In the kitchen with Phlip -- Chicken Salad

Fatherhood has done some strange things to me.

F'rinstance, I was THINKING about making a chicken salad all week, and the other night (perhaps last night... fuck if I remember anything these days) I fell asleep on the couch watching the food channel, and they made a chicken salad that appealed to my sensibilities. Well, at least partially... They added some things I did not like, and the dream I thought I was having turned me another direction.

Anyway...

Today, I made up my mind that I was making chicken salad on Monday after work. Speaking with an asshole friend of mine, I was pretty much challenged to go ahead and do it, so I grabbed the last pieces I needed to do it and went in.

Start with chicken:

what you see here is a combination of white and dark meat, since I deal with what is in the house most times...

Season the chicken as you choose, dash some Italian dressing in with it, foil the pan and put it in the oven at 350° until done (about an hour).

Go to the store while that is in, buy some beer, talk to a friend and buy sunflower kernels

When you return home and explain to Katie that you were talking to Matt, pull out the celery you bought earlier and dice it up.

now, spray a foiled cookie sheet with cooking spray, put ½-cup of the sunflower kernels on it, spray again and toss it in the oven for 30ish minutes to toast.

If you're NOT me, you boiled 3 eggs when you got home from talking to Matt and going to the store, and they're out of the pot.

my granddaddy taught me that if you aren't sure if an egg has been boiled, spin it on the counter... if boiled, it spins smoothly but if raw, it wobbles

... and then you chopped them up

now set those aside, because you have a knife to select and some chicken to handle.

Chop the chicken as finely as you can with your knife du jour.

Toss in the diced celery and toasted sunflower kernels

You will now need mayonnaise/mustard of your choice and sweet relish.

yes, classic yellow is leftover, Horseradish is of my own choosing... this is the first time the above-pictured mayo has seen the inside of my house. we can thank grocery store sales for that

Now, (not pictured), mix EVERYTHING in those pictures up there in a huge-ass container until thoroughly mixed together, then take a picture for those who might read your blog.

Notice the crater by the bottom? Yeah, I grabbed a spoon and asked Katie to try it.

her assessment is that it is damned tasty and crunchier than any other I had made before it... Moms will offer HER assessment when she is allowed (or forced) to taste it tomorrow.

For now, I will continue to enjoy the smell inside of my house.