Crumb Coated Chicken Thighs

My husband likes to use his fish breader for this recipe. The meat ends up evenly coated with the spice mixture.












1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. curry
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 chicken thighs, skin removed

1. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

2. Place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered at 400°F for 20 min. Turn chicken pieces over; bake 15-20 min. longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180°F.

For an easy meal, place baked potatoes on the oven rack alongside the chicken.

Comfy Pants

Everyone needs a pair of these pants. They are sooooo comfortable and yet they don't look sloppy. I would wear them to the grocery store and I am totally against wearing sweat pants in public.

L.L.Bean
TA252075 Perfect Fit Pants, Boot-Cut

I get the medium tall. I have a 31" inseam and yet I'm short; go figure.

Brownies

These brownies are unbelievably good. It could be the stick of butter.

1 c. butter, melted
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 c. chopped pecans, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, blend together the melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs and beat well with a spoon.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the egg mixture until well blended.
4. Fold in the pecans if using.
5. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 40-45 min. (35-40 min. in a glass pan) or until brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. Cool and cut into squares.
NOTES: Be sure the oven is fully preheated. I used salted butter, but I still used 1/8 tsp. salt for good measure. I used 1/2 c. of pecans. I like nuts, but thought a whole cup was too much.

Eyebrows

I have spent years waxing my eyebrows into submission. So, when the lady that currently waxes my brows gave me some powder to fill in spots where the hair does not grow anymore, I thought "this is a cruel twist." It’s not that I don’t have to wax them anymore either. The hair still grows where I don’t want it. I would highly recommend that you get someone that really knows what they’re doing to wax your brows. And what’s up with the wrinkles between my eyes that a friend likes to refer to as the 11? She told me it was nothing Botox won’t fix. I think I’ll just keep my bangs longer to cover both the eyebrows and the 11.

PS: I have a mustache and wild chin hairs too. If you see me tweezing chin hairs while sitting in my car looking in the vanity mirror, it’s because it’s the best light. Just ignore me and be polite enough not to tease me about it.

My Closets are Blue

The closets in our house needed to be redone because the organizers that the previous owners had installed were not working for us. I uninstalled everything and patched the holes. Then my husband painted and installed the new shelf and pole. The idea for the blue paint came from a white bookshelf that I had seen years ago where the inside had been painted an aqua blue. I loved the way it looked. Is there anything else blue in my house? No. Does everything have to match? I'm pretty happy with the result.

Aztec Salsa

I really like this salsa. It's festive. I skip the avocados, but if you can get it eaten in a short period of time, I think they would be great in it. I use one jalapeno and a half of a green bell pepper instead of one or the other.

1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 avocados, chopped fine (optional)
1 can Mexican corn, strained
1 can black beans, rinsed
6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 small jalapeno peppers or 1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped

1. In small bowl, mix dressing, olive oil, and vinegar.
2. In large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients thoroughly. Add dressing, mix, and chill.
3. Can serve with Frito corn scoops or other favorite chips such as natural blue corn tortilla chips.

"Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy The Things That Really Matter" by Elaine St. James. I read this book and a couple of others by her back in the mid 90s. It changed the way I look at all material things. It was a long process, but I went through every cupboard, closet and drawer, and got rid of everything that was not useful or beautiful. I would imagine that was about 75% of what I owned. I donated it to the local thrift store. The trick to living this way is to apply this same criteria (useful or beautiful) to all new purchases or acquisitions. When I see something I think I want, I usually wait at least a week, maybe two, and see if I still want it. More often than not, I don't. The area that I still struggle with is clothing, but I'll keep trying. One good thing recently came of this; I bought a couple of decent bras that actually fit and got rid of all of the rest of the pitiful things I didn't pay enough for or try on.