson

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_cj/0,3201,FOOD_32116,00.html
Jeff Henderson grew up on the tough streets of South Central L.A. and San Diego. By the time he was 19 he was running a $35,000 a week cocaine operation. At 24, Jeff was arrested and sent to prison where he spent the next ten years behind bars. It was while incarcerated that Jeff discovered a passion for cooking and committed to turning his life around.

And he did – Jeff became the Executive Chef of Café Bellagio in Las Vegas, wrote a bestselling book and now he is focusing on giving back. In The Chef Jeff Project, Jeff takes six at-risk young adults and commits to turning their lives around by putting them to work in his catering company, Posh Urban Cuisine, and providing them the knowledge, the skills and, ultimately, the opportunity for a new life with a culinary career.

Aaron McCargo, Jr. - The Next Food Network Star

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_am
Big Daddy's House premieres Sunday.

Vamp Up Your Veggies

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/tasty-vegetable-recipes?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-2008_Jul_03-_-Nutrition-_-Make.Veggies.Taste.Good.Top
Tasty Vegetable Recipes | Women's Health Magazine

Drunken Fish - Central West End

http://www.drunken-fish.com/
My sushi eating co-workers forced me to go to this place...kicking & screaming! *lol* I don't do raw fish, seaweed or anything remotely related, but I went anyway because there are several other nearby spots I could've gone to alone, if necessary.

Long story short, I didn't try sushi, but I did have the Japanese Teriyaki Chicken Wings - Yumm!

SUMMER SALADS | Women's Health Magazine

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/summer-salads?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-2008_Jun_13-_-Nutrition-_-42.Super.Healthy.Salads.Top.1
For you salad lovers.

The Road Kill Cafe ~ In Loving Memory of Papa

A few weeks ago, we were having a group discussion & somehow it turned into the subject of dining {if you can call it that} on wild game. I'm here to tell ya, those folks had some wild ass stories about squirrel, possum & even bear!

Well Plyers, here's my wild game experience:

The year was 1978/79 {I was 6/7.}. The place was Muda's Kitchen. Papa had gone out with his buddies earlier in the day & when he came home he had this metal container covered with some kind of cloth. He dumped the contents of the container into the sink & covered it with the cloth. I asked him what he was doing & he told me to take my lil nosey tail on somewhere. I think "Scat!" was the term he used. {Yeah right!} He also told me to stay away from the sink. Needless to say, I didn't listen to him. As soon as the coast was clear, I tip-toed back into the kitchen to find out what the mystery object was. I pulled back that cloth and OMG!!! I damn near jumped outta my skin! It was a hairless, dead dog {I thought} but it still had eyes & teeth! Oh the horror!  Papa was watching me the whole time & said "That's what your lil nosey tail gets!" I later learned it was skinned animal, a coon to be exact, that was gonna be Q'd. Mind you, I didn't know "coon" is was what country ass folks called raccoon! I was mortified. I only ate junk food & fruit that day. I was scared they would try to trick me into eating that po' lil raccoon!

Shortly, thereafter, Papa did trick me into eating something when I didn't know what it was. He told me it was chicken. It tasted a lil different but I ate the piece I had. I later overheard another adult mention how good the rabbit was. WTH?!?! They done killed the Easter Bunny & I ate him! I cried so much I made myself sick.

Man....I look back on those days and so hard that I ......the good ole days!