Focused at Fifty

 Kitchen hint: I have memories of Mom tearing up from chopping onions and us kids just laughing and laughing at her. We knew how to push her buttons. She would then start laughing and be crying at the same time. It is one of those kitchen memories which stick with you and you just smile and chuckle to yourself  every time you think of it.  I never said I was an easy kid to live with. Anyway, to prevent crying from cutting raw onions, several websites online state to place the onion in the freezer for 10 minutes before slicing.Check out the Ehow.com website  as an example! This will prevent sulfides from being released when you chop up that onion. These pesky sulfides are what cause your eyes to water.  I have tried this and it actually helps, although personally I feel crying while chopping onions is a right of passage for any home cook.  It also brings me back to that great memory of my Mom in the kitchen. Mom's recipe card, SO 1970's! Every on...

Baked chicken was one of the weekly staple meals in my family. We rarely had steak and if we did it, it was almost always London Broil, sliced thin. That was for special occasions or if it were on sale and Mom had double coupons. Otherwise, chicken was king in my family. We also had fish, but back in the 70's and 80's there wasn't a great selection of fresh fish in the supermarkets, usually just flounder, haddock, or cod. I actually enjoyed fish sticks and beer battered fish filets far more! Chicken, cleaned and ready for baking! This was my Mom's weekly recipe for baked chicken. Simple and flavorful. These days, one might not top it with butter, opting for a healthier approach. How about drizzling olive oil?  I opted for my Mom's recipe with the butter pats. It tasted SO good! I like the combination of spices, just enough pepper and paprika to give it a zing. We always used the cheaper cuts of chicken, dark meat. Special occasions called for mixing in the mor...