Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is supposed to make eight servings ... let's just say it was so good, four of us pounded it in one sitting! HERE is where the original recipe came from, but I'll include some of the changes I made based on reviews.



Sweet & Sour Chicken

• 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained (juice reserved)


• 1/4 C cornstarch


• 1 3/4 C water, divided


• 3/4 C white sugar


• 1/2 C distilled white vinegar


• 1/4 C Catalina salad dressing


• 4 chicken breasts - cut into 1" cubes


• 2 1/4 C self-rising flour


• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil


• 2 Tbsp cornstarch


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper


• 1 egg


• 1 1/2 C water


• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying


• 2 green bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces


• 2 carrots, sliced


• 2 celery stalks, sliced


• 1/2 onion, chopped


• 2 1/2 C rice, cooked

Combine flour, 2 Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, salt, white pepper and egg. Add 1 1/2 C water gradually to make a thick batter. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add chicken pieces and stir until chicken is well coated.
Heat oil in skillet or wok to 360° F (180° C). Fry chicken pieces in hot oil 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.

Saute green peppers, onion, pineapple chunks and carrot with a small amount of oil.


In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 C water, sugar, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice and Catalina dressing. Heat to boiling. Turn off heat. Combine 1/4 C cornstarch and 1/4 C water; slowly stir into saucepan. Continue stirring until mixture thickens. Add chicken pieces and sauteed vegetables and stir to coat.

Serve over rice.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 433 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 691 Calories from Fat 154

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17.1g 26%

Saturated Fat 3.4g 17%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 56mg 19%

Sodium 270mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates 110.8g 37%

Dietary Fiber 4.0g 16%

Sugars 28.3g

Protein 21.0g

Vitamin A 71% • Vitamin C 122% Calcium 5% • Iron 26%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in sodium


• High in vitamin A


• High in vitamin C

Vegetarian Chili

This one hails from foodnetwork.com and is soooooooooo good! I was a little skeptical about chili sans meat, but boy-oh-boy, we gobbled this up. HERE is where it came from. We ate this with the best cornbread in the world.



Vegetarian Chili

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil


• 1 large onion, chopped


• 4 large cloves garlic, minced


• 3 Tbsp chili powder


• 1 green pepper, cored, seeded and diced


• 1 red pepper, cored, seeded and diced


• 1 zucchini, diced


• 1 yellow squash, diced


• 1/2 tsp dried oregano


• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)


• 14.5 oz no sodium added diced tomatoes


• 11 oz can corn kernels, drained


• 15 oz can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon 


• 1/2 tsp cumin

Accompaniments, optional: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, avocado and cornbread.

Heat oil in 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and chili powder; saute for 5 minutes. Add green and red peppers; saute 5 minutes. Add zucchini, squash, oregano and ground red pepper; saute for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook 10 minutes. Stir in corn, black beans, bouillon and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.

Serve with the accompaniments, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 249 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 152 Calories from Fat 44

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.9g 7%

Saturated Fat 0.9g 4%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 250mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 26.4g 9%

Dietary Fiber 6.7g 27%

Sugars 5.9g

Protein 6.3g

Vitamin A 40% • Vitamin C 87% Calcium 6% • Iron 13%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• No cholesterol


• High in dietary fiber


• High in potassium


• Very high in vitamin A


• High in vitamin B6


• Very high in vitamin C

So healthy, so good. 

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a fan of Allrecipes.com. The reason being that you can look at the reviews/ratings and have a pretty good idea about what you're getting into -- before getting into it. This is kind of a big deal when you're trying new things and you don't have a back-up plan. Every once in a while, I come across a recipe on Allrecipes.com that has unbelievable ratings/reviews; one where you don't have to alter anything based on what others have said. This is one of those. A.Maz.Ing. Dig in! We paired this with Vegetarian Chili and it was fabulous!



Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

• 1/2 C butter


• 2/3 C white sugar


• 2 eggs


• 1 C buttermilk


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1 C cornmeal


• 1 C all-purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375° F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.

Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 104 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 306 Calories from Fat 122

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13.6g 21%

Saturated Fat 7.9g 40%

Cholesterol 78mg 26%

Sodium 362mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 41.9g 14%

Dietary Fiber 1.5g 6%

Sugars 18.3g

Protein 5.4g

Vitamin A 9% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 5% • Iron 8%

Nutrition Grade C

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Bad points

• High in saturated fat


• High in sugar

Hawaiian Haystacks

Another favorite from the Jorgensen Family Cookbook. The gravy for these Hawaiian Haystacks is phenomenal. It's delicious, easy and great for big families or groups.

Hawaiian Haystacks

• 4 chicken breasts


• 2 stalks celery, chopped


• 3 carrots, chopped


• 1 onion, chopped


• 1 Tbsp parsley


• 1 tsp basil


• Salt and pepper to taste


• Water to cover chicken


• 2 cans cream of chicken soup


• 3 C rice, cooked

Toppings: 

• Chow mein noodles


• Tomatoes, chopped


• Celery, chopped


• Green onions, chopped


• Pineapple chunks


• Almonds, slivered or sliced


• Dried coconut


• Cheddar cheese, grated

Boil water, chicken, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil and salt and pepper together until chicken is done. Shred chicken. Reserve 3 C chicken broth and combine with the 2 cans cream of chicken soup. Add chicken to soup mixture. Heat gravy and serve over cooked rice. Pile on the toppings! 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 244 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 445 Calories from Fat 82

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9.1g 14%

Saturated Fat 2.5g 13%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 57mg 19%

Sodium 572mg 24%

Total Carbohydrates 64.6g 22%

Dietary Fiber 1.9g 7%

Sugars 2.2g

Protein 23.6g

Vitamin A 81% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 5% • Iron 26%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in sugar


• High in vitamin A

Above is the nutritional information NOT INCLUDING the toppings. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Borscht (Вегетарианский борщ)

Another fantastic recipe from the excellent Russian cookbook, "Please to the Table."

Vegetarian Borscht (Вегетарианский борщ)

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter


• 1 large onion, finely chopped


• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated


• 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4" dice


• 3 1/2 C shredded green cabbage


• 1 medium beet, peeled and grated


• 1 small rib celery, cut into 1/4" dice


• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1" dice


• 2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" cubes


• 6 oz tomato paste


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 6 C chicken broth


• Bouquet garni (1 bay leaf and 8 peppercorns tied in a cheesecloth bag)


• 1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika


• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


• 1/2 tsp sugar


• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice


• Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish


• Fresh dill, chopped for garnish


• Sour cream

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper and saute until the onion and bell pepper are slightly softened, 5 minutes. 

Stir in the cabbage, beet and celery and continue to saute, stirring and tossing occasionally, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the apple, potatoes, tomato paste and garlic, then add the broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. 

Add the paprika, salt and pepper, sugar and lemon juice to taste. Let stand at least 2-3 hours, or overnight. Remove the bouquet garni before serving. Serve garnished with parsley and dill, and under no circumstances should you EVER leave out the sour cream! 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 388 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  232 Calories from Fat  117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  13.0g 20%

Saturated Fat  7.7g 39%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  29mg 10%

Sodium  691mg 29%

Total Carbohydrates  23.3g 8%

Dietary Fiber  4.6g 18%

Sugars  9.4g

Protein  7.3g

Vitamin A 60% • Vitamin C 95% Calcium 7% • Iron 10%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in potassium


• Very high in vitamin A


• Very high in vitamin C

Bad points

• High in saturated fat


• High in sodium

Per Grandma Nene's request ...

Presenting ...

Peyton's reaction to Justin Bieber's, "Baby."

In addition, I'll favor you with a few of the last couple day's happenings =)

Dan has officially started both biochemistry and anatomy at UT Southwestern. Yesterday was the first day for anatomy dissections. Dan came home smelling like ... well ... dead, preserved bodies. Figures, right?

Back a little further in time, we went swimming on Saturday and as usual, Peyton had a blast! He love love LOVES to swim. He tries to swim in the bath too. Oh, and a new thing he likes to try: drinking the water. He's such a goof. He ducks his head in, mouth wide open, and tries to slurp up pool water ... bath water ... you name the yucky liquid -- he tries to slurp it.

Go back another day, and you get my angel food cake masterpiece -- homemade and completely from scratch. Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself. It was soooooo good. Once I get around to updating the recipe blog, I'll put it up. Yummy!!

And now, a couple random pictures of my incredibly handsome and adorable little boy! Oh, I forgot to mention: Peyton caught his first cold this week. So sad. Boogies everywhere!

Viewer discretion advised

DISCLAIMER: I will not be held responsible for any brain hemorrhaging as a direct result of viewing the following material. I also will not be blamed for the incessant repetition of either song in your head for as little as one hour or as long as three weeks. Symptoms may vary. Viewer discretion advised. CLICK PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK!  

Currently, Peyton has two favorite songs:

-and-

Great taste in music? I think so!

Don't say I didn't warn you. It's in the fine-print up top! ^^ =)
You may be tempted to think I am kidding ... tricking you into hearing/viewing horrible music with equally horrible music videos while I sit on my couch, maniacally laughing about my deceptive ways. 
I'm not. 
You wanna see my seven-month-old's face light up with a huge smile and start giggling? Sing one of these songs to him.