The other day, I was completing my weekly venture to the grocery store when I heard another customer ask an employee for greek seasoning. Right away, I knew what she was asking for: a blend of seasoning (spices and dried herbs) that most likely is only available at specialty stores. The employee was a little more than confused.

I interjected, asking if the woman had tried the spice aisle. She had looked but greek seasoning is not an item normally carried at the store. I suggested trying a specialty store but she shrugged it off, obviously not wanting to go too far out of her way (and in all fairness, we kind of live out in the sticks compared to where I used to live).

Then, I had an idea: surely she could find a recipe online for Greek seasoning. Most likely, Greek seasoning is comprised of items she already owns. I made the suggestion and she seemed genuinely grateful.

When I got home, I did my own quick Internet search and sure enough found several blends for Greek seasoning. Just as I suspected, it was comprised of dried herbs and spices I already own, and most likely she did too.

There are many “recipes” for spice blends, such as Greek seasoning, Cajun spices, curry powder, and more exotic blends like Ras el Hanout, available online for free. Anyone with a well-stocked spice rack should own most to all of the ingredients. If not, there are plenty of free substitution charts also available online.

Basically, there is no need to spend extra money on expensive spice blends if you already own an extensive collection of dried herbs and spices. Look for spice blends, sometimes called dry rubs, on recipe collection websites. Since most recipes call for such small amounts of these expensive little blends, all the better to make your own mixture at home.

Here are some Sweet spice mixtures than are anything but Bitter:

Greek Seasoning Blend

Homemade Curry Powder

Cajun Spice Mix

Garam Masala

Paprika Spice Blend

Dry Jerk Spice Rub

Caribbean Spice Rub

Pepper-Garlic Spice Rub

Mix tapes caught a small amount of flack from record companies, though not to the extent of burning CDs or file sharing/swapping. Mix tapes were not meant for mass production, but more as works of art. The music industry, however, has viewed these outlets as a threat. Chris Pirillo recently wrote an excellent article on the subject for CNN, targeting DRM: Digital Rights Management.

Many artists have taken aim at the recording industry by offering their music online for free, or cutting ties with their labels to be independent. Other artists, who shall remain needlessly nameless, have fought the digital music revolution tooth and nail, as if their very livelihood depended on it.

Since the 80′s, the recording industry has been waging war against the mix tape, but how exactly are mix tapes killing music? It seems the only folks not benefiting from mix tapes are the industry executives who made money on CDs and digital music purchases. Perhaps the only thing this will spell an end to is over-produced, stylized, and largely commericial acts created to make money for music executives.

It is well known that most artists, particularly new artists, do not profit from album releases but rather tours and merchandising. If anything, consumer-driven outlets like mix tapes seem to benefit artists: the more people are involved in the music, the more likely they are to attend concerts or purchase other products, including future albums.

Maybe instead of staking claim to digital music rights and limiting licenses to the consumers, music executives can think of a way to make music more accessible and increase the diversity of artists available. The landscape of music is changing, and increasing industry salaries on the backs of consumers is Bitter. Give the consumer something worth buying, and we are more than willing to pay.

And I know that you’re a sucker for anything acoustic.
But when I say let’s keep in touch,
I really mean I wish that you’d grow up.
This is the first song for your mixtape.
And it’s short just like your temper,
but somewhat golden like the afternoons we used to spend before you got too cool…
“Mix Tape” from Brand New

Want a easy, weeknight dinner (and who doesn’t)? Try making some Baked Chicken Tenders and turning them into Jenn’s Shortcut Chicken Parmesan! It is incredibly easy. James and I have tried this with basic marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce, both were very tasty.

If you would rather use whole chicken breasts, increase the baking time to 20-25 minutes. Save time by preparing breading ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Jenn’s Shortcut Chicken Parmesan 

Preheat oven to 450F and place a large pot of water over high heat.

Prepare chicken tenders and bake 12-15 minutes.

While chicken tenders cook, add pasta to water and cook according to package directions.  Empty a jar of pasta sauce into a medium saucepan and slowly heat over low heat.

By the time the chicken is done baking, the pasta and sauce will be ready. Drain pasta and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place pasta and chicken tenders on a plate and spoon sauce over both. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately and enjoy! Steamed veggies or a green salad on the side completes the meal.

The latest edition of Everyday Food magazine featured a recipe from a reader in Grand Rapids, Michigan for Baked Chicken Fingers. The recipe called for ground flax seed and wheat germ, items I usually have on hand for smoothies. I was excited to try the recipe because it came from a local cook and chicken tenders are one of my favorite foods, but it becomes a little pointless to use lean, skinless chicken breast when its also battered and deep-fried. At least this breading has some good-for-the-heart omega-3 fortified flax seed and also wheat germ, which is a super grain to use.

Unfortunately, these are both fairly expensive items and I would not recommend purchasing unless you are committed to using them in multiple recipes. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup unprocessed bran, which I do not use and deciding to increase the breadcrumbs from 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup instead. Below is my version of the recipe, but feel free to adjust the proportions to suit your needs.

Baked Chicken Tenders
adapted from Everyday Food

1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tbsp shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt or powder
1/2 tsp onion salt or powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (about 15-16)
bbq or sweet & sour sauce, for dipping (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet.

In a food processor, combine wheat germ, breadcrumbs, flax seed, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined. Add olive oil and pulse until ingredients are slightly moist. Place breading mixture in a shallow bowl.

In another shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs with a fork. Dip chicken tenders in egg, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge in breading mixture, patting slightly to adhere breading to chicken. Arrange chicken tenders in a single layer on wire rack and place in oven.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until cooked through completely and breading is golden brown and lightly toasted (place under a broiler for the last minute of cooking time for a crunchier breading). Serve immediately with dipping sauce, if desired.

Maybe you have seen the commericals (sponsored by corn refineries) about how high-fructose corn syrup is not as bad as we have been lead to believe. Maybe you have also read reports condemning HFCS. You may also be having flashbacks to the 80′s and 90′s debate of eggs-are-good-no-eggs-are-bad-no-eggs-are-good-again fiasco.

So what is the deal with HFCS? The Mayo Clinic acknowledges these conflicting reports, and suggests moderation is the key when it comes to HFCS. The article does suggest, however, that there could be link between HFCS and obesity, diabetes, and other diseases.

The Washington Post offered another perspective: regardless of the effects of HFCS on the body, environmentalists are quite certain it is having an adverse impact on the planet. The article quotes Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food:

“The environmental footprint of HFCS is deep and wide,” writes Pollan, a prominent critic of industrial agriculture. “Look no farther than the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, an area the size of New Jersey where virtually nothing will live because it has been starved of oxygen by the fertilizer runoff coming down the Mississippi River from the Corn Belt. Then there is the atrazine in the water in farm country — a nasty herbicide that, at concentrations as little as 0.1 part per billion, has been shown to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites.”

The article continues to suggest some natural sweetners with less of an environmental impact: organic honey, pure maple syrup, and agave nectar.

The jury may be still be out on the health effects of HFCS, but it appears the verdict is loud and clear for its effects on the planet. And let’s be honest: it might not be hurting the body, but it certainly isn’t doing anything to help. In the meantime, rather than spend money to create a more eco-friendly process or investigating if their product truly is harmful to people, the corn refineries are sinking millions of dollars into advertising propaganda. HFCS and corn refineries: I’m calling it as I see it, and I see it Bitter.

Want to read more? Check out the Murky World of High-Fructose Corn Syrup  and The Double Danger of High-Fructose Corn Syrup for other opinions.