Currently… Taking Advantage of a 2-Hour Delay

Last week, I was crossing my fingers for a snow day. It was my tired mother’s plea for the closest I’m going to get to a vacation for a while.  On Tuesday, we got one.  Then a “no after school activities” day and – here’s a new one – a Saturday snow day where everything, most importantly, my son’s swimmeet, was cancelled.  Today, we have a 2-hour delay.  It’s easy to laze about for the extra time, but here’s how I’m making the two hours productive.

Sleep in just a little bit. The kids would love to sleep an extra two hours, but that really throws off their schedule. And then our whole scramble awake, sleepily get washed up and dressed, rush through breakfast, forget our lunchbox and run out the door routine gets pushed back two hours. So I let them sleep in a little, about an hour for the high schooler since she (we) get up so dang early on a regular day.

Get a few chores done. The extra time in the morning is great for getting in a load of laundry, cleaning rooms, taking out the trash.  And finding those papers that are due back to school today.

Rhyming. Dr. Seuss’s birthday is March 2 and his family is releasing a new book, What Pet Should I Get? in July.  Writing a Seuss-style rhyme is a fun way to fill the morning (and shhh…work on writing skills and creativity).  Inspired by The Guardian posted rhyming challenge.

Cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  With the extra time this morning, I cooked grits (yumm!) and bacon for breakfast, made spaghetti for lunch, and have already started dinner.  The collards are on the stove, the roast is in the oven.  These were going to go in the crockpot while I was out today, but I’m cooking them the old-fashioned way since I’m home a little longer.  Imagine – dinner might hit the table before 8 pm.

Writing. An all-day in-school event was cancelled due to the delay so that opens up my day until this afternoon. Here’s to making these found hours productive.

What do you do with your 1 or 2 hours school delays?

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Crockpot Cooking Without a Recipe

I've said it before, I'll say it again - my crockpot is one of my most used and favorite kitchen appliances.  Between running around with the kids and scattering to my own community and personal activities, we barely have time to eat - even less time to cook a decent meal.  So getting dinner cooked while I'm not even home is a masterful idea.

The wonderful part about crockpot cooking is that - although there are plenty plenty recipes and cookbooks out there - you really don't need a cookbook or a recipe, if you understand some basic requirements.

• Liquid - there's got to be some liquid in the crockpot. It could be stock, juice, water, sauce, the fat cooking off the meat - but there has to be some liquid to keep the food from drying out.
• Seasoning - the food is being slow-cooked, so there's time for the seasoning to melt into the food. Season generously, but not too heavy-handed.
• Time - obviously, the whole point is cooking for the hours and hours you will be away.  There are times, too, when you will want to use it to keep food and beverages warm for serving, like for hot chocolate for a cookie party!

From there - be creative.

Meats of course are favorites for the crockpot.  Whatever you cook will become so tender and juicy. You can serve as is, straight from the pot, or continue to prepare the meat once cooked.  Chicken, whole or in pieces, is an easy meat to cook. Roast beef or pork is also easy; you can eat as is, or chop it after cooking for sandwich or taco filling.  I like to cook pork loin and then chop it up for bar-be-que.  A very convenient fact? It doesn't even have to be defrosted! Yes, you can throw frozen meat into the crockpot, turn it on low and come back hours later to a fork tender meal.

Grains, beans, and pastas can be cooked on their own or with your meat choice. These especially need enough liquid since they require a lot to cook to tender. Spaghetti is easier than you think and lasagna works well in the crockpot, too - the tomato sauce is your liquid. I've yet to cook overnight oatmeal, but have tasted it and that's really good.  I need a smaller crockpot, since my son and I are the only ones who like oatmeal.

Vegetables can also be cooked alone or thrown in with everything else. I've made some very tender collard greens in the crockpot.  You probably should reserve this for veggies that can withstand the long hours of cooking, nothing too tender.

You can cook all of these separately or throw everything in the pot together for an easy clean-up, easy serve one-pot meal.  A can or two of diced tomatoes or stock and you've got the base for a good stew. Pick up a loaf of Italian bread and a salad on your way home and voila! Dinner is served.

For the chicken meal pictured above: a pack of drumsticks (frozen!); salt, pepper, basil, paprika to season; 2 cans diced tomatoes in sauce + 6 hours in the crockpot while we were at church, a science fair, sorority meeting, and a basketball game.

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Everybody's Favorite Macaroni & Cheese

Busy days and hungry people result in the frantic question, “What’s for dinner?!”

When we were on our northeastern roadtrip, our stop in Boston landed us to Quincy Market with its rows of food stalls.  Think of any city food market – the options are endless. Sandwiches, pasta, pizza, then throw in the New England spin – fried oysters, fried clams, lobster rolls.  One of those stands was MMMac N' Cheese – a make to order macaroni and cheese shop.  They individually made servings of macaroni and cheese, with all kinds of meats and veggies added in, yes, like an omelet stand.  While the kids ordered their lunch, I watched to see how to make macaroni and cheese on the spot, to individual specifications.

Back at home, I tried it out. It’s so easy, it’s so fast, the kids loved it and declared that mine turned out just as good as the place in Boston. Now, any mom knows the “it takes just like the restaurant” is quite the compliment.  So here’s how to make what will be Everybody’s Favorite Macaroni & Cheese.

Ingredients

• Macaroni noodles (cooked)
• Shredded cheddar cheese plus a variety of your family’s other favorite (meltable) cheeses, shredded
• American cheeses, slices
• Half-and-half or milk (your preference, or whichever is in the fridge)
• Butter 
• Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste

Fix-ins (all cooked)

Use whatever you’re family likes, it should be cooked and cut into small pieces.  You can cook it, buy it cooked, use last night’s leftovers, whatever works in your schedule.

• Meat suggestions: Ground beef, chopped chicken, chopped/cubed steak, chopped ham, chopped rotisseries chicken, crumbled bacon, shrimp, crabmeat, lobster
• Veggies suggestions: broccoli, spinach, chopped carrots, chopped tomatoes

To make it the quick, just ran in from work and after-school activities dinner, the key is to prep everything the night before, the morning of, or, if you work at home, on your lunch break.  On the other hand, if you’ve got time, you can prep it all just before you’re ready to cook.

You will be making single servings, so each person can choose their own cheeses and fix-ins.  Offer as many or as few options as you’d like.  Serve along with a salad and everyone can enjoy their salad while their macaroni and cheese to be cooked – no waiting.

Line all your ingredients up at the stove, ready to go, this moves fast like when making stir-fry.

1. Melt a pat of butter in a large frying pan.
2. Add 1 slice of American cheese.  Add ¼ cup cheddar cheese, plus ¼ cup of any other favorite cheese.  Add more shredded cheese, to taste.
3. Add about 1/8 c cream/milk.
4. Stir to keep cheese from burning, and add milk, if needed, until smooth and creamy.
5. Add Fix-ins (meat and veggies) to each person’s preference.  Season, to taste, if desired.  (If the meat is already seasoned, you may not need additional seasoning. But if you're doing an all veggie option, it might need a few shakes of something. Try a dash of Old Bay if going with a seafood option.)
6. Add ½ cup macaroni noodles and mix until noodles are fully covered in cheese and fix-ins.
7. Serve.
8. Start the next person’s dish.

Enjoy!

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Save Money While Dining Out with Kids

If I had to count, I could probably count the number of times in a year that we went out to dinner when I was a kid. For good report cards, there was Pizza Hut. For Mother's Day, dad picked somewhere so mom wouldn't have to cook. And then maybe a few other random Sundays for dinner after church.

 

Flip the calendar to now, with me and my husband and our own children, and I would lose count how many times we eat out.  Although I enjoy cooking, given our schedule, sometimes it's more convenient to grab dinner out while we're in between activities or order in when the day's been too busy to cook a good meal.  But eating out with kids can get a redundant, a little lacking on the vegetables, and, yes, a bit expensive.

 

Here's a few ways we've found to make dining out with the family a balanced, more affordable, experience. 

  

Have the kids split an adult meal. This does requires two children to actually agree on something, which in itself can be a small miracle and may involve some bribery. However, the adult menu generally offers a greater meal selection and vegetables are more likely to be included.  Take a moment and do the quick math; I've found this is often cheaper than two kid's meal, or at least the same price for a better meal.

 

Split your meal with the kids. Some meals are too big even for an adult and these are perfect to share with a smaller person. Often when we go out for breakfast, I get an omelet that might come with a stack of pancakes.  And what are my kids going to order? A stack of pancakes.  They can have mine. 

 

Order a drink and an extra cup.  In some restaurants, even the "kid-size" is a 20-oz lemonade. Ask the waiter how big the drink is. If it's really huge, order one and have the kids share. Or better, let them drink water.

 

Know where the kids-night specials are.  Many restaurants designate Tuesdays or Wednesdays for their family nights with special prices and free kids meals or desserts.  A local diner makes it a big affair with clowns and face-painting.  And don't forget the carryout specials, too, which are great for a family on the go. One of local grocery stores (the kind with the deli and hot food) has pizza specials on Mondays . Located across the street from my son's swim practice, this is a perfect fit into our back-to-back schedule.

 

Order the adult portion.  Let them enjoy half their meal at the restaurant, then take half home for tomorrow's lunch or dinner.  Not cheaper at the moment, but a little costs savings and work savings over the two days. That counts, too.

 

Eat a little bit earlier, around happy hour. I know we don't generally think "happy hour" and "kids" but in addition to bar drinks, food items are often cheaper, too.  Consider the appetizer menu - for little kids you can sometimes make a whole meal right there. Chicken fingers/wings, flatbreads, and salads are often on there and generally what the kids are going to eat anyway.  Dinner at 5 is early for us, but we've found when we eat dinner earlier, we're not as nervous about the kids having an ice cream for dessert and being wired up for bedtime.

 

Ask for a kids portion. There are some restaurants that actually do have a kids menu, if you read the fine print on the back of the menu. If not, some will make a kids size (and charge you accordingly less), especially if the kids are real small. 

 

My last point, has nothing to do with cost, but instead the experience. Don't use the wait time to check your email or play Angry Birds or "like" your friend's posts on Facebook. Enjoy not having to cook or wash dishes, sit back, and check in with your family, look in their eyes, and have a conversation.

 

Cheers! 

Small Town Christmas & Dinner at Salamander

There's Christmas.  Then there's small town Christmas.

This week, I peeked at a little glimpse of small town Christmas on my way to a dinner party at Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, VA.

For the DC/Maryland/Northern VA folks - the directions include "take the Dulles Toll Road to the end."  Doesn't this sound like "go to the end of I-95"? Who knew the thing ended? And what's beyond that?  As it turns out, there's miles that are much longer than city miles of horses and farm houses.  And then eventually, you get to the little town of Middleburg.

Here's a little bit about me. I don't live in a little town, but I love wandering through them.  Fresh ice cream, yarn shops, and an artsy little shop.  There's always these spots in a small town.  And 2-lane streets with stop signs where folks really do stop.

1st sign I was in a small town - free parking meters?!  Nice.

Since I was going to dinner, I skipped the ice cream shop.  And of course, I found the yarn like a magnet, except, this wasn't actually a yarn shop.  It was a needlepoint store, Stitches.  They had one collection of yarn from a local farm, Gum Tree Farm, with natural wool.  Wool can be funny, sometimes it can be scratchy as heck, sometimes really soft. This one, I wasn't too sure about, but they had mittens that had been made from the wool and, well, I bought 2 skeins.

Organic wool from Gum Tree Farm

I stopped in a funky little clothes store, picked up a Christmas present (shhh...) and then spent most of my time in Salamander Touch.  Its one of those shops that has a little of this and a little of that - bath soaps, lavender sachets, tea pots, hand lotion, and barn blankets designed by Sheila Johnson.  And there's Fern. Not the plant, but a NYC transplant who after decades out of the city still has the recognizable accent that will tell you about everything in the shop and help you find exactly what you need. I got hand lotion because that is one of my other secret addictions.  There were shop-folks up and down the street putting up wreaths and bows and Christmas lights. The fox hunting Christmas parade is on Saturday.  I admit, I wouldn't mind seeing that.

A friend of mine lives nearby, so she met me for pre-dinner drinks at the Salamander Resort.  We sipped on Parlays - a refreshing vodka based drink with muddled basil and lime juice - yumm - in the dark wood, cozy bar.  Over in the living room, next to the bar, we munched on chocolate chip pecan cookies that were set out for the Christmas tree lighting.  There was hot chocolate, children dressed up in their holiday velvet and bows, a children's chorus singing carols, a bell choir, and Santa - I told you, small town Christmas. The festivities were led by Sheila Johnson, the owner of the Resort.

One of the horse barns as you drive up to Salamander Resort

Our dinner party was in the Cooking Studio.

The Cooking Studio ready for dinner

I was really excited, I love watching a little behind the scenes in the restaurant kitchen. I was waiting for the chef to throw a pan and curse someone out for undercooking the risotto, but alas, there was no risotto and the chef, Dean, was a very nice guy from South Africa.  Our first course included a Pumpkin Cappucino, one of the other ladies frothed the milk foam for those.  For the main course, I had the swordfish, sweet potatoes, and collard greens.  Swordfish can sometimes come out a bit dry, because it's thick and steaky, but this one was moist and well-cooked.

The chef plating our dinner

Swordfish with sweet potatoes & collard greens

Making our own dinner - yukon gold potato gnocchi

What happens when quality control has wine on the job
- but they tasted good.

And for dessert, well, if you know anything about this blog or me, you know what I had. The 10-layer chocolate cake.  I don't even remember what the other option was, I'm not even sure I looked.

 10-layer chocolate cake with
pumpkin ice cream & dark chocolate lace

It was a delicious dinner, but the best part was the company. I know folks always say that, but really it was.  The party was organized by a business associate/friend of my husband and mine and it was a gathering of her invited guests. So unlike most social events in my life, I didn't know most of the other guests; only another couple and a woman that were at the same get together last year, too.  Business also mixed in with social as our host graciously chose my novel, Life in Spades, as a gift for all the guests.  It was fun to meet new folks (the couple who grew up next to each other as kids, but then just eloped last year), laugh over the random connections in our lives (the woman next to me travels to Seoul for work), and celebrate being happy with nice people.

I wanted to stay overnight and indulge in the spa.  However, the place is a bit expensive, and having to get back the next morning for mommy-duty, I didn't think I'd get all my dollars' worth.  It would be more justifiable for a special occasion (like an upcoming birthday, hint hint, dear husband) or a getaway treat, when you could really hang out and relax.  I'd love to wander around the grounds, watch the horses (you can even bring your own, if you got one in the backyard), and of course, melt into the hot towel chaise lounges in the spa that one of the other dinner guests swooned about.

Looking for small town living for a day or two? Go right on out, way past the airplanes and the traffic, look for the horses, and enjoy the sunset.

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On The Thanksgiving Menu

I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year. Although Christmas is my favorite holiday, I often draw the Thanksgiving card in the holiday dinner rotation because my sis-in-law goes shopping on Black Friday and she needs to be ready (see this post on how to get prepped).  I never go shopping on Black Friday. Well, one year I did go to Toys R’ Us at midnight, not really sure what I was going for, but just to see what all the excitement was about. Plus, I’m much more likely to stay up and go shopping at midnight, rather than get up and go out on Friday morning.  Anyway. I’m hosting Thanksgiving.  So, that leaves a lot of the cooking to me.

Every time I host dinner, I go through the menu like its brain surgery, as if it doesn’t change and I’m forgetting some major important thing. Hubby asks about the turkey about a dozen times, so I won’t forget that.  Here’s our menu – you let me know if I’m missing something important (I’m sure I am):

• Turkey 
• Ham
• Fish (probably salmon, maybe catfish, depends how I feel)
• Sweet potatoes
• Macaroni & cheese
• Sauerkraut (I once heard that this was a Baltimore thing, anyone outside of the city have sauerkraut for Thanksgiving?)
• Collard greens
• String beans
• Deviled eggs (what’s a family gathering without deviled eggs)
• Cranberry sauce. Funny thing, I never ever ate cranberry sauce from the can, then one year, I saw a recipe for fresh cranberry sauce. This sounds crazy, but I was shocked – I had no idea there was such a thing. I made it to see if perhaps I liked it better than the canned option. Ta-da – I did! And now it’s a holiday staple.  See below for a quick recipe if you’ve never made it before.
• Rolls

Most of this I will do early Thursday morning.  But the baking (the best part of the menu) I’ve already started.  For the dessert table I’ve got these sugary options:

• Red velvet cake
• Pecan pie
• Sweet potato pie
• Carrot cake
• Apple pie – mainly because I want to try the lattice pie crust from HowIPinchAPenny.com.
• Banana pudding - which my father-in-law will make, nobody else would dare to

A mix of apples for the pie

I also made Red Velvet Bottom cupcakes – they’re like Black Bottoms, but with Red Velvet cake.  Their great because you don't have to worry about the frosting. I bake 'em, set them on the table and distract the family from my cake.  I’ll be referring to my notes from the bakery to make it pretty.

I may make Latkes for breakfast because it’s Hannakkuh. Although I’m not Jewish, it seems like a good excuse to make them.  And I saw a yummy suggestion to have chocolate drizzled popcorn as the pre-meal snack. 

Okay, I think that’s everything.  What are you having for dinner?

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar (feel free to reduce, per your taste)

1 cup juice – apple, cranberry, cran-apple, cran-orange, orange juice diluted with water – whatever

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Stirring occasionally, let boil until cranberries burst. Simmer for a few more minutes, then turn off the heat.  Let sit a few more minutes.  Pour into a cooling dish – this can be the bowl you want to serve it in (one less dish to wash) or another bowl if you aren’t going to serve it all at once.  Put in refrigerator to cool and set, at least an hour.

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Dinner to Go: Quesadillas

In the summer, its a little bit like Union Station in our house around dinner time.  Most evenings, someone is heading to practice or a game or a swim meet or music lessons or a friend's house or somewhere.  Many of our summer dinners are easy to take with us foods, or something that folks can eat whenever it is they are home without any special prep.

On swim meet nights, we need our dinner to fit both these criteria.  We are poolside for about 4 hours in the evening.  The swimmers are in and out of the pool for warm-ups and their events, and I'm trying to time when they eat based on their schedule.  The non-swimmers are lounging about, reading, listening to music, waiting for the 2 minute period that pops up every half hour or so when they have to pay attention to the swimming sibling.  And everybody's hungry.

I have a couple standards for swim nights; quesadillas is one of them.  They are probably the easiest and a great way to use up some leftovers when there's really not enough to make a meal.  Of course, I did not invent the quesadilla, but I'll share this easy method to get dinner in the picnic basket.

Quesadillas

Quesadillas served with fried plantains and sour cream. 

Basic Ingredients
Tortillas (I prefer flour, but you can use corn, too) - 2 per quesadilla
Cheese, grated - cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack *you can make it easy and buy the pre-mixed, pre-seasoned packs in the grocery store cheese section

Fillings: this is the fun part - it can be whatever you want.  For meats, make sure they are cooked thoroughly as the few minutes of heating will not cook it properly.  These are just suggestions to get your thoughts going.

Meats
Chicken, chopped or cut into slender slices - perfect use for any leftover chicken
Ground beef - if you have tacos or make spaghetti sauce, cook a little extra and save
Ham - chopped or in thin slices
Steak - in thin slices
Fish - tilapia works well
Shrimp - tails, shells off

Veggies & Extras
Fresh spinach - raw works well; don't use frozen
Asparagus spears - cook first
Grilled corn
Tomato salsa
Guacamole
Black beans - cooked
Jalapeno slices

Easy to cook

Fill quesadillas with cheese and your favorite meats & veggies

• On a flat grill pan, heat tortillas.
• Sprinkle one tortilla with cheese.  Add any other fillings, generously spreading across tortilla.
• Top the cheese & fillings with the second tortilla.  Allow cheese to melt a little bit, then flip over.
• Let cheese melt and tortilla brown slightly.  Remove from pan.
• Slice into quarters.
• Wrap stack of quesadillas in foil.

Quesadilla pizza - cheese & pepperoni

Quesadilla with shrimp

If you like, you can also pack sour cream, guacamole, and salsa to serve on top of the quesadillas, too.

Enjoy!

Babysitter's Coming Chicken & Rice

If you are lucky, your babysitter is coming because you have a date or plans to go out with friends or the notion to go hang out by yourself.  Or perhaps the babysitter is coming because you have to work late or go to a PTA meeting or its your night to drive sports carpool.  But the bottom line is that you're getting out of the house, leaving the little folks home with a responsible person, and you feel it's a good idea to leave them some food.

Yes, pizza is a nice, easy choice. But every now and then, I attempt to be the good mom and cook for the little folks.  However, I have noticed that when I leave vegetables, they somehow do not get eaten when I'm not around, and that's how this recipe came about.

Babysitter's Coming Chicken & Rice

This is a one pan dish - very little clean-up!  You will need a large pan that will fit the chicken and cooked rice.

Ingredients
Chicken - legs, thighs (boneless or not, your preference) - 8 pieces
Salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder
Olive oil
Saffron or Sazon Seasoning by Goya (1 packet)
Spinach (fresh or frozen) - 2 cups
Rice (the kind that sticks together, not the instant rice) - 3 cups

• Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder to your taste.
• Heat olive oil in large pan.  Brown chicken lightly on each side.

• Set chicken aside. Drain oil from pan.
• Return chicken to pan and add spinach.

• Pour about 3 cups of rice in the pan. Add saffron seasoning and mix together.

• Pour water on top of all ingredients - about a finger's width above the level of the rice.

• Place lid on top of pan and let cook on low/medium until rice is done, about 30-40 minutes.  If you notice all the water has cooked off and rice looks dry, add another cup and then return lid to pan.

Enjoy!

Next Best Thing to Fried Shrimp

As much as I love the recipes with a bunch of ingredients to chop and slice and saute, some days, okay most days, I don't have time for all that.  I asked fellow school mom, Laura, for a good, simple, fast recipe and she sent me this shrimp recipe. After another week of things that went off schedule, I finally got to make it before dashing off to PTA meeting.

These shrimp were really simple and fast - it took me about 10-15 minutes to prepare them and another 10 or so to cook them.  Of course, I added a bit more red pepper to my mixture.  They came out crispy and delicious, I liked the crunchiness without the frying.  I used the same egg coating and bread crumb mixture for about a dozen chicken wing pieces, as well; they also cooked rather quickly, about 20-25 minutes and the kids gobbled them right up.

The bread crumbs I think make the biggest difference. I make oven "fried" chicken using regular bread crumbs and it comes out nice and brown, but not as crunchy as Laura's.  Good switch on the bread crumbs.  Anyway - she's guest blogging and I'm using up all the space.  Here you go...

* * *

Hi, I am Laura from Witchery in the Kitchen.  I am a stay at home mom, who loves to cook and garden.  I also love to take pictures of both and share them on my blog. Being a mom, I am constantly working to get my child to eat more veggies and other healthful foods.  As a cook, I enjoy exploring new flavors and combinations to keep things interesting. On my blog, I work to combine the two. Thank you Frances for inviting me to be a guest blogger on your site.

Do you ever have one of those days when you are trying to eat healthy, but some voice keeps whispering in your head about something on the other side of the spectrum? Um, yes of course you do. I know how it is. This particular day the voice was whispering, no actually it was speaking very loudly about fried shrimp. Fortunately, I don’t own a deep fryer, because that would have been all she wrote. I would have to do something different. So the question is how to satisfy the craving, while at the same time trying to keep within the boundaries of fairly healthy eating?

Really, this is a question I deal with all time as do most of us.  Sure, I love veggies and many healthy dishes, but I also love a lot of foods we all eat that are not so good for us.  I thought about how I deal with fried chicken. I oven bake it.  Not quite the same as real fried, but still quite tasty and much better for you.  The pluses outweigh the minuses. What’s great about this dish is that not only is it a feel good dish for the heart, it’s easy to make and clean up. 

Oven Baked Panko Breaded Shrimp

Serves 2-3

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 egg

Salt

Pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon mustard powder

¼ teaspoon celery salt

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Spray oil such as Pam

Cocktail sauce or other sauce for dipping

1. Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the panko bread crumbs with the seasonings in large zip lock bag or shallow bowl.
3. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil and drizzle a little olive oil on it.
4. Beat the egg with a bit of salt and pepper and pour it over the shrimp. Mix it in well to coat the shrimp evenly.
5. Working with a few pieces at a time, place the shrimp in the bread crumb mixture and press lightly to get the pieces well coated.
6. Place the coated shrimp on the foil lined pan.  Do not crowd the shrimp; make sure to leave room around each piece.
7. Spray the shrimp with a bit of Pam.
8. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

My own piddlin' notes: I use Pam Cooking Spray pretty much anytime I use baking sheets or the grill pan, so instead of lining the baking tray with foil, I sprayed it with Pam and the shrimp slid right of the pan.

Thanks to ConAgra Foods for my free sample of Pam Cooking Spray