Oh, Chicken!

Several years ago now, I spent one summer as a day-camp counselor. It was awesome, and most of the kids were great fun. I had a blast with them, and probably learned as much hanging out with them as we hoped they learned from us. One thing I did learn, and which stuck with me for quite a while, was this phrase from Cory. Instead of saying *shoot* or *darn* or *great googley moogley*, he would say *chicken*!

*Oh, chicken!*

*Holy chicken!*

*What the chicken...?!*

It cracked me up. I shamelessly stole it, and used it regularly. It still pops up in my phraseology from time to time. Like last week, when I went to make the peanut butter stew recipe from Masimba. I went to the store, and bought a whole chicken. I got it home, and then... what the chicken?!

Awww, chicken! I should have looked at this more closely at the store....
Do you see 'em? Those little feathers still sticking in here?
I mean, seriously. You buy a chicken at the store, you don't expect to have to clean the chicken chicken yourself, do you?!
I was totally grossed out. I don't want to eat those chicken feathers, but I didn't know what the chicken to do to get rid of 'em, either!
Chicken.

So what did I do? I called the *I can de-liver and gut a chicken in 3.5 seconds* guy-- Masimba. (What do you call it when you clean 'em out? Either way, he can do it... I've heard stories.) I just wanted to know if I could take all the skin off in some relatively easy way. He told me to do this:

Cut that sucker in half. And the skin'll just peel right off. Well, sort of.
Ewwww... that is one chickened up chicken! Tee hee. Now, I'm a beginner at this, so there is probably a less time-consuming and messy way to do this. It took me forEVER. But it mainly worked. I just couldn't get the skin off the little ole wings, and this piece:
I hate that piece. It's gross, and thick and nasty. It's practically feet, for crying out loud! I mean, chicken! I took some scissors and butchered that poor leg til it all came off.
And this is what I wound up with. Nice, pretty skinless chicken breasts and legs and thighs and... well, everything but the wings. The rest of the bones and wings I boiled up and used to make soup. This good stuff I used in the peanut butter stew, which turned out very well. If you want the recipe, let me know. Don't be put off by the name-- it's yummy. Chicken yeah it is! =D

Just watch out for those feathers there, buddy!

Going Bananas!

Or more accurately, my bananas are going... off, that is. This always happens to me, and then I have to find good recipes to use them up. Not that I mind so much, actually. I easily eat a banana a day (I don't know if this does much for keeping the doctor away, or if apples just have a better agent, ha) and have found some nice recipes to put them in... as well as some fun little videos. I love fun little videos, in case you hadn't noticed. =)



So first off, we have the best banana bread recipe I've made so far. I keep trying new ones from different books and such, but this one is my fave-- very dark and moist, with a good flavour. It's from *The Fanny Farmer Cookbook*:

BANANA BREAD

3 ripe bananas, well mashed
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan. Mix the bananas and eggs together in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and soda. Ad the walnuts and blend. Put the batter in the pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the pan to a rack. Serve still warm or cooled, as you like it.



Ahhh, a classic! It still makes me laugh. I need to get that film.... =) Next up of the recipes is what I have baking right now: banana and raisin bake, from Hamlyns of Scotland Porridge Oats. (The recipe came right off the back of the bag, yay!) It sounds good for you, right? I mean, oats and banana and raisin, what could be unhealthy about that? Well, read on! ;)

BANANA RAISIN BAKE

250g (10oz) Porridge Oats (you can use Quaker just the same)
150g (6oz) margarine
100g (4oz) soft brown sugar
75ml (3T) golden syrup (basically, pancake syrup)
2 soft bananas, mashed
2.5ml (1/2t) cinnamon
50g (2oz) raisins

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Melt margarine. Add sugar and syrup. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the dry ingredients. Add banana, and mix thoroughly. Turn mixture into a well-greased Swiss Roll tin (I don't have one, so I just use a cake pan and it seems to work fine). Bake for 20-25 minutes; cool and cut into squares.



Gotta love Sesame Street... and I have to work the Muppets in somewhere; it's always a good time for the Muppets! Kids love the Muppets, and kids love cookies... which leads me to my final recipe of this post-- banana spice cookies! These are from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, and were a BIG HIT at my book club in January.

BANANA SPICE COOKIES

1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t ground cloves
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Beat margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add about half of the flour, the sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, soda and cloves. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Beat in bananas. Stir in nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2" apart onto a greased cookie sheet (yes, the batter is supposed to be thin). Bake in a 375F oven for 8-10 minutes or till edges are lightly browned. Cool cookies on a rack. Frost with Butter Frosting (below). Makes 60.

Butter Frosting (I made half the recipe, and it was pretty close to enough)

1/3 cup butter or margarine
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 t vanilla
milk

In a bowl beat butter till fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in the remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency. Tint with food colouring, if desired. Frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.

Well, that's all I've got for now. I'll leave you with the munchies after all this talk of good food, and with one of my favourite childhood Nickelodeon memories... after Danger Mouse, of course. This is the first episode, and it's only five minutes. Proof that bananas are as good for you as spinach... enjoy! ;)