Faux frying....

I started out more than an hour early this morning (Tuesday, April 20) for a 10 a.m. meeting with my state senator and two state representatives to do a story about the close of a very contentious special session. The meeting was at the White Salmon Library, which is only 20 or so miles east of here. However, the state Department of Transportation is removing excess rock from S.R. 14 and I was warned the road would be completely closed for blasting from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. I left before 8 a.m., more than enough time, and was amused to discover rock was already blocking one lane and crews were frantically trying to open the lane to let people through for a few minutes before closing the road again for two hours. They accomplished their temporary clearance, and I proceeded to another detour at M.P. 64, which is up the White Salmon River via Alternate 141 and through a lovely section of curves and narrow roadway, guaranteeing that people will stop in the City of White Salmon just to catch their breaths before proceeding on.
I did, and arrived in time for my rendezvous with the lower Yakima Valley legislators, who had no idea what I had just traversed to arrive for their version of the state meltdown budget. We are not yet California, but give us a couple of years.
After our meeting and renewing my driver's license at the White Salmon office (the new photo looks like someone's grandmother), I headed to Hood River. I bought some fuschia starts in five colors at RiteAid, and went grocery shopping at Rosauer's in the Heights. It has a few faults, but it has lovely produce and a wonderful health food section. I found a large 22-ounce bottle of agave syrup on sale, and a 12-ounce bag of erythritol, which is supposedly in short supply now due to its sudden popularity. I had tried to order some online from Emerald Forest, the source of my 5-pound bags, and was notified that all but the individual one-serving packets were unavailable in Colorado due to high demand. So I paid $11 (on sale!) for a 12-ounce bag in Hood River. At least I didn't have to pay shipping.
I also got a package of turkey breast tenderloins at Rosauer's, and other items, including parmesan, frozen seafood mix and ham, all under 3 percent fat.
After I arrived home, we planted the fuschia in a hanging basket (cheaper at five plants for 89 cents each than a Mother's Day hanging basket would be at $25). I will make up for it another way, such as a Mother's Day sternwheeler cruise.
Preparing dinner, I took out a big fat sweet potato, peeled it and cut it into strips, placing the pieces on a rectangular baking sheet sprayed with canola. Then I took the turkey tenderloins, cut them into smaller strips and put them in a shallow container of leftover pancake batter with extra Eggbeaters, buttermilk, Hungarian paprika, garlic and onion powder and fresh ground pepper. I then rolled the turkey strips in panko crumbs, and placed them on a canola-sprayed cookie sheet into a 400 degree oven, after giving them a light spritz with the cooking spray. They were all done about the same time, and I added raspberry mustard to the plate as a dipping sauce. It was a marriage made in heaven. Mom was thrilled at a supposedly "verboten" dinner menu. Who needs deep frying? Hooray for panko crumbs.