Coconut and New Jobs

First of all, I would like to congratulate my hubby on starting his new job today!  After about 2 years of working crazy 13 hour shifts, nights, weekends, and dealing with lunatics, he finally had enough.  This job has regular hours (M-F, 9-5:30), vacation time that he can actually take (yay!), and normal, nice people.  For the first time since we've been married, we won't have to count out weekends on the calendar to determine if he's working before we make plans.  We can eat dinner together every night of the week!  So needless to say, this is a pretty big deal. 

On my side of things, I'm going to start doing some prn work at a few nursing homes.   I finally got my CCC's (!!!) a couple weeks ago and want to get as much experience as I can in a variety of settings.  For those who are non-SLP's (lucky you), having my CCC's means that I no longer need a supervisor to practice speech therapy.  Don't get me wrong, I loved my last supervisor, but it's really nice to be on my own.  The down side is that I literally have not stepped foot into a nursing home since grad school.  So this should be fun...?

The moral of the story is that Bob now provides drugs for nursing homes and I provide speech therapy in nursing homes.  Basically we're the best friends/worst nightmare of the elderly. 

Now onto the good stuff.  FOOD.  Coconut breaded chicken tenders.  I found the original idea online and decided to just wing it.  By the way, what have I NOT found online?  I probably sound like I spend 75% of my day on the computer.  And let's be honest, I pretty much do.

Here's your ingredients:
Chicken (sorry to be vague, but you can buy the tenders or breasts--I chose breasts and cut them into the size I wanted--live your life and do what you feel is right)
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup panko (remember that Japanese stuff)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup-ish oil

Let me preface this by saying that I hate breading things.  1) There are too many steps and therefore too much time is wasted.  2) It's not as healthy.  You have the flour, the egg, and THEN the breading.  3) It dirties too many dishes.  You need 1 for the flour, 1 for the egg, and THEN 1 for the breading.  This is all very frustrating and exhausting.  The solution?  Don't bread anything.  No.  Way too extreme.  So I had to find a happy medium--which is olive oil.  I replace the eggs and flour with olive oil.  I honestly can't even taste the difference. 

OK so after you have the chicken at the size of your choice, prepare your TWO dishes.  Pour the olive oil into one dish.  I guessed on my measurement.  I mean, obviously, if you run out just add more.  Then sprinkle all your seasonings into the oil.  Combine the panko and coconut in the other bowl.  Dip the chicken in the olive oil, and be generous.  Then cover it with the panko/coconut mixture.  Place the pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Flip the chicken and bake for another 5-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken. 

Here it is!

You're probably wondering what that colorful, delicious looking stuff is next to the chicken.  Meet orzo, my second favorite carbohydrate (behind rice, of course).  If you've never had it, I guess it's kind of like a baby noodle?  It actually makes me feel like I'm eating healthy because it has many different colors and is smaller than a noodle.  You can buy the regular, one color kind, but I prefer tri-color.

I'm confused because the brand is Rice Select but it's called 'tri-color pasta.'  Whatever.

This is my all time favorite orzo recipe, courtesy of allrecipes-orzo with parmesan and basil.  Just follow the link because I can't even pretend to make this recipe better.  That's not true.  Add a little crushed red pepper and it'll be heavenly.  Because I'm still new to the orzo world, I've had to google a bunch of recipes.  I've dressed it with oil and vinegar and ate it cold, which was also amazing. 

Last but not least, I thought I would sure what Ricky the dog is doing tonight.  He loves to sit up on this couch because the windows face the street.  That way he can watch the action and alert us to any danger.  After alerting, he will proceed to hide under the coffee table.  So every day we come home from work and the bottom half of the blinds are closed.  I assumed he was getting over excited and launching himself at the window.  Well, turns out he drops his toys between the window and couch and tries to rescue them on his own.  Bless his heart, it doesn't work.  Today was the first day I witnessed this phenomenon.

Longest blog post ever.  To anyone who made it to the end, I'm shocked.  I know I said I would share my Easter/spring decorating, but I'm still working on it.  Soon.  Soon.