The Gorsuch Gang

I Love Jiffy

// February 29th, 2008 // No Comments » // Grub

Lately, I’ve had a fascination with pancakes. They really are perfect if you think about it. Fluffy little cakes that are perfectly acceptable to eat for breakfast – what’s not to love?

Every Sunday morning, I start having wild ideas about what I could mix into pancake batter. The options are endless! I’ve tried cherries and pecans, orange peel, vanilla, cinnamon, etc. I’ve toyed with the idea of adding crisp bacon and shredded cheese, but I’m enjoying all the sweet options still. I just love that with a great base like pancake batter, I can add almost anything and it will turn out good.

Another thing I’ve discovered is that when I don’t quite have a good pancake idea, I can just grab some muffin mix and use that. Jiffy mixes are one of my all-time favorite quick foods. With muffin, cake, cornbread, baking and icing mixes, all under a buck a box, Jiffy is addicting. I’ve met several people who’ve never heard of these little boxes of gold, which I just find sad. I had feared it was just a Southern thing, but then I luckily found some in a market here in New York. Every time I spot these on the store shelf, I stock up. The cornbread mix is the most prevalent and I have to admit that making these as pancakes is awesome. The batter is slightly sweet and when it’s mixed with syrup – holy cow!

Michael and I are headed out this weekend to a Wal-mart that we’ve discovered in New Jersey. I’ll be on the lookout for Jiffy and any other goodies that may be good with syrup!

On another note, I created a new recipe for meatballs, Spicy Meatballs. Sadly they were not very photogenic so you’ll have to trust me when I say they will look good and be tasty. My dear friend Carrie, who is just now becoming a reader of my blog, sent me a recipe she liked for Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Tenders. Carrie is admittedly not a cook and yet she raved about how easy and delicious this dish was. It’s a Giada dish so with that knowledge and Carrie’s endorsement, I’d say it has to be good.

Chickens Are Safe with Me

// February 8th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Grub

Chickens could live freely and completely happy here in my home. Not that I want to bring a bunch of chickens into my apartment, but if any were to show up one day, they would be set. Why would my home be a chicken utopia? Simple – I can’t seem to get over this weird aversion I have to eating them.

It all started last year when Michael and I took a six month vacation from meat. Although I developed an unnatural hunger for all things beef and pork during that time, I didn’t have cravings for fowl of any kind. Even now that we’ve introduced meat back into our diets, I’m still not interested in eating chicken.

Am I torn up about the life of a poor little chicken in today’s poultry business? No. I simply can’t eat chicken and not picture how it looked when it was raw. And if I do manage to eat a small portion- heaven help me if I see a vein or bite into a piece of fat. Ugh – I’m having an issue just writing that last sentence. It’s as if my mind is blocking my mouth and telling my stomach to revolt.

I have to admit that when I was young, I had some of these same issues but then it involved all meat products. Honestly, I don’t think it would take much for me to turn on either of my new loves of beef and pork. I’m worried that this tic of mine could cause me to miss out on a good portion of food experiences.

To combat this I’ve been telling myself, or rather forcing myself to try chicken in some form. In fact, I tried chicken stir-fry last night for dinner. Our chef, one of Michael’s co-workers, seemed very disappointed when I had only eaten a quarter of my plate before announcing I was finished. I apologized and tried to explain that the food was indeed good, but that I couldn’t bring myself to eat anymore. (One of those nasty little veins in the chicken caught my eye and that was it for this girl’s stomach.) I told him exactly the same information that I’ve stated in this post, but he seemed wary. Not many people understand this quirk anymore than I do.

Like I said, I am going to force myself to try more chicken, turkey and other flying animals as best I can. Wish me luck or send good thoughts to my head and stomach.