Irony - Brignon Style, Conversations with Paige and a Few REALLY Yummy Recipes

Some people call it the Bowden curse, but I like to call it a special form of irony...you know, when you find something that works wonders for you in one aspect but f*cks you in another?  Yeah - that kind of irony.

I stopped taking Cymbalta a few months ago because it was doing more damage to my already short term memory issues from my concussion and it wasn't very liver friendly for me.  However, it helped with a lot of chronic pain I have from Lupus, my myriad of stomach issues (yes, I'm serious) and my tendency to be a rageaholic.  My memory had just deteriorated to the point that I literally had no recollection of what I had just done.  After very careful consideration from two physicians, I stopped taking it.  While my memory has somewhat improved (I no longer wash my hair multiple times each morning), my chronic pain has returned, which sucks.  I've started taking another chill pill so that I don't kill anyone, but it just isn't the same.  Cymbalta was like a miracle drug for me in so many ways, but I was on a very fast train to CRS Land and if not taking it would help restore my memory, then I had to explore that option.  I'm still not convinced that I've regained enough of my short term memory to justify not taking the Cymbalta anymore, but I said I'd give it 6 months and I still have a few to go.  (Between you and me, I'm counting the days until I refill my Cymbalta RX!!!!)

Next on the agenda, my FABULOUS hormone shots.  Again, extremely helpful for some of the female bullshit I've got going on right now....but, guess what - Lupron causes bone loss and osteoporosis.  I have been baffled as to why my left hip has been killing me for the past four months.  I found out Monday and I was just like, "WTF????"  I finally find something that works for me and it's slowly eating away at my hip.  The upside (so maybe this doesn't count as shitty irony) is that I have plenty of refills on my hydrocodone!!!  I seriously could not figure out what the hell was going on with my hip and when I went in for my follow up on Monday, he sort of spelled it out for me.  I have to have a bone density test now.  Yay.  I'm so excited.

So, that is my sad tale of irony and how it has worked against me for the past six months.  A side note to my doctor's appointment on Monday, though - I took Paige so that she and Dr. Truong could see each other.  He hasn't seen her since he delivered her and I wanted him to see the "Miracle Baby Born at 30 Weeks".  She and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him and the NICU at St Paul/UTSW and now that she's gotten older, we've been able to tell her some of the things that went on during and after her birth without scaring her.  She's so curious and always wants to know about when she was a baby, but we've always been careful about what we've told her.  It was really cool to see them meet.  He told her the reason she was so smart and coolnwas because he was the first one to touch her and he transferred his coolness to her.  She ate that shit up. 

Speaking of Paige.....

I've got some really good ones in store :)

A few weeks ago, I told ya'll about her latest adventure - songwriting.  Well, she was over at my mom's last week and was working on a new song.  The title?

If You Want It, I Can Fake It.

Yep, you read that correctly.  My child wrote a song called If You Want It, I Can Fake It.

She swears she was talking about Karaoke.  I sure as shit hope so. 

Her friend Abby spent a few nights over here and the first night the girls played dress up.  Paige told my mom she dressed up as a "Goth" but couldn't tell my mom what that meant.  She said she knew she was "Goth" because she had on dark lipstick. 

A few days later, she asked me to fix her hair in a "dirty ponytail", like the one they put in Abby's hair.  I wasn't quite sure what that was and I know the look on my face clearly expressed that to Paige.  So she says:

"You know, a dirty ponytail."

Me:  No, I don't know.

Paige:  A dirty ponytail is how girls wear their hair when they want to look trashy and hot.

I just looked at her!!!!  I don't think she had any idea what she was really saying.  I told her no and that she didn't need to go around telling people she wanted to wear her hair in a dirty ponytail so she could look trashy and hot.  God....I am so paying for my raising.  And it didn't stop there.

We were watching the Olympics Saturday night and Paige looks at me and says:

"Mommy, not everyone has nipples."

Me:  WHAT?????????

Paige:  Nipples.  Those things on your face when you smile.  (OMG...it just gets worse!!!)

Me:  You mean, dimples?

Paige:  I guess.  I thought they were called nipples.

Me:  No!!!!  They are called dimples.  Please do not call them nipples.

Paige:  Okay.  But does everyone have nipples?

Me:  Yes, everyone has nipples.  Can we stop talking about this??

I couldn't wait to call my mom and tell her about that.  I could hardly keep from laughing long enough to tell her.  Oh Paige.....

So we got up and walked early Tuesday morning.  We were walking by the Patak's and Paige moos at his cows.  She then tells me that she doesn't know what she's saying when she moos, but those cows know because they moo back to her.  She moos again because she knows that they'll know what she's saying even though she doesn't know.  And that is how she talks to the cattle.  She doesn't know what she's saying, and she doesn't know what they're saying back to her, but they answer her, so they must know, so she keeps talking to them.

This was all pre coffee at 7 am in the morning.  I love my child.

On a very positive note, I made chicken tacos Saturday night and my child ACTUALLY ate the chicken even though it had been simmered in a tomato sauce.  I almost fell over.  And, she ate another one on Sunday.  Unheard of!!!

So let's talk about these chicken tacos.  You can do them in the slow cooker or on the stove in a dutch oven like I did.  Either way, they are awesome!  Serve along with some rice and beans and you've got a delicious dinner!

Cadillac Cowgirl Chicken Tacos

3-4 lbs Chicken Breasts
1 2 oz package Mild Bill's Taco Seasoning
1 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 4 oz can Diced Green Chiles undrained
Salt and Pepper

Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  In a large covered skillet or dutch oven, brown the chicken breasts on each side.  Once brown, add the diced tomatoes, green chiles, and taco seasoning; stir to combine.  If necessary, add a little water to make sure that the chicken breasts are covered with liquid, but don't drown them.  Bring to a boil, cover and then turn the heat to medium low.  Simmer until done and the liquid has reduced some - about 45 minutes.  Remove the chicken breasts and allow them to cool.  Once they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat and return to the tomato mixture.  Stir to combine and warm them over low heat.  Use either soft or crispy taco shells and top with cheese, sour cream, lettuce or whatever you prefer.  This recipe easily serves four hungry adults :)

I had enough of the cooking liquid left over and I used it to make my Mexican rice.  It was a little spicier than usual (well, I am the Spice Mistress) and we all loved the extra flavor it gave the rice.  If you are making rice to go with the tacos, use some of the excess liquid in place of the tomato sauce, chicken broth or water you would use in your (or the recipe I've posted before) recipe.  I think you'll love how it turns out!

I love fried chicken.  I'm picky about my fried chicken and it's always been something I endeavored to make on my own.  To me, Babe's has the best chicken hands down.  I also love Popeye's (especially their mashed potatoes and gravy OMG) and my mom's is pretty damn good, too.  I have tried and failed so many times to prepare delicious, thoroughly cooked on the inside and not burnt on the outside fried chicken.  I finally achieved my goal and I think I actually reached Fried Chicken Nirvana.  Below is my recipe - try it and enjoy this deliciousness with mashed potatoes, cream gravy and hot buttered biscuits.  (And no, this is not supposed to be healthy, so be careful not to make it too often!!!)

Cadillac Cowgirl Fried Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skin on
4-5 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin on
1/2 Quart Buttermilk
4 teaspoons Seasoning Salt
2 teaspoons Mild Bill's Telicherry Pepper
3-4 Dashes Louisiana Hot Sauce
3/4 Cups Milk
1 Egg, beaten
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
5-6 Cups Vegetable or Peanut Oil for frying

In a very large bowl or resealable bag, cover the chicken with the buttermilk and 2 teaspoons each of the seasoning salt, telicherry pepper and a few dashes of the hot sauce.  Cover (or seal the bag) and refrigerate overnight, or for at least six hours.  About twenty minutes prior to frying the chicken, remove it from the fridge in order to take the chill off of it.  While it's hanging out, set up your wet and dry stations.  Using either a resealable bag or a pie plate, combine the milk, a few dashes of hot sauce and egg in one and the flour, baking powder and remaining two teaspoons each of the seasoning salt and pepper in the other; combine well.  Once your stations are set up, pour your oil in a deep cast iron chicken fryer or dutch oven.  Bring the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess buttermilk; dip it into the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour mixture and shake off any extra flour.  Place the chicken into the hot oil and fry in batches for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken floats.  Once you've got the chicken frying, lower the temperature to medium so that the outside doesn't burn in the first 5 minutes of frying!  As you start new batches, you'll  need to increase the heat to bring it back up to 350 and then reduce it a little to keep it from burning to a crisp.  Remember, the dark pieces (thighs) will take longer to cook, so keep that in mind if you fry the breasts and thighs together.  Don't crowd the chicken into the frying oil because it will not only reduce the temperature of the oil, but it will also prevent you from being able to turn them so that they brown evenly on both sides.  The chicken will float when it's done, so that is also a good guideline when checking to see if they are done.  If you are using a meat thermometer, make sure when you insert it into the chicken, you don't let it touch the bone; that will give you an inaccurate reading.  The temp on the thermometer should reach 160 for the chicken to be cooked thoroughly.  Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet and allow to cool slightly before serving.  Enjoy!!!!

I think I'm going to sign off for now.  Bubba turned 18 today and we are going to Pappas Monday to celebrate his birthday.  I can't believe he's 18 years old.  It seems like just yesterday he was playing with his Pokemon game cards :)

Have a FANTABULOUS weekend....and Keep It Spicy :)

Spreading my own special brand of whatever I can get my hands on......

The Cadillac Cowgirl