Wings and a Prayer

Prayer and Potlucks are common events in church circles. I decided to borrow the potluck idea and use it for a get-together with our friends. Of course, I couldn't just do any plain old potluck. I needed a theme. Pizza and wings were our cravings, and I felt that combo would make a great potluck party. We kept the "rules" simple. Bring pizza OR wings, what ever you wanted to drink, and the attitude to have a good time. I prayed for the best and vowed to go with the flow of whatever came through my door.

I thought that pizza offered so many options: supreme, pepperoni, gourmet pizzas, veggie pizzas created on crescent rolls, dessert pizzas with cookie crusts, take-out, or frozen, just to name a few. A friend makes combustible hot wings, and with me making Hubby's favorite Teriyaki ones, we would have variety there, too. We aren't that fussy, though. Anything makes us happy when we can get together with friends and have a good time. I hoped that people would feel comfortable to bring their favorites and that everyone would just enjoy the evening.

As the host, I broke the rules just a bit and prepared more than just 1 pizza or wings. I felt that I needed to provide a little "seed" to start the food rolling in. After much debate and searching through my recipe options, I went with some tried and true options and whipped up a Buffalo Chicken Pizza, a Garlic Chicken Pizza, and the Teriyaki Wings. As people arrived, there was a strong showing of dessert pizzas on our potluck buffet. Several brought sweet offerings that were a great ending for our meal (and a balance to extinguish the heat on our palates after the hot wings). I had hoped that someone would seize the moment and bring a cardboard Totino's to share, but I guess that I will have to satisfy that guilty craving with my next trip to the grocery store. Hubby was hoping for supreme take-out pizza from a little place a couple of towns over. That didn't materialize, either. We didn't go hungry, though. In addition to my pizzas and wings, we filled out plates with veggie pizzas, mini pizzas and a couple of varieties of hot wings. It was a great potluck spread and a really fun evening.

Several claimed to enjoy my wings. I am not a Teriyaki fan, but Hubby loves them. I find it too sweet and prefer hot wings. Still, I think that the milder flavor of the Teriyaki Wings was a good balance to the heat of the Inferno Wings. The sweet marinade helped to answer the prayers of those wishing to extinguish the fire burning in their mouths from the hot, hot wings.

Teriyaki Wings

1 cup water
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
½ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ginger
3-4 pounds cleaned chicken wings

Mix all marinade ingredients together.
Pour over wings in a Ziploc bag. (I have even done this with frozen wings and let them marinate as they defrosted.)
Refrigerate overnight.
Arrange wings on foil-lined baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

April Fool!

What does someone who is obsessed with food, recipes and fun do on April Fools Day? They pull a food prank, what else? :~)

Get up before your Hubby, fry up a couple of eggs (for the authentic aroma), make some toast, and brew some coffee. Then, get ready for the prank. Create a special "egg" on his plate and have it waiting when he meanders down the stairs. Having a spouse that doesn't fully wake up until the second cup of coffee does help to pull off the surprise. Enjoy the laughs and have a great day!

Peachy Eggs for April Fool's Day
1/3 -1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
½ peach (canned halves in light syrup work well)

Spread yogurt into circle on plate, using the back of a spoon.
Place peach half, flat side down, in the center of the yogurt.

Movie Night

Hubby came home early tonight. It is usually at least 7pm or later before he finds his way home. During the summer, it is common for us to put off dinner until 10pm. His work demands long hours, and we don't get to spend much time together, but tonight he found a way to share a little more time. I think that should warrant a movie night. We subscribe to Netflix and always have a DVD waiting for us. Out here in the sticks, those red envelopes from Netflix are a godsend. There is no frustration with limited selections, no last minute long drives to find a movie, no late fees when we can't get back "to town" to return the movie on time, no hassle. Whenever we find the time, our biggest concern can be who is hogging the blanket as we cuddle up to enjoy the movie.

But, what would movie night be without popcorn? Just like pizza, popcorn is practically a food group for Hubby. His favorite popcorn is made on the stove top in a Whirely Pop popcorn maker, but the microwave serves well for those got-to-have-it-now cravings. The Boy Scouts know to always knock on our door during their sales promotions. Extra Butter, Kettle Corn, or Caramel, the variety doesn't matter as long as it is popcorn.

I have found a way to give our popcorn treat an anti-oxidant and flavor boost. Tangy pome-granate seeds are a great combination with slightly sweet, yet salty popcorn. Until last year, I had only sampled pomegranate juice, and had no clue what to do with the luscious edible seeds of the whole fruit. Now, I am adding the colorful seeds to salads, chicken dishes, and this great popcorn treat. Grab a movie, a blanket for cuddling, some popcorn...and don't be afraid to try a little pomegranate.

Pomegranate & Popcorn

1 bag microwave Kettle Corn popcorn
1 medium pomegranate
salt, to taste

Remove the seeds from the pomegranate.
Pop the popcorn according to package directions.
Salt the popcorn to taste.
Put about a cup of popcorn in a bowl.
Add a handful (about 1/4 cup) of pomegranate seeds.
I suggest mixing this a bowl full at a time, because the pomegranate sinks to the bottom.
Be sure to get some of both the pomegranate and popcorn in each bite to truly enjoy this snack.

Of Mush and Men

Hubby hates pureed food. When I tried a Yellow Pepper Soup, he growled at me that he still has all of his teeth and doesn't need his food to be blended mush. He asserts that one of the things he doesn't like about mashed potatoes is that they don't need to be chewed. He claims to not like mush. However, make that mush beef flavored, and suddenly it seems OK.

I tried a new meatloaf recipe tonight that was total mush. I knew as I was mixing it that it had far too much liquid and filler, but ignored the slime that was sticking to my hands and plopped it into a loaf pan anyway. If I hadn't been so tired tonight, I would have tried harder to restore a sense of texture and firmness to my meatloaf, but as it was, I was lucky to get it in the oven at all. After baking for almost an hour, it came out just as I had feared: spongy, beefy mush. The flavor was good. The seasonings were right. The texture was awful, sloppy, squishy MUSH. I don't know about you, but I don't do well with a mouthful of yuck. I don't care if it tastes good, or not. Mushy meatloaf brings on my gag factor. Needless to say, even though Hubby ate 2 large portions without a word about the gruel-like stuff sliding around on his plate, it wasn't a recipe that I will try again.

The meal was saved by one of my favorite sides of all time, Roasted Green Beans. Fresh green beans tossed with some olive oil and liberally seasoned with coarse salt are an insanely good pleasure for me. They must be roasted to the point of having crusted browned bits, but don't fear; they aren't burned. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the veggie, and the combination of the crisp bits and the salt make them taste like incredibly healthy French Fries. I kid you, not. No mush about this. You have to try Roasted Green Beans to know what you have been missing.

Roasted Green Beans

2 pounds green beans
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (just enough to lightly coat beans)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

Pre-heat over to 400 degrees.
Wash, dry well, and trim green beans.
Put green beans on a jelly roll pan.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. (I like them salty so I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.)
Use your hands to be sure all the beans are evenly coated and spread them out into a single layer.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until beans are fairly brown in spots and somewhat shriveled.
Serve hot or at room temperature. (Serves 4)