What is is, and what it isn't Cornbread

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had an unnatural fear of loose corn. Laugh if you will, but corn must be kept on a short leash around me. I just do not like my corn to be unannounced or sort of loose and mingling in my dinner. Popcorn is a totally different animal, because popcorn is not and never will be confused for loose corn floating around in, say, a stew or a tasty taco salad.
No, loose corn is evil.
Corn on the cob is to be eaten with joy, AFTER I saw it off the cob, and add 1/2 stick of butter and salt and pepper. (I may like to stuff my face but I don't like the look of a corn of cob stuffed in my craw.)

Sometimes when we don't feel up to par, we take chances that we wouldn't normally take.
Sometimes when we don't feel up to par, we throw caution (and corn) to the wind.

What it is:

2 C Martha White Buttermilk Cornbread Mix
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Milk
2 eggs -beaten
1 handful of shredded cheddar
4 chopped green onions
1 can 50% less salt pure corn - 80% of it pureed in the handy chopper
Black pepper

Spritz 8x11 pan with butter flavor baking spray
Preheat oven to Speed Bake 400*
Toss ingredients into a nice, big bowl and mix them up. Add a few pinches of pepper.
Bake for about 17 minutes on convection -- or until golden in a regular oven.

What it isn't: another loose corn nightmare.

Ham....ham...everywhere....

Using up Leftover Ham Idea #81

4 smallish ham slices-cubed
1/2 red Onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium zucchini- sliced into thin 'coins'
Olive Oil
Black Pepper

Add a glug of olive oil to the pan over med-hi heat
Cook ham without messing with it too much-let the ham get caramelized by leaving it alone.
Add the onions and garlic when the ham is nice and brown-never let garlic burn, it's a sin.
You may need a little bit more oil when you add the zukes. Again, leave them alone to get better acquainted with the others. Let it cook until everything smells so good you can't stand it (and when the zucchini are tender and starting to shrivel-maybe 4-6 minutes...)
When done you can taste and add some black pepper. It doesn't need salt, seriously put the salt down.

I almost wanted to sprinkle shredded parm on this, but I held back.

Hello it's been a while

I am giving myself time to ease back into food. No smell/taste for a week and today was the first day I felt hungry (wild, right?) so I made up a big batch o'popcorn. No reason why, I just did. It tasted like tiny nubs of nothing. Until I sprinkled on some Tajin. Have you ever? Tajin Fruit and Snack Seasoning is a tiny jar of wacky.

I stumbled across it in the produce section of Super Walmart. It's toxic when licked from your palm (ok I didn't lick yours I used my own) but takes on a happy hue when sprinkled on fruit. I didn't love it on the popcorn. In fact, I hated it. But now I realize that my tastebuds are slowly waking up... And that's a good thing.