After you marinate the chicken covered in buttermilk for 2 hours, coat with flour mixture – then in beaten eggs – then back in the coating mixture.

Ingredients for the coating mix:

2 cups all-purpose flour
(or enough to coat the amount of chicken that you are preparing)

1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Use approx. 6 cups of grape seed oil or canola oil for deep frying

Here are some different ideas that you could use as a side dish for your southern fried chicken:

- Fresh sliced tomatoes
- Grilled corn on the cob
- 3 Bean salad
- Baked beans
- Mashed potatoes & gravy
- Scalloped potatoes
- Steamed broccoli
- Deviled eggs

Yum! I can’t wait to make dinner!

So… today I thought I would share a quick & easy recipe with you, to show you how you can enjoy a similar treat at home for your family dinners.

First, I wanted to include this how-to video from Kraft, to teach you how to make a really nice “basic” cheddar biscuit… just in case you don’t like garlic.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup (or 1/2 stick) cold butter, cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* Add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder if you want the Red Lobster version

TIP: If you would rather use Bisquick, you could substitute the first 6 ingredients with 2 cups of Bisquick & ½ cup cold water.

Mix dry ingredients together, cut in butter and add cheese. Pour in milk a little at a time. After you pat out the dough & cut into squares (as in video), place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

For the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit version, also add this topping:
2 tablespoons melted butter
¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
a small pinch of salt, and a pinch of Old Bay seasoning if you wish

Mix together these ingredients & brush on top. If you like a softer biscuit, brush heated topping on after you cook them. If you like more of a crunch, brush mixture on before you bake the biscuits.

** I at least DOUBLE this recipe for my big family

Enjoy!

Pearl

Our family loves traditions! There are many things that we love to do every year, simply because we’ve always enjoyed doing them together. And yet, there are those few things that bring us enjoyment just because we like the surprise of not knowing what to expect… like our Christmas goodies!

Some years we will make sheets & sheets of different kinds of cookies (truth be told… my husband loves to do alot of this!), and some years we will simply make a special dessert.

I thought I would share a “sweet” idea that you may not have thought of for your Christmas gatherings… cupcakes!

This year, at my son’s graduation party, we decided it would be easier to have individual cupcakes – instead of one big cake that had to be cut & served. We were amazed at how well the cupcakes were received! As a matter of fact, by the time everything was said & done, there wasen’t one left!

Then, this fall we went to a friend’s wedding, where the mother of the bride made a beautiful multi-tiered cupcake tower. Not only did the cupcakes taste wonderful, but they were still being talked about weeks after the reception!

I must say… cupcakes are not your everyday – run of the mill little pieces of cake these days Instead, they are being looked at as very chic little pieces of art… that are also delicious to eat!

I wanted to spark your creative thinking, and thought these beautiful little cupcakes would give you some great ideas to start with.

Please click on each individual cupcake to learn more about it & it’s baker! Now these are my kind of artists

Check out these next 5 beautiful cupcakes from Bakerella
The fist picture is also from her collection.

Look at these sweet little ornaments that you can also eat

I love the colors & designs in these examples.

The simple design and pale colors make these very chic!

I love these Christmas tree cupcakes. The baker made the tops by baking the mix in waffle cones.

You can make beautiful “jackets” for your cupcakes using pretty paper, or paper lace.

Simply Beautiful!

Eggnog Cupcake with cinnamon stick!

And finally… who says Christmas art should only be shared on gingerbread?

Once you try this easy recipe, I think you will add it to your list of favorites!

1 box of vanilla wafers – usually 12oz
1 6oz can of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 box of powdered sugar – 16oz
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 cups of coconut

Crush the vanilla wafers until fine. Mix vanilla wafers, orange juice, powdered sugar, butter, and chopped pecans. Shape the mixture into walnut-size balls, and roll in coconut. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Makes approx. 5 dozen cookies.

So easy – yet so delicious!

There’s something about the smell of cinnamon & spices at Christmastime! Perhaps it’s the rush of childhood memories of making cookies in the kitchen with mom, or the little gifts that we would make in school? Or maybe it is the smell of pumpkin pie our family would share every Christmas evening that I remember so well? Whatever the reason, nothing says we’re ready for the holidays better than something sweet & spicy being prepared in the kitchen!

These little ornaments have been warming hearts & homes for many years, and with proper care, they can last a very long time. In fact, the ornaments pictured above are ones that I made several years ago that I still enjoy! All it takes is a simple mixture of applesauce & cinnamon to create beautiful items for your home!

To make these ornaments you will need:

Equal parts of cinnamon & applesauce – I suggest 1 cup each for your first time

Mix in a bowl and stir until well blended. Work mixture in hands for several minutes to form a ball. If mixture is to dry, add a bit more applesauce. If it’s too wet, add a bit more cinnamon.

Knead ball on cinnamon sprinkled surface until it holds together well. Then, roll out using a rolling pin sprinkled with cinnamon. You can use your favorite cookie cutters, or templates that you’ve drawn yourself to cut out your shapes. As you can see by the picture, for this batch, I chose to use a template of some little primitive stars for our shapes. I like the ornaments to be a little bit thick. This helps keep them from breaking over the years.

Place ornaments on a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cinnamon. Use a drinking straw to cut out the little circle that you will use to hang your ornament.

Air dry for 24 to 48 hours – turning several times. You can also place the cookie sheet in a very low oven (around 200 degrees), which will help them dry much faster. Remember to turn several times.

When you pack the ornaments away, be sure to cushion them to keep them from breaking. And, if they start to loose their scent over the years, add a drop of cinnamon oil to bring back the wonderful aroma!

Save money and make this a VERY inexpensive project!

- Buy your applesauce in the large can in the bulk section of your super-mart

- Buy your cinnamon in the generic containers from the super-mart or the local discount store. I can usually find larger containers of cinnamon 2 for $1.

Use different materials to hang your ornaments

Try using things such as;
- yarn
- clear fishing line
- ribbon
- raffia
- twine or hemp
- strips of homespun fabric – my favorite, as I buy it at super-mart for $1 pr yard!

Different ways to use your ornaments

1. Decorate a small Christmas tree using only these ornaments, then as your guests leave, take an ornament off and give it to them as a little gift.

2. Use as gifts for teachers, the postman, your hairdresser, or any other person that you need to give a little special something to.

3. Use them as a gift tag or package decoration by using paint to write the person’s name on the ornament.

4. Do you make baked goods or jar mixes as gifts? If you do, add one of your ornaments to the jar or package by using a strip of homespun fabric to tie it on.

5. Use your ornaments to make a beautiful garland!

6. Add to a wooden bowl of things such as; potpourri, rusty bells, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, apple rings, and dried orange slices.

7. You can add extra touches to your ornaments with acrylic paints, or glitter. You could also dip them in wax, then roll them in cinnamon for a wonderful “grubby” prim look!

Remember…
It doesn’t have to be Christmas for you to make these creative little beauties! How about hearts for Valentines Day, flowers for Mother’s day, and stars for the 4th of July! And, I know of many people who like to keep a little primitive style tree up all year long. They have the lights on it, and then they decorate it according to the holiday or season in which they are in.

You don’t have to make them yourself!

If you love the thought of using these creative little ornaments, but don’t have the time or energy to make them yourself, I still have the perfect plan for you!

There is a gal named Jean that makes these little beauties & sells them in her online shop. Of course, hers are a bit different than mine… as she uses her “secret recipe” to make the ornaments purely out of cinnamon She has a whole store full of beautiful things that she makes, and everything is priced very nicely! Her store is called: BlueJean Primitives
Check out all of the other wonderful things she has there – including some beautiful fabric covered primitive boxes!

Here are her beautiful little stars!

Let us know what other creative ideas you come up with, then post some pictures in the New forums!

At your first glance over this stuffing recipe, you might find yourself with at least one raised eyebrow. I know I did the first time I heard what was in this dish during one of our family gatherings But, to my surprise, I absolutely loved it! As a matter of fact, everyone loved it!

To be honest, I just wasn’t used to having fruit as an ingredient in a main course, so I had no idea how tasty it was! Of course, my taste buds have certainly grown & expanded in the last few years, and I now enjoy all sorts of fruit, meat, and salad combinations!

This recipe is not exactly like the first one that I tasted, as I’ve added a few more “goodies” here & there

Feel free to add, take away, or change amounts of any of the ingredients as well. My mother tells me that I am a lot like my great-grandmother Pearl (not just because I am her namesake , who never really used recipes or measuring utensils, but rather added different ingredients until it looked & felt right! So, with that being said, I hope you enjoy this special recipe!

Savory Sausage Stuffing Surprise (say that 4 times fast

12 Cups bread cubes
8-16 ounces ground pork sausage (according to your taste)
1 1/2 Cups chopped onion
1 1/2 Cups diced celery (save inner leaves, dice & add as well)
1 1/2 Cups chopped granny smith apples
1/2 Cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 Cup dried cranberries
4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth (more if needed)
1 cup butter — melted

You could buy pre-made bread cubes, or make your own with a loaf of your favorite type of bread. To make your own, simply break the bread into small bits (1-2 inches), spread on large cookie sheet, place in 250° oven for about 10 minutes – just to dry them out. Then remove bread & set it aside.

Brown the sausage in a large skillet, being sure to break it up into smaller pieces while cooking. Using a slotted spoon, drain the drippings from the sausage before you place it into a large bowl. Remove all but a small amount of the drippings from the skillet, then add the butter, onions, celery & celery leaves, apples, and all seasonings. Cook until tender. Add chicken broth and simmer for approx 5-10 minutes.

In the large bowl, add the walnuts & cranberries to the cooked sausage and mix well. Then, stir in the bread cubes and mix until well blended. Lastly, pour contents from the skillet into the bowl & mix until all the ingredients are coated & moist. You can add more chicken broth if the mix is to dry.

Use this mixture to stuff your turkey, or place it in a buttered baking dish and bake until thoroughly heated and golden brown.

I know that you will enjoy this wonderful new twist to your traditional holiday dinner!

I love having pretty bowls & platters to use in our kitchen.

Recently, I decided to keep my eyes open for some nice Pyrex bowls. I remember my mom & grandmothers using Pyrex bowls in their kitchens, but the kitchen decor of my grandmother’s day, came in shades of olive & burnt orange (I know it won’t be long before these shades return to our homes, but right now, the colors are a bit different . But, when I realized how many pretty colors & patterns there were to choose from, I knew that I could probably find some that would fit into my current kitchen decor.

I went to a local antique store, where you can find all sorts of things for every room in the house. There, I found lots of different Pyrex pieces to choose from. The prices ranged from $2.50 – $8.00 for the larger bowls. These prices were much cheaper than the new bowls that you can buy in the store, and I love filling my cupboards with history & style!

Here’s a snippet of history from the Pyrex website:

” Back in the early 1900′s, Corning Glass Works was working on a request from the railroads to produce lantern glass that would not break when the hot glass was struck by rain or snow. In response to this request, Corning developed globes made from low-expansion glass that could withstand the abuses of weathering and handling which readily broke the flint glass globes. Ironically, the shatterproof lantern globes generated were so good that Corning’s managers witnessed a decline in sales of replacement globes.

This super-tough “fire glass”, as it was called, was resistant to temperature fluctuations, chemical corrosion and even breakage. In July 1913, a series of events involving Bessie Littleton, the wife of the company’s newest scientist, forced Corning managers to focus their attention on the consumer venture. Apparently, Mrs. Littleton had used a Guernsey brand casserole only twice when it fractured in the oven. Knowing the strength of the glass her husband worked with on a daily basis, she implored him to bring home a substitute from the Corning Glass Works plant. He returned the next evening with the bottoms of two sawed-off battery jars made from low-expansion glasses. Mrs. Littleton cooked a sponge cake in one of the surrogate baking dishes. She noted several remarkable findings:

- The cooking time was shorter
- The cake did not stick to the glass; it was easy to remove with little adhesion
- The cake was unusually uniform
- The flavor of the cake did not remain in the dish after washing
- Watch the cake bake & know it was done by looking at the underside

Mr. Littleton brought his wife’s creation to work the following day. Laboratory researchers inspected the cake, which was a “remarkable uniform shade of brown all over.” The men deemed it delicious and very well baked. Thus began a two-year process to perfect this new invention. The notion of baking in glass was a whole new concept to the public. In 1915, a wondrous new line of “glass dishes for baking” appeared in the nation’s hardware, department and china stores. On May 18, 1915, Boston department store Jordan Marsh placed the first PYREX bake ware order. “

This is a set of blue & white bowls that belonged to my grandmother. My parents just gave to me this week, but I told them that they should have saved them for my Christmas gift! I already had the small rec. shaped dish, and it matches so perfectly!

This is why I’m falling in love with Pyrex

- Easy to clean
- Said to be unbreakable, a necessity during the Great Depression & World War ll
- Economical
- Absorbs heat waves which speeds up the cooking process & saves energy
- Bake & serve from the same dish
- Can use in the refrigerator, freezer, and microwave
- Bread supposedly bakes an inch higher in Pyrex!
- Comes in many shapes & colors
- Does not stain – or retain food odors
- Even antique pieces are still readily available – due to it’s durability
- An estimated 75% of all U.S. households own Pyrex

I encourage you to keep your eyes open! For a few dollars, you might find some beautiful dishes, lots of style, and wonderful history for your kitchen!

… Oh the stories those dishes could tell

PYREX is a registered trademark of Corning Incorporated.
* You can find lots of history at their website: http://www.Pyrex.com

“You & I can count the seeds in an apple, but only God knows how many apples are in each seed”

There’s something so heart warming about the aroma of apples cooking in the kitchen! Maybe it’s because of the memories of childhood when, as a little girl, I would “help” my mom & grandmother peel the buckets of apples on my great-grandma Pearl’s farm. I remember watching great-grandma Pearl put an apple in her hand sitting out on the front porch of her little farmhouse. Then, she would peel it as she spun the apple around and around in her hand. When she finished the entire apple, there would only be one very long piece of apple peel that would drop into the big pile of peels, as the apples made their way to the canning kitchen. Although I tried and tried to “get the big long peel” as a youngster, I’m only just now attaining that great skill Perhaps it’s the knowledge that Autumn, which is my favorite season of the year, is finally here that makes the onset of apple season so special? Or, could it just be the anticipation of getting a little taste of the delicious dish of apple goodness that is baking in the oven? Knowing me and my nostalgic outlook on life, I’m sure it’s a mixture of all of the above

Even though great-grandma Pearl has long since passed, and I don’t currently have my own orchard, each year our family travels a few miles up North to pick apples at our favorite orchard. We usually wait until the end of October, but this year we decided to go up with some friends to see what we could find earlier in the season. I was amazed to find so many different types of apples available! I guess our trip will be an earlier one from now on, because when we wait until the end of October, most of the variety is already gone. But, that’s not to say that we can’t go up more than once and make the season last as long as possible

I just love going to the apple farm, because besides apples, they have so many other things to see, smell, and taste! There’s the rows of corn stalks lined up like a marching band along the children’s corn maze, keeping the little ones continually guessing how they’re going to find their way out. There’s crate after crate of colorful pumpkins, guards, and squash, and I think the bunches of Indian corn must have every color imaginable, because they aren’t just brown & red anymore! And I mustn’t forget the luscious aromas that escape out of the big red barn, and somehow find their way right to our little noses! The scents of popcorn, cotton candy, apple cider, chocolate fudge, fresh baked donuts, and caramel apples all seem to mingle together and scream come & find me… and of course we must!

Even though I know what “type” of apple that I like the best, when we get to the farm, we still have to ask the same question every year – which is the best kind of apple for eating, and which is the best for baking?

Since I ask this question every year, I thought you might face the same questions when you get to the store, apple orchard, or farm stand in your area. So… I wanted to put together a little list of the different kinds of apples, their descriptions, and what they might be best suited for.

* My little secret… I love a crisp, tart, apple that is great for both eating & baking – so Jonagold wins the “Apple of my Eye” award

Jonagold: An apple that is both tart and sweet. It’s firm texture makes it one of the world’s most preferred eating apples

Golden Delicious: Mild sweet flavor – eating, salads and apple sauce

Cortland: Tangy Taste – snacking, salads, and baking

Empire: Unique sweet/tart flavor, crisp and juicy – eating and salads

Ginger Gold: Sweet but mildly tart – eating and salads

Golden Delicious: Mild sweet flavor – eating, salads and sauce

Honey Crisp: Big juicy and sweet – great eating apple

Ida Red: Highly flavored and crisp – eating and baking

Jonamac: Sweet/tart flavor – eating and sauces

McIntosh: Juicy tangy and aromatic – Most popular eating apple

Macoun: Mild tart taste firm apple – snacking and fresh desserts

Northern Spy: Tart apple – eating, sauces, baking

Red Delicious: Juicy and sweet taste – eating and salads

Rome: Firm mildly tart flavor – Perfect for baking and sauce, keeps very well

It’s amazing how fast the warm colors of Autumn are already starting to appear along our country lane. Granted, we did have a wonderful summer, but it always seems like fall comes so soon! It’s ok though, because besides the Christmas season, this is my favorite time of the year! And with the cooler temperatures, always comes the urge to prepare a large pot of hearty soup, a platter of oven warmed bread, and a few candles scented with pumpkin, clove, and orange, to add to the evening’s ambiance as our family gathers around the harvest table.

I thought you might like to share this wonderful Bean & Bacon Soup with your family this week!

Hearty Bean & Bacon Soup

Ingredients:

6 slices lean bacon, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed hot red pepper
2 cups diced tomatoes
2-1/2 cups canned white beans, drained
6 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup small pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a heavy soup pot, saute the bacon until done. Leave the bacon drippings in the pan to saute the other vegetables. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and red pepper to the pot. Saute until the vegetables are soft, approx. 10 minutes on low heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 10 more minutes. Then, stir in the beans and broth. Break up the bacon into smaller pieces, and add to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, then add the pasta and cook 15 minutes or so until the pasta is done. This soup is great topped off with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!