I think the midterm was fine. I think. We had to create an SPSS syntax file for the last problem, and my first try was rejected. "Bah!" said SPSS. "I spit upon your pitiful attempt." Always demoralizing, with the clock ticking at the end of a midterm. But this professor is extremely helpful, even in the middle of an exam. She was passing by and saw my unhappy face. "You're telling it to consider all the males and none of the males at the same time," she explained after a glance at my coefficients. Aha. That would make me a little tetchy too, were I a statistics software package.
To distract you from my drama queenliness, I offer you my standby chicken recipe for boneless breasts. Perhaps it is odd to serve up a chicken recipe just in time for the first meatless Friday of the season, but it'll keep for Saturday. Or whenever.
Preheat your oven to 350 and hit a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Set up a little assembly line with your package of about 6 chicken breast halves at one end, next to a bowl of plain yogurt (about a cup), next to a plate of seasoned breadcrumbs*, next to your baking dish. Roll a chicken breast in the yogurt, roll it in the breadcrumbs, and plunk it in the baking dish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like them, and drizzle over a half-stick of melted butter if you are a person obsessed with following recipes to the letter or if you are feeding a cachexia sufferer. I haven't used the butter since the first time I made this, in 1993. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
*Seasoned breadcrumbs: 1 c. dry breadcrumbs or wheat germ if you have no bread to crumb, 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, 1 t. seasoned salt, sprinkle of thyme, dash of pepper, whatever else floats your boat. This is probably more than you need for six breasts, so you might reserve some of it in a separate dish. That way you can dump it on the plate if you need it at the end, or save it for later since it won't be contaminated with raw chicken juice.
The yogurt makes the chicken moist and tangy and the breadcrumbs give it crunch and flavor, circumventing the whole dry/tasteless/cottony problem that plagues most boneless skinless chicken breasts.
that recipe looks yummy. K says we must make it soon.
glad you survived the midterm :-D Just the combination of words "statistics software" makes me want to break out in hives! So I would totally flunk.
Posted by: Tracy | February 23, 2007 at 02:36 PM
i read this and thought- not fish? then finished reading, :)
glad the midterm went better- thankfully all of our midterms were written take-home papers- the joys of not being in a scientific-based field!
do you have any suggestions for healthy, organic, yummy oatmeal cookies? my kid keeps coming to me for "cookie-cookie-cookie!" and i would love to give her something with some nutritive value vs. my usual offerings (graham crackers, cheesey crackers, etc.) or cookies that are actually good-for-you treats with good things snuck in. just wondering as i remember you used to have many good recipes in another time. thanks!
Posted by: pnuts mama | February 23, 2007 at 03:25 PM