Cooking for One

Mother Dragon

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I didn't exactly let the birds have the cracklin's. I had them out on a tray. Hubby was gathering stuff up to go onto the bird table and before I noticed, they were outside. He will never do that again. He's a Damn Yankee and didn't know about cracklin's. He doesn't eat grits, either. I guess we all have our faults, but not eating cracklin's and grits isn't one of mine.
 

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Stop and Shop occasionally has pork fat in the meat section. Mom sometimes buys a pack or two and renders it to make cracklings. She uses the cracklings in a vareity of dishes. Dad will literally just eat an entire bowl of salted cracklings for dinner 
  Then again his eating habits and diet are very strange and very poor and unhealthy
 

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Stop and Shop occasionally has pork fat in the meat section. Mom sometimes buys a pack or two and renders it to make cracklings. She uses the cracklings in a vareity of dishes. Dad will literally just eat an entire bowl of salted cracklings for dinner 
  Then again his eating habits and diet are very strange and very poor and unhealthy
Maybe he's on the Sally Fallon diet!  She's a nutrition historian, co-founder of Weston A Price, and author of "Nourishing Traditions" and "Eat Fat, Lose Fat".   My kind of diet. 
 
 

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​LOL  It's a southern thang.  : )
It might also be a Pennsylvania Dutch thing. 
 While we are not PA Dutch, we do have some German in us and we live in Amish/Mennonite country. It's nothing to go to the butcher shop to buy a pig stomach.

I have made stuffed beef heart and stuffed pig's stomach....pig stomach is just delicious (sorry); I use potatoes, onions, and sausage. I dearly love my liver and onions, but only once a year. But no tripe, no kidney, no brains, no lamb, no veal, no rabbit....sorry, I just won't go there. 

That being said, we do try to eat healthy most of the time. I haven't done a beef heart in years and the last time we had stuffed pig stomach was back when Mom was still alive and she could stuff it. 
 
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orange&white

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Yeah, I was just poking fun about it being a southern "thang".  Before Crisco and other vegetable oil extraction techniques were invented, use of animal fats were common everywhere.

For a few years, I was in a bulk meat buying coop for people feeding raw pet diets.  I purchased beef hearts a few times for the dogs and tried cooking a bit for myself now and then.  Not bad at all...though I wouldn't go out specifically shopping for it for my own regular diet. 
 
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Mamanyt1953

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Well, I have now written down instructions for rendering my own lard, and pinned a recipe for lardy cake.  I have no objection to cooking or baking with lard when the end product is SOOOOOO much better, but now I know what to look for in the store for best quality.  I knew that a LONG time ago, but had forgotten it.  THANK YOU!!!
 

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I can understand how you feel. Meat isn't for everyone for various reasons, and I respect all of them. I'm a Texas carnivore, though. The slaughterhouse is several miles away. This area used to be dairy country, but now is mostly beef - where the subdivisions haven't ripped up the land. There are also some small farms left and a couple of good farmer's markets nearby, plus the weekend farmers' market in the town just up the road. We're pretty lucky to have access to a lot of fresh product most of the year. One place has super-fresh tomatoes from May through September. I've gotten them there still warm from the sun. You can pick you own there, too. I love fried green tomatoes. I grow mostly the grape Sweet Millions, although I've planted a couple of regular size tomato plants, too. 

Sad to say, I'm on a lower-potassium diet. That includes (or excludes) a lot of great vegetables and fruits. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes (which are my big cheat), oranges, avocados, bananas, beans, most green veggies, and a host of other things. I usually manage to stay within limits, but sometimes I sin and sin big. Life without tomatoes, cheese, and chocolate isn't life.
 

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[quote name="Winchester" url="/t/335727/cooking-for-one/90#post_4252232]I have made stuffed beef heart and stuffed pig's stomach....pig stomach is just delicious (sorry); I use potatoes, onions, and sausage. I dearly love my liver and onions, but only once a year. But no tripe, no kidney, no brains, no lamb, no veal, no rabbit....sorry, I just won't go there. [/quote]

I vaguely remember my mother making stuffed heart. For my father I think.

How could anyone eat veal is beyond me. The suffering of the male calves is hideous.
 
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Mamanyt1953

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I vaguely remember my mother making stuffed heart. For my father I think.

How could anyone eat veal is beyond me. The suffering of the male calves is hideous.
Yeah, I've been boycotting veal for YEARS!  I'll even do baby beef, but NOT VEAL.  It is a horrendous industry.

But back to easier things...I just pinned some foil packet dinners, and am thinking that's a nice way to cook for one, with minimum fuss!  I must try a few of these.  And for those of you who have read the scare stories, I submit the following:

http://www.snopes.com/cooking-with-aluminum-foil-puts-you-at-risk-for-alzheimers/

LOL...I promise not to inject any of the foil!
 
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orange&white

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Yeah, I've been boycotting veal for YEARS!  I'll even do baby beef, but NOT VEAL.  It is a horrendous industry.

But back to easier things...I just pinned some foil packet dinners, and am thinking that's a nice way to cook for one, with minimum fuss!  I must try a few of these.  And for those of you who have read the scare stories, I submit the following:

http://www.snopes.com/cooking-with-aluminum-foil-puts-you-at-risk-for-alzheimers/

LOL...I promise not to inject any of the foil!
LOL.  I buy paper plates to use when I don't feel like washing.  The heavy-duty plates cost 5-10 cents each, whereas a square foot of foil costs about 3 cents.  I line the paper plate with foil and use the same plate over and over, until something leaks through.  I wrap leftovers in foil, too, and reheat in the toaster oven.  I use a lot of foil.  What's my name again???
 
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Mamanyt1953

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LOL.  I buy paper plates to use when I don't feel like washing.  The heavy-duty plates cost 5-10 cents each, whereas a square foot of foil costs about 3 cents.  I line the paper plate with foil and use the same plate over and over, until something leaks through.  I wrap leftovers in foil, too, and reheat in the toaster oven.  I use a lot of foil.  What's my name again???
I was kinda thinking more about the pots and pans angle of it...I can generally manage to wash one plate and one fork...even the occasional knife,  Although...setting the foil packet on the plate would even make that easier.

I use Grammarly.  It tells me that I use too many ellipses...
 

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foil packet dinners! very interesting......


that reminds me of another 'trend' i've thought was interesting -- sheet pan dinners, like this recipe  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-and-dressing-sheet-pan-supper/   i haven't tried making any sheet pan dinners yet, but they do sound like they'd be quite easy and adjustable (for making just enough for one or two people). relatively easy clean up too!
 

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foil packet dinners! very interesting......


that reminds me of another 'trend' i've thought was interesting -- sheet pan dinners, like this recipe  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-and-dressing-sheet-pan-supper/   i haven't tried making any sheet pan dinners yet, but they do sound like they'd be quite easy and adjustable (for making just enough for one or two people). relatively easy clean up too!
That does look good and easy but the "dressing" part of it sounds like it would be awfully dry or as someone commented on the recipe "crouton-y". I wonder if putting all that stuff into a bowl after and adding a little warm low sodium chicken stock would make it more "dressing-y". It's a good idea though. Some potatoes or sweet potatoes would be good with it too. 
 

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When we were having our dishwasher fiasco, I bought some paper plates. We still have quite a few of them left and I put them away for the next time the dishwasher messes up. Trying to think ahead a little bit.

Don't do lamb. Don't do veal. Don't do foie gras either. I simply refuse.

As for veal being part of the dairy industry, people on another board were debating why humans drink milk. And is it really necessary?  It seems that we are the only species that drinks milk after becoming adults. It was an interesting discussion.

Just looked at that Pioneer Woman recipe....what an excellent way to advertise Land O Lakes butter! I see they sponsored the page. 
 I'll have to tell Rick that his sheet pan dinner idea is back. He used to do things like that often when he was cooking. Although he's not a big chicken fan, he made a lot of sheet pan dinners with chicken.
 

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foil packet dinners! very interesting......
I only have a couple of recipes that involve a foil packet but I have enjoyed the ease of them.  It really depends on what food you put in it though.  One called for corn on the cob but I hated getting the oil that was coating everything on my fingers so I switched to ordinary corn.  It's almost like those Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls, you have everything you want in one packet.
 
Veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. 
I don't know the nitty gritty of veal production, but from what little I do know I can't see how it's a byproduct.  They don't have to pen up baby animals so tightly they can't move, they can easily take those baby animals and put them in a pasture to grow up.  And as anyone who's nursed a baby can attest, milk supply is determined by demand so those baby calves can be fostered out to other mother cows if their mothers are being milked for human food purposes.
 
As for veal being part of the dairy industry, people on another board were debating why humans drink milk. And is it really necessary?  It seems that we are the only species that drinks milk after becoming adults. It was an interesting discussion.
If humans weren't meant to drink milk, we would not have had the evolutionary changes needed to drink it.  There is an actual genetic mutation that enables us to handle the lactose in milk.
 

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When we were having our dishwasher fiasco, I bought some paper plates. We still have quite a few of them left and I put them away for the next time the dishwasher messes up. Trying to think ahead a little bit.

Don't do lamb. Don't do veal. Don't do foie gras either. I simply refuse.

As for veal being part of the dairy industry, people on another board were debating why humans drink milk. And is it really necessary?  It seems that we are the only species that drinks milk after becoming adults. It was an interesting discussion.

Just looked at that Pioneer Woman recipe....what an excellent way to advertise Land O Lakes butter! I see they sponsored the page. 
 I'll have to tell Rick that his sheet pan dinner idea is back. He used to do things like that often when he was cooking. Although he's not a big chicken fan, he made a lot of sheet pan dinners with chicken.
I hate doing dishes as much as you do. I've been tempted in the past to go to paper plates full time. If I were by myself I might. 


I eat lamb chops on occasion. I don't eat veal but I just don't like it. Never tried foie gras and have no desire to. I can't understand why it's considered a delicacy. 

I've seen that debate too and it makes sense. What other species drinks the milk of another after it has been weaned off the milk of it's own? I can't think of any. I've read that most humans are lactose intolerant. Some more than others obviously and if a human is NOT lactose intolerant, it is due to a genetic mutation.  http://www.collective-evolution.com...ose-intolerant-for-a-reason-dairy-is-harmful/

I have never had an issue with dairy until recently. I'm OK with small doses but it's ice cream and frozen custard that bothers me. I can eat a little but a bowl or cup of it? NO. Milkshake? NO.

I noticed that too about Land O' Lakes. 
   Rick was ahead of the times in the sheet pan recipe game then- maybe Land O' Lakes will sponsor him next! 
 

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I only have a couple of recipes that involve a foil packet but I have enjoyed the ease of them.  It really depends on what food you put in it though.  One called for corn on the cob but I hated getting the oil that was coating everything on my fingers so I switched to ordinary corn.  It's almost like those Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls, you have everything you want in one packet.

I don't know the nitty gritty of veal production, but from what little I do know I can't see how it's a byproduct.  They don't have to pen up baby animals so tightly they can't move, they can easily take those baby animals and put them in a pasture to grow up.  And as anyone who's nursed a baby can attest, milk supply is determined by demand so those baby calves can be fostered out to other mother cows if their mothers are being milked for human food purposes.

If humans weren't meant to drink milk, we would not have had the evolutionary changes needed to drink it.  There is an actual genetic mutation that enables us to handle the lactose in milk.
Veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. There's no way around it. Cows are kept pregnant to keep the milk supply going. The calves are taken from the cows shortly after birth. The milk is sold. Female calves are raised on milk replacement until they are old enough to be impregnated and keep the cycle going. Male calves are sent to the veal industry within days of their birth as they have no value in the dairy industry. They only need a few males to keep the population going. They aren't going to give the male calves to another mother cow because her milk is being sold too. 

Anyway... back to topic. Meals for one. 
 

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Rick's big thing with the chicken was chicken legs (he likes dark meat) that he breaded with seasoned Bisquick (there's Bisquick again! 
), then placed in a greased oblong pan. Baked the chicken for a while, then made drop biscuits with the Bisquick and put them in the pan. Baked a while, then topped the chicken legs with some peach halves. Sometimes he threw in some carrots, too. I think it is a Bisquick recipe, but I don't remember. I know we ate a lot of it when I was working and going to classes. A lot of it.  He also did something with fish fillets that he breaded and threw in a pan, with potatoes and green beans. Easy clean-up, which is what he was looking for, too. There were three of us and it worked out pretty well, quantity-wise. He was good with that pan! 


My GF does foil packets on the grill...they're not bad at all.
 
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