I have a friend who leads a boneless, skinless, boring existence.

She hasn’t let herself have the pleasure of eating a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast in years because she thinks they’re full of fat, hard to cook and, well, boney.

Oh… what she’s missing.

Making bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts is one of the easiest and most flavorful weeknight meals you can prepare. While the chicken cooks, you can put on your comfy pants, go through your mail and play a couple of rounds of Quiz Up.

You can season bone-in, skin-on breasts with whatever you have on hand… a shake of barbecue spice (like mine) or even a simple rub of olive oil, salt and black pepper. The bone gives the chicken added flavor and keeps it moist and juicy. I strongly recommend using an instant-read thermometer so you don’t overcook the meat!

Oh, one other thing… bone-in breasts are also less expensive, so you may want to buy few extra and cook them at the same time. Later in the week you can pull the skin off, shred the meat off the bone and have another great dinner!

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Do you remember this?

image by dmitriy shapiro

Airplane food. We used to love to hate it.

Most airlines don’t serve these types of meals anymore… at least not in economy class, where Mama’s family sits. And, unless you’re lucky enough to be traveling through a kid-friendly airport, you’re left feeding everyone pricey food you buy at the airport or going hungry.

OR…

You can take the advice of my friends at Prêt a Paquet and bring your own food from home. Simply put: practical and stylish on-the-go food storage.

The BPA-free, leak-proof containers come in a lot of different sizes and shapes depending on what you want to eat: salad bowls, sandwich packs and snack kits. The lunch kits have portion-sized compartments, so you can pack healthy options.

Prêt a Paquet has baby in mind, too, with lunch kits, snack kits and a bottle kit that keeps bottles at the perfect temperature.

Every container comes with a colorful, insulated cover so food stays hot or cold. The covers, and of course the containers, are dishwasher safe. You can find everything at Target.

Most important, these containers also help YOU not become THAT GUY on the plane. You know who I mean… that guy who brings the smelly deep dish pizza on the 7 a.m. flight to Orlando!

When I was growing up in Texas, Papa Daddy used to buy a whole cow and have it butchered… “everything but the moo,” he’d say.

Then they’d deliver it to the house, literally hundreds of white butcher paper-wrapped packages, their contents identified in carefully written grease pencil. Papa Daddy would load the packages into the long white freezer in the garage, ready for outdoor grilling, Sunday night dinners and family barbecues.

Today, my family doesn’t eat enough meat to warrant buying a whole cow, but we still enjoy a great steak. We Texans love our beef big time… but it has to be good (like these Herb Rubbed Steaks).

The beef you buy in grocery stores and butcher shops is sold in three USDA grades: Prime, Choice and Select. Prime is the best, and most expensive, because of the “marbling” or fat content. Fat is what gives a steak its flavor. Choice cuts are next in line, and this is what is usually sold in supermarkets. But quality varies, so look for Choice cuts that have a lot of marbling. Select cuts are the least expensive because of the small amount of marbling. This is not necessarily a bad cut of meat, because it has the least amount of fat and is therefore healthier—but it’s likely to be tough, so make sure you marinate it or use moist-heat cooking methods, like braising or stewing.

Always wondered who ended up with the moo…

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