I have a love/hate relationship with chicken.  Growing up on a farm and retrieving our lunch from the yard…  Well, I’ll just say that I can’t eat chicken on a bone, feather pillows aren’t my first choice and you’ll not find a chicken carcass simmering in a pot on my stove so I can get the most delicious stock.

That said, I do love a good chicken recipe,and this one for Parmesan Crusted Chicken is one of my favorites.  It’s one of those recipes that looks like it took hours but tosses together quite quickly.  I will even make the patties smaller (8 instead of 4) because these are great for sandwiches…  Melt a little mozzarella over them…  A little marinara…   Mmmm…

This is a great recipe if you have guests coming over or for any evening meal.

For side dishes and other great recipes visit Fab Food Friday- a new recipe every Friday, tested in my kitchen before you try it on yours!

~by Jody

I do quite a bit of baking…  And I enjoy it.  But, by far, my favorite baking is desserts.  And this thick, moist, super-chocolaty cake has made a couple of appearances at family gatherings.

It’s super easy to make but be warned- the batter is super thick and fudgy.  So thick, in fact, that I was told it burned out a reader’s hand mixer!  (But she says it was worth it!)

Head over to Fab Food Friday for this recipe and many others!

~by Jody

When we go to IHOP it’s almost a certainty that I will order the crêpes.  Love them.  And, quite frankly, making them always scared me.  Don’t ask me why…  Maybe because they are French.  (What?  It’s as good a reason as any.)

But no more!  I have made the crêpes and have found that they are easy and delicious.  Not to mention versatile.

Behold…

Makes you hungry, no?  (See, it’s that scary French thing coming out)  Trust me- you have everything you need in your cupboards.  Check out this recipe and many more over at Fab Food Friday.

~ Jody

As the nights are getting colder and the mornings are chilly I find myself craving “comfort food”.  One of my favorites is French Toast. 

I tried a new French Toast recipe last week.  Baked French Toast.  I loved that I could whip it together before church and let the bread soak up the yummy custard while we were gone.  When we got home I popped it in the oven and made some bacon while it baked.

Look how yummy:

You know you want to try it.  Maybe even for dinner tonight!  Mmmm….  Breakfast food for dinner…

~ by Jody

I was reading an article in DSM magazine written by a Chicago native who spent many years on the east coast and has been relocated to Iowa due to her husband’s job.

In her article she states

I know the difference between a Cyclone and a Hawkeye, a Bulldog and a Panther.  I eat sweet corn and pork.  I’ve actually been on a farm and picked something.  I am ready (to be an Iowan)

A friend of hers says she is still an “Iowan in training”.

She goes on to ask what it takes to be an Iowan; she wants to be a member of this club.

When I was young I couldn’t wait to move away from Iowa; nothing happened here and anywhere had to be more exciting and have more to offer.  Fast forward 10 years and I am back, raising my family in a safe town with good schools and lots of opportunity.  I am proud to be in Iowa and from Iowa.  Honestly.

I think that’s what it takes to be an Iowan- to be proud of living here and to boast about what our state has to offer.  Even if it is “just” the best beef and pork in the country, our clean air, our safe towns and our wonderful schools.  Oh, and a butter cow.

What do you think?  When are you truly an Iowan?

By Jody

My little family and I are off to the state fair tomorrow.  I keep hearing that there are lots of new things to do, see and eat.

I’ve been perusing the website to try and get ideas of something different than what we usually do- which is wander around trying to find things I’ve heard about.  That rarely works.  So I am checking out the Just For Kids page now and can hopefully move on to a page that tells me what’s new.

So I am asking for advice.  Has anyone been to the fair this year?  What must we do?  Or do you have a favorite thing you always do that I should make it a point to find?

Let me know what we just can’t miss!

~ Jody

My daughters and I are heading down south (that would be southern Iowa) to visit my grandparents tomorrow.  (My girls are especially blessed to have not one but 4 great-grandmothers and one great-grandfather still living.)  My grandparents still farm the same acreage my great-grandparents once farmed (it was sold out of the family and my grandfather bought it back about 50 years ago) and then some.  They are attached to the land and my grandmother says that grandpa will “leave this farm feet first”, meaning he will die there- and happily.

As I was thinking about our upcoming visit I realized that my daughters may be the last in this family to have a farm to visit.  Neither of my parents farm and though Doug’s brother technically lives on a ranch they have only a few horses (and it’s outside of Dallas.  Ick.)  It makes me sad to think that my grandchildren may only visit a farm through a school field trip or an outing to a place like Living History Farms.

It almost makes me want to buy an acreage and raise a few animals and a garden.  It would be more of a hobby farm, but that still counts, right?

When I was growing up I hated living on a farm because I couldn’t do anything in town (no Brownies or Girl Scouts, no after school birthday parties, very few sleep-overs) because it was an hour long round trip for my mom to pick me up.  After I graduated high school I couldn’t wait to leave Iowa for the “big city” and left the state for 10 years.  And now I’ve come back and come full circle- wishing for the quiet, clear nights in the country and a few acres to call my own.

Anyone else feel that way?

by Jody

I may be insane but we are taking the girls outdoor camping this weekend.  Tents, sleeping bags…  It’s all very exciting.

We won’t be “roughing it” too much- we’re just heading down to Red Rock and are planning to get a site with electricity.  I’ve got food planned- including this very easy, very yummy recipe for Slow Cooker Baked Beans.

I know, there’s no picture…  Somehow I haven’t taken one every time I made these!  But trust me- they are yummy!

Image from Google Images.

Seafood rarely makes it to my table because, well, here in Iowa and fresh seafood is expensive.  Once in a while I will splurge on shrimp and one of our favorite dishes is this Shrimp Scampi Pasta.  It’s super easy, ready in about 20 minutes and as good as Olive Garden’s.  Well, it is if you have never ending salad and breadsticks at your house…

Posted by Jody @ Fab Food Friday

We really like tacos.  And burritos.  And enchiladas.  Chimichangas.  Tostadas.

You get the point- we like Mexican food.  But sometimes I see another ground beef recipe and I sigh.  When that happens I turn to these Empanadas.

The most difficult part of the recipe is spreading the dough into circles.  Just a few simple steps and you’ve got dinner on the table.

Posted by Jody @ Fab Food Friday