Everything is Better Fried!

Saturday evening, after spending the day on beautiful Dauphin Island, we dropped of JW with Mawmaw (Mark's mama), came home and cooked supper. I had some uncooked chicken leftover from the curry chicken pot pie so we decided to do chicken fingers. I also had some potatoes and a new baking mix that Mama got me that we tried out too.

My boys: Mark, JW and Thibodeau the bulldog

Get some oil going on the stove so it is nice and hot when you are ready to use it.

Mark rarely helps me in the kitchen so when he offered, I took him up on it. I got him to cut the chicken breasts into strips, batter them and start on the biscuits. I even got him to clean out the dishwasher!

Before we start on the chicken, I cut the potatoes into strips (Mark came back and cut them smaller) for the fries and placed them in cold water until the oil was ready.

In small batches, fry them until they start to turn golden.

Remove from the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Now for the chicken...

You will need some flour with salt, pepper and Old Bay mixed in it for the batter.

Start by covering the chicken in flour, dip in egg and then cover in flour again.

When the oil is ready, fry them until they are golden. It only takes a few minutes.

While I was frying away, Mark was making the biscuits with the new baking mix. He did an ok job, but I failed to tell him to flour his hands before kneading so he ended up with dough stuck to his hands begging me to help him.

After kneading and rolling out the biscuits, I cut them and placed them on a cookie sheet.

Them baked them until they were golden. They looked like rolls instead of biscuits but we ate them anyway. They tasted like biscuits at least.

When everything was ready, we feasted until we couldn't eat anymore.

The chicken was awesome and the fries were a little soggy from sitting there but they were good anyway. I put the leftovers up, cleaned the kitchen and watched movies with my hubby for the rest of the night. There is nothing like a quiet night at home all curled up on the couch with your loved one. I missed my little buddy, but it was nice still.

A Twist on a Classic

My Mama has been making chicken pot pie for years and years, so when she told me that she made some over the weekend I knew I had to have some. Knowing that if I tried to make mine like hers that I would most likely be disappointed, I gave mine a twist by using curry. I love curry. I am a huge fan of Asian food and red, green, yellow, and masaman curry is at the top of my list. The only thing I don't like about it, is the way it makes your house smell after you cook with it, so I opened all of the windows and lit a candle. That seemed to do the trick.

To start with, pre-heat the oven to 350.

This recipe calls for chicken broth and cooked chicken. Kill 2 birds with one stone by boiling a couple chicken breasts for a little while. By doing so, you get your broth and cooked chicken.

While the chicken is boiling, chop up an onion and some celery.

When the chicken is done, chop it up and reserve 1.5 cups of stock.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and saute 4 cups of frozen veggies until they are golden. Remove to a bowl until they are needed later.

Warm up some milk and the chicken stock in a small sauce pan and get some butter going in the skillet where the veggies were.

Saute the onion and celery in butter, and add more butter when they are finished.

Stir in some flour and curry.

Whisk in the warm milk and stock until all of the flour is incorporated and creamy.

Season with salt, pepper and parsley.

Add back the veggies and chopped up chicken and stir together.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with biscuits. I used canned, but you can always make your own. Spread them out some to cover the veggies and chicken.

Bake until the biscuits are golden.

Enjoy! I really loved this twist on a classic. My husband, Mark, must not have heard me say curry because he looked at me with a funny expression on his face after he took the first bite. I asked him if he liked it and he said he did but that there was something weird about it. After I told him curry was in it, he had 3 helpings, so I guess he really did like it.

I took the leftovers for lunch the next day and gave some to Mama. She said it was good but that it was spicy. I don't know about spicy but I do know it was really good. Try it out. Make it your own. Change the crust. Use different veggies or even, leave out the curry. Just have fun in the kitchen.

Favorite Snacks

I'm sure you know by now that I am expecting our 2nd child in September so there is a LOT of snacking going on at our house. I have had been craving cheese by the blocks which is weird because I was not a big cheese eater before. Chocolate is also at the top of my list and bananas. What really floats my boat are Cheez-Its and M&M's or Cadbury Mini Eggs. Yes you have to eat them together, or at least I do.

I have really graduated in the food department with this pregnancy. When I was pregnant with JW I had to have chocolate milk and Vienna sausages smothered in Tabasco. I know, gross. At the time though it was wonderful.

Last night before bed I wanted a banana and some toast so I made a banana-mayonnaise sandwich. Don't judge me monkey! It was AWESOME! I have been eating banana-mayonnaise sandwiches since I was a little girl. I normally don't toast the bread but I wanted toast this time.

Spread a heap of mayonnaise on each side.

Top with sliced banana

Enjoy! You can use peanut butter if you want. I used to do one side peanut butter, one side mayonnaise, top with banana and sprinkle with rice cereal and chocolate syrup. Heaven! I may have to do that tonight.

Add a handful of Cheez-Its.

And a few Hershey Kisses and my snack is complete.

I think this may be the reason why I have gained 10 pounds in the first trimester. I don't care. I'm happy, healthy and hungry. Who is really going to tell me no?

Best Pork Chops EVER!

I bought some very nice pork chops the other day at Winn-Dixie and I decided to fix them last night. I also bought some golden potatoes but I couldn't decide on mashed or roasted so I asked JW. He said roasted, which is awesome because they don't take long to prepare.

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 and then we will prep the pork chops.

Get the chops out and pat them on both sides with a paper towel, just to remove some of the moisture.

Season with a mix of Cajun seasonings, seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Dredge in flour, then a beaten egg.

Coat with Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.

Brown is a skillet for 5 mins on each side.

Put them in a baking dish, cover with foil and let cook for 30 mins.

While the chops are in the oven, wash your potatoes and cut them into pieces.

Season them with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Toss them in olive oil and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Put them in 15 mins after the pork chops.

Now for the sauce. You will need some milk, white wine and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Mix together and pour over the pork chops after the 30 mins is up. Recover with foil and bake for another 30 mins.

Your pork chops and potatoes should be done at the same time.

Who doesn't like meat and potatoes? The chops are so tender you can cut them with fork and the potatoes are so wonderful you won't want ketchup with them. We will be having leftovers tonight! You know you really could do something great with the leftovers for breakfast. Just add cheese and eggs. Maybe next time. How do you like your meat and potatoes?

Garden Update

Saturday JW and I got up early and drove down to the camp to help Mama in the garden. In the past few weeks, the garden has come a long way. The onions are looking good all neat in their rows. The sweet peas are blooming and climbing. Even the strawberries have joined the party by producing fruit. Our salad mix is coming in very well and is almost ready to eat. It is almost time to thin back the turnips.

Mama and I planted some red stem spinach, tomatoes, tomatillos and more flowers on the other side of the garden area. JW planted his sunflowers and giant pumpkins. I can't wait to see how they turn out. We moved the fence so we have a bigger area to plant more veggies and herbs. Speaking of herbs, the place where I planted my seeds kind of washed away, so I'm not sure if they are going to make it or not. There were a few little green sprouts coming up, but it is too early to tell what they will turn out to be.

So far the fence has proven to be effectively keeping the deer at bay. Tracks can be found all along the edges but not inside, so that is a good thing. I will leave you with some pictures of the baby broccoli, strawberries, sweet peas, rutabagas and onions.

I almost forgot, but we did have lunch while we were at the camp. I hat a no frills turkey sandwich, but my Daddy had a tomato sandwich with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. I am not a big fan of this Southern treat, but my parents and grandparents love them. I need a little lettuce and bacon to go with mine. They are beautiful to look and I am told as the summer tomatoes ripen, the sandwiches get even better.

Having a garden is a great way to go green and save money on groceries. You don't need a huge garden to make a difference. Try growing herbs in a window box or planter on your porch. How are you going green?

Beef...It's whats for dinner!

It has been a looong time since I have had a good steak so when I saw T-bones on sale at Winn-Dixie, I had to jump on it. They were huge and only $7.00!! I know. I couldn't believe it either. While I was there I picked up some salad and baking potatoes to complete the meal.

At home, I got the steaks out and let them come to room temperature, then salted and peppered them. Mark, my husband, got the grill going since I am terrified of propane. I hate the "whoosh" sound the grill makes when it first ignites. There is enough bleach in my hair that once it catches fire, I wouldn't have any left! Lord have mercy...lets not even go there.

Back to the steaks.

Once the grill was screaming hot, Mark threw them on for 4 mins on each side. He even got the grill marks all pretty.

Staying far away from the grill, I put the potatoes in the microwave, shredded some cheese and put the salad in bowls. I also set the table and got the butter and steak sauce out.

When everything was done, we sat down at the table and had a wonderful (and cheap) steak dinner. The freshly grated cheese on the potatoes with butter was awesome as well as the ginger dressing on my salad.

I think we all are trying to save as much money as we can nowadays and what better way than eating at home? We had a quality meal that would have costs us mega bucks at a restaurant AND we can eat in our PJ's if we want to. When I cook for my family and friends, it means that I care about them enough that I would risk burning my hair just to feed them. That is love right there! Just kidding, but sitting down at the table together for a wonderful meal is a great way to spend time with family and friends. So, save some money and catch up on life with those you love, eat at home.

Pimento Cheese

Last weekend I decided to go see my Birmingham family, including the Foodimentary Guy. Almost every time I visit I end up cooking or bringing stuff that I made just for them to enjoy. K-Tilda loves my pimento cheese so I proceeded to make her some. There is nothing like pimento cheese in the world! Or at least my world. I love it. Just give me some crackers or white bread and I can go to town.

To get started you will need a couple blocks of cheese, I use sharp cheddar and Colby. You will also need some onion, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise.

Shred your own cheese. This is very important! The already shredded stuff from a bag does not taste as good as freshly shredded cheese. Trust me on this one. If you do not agree, then use the pre-shredded cheese next time.

Next comes my favorite ingredient......MAYONNAISE!!! I love Duke's mayonnaise. I had to use the light Duke's this time because they were out of regular.

You will need to drain the pimentos before you add them to the mix. I also picked up the sliced pimentos instead of the diced pimentos, but that is OK for me. If you want them smaller, chop them up.

This next ingredient is the key to a well flavored pimento cheese, grated onion. I was iffy the first time I added it, but it is just wonderful.

To finish it off, add some cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. Go easy on the pepper unless you want it nice and spicy. Really you are using it for flavor and a little zap on the end.

Mix everything together and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Crackers, chips, bread and veggies are the best tools for eating this masterpiece. I have also put some in a baking dish and heated it in the oven to be served hot.

If I ever open a restaurant I will have pimento cheese and pimento cheese sandwiches on the menu. I hope that you try this out. Make it your own. DO NOT buy the orange colored concoction in plastic tubs from the grocery store. Unless you know it is locally made, don't go there.

BTW: I ended up leaving K-Tilda's pimento cheese in Mobile. That's OK though. Now I get to eat all of it myself. Sorry K. I will make it up to you.