Professional Combine

There's a phenomenon coming soon known as the NFL Scouting Combine.  Very roughly, it's the days in February when players form college who are hoping to get drafter get together and show off for scouts of professional teams in an arena and it's televised and I have to confess that the PaperGirl family has watched parts of it on many occasions.

We're football fans.

I thought that knowing this, you might find it funny that this morning, the Peep was giving an running commentary while I was drying her flowing locks of a combine- mostly of 100 yard dashes- she was calling them 100 yard touchdown runs- but that she was calling out current and past professional players names as the participants.  And using my Ironman watch to time them.
It was FREAKING adorable.

Congratulations to "Brees," "Johnston," "Romo," and TCU's "Pachall."

Fancy Chicken

We're having FANCY CHICKEN tonight and there's not a dang thing fancy about it.

Fancy is what the Peep named it several years ago when I first spotted the recipe on the side of the Bisquick box and started making it- and for lack of a nicer name- Fancy Chicken was born.

It was an actual request by my sweet daughter earlier this week when we were wandering the Von's on Sunday after a trip to my favorite breakfast burrito spot, El Burrito, Jr.

The Peeper spied a bottle of our regular BBQ sauce in the meat section while Slick was checking out bacon and asked then if I could make her "very favorite Fancy Chicken?"  Being such a wonderful momma up for Mother of the Year in so many categories, I let the daddy cook dinner on Sunday night, but here I am waiting for chicken to thaw so I can slice it up and toss it through the mix.

I thought I'd share the recipe with you since you may not have a box of Bisquick in your refrigerator in the garage like I do.  I mean, you should, but just in case you don't, the recipe is sometimes on it.

Here's what the Betty Crocker Website has to say about the recipe.  They're the makers of Bisquick and they know what they're doing.

2/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt or Garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 450ºF. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag. Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.

Here's what I do a little differently:

I definitely use garlic salt instead of regular salt.  Why not get all of the yummy garlickyness to go with!?  And I never use margarine.  I don't know if I have purchased it in the 14 years Slick and I have been married.  So there now you know.  I am a butter fiend.

Remember to spray your foil with Pam or get the no stick foil- but be sure to put the foil on the pan slicky side up.

I don't like the messiness of the zip top bag, though - I know it is supposed to contain the mess.  I use two plates and dip in egg and then dip in mix.  Also- I can't get the hang of the pancake turner spatula to turn the chicken, so I use tongs.

There you have it.  Years and Years of trial and error summed up and ready for you to take and use.  You'll be an expert from the get go.

Oh- and while my chicken is Fancy, it doesn't really look like that chicken in the picture.

Though I will snap it's picture tonight.

EDIT:  I lied.  I didn't get a picture . We ate it too quickly.  I thought about getting a pic of the empty platter but that seemed cruel, even for me.

Note- If you're waiting on... say a husband to get home from work and you think you live in the 1950's and like to have dinner ready at just about the time he walks in the door... do NOT pre bread the chicken.  It will get gummy and soggy on the breading and that's NOT at all what you are going for.  You want crisp golden brown outside and smoking hot inside.   Just thought you'd want to learn form my experience.

Free this week!

Wait no more! Jan 24-28 #MarkingTime for #Free for #Kindle BookOne in the #ImmortalDescendants series by April White twitter.com/PaperGirlPromo…
— PaperGirl Promotions (@PaperGirlPromo) January 22, 2013

Are you reading yet?

I am not kidding about this friends.  I hope you have taken my not so subtile advise and started reading.

If you aren't reading yet, you are going to be sad when the author, April White, of Marking Time is here talking about her book.

Like sad that you didn't get to meet that JK person the time she stopped by...

I confess... no one with initials has ever stopped by the blog that I know of, but I'm telling you, the Immortal Descendent series is awesome and I have only read book one because so far that's all there is.

According to her blog, Ms. White is working on book two.  And I say good thing because the characters in book one still have so many things to tell me!

Get on it.  Hurry.

Happy Reading!

Time to break out the reading glasses, fuzzy blankets and hot chocolate because I have a book recommendation that you will LOVE and because when we meet here in February to talk about it the AUTHOR will be here with us!

Marking Time is the book and click on the name if you want to go directly to Amazon to get a copy and start reading,  Like right now is when I suggest you start.  Unless you have something to do within the next three days because that's how long it will take to read and you will not want to stop once you start.  I promise.

I have tweated with the author, April White, and she is lovely and she has agreed to stop by the blog for a lively discussion of the book.  While you are reading, send me any questions you think of and I will see about including them in the discussion.  Early February works for me and I  will get with Ms. White's agent to see what is a good day and let you know when you need to have read it by.  You will not want to miss the discussion and you will seriously want to have read about Saira and Archer and the rest of her friends by then.

Here is a review from another reader from Belgium and as strange as it may sound, it is as if I were writing the review myself!  As I read what she had to say about the characters and plot I decided to just link to her and skip reviewing myself because... well... I'd have been saying almost all of the exact same things!  Well said Majanka!

Now get to it and read away!!!