Homemade Deli Meat

I adapted this recipe for deli meat which didn't specify which seasonings to use. I chose to use italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. I also used less salt than the original recipe so I could skip the step of soaking the chicken in water after being marinated.
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 tsp maple syrup (you can substitute regular syrup)
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp italian seasoning

Put all the ingredients into a plastic bag and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 48 hours. Then pound out the chicken so that you can roll it. I used white thread to keep the chicken rolled up tightly.

This is what it looked like before I baked it

I brushed the outside with olive oil, but that's optional. Bake at 250 degrees until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. These 3 breasts took about 1 hr 10 minutes.

Taco Burgers

Last week I tried something I've been meaning to try for a while. I forgot to take a picture once they were cooked, but they looked just like regular burgers. They tasted exactly like I was eating a taco.
Ingredients:

• 16 oz ground beef
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Ground black pepper
• This part is optional, but I pureed 3 oz of onion and 3 oz of green pepper, drained off the excess liquid and added it for moisture and flavor.

Batman vs Superman Reaction

What I liked:

• The face off between the two heroes was everything I expected and more. 
• Wonder Woman was amazing. I actually would have loved it if she had a more prominent role, but I understand why since she's getting her own movie
• Lex Luthor was a fascinating villain who had a really interesting plan that I will need a second viewing of the movie to really appreciate. 
• I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that it was really well done and planted seeds to lead perfectly into the next movies.
• The cameo of The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg.

What I didn't like:

• There wasn't an explanation to connect how the Dark Knight Rises ended with where we find Batman at the start of this movie.
• There were a couple of "slow" moments in the movie spent rehashing how Batman's parents died that I thought were unnecessary.
• Even though the ending was well done, I don't think it was believable considering what movies are still to come (if you've already seen it you know what I'm talking about).
• The idea that Batman would go to such lengths to take down Superman didn't seem right to me.

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

I modified this recipe to create a bread that was just a little healthier than the original. I made half the recipe since I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Here's what I did:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup milk with 1 tsp vinegar stirred in

So I ended up doubling the pumpkin, adding less sugar, eliminating the yogurt, adding more milk and adding more butter. I don't like chocolate chips or nuts but if you like those I'm sure it would taste great in the bread. Next time I would probably add a little more milk since the batter was a little stiff. If you prefer a sweeter bread you can add the correct/recommended amount of sugar. I baked the bread in mini loaf pans so the baking time was only about 30 minutes.

Shopping for Shorts

I've been doing some online shopping for shorts since I have no guarantee of finding my size in the store. There are so many styles to choose from that make choosing a size very difficult. Boyfriend, girlfriend, and regular styles each require a successively smaller size. And each clothing company has a different size chart so I can't even buy the same size from each store. Actually I have the same problem with buying jeans online.
I have noticed that most shorts are either really short or really long with not many in between lengths. I prefer a length longer than a 1-in inseam but shorter than the bermuda style.
At this point I've tried shorts from Gap, Old Navy, Kohls, JCrew, Amazon and American Eagle. I will probably make a trip to Annapolis, return some of them and possibly see if any other stores have what I'm looking for.

Clearance Racks

I went to Kohls to return a few items and decided to browse the clearance racks. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with these racks. Sometimes I can find something at a really low price (like today when I got a shirt for 5 bucks). On the other hand, I have a hard time finding clothes in my size especially after the selection has been picked over. I've always wondered why the racks are so disorganized (clothing size not matching size on hanger, clothing sizes and clothing types not grouped together). I guess this is why I end up buying most of my clothes online.

Cold Grilling

It was in the 40s outside today, but we went ahead and had grilled burgers anyway. It was a little strange to put on a winter coat to step outside and grill. Last year my family and three other families from church split a whole grass fed cow. The beef is more mild tasting to me than regular beef from the grocery store. It's also a little denser (especially the ground meat) because it is aged longer.