Today’s random prompt: What have you been able to accomplish this year that you are really proud of?

2022 may have been yet another challenging year for the world at large, but I’ve had success in some key areas of my life and I want to brag about it. I have continued to progress as a writer and my next novel is on pace to arrive in early 2023. That’s a big deal for me because I struggle to finish what I start. My regular job is going well and I’ve had a couple of mountaintop experiences that make me proud of the work I do. That said, one area of my life has elevated in a most unexpected but profound way and my excitement can scarcely be contained.

I’ve gotten pretty damned good at making chicken tenders in the air fryer.

The barbecue grill is usually my chosen medium for cooking chicken. The smoker has become a solid alternative. The air fryer, though, has confounded me a bit unless I’m cooking something like french fries or fish sticks. A glorified microwave, if you will.

I figured out the right seasoning to put in my egg wash. I found the best bread crumbs. I discovered the ideal dipping sauce. This all came together today for a perfect lunch of chicken tenders. This is not a food blog, though, so I’ll not be sharing my recipe. I mean, don’t you hate those blogs that just ramble on and on about the history of cumin and how important au gratin potatoes were to the Incas but also some food blogger’s childhood? They’re like, let me tell you about grandma growing her own potatoes in the backyard and making her own au gratin from scratch and some blah-blah-blah about life lessons. Then, after several minutes of scrolling through that you finally get to the recipe.

Well, I’m not doing that to you, dear reader.

You’ll get the lengthy, pointless blog without the recipe because I wouldn’t do that to you.

The tenders are AMAZING, though!