This post should probably be titled Random Cooking Adventures.

Yesterday, you got to see the results of my first attempt at “real” bread, as my friends on facebook wanted to know.  Was it real or quick bread? Hmmm, well, first I needed to what quick bread was, but another friend reassured me it was real bread.  No worries, I know the difference now.  I can’t wait to try cinnamon raisin bread.

We have been making the switch to organic foods, and admittedly, they are quite tasty!  Another side benefit is that I may not be allergic to the fruits I thought I was allergic to, but instead the pesticides and chemicals used.  I took some bites of the organic fruits and had no reaction.  Interesting, huh?  Was it having a great antihistamine on board or the fact that it was organic?  I’ll keep testing the theory, benadryl on-hand, and let you know.  Because I know you’re on the edge of your seat just waiting to find out.

Grocery shopping has been so much easier with our new eating plan (from scratch, no preservatives/additives, no MSG).  No more wandering up and down all the aisles filled with convenience foods.  I hit the fruits and veggies, the dairy section, the meat section, and baking goods aisle – pretty much around the edges of the store.

The biggest shocker – the kids have not asked for Cheerios once!  I know, I had to pick my jaw up, too.  I was prepared for a battle the first week I did not buy the beloved box of round O’s with the cute little striped insect on it.  It appears, however, they do not even miss them.  They happily eat the random assortment of fruits (and maybe carrots, we’re working on the veggies) I offer them for snacks.  My vacuum cleaner is a lot happier, too.

I also had misgivings about the days when I would be unsure of what to cook – days when the meat did not thaw in time or I forgot entirely, or I needed something a little quicker than usual, or the cabinets were bare due to an upcoming needed grocery trip.  The learning curve is lessening as I learn how to scrounge up ingredients to make a good meal.  It is so amazing what can be done when you have all the staples you need!

I think our grocery bill is even gradually going down.  This is pretty nice considering that we are switching to organics and those are typically more expensive.

I tried a new method for cooking the whole chicken last night from something I read online – just putting it into a covered casserole dish in the oven.  Super delicious!  Very moist and tender.  S couldn’t get enough!  In addition to the wonderful chicken, I also cooked up some fried squash.  You can’t go wrong with fried squash.  Heaven in a bite.  G even ate some.

Speaking of frying (I told you this was a random post), I’ve started trying to use coconut oil for its health benefits.  It’s not cheap so I use it sparingly.  I did use it for the fried squash and it worked great.  It was nice to know it was healthy, too.  A wonderful surprise was when I used the coconut oil in place of vegetable oil when we mixed up some buttermilk pancakes the other day.  It added a wonderful sweetness that we all really enjoyed.  Well, let me clarify, the kids always enjoy sweetness, but Chris and I thought it was great.  I look forward to using it more.  Sparingly, of course.

How about a recipe?  A little bit back, I told you would I would share a recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo that my friend Becky shared with me.  Here you go.  Becky said I could share it as long as I promised to share the low-fat version, too.  *sigh* If I must.  *grin*

Note:  Because I eat MSG free for migraine and health reasons, I’ll make my notes in italics on how to make this recipe mostly MSG free, for those of you MSG-free eaters.  Probably only me, but that’s ok.  Also note, this is not a professionally done recipe, I’ve typed it like it noted it in my cute little recipe book.  Apologies to Becky.

Fettuccine Alfredo

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)  (Personal note:  Pre-cutting food for everyone, especially my children is much more efficient especially when I’m so hungry by mealtime that I could chew my arm off.  Gruesome, I know.)
• 1 tbs. olive oil (Personal note: I never measure this, it’s so much more fun to just pour it right out of the bottle and watch the chicken sizzle.  You know, those bottles like on the cooking shows?  I feel so “cool”, er “hip”, er “phat” – dang, what’s the word now?? -  when I do that.)
• Cajun seasoning  (Generally, prepared versions sold in grocery stores have MSG in it.  You can find a recipe to make your own Cajun seasoning here.   Or Google “homemade Cajun seasoning”)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1  8 oz. block Cream Cheese
• 2/3  cup  Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream  (Ultra-pasteurized heavy cream will have MSG in it.  You can make your own substitute for this recipe by following directions here.  I haven’t tried it yet, but looks super easy.)
• Broccoli
• Fettuccine  (8 oz)
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (I make my own condensed soup to avoid MSG and preservatives, it’s really quite easy.  I use the recipe here, without beef bouillon, and instead, the chicken stock I have on hand.)

1. Start the water boiling for the noodles.
2. Steam fresh broccoli until preferred tenderness, then set aside.
3. In skillet, heat olive oil and brown chicken, add cajun seasoning to taste, then set aside.
4. (If making your own condensed soup, do that here…) In, well, whatever pot you want (I use my 3 qt saucepan), while stirring constantly, add together  the cream of mushroom soup, then the cream cheese, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
5. Season with cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.  And taste, and taste, and taste.  Yummy!
6. Serve over fettuccini with chicken and broccoli.
7. Come back to lick the pot after the meal because you’ll love it that much.  Oh, wait, that note was for me.  Hehe.
8. Low-fat version:  Use fat-free half-and-half instead of heavy cream and fat-free parmesan cheese, as well as fat-free cream cheese.  You may want to use a little more Parmesan cheese to thicken up the sauce.  Becky says, not a lot, only a little.

I served this with garlic bread.  Great meal!  And just in case you want to cut and paste the recipe without my friendly, bossy notes (*cheesy grin*), here are the ingredients again, in no particular order:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces) 
  
• 1 tbs. olive oil
  
• Cajun seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1  8 oz. block Cream Cheese
• 2/3  cup  Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• Broccoli
• Fettuccine  (8 oz)
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup