Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy

This might be one of my favorite comfort foods. I have tried several ways to try and achieve the crunchiest breading that doesn't fall off the chicken as soon as you cut into it. So far, I think this is the best. A combination of flour and crushed panko. The flour helps the mixture to adhere, and the panko gives excellent crunch. Paired with creamy country gravy for a delicous savory dish.

Chicken

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, pounded flat
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup panko
2 eggs, beaten.
salt and course pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Directions

Dry chicken with a paper towel. Add flour to a shallow dish, and add egg to a second shallow dish. Coat the chicken breast in flour, pressing the flour into the chicken. Submerge filets in eggs and let rest a minute. Add panko, salt and pepper to flour. Crush panko with your fingers to make smaller crumbs. Return chicken to flour/panko mixture, turning to coat. Again pressing the flour into the chicken. Place on a cooling rack to set.

In a shallow pan, heat 1/2 inch of oil until hot. Sprinkle some flour into the oil and if it makes bubbles, it's hot enough.

Fry chicken 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.


Gravy

Ingredients

2 T butter
1 chicken boullion
1/4 flour
1/2 cup to 1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, melt butter and boullion. Add flour gradually, whisking to prevent clumps. Slowly add milk, a few tablespoons at a time, thourough whisking in between additions. Continue adding milk until the gravy is desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper. Serve over chicken.

Firsts

Firsts may be one of my all time favorite thing about having kids. First smile, first giggle, first step.... They warm my heart and make every tantrum worth it ;)  One of the best firsts to me is ice cream. Watching their eyes light up. The look that seems to say "What is this glorious cool concoction you have placed in front of me?" And what could top the first taste of ice cream but the first my very own, gonna make a huge mess but don't care because it's so good, my very own ice cream cone!  Yes it's is going to be a pain to clean up, yes he probably shouldn't have that much sugar. But sometimes the best moments come from the should not's.

Zucchini and Mozarella

Does it still count as a veggie if it's loaded with cheese? These came about because I was feeling lazy. I wanted to use up the zucchini but didn't want to take the time to make zucchini fries. This might be our new favorite way to have it! It's super easy and really tasty. And probably at least a little more healthy than battered and dipped in ranch right?!  All of the seasonings and cheese can be adjusted for your tastes. This is more of a give a couple shakes of this and a few shakes of that kind of recipe ;)

Ingredients

1 large zucchini
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 T butter
1/2 T olive oil
1/4 cup grated mozarella


Directions

Split the zucchini down the middle. Scrap out some of the seeds and discard. Cut into slices.

Put slices in a bowl and add salt, pepper, basil and olive oil. Turn to evenly coat.

Melt butter in small saucepan that can also be put in the oven.

Sautee zucchini until about half way cooked.

Remove from stove and sprinkle with cheese. Put in oven under the broiler until the cheese is gold and bubbly.

St. Patricks Day Festivities

Introducing the next "Jonas Brothers" except our kids are much cuter and WAY less annoying ;)  After dinner, a friend of my mother in laws boyfriend (did ya follow that) played the guitar. Keegan loved it. He was totally entranced. It was so much fun to see. And of course, Reece didn't want to miss out on all the fun so he grabbed the mic. AAaaaaaaaaaahh, sweet retirement ;)

Baileys Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Here they are. The cupcakes you've been drooling over. Don't let the fact that St. Patty's Day is over let you miss out on this wonderful things.  I had a few of the cupcakes kinda collapse on me during the baking process, but they still tasted great. You can find the recipe here.

It's only fair

Moms, and dads for that matter, should get a lifetime supply of energy pills upon the birth of a child. It's only fair. Kids have the uncanny ability to totally destroy a room in a mere fraction of the time it takes to clean it up.  This morning while making my Baileys Irish Cream cupcakes, in no less than 10 minutes, this is what my living room looked liked when I returned.

The four pieces of furniture are the only things that have been moved or turned upside down. Whatever he could lift seems to have moved. My favorite touch? The roll of toilet paper strung out to be used as roads for his matchbox cars.

But how can you be mad at a face like this?!

Recipe Sneak Peek

Baileys Irish Cream cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Mmmmmm. I didn't think it would be very fair of me to post pics and recipes for these things after St. Patricks Day. I did alot of research and chose this recipe mostly because of the amount of Baileys in it.  And what could go better with Baileys than creamy chocolate. So here it is. The recipe that I plan on using for St. Patrick's Day. I'll be sure to post pics and reviews once I've sobered up.

Recipe: Baileys Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting


Ingredients

Cupcakes (Makes approx. 30 cupcakes)

1 cup of butter, room temperature
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs, separated and at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of Bailey's liqueur


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (about 3 or 4 minutes). Add egg yolks one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with Baileys and mixing well after each addition. Batter should be thick, but if it comes out dry, add a splash of milk.

In another bowl, beat egg whites with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cupcake batter until the colour of the batter is uniform.Fill lined cupcake cups half full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.

Frosting

Ingredients

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbsp milk

Cream together butter and shortening. Add vanilla and milk and mix well. Combine icing sugar and cocoa and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Add more milk if necessary.

As if he wasn't growing up fast enough

Big brother gets to do ALL the fun stuff. And baby brother is stuck in the house looking out. Poor thing. We took Reece to the doctor today and he is a hearty 19 and a half pounds! So don't feel too bad for him, he'll outgrown "big" brother in no time. He's only 10 behind Keegan, who's only 29 pounds.

Bacon Risotto

It is true what they say. Everything IS better with bacon. Based on this principal, I wanted to assemble a recipe that would make risotto better. I have been intimidated for awhile to try risotto. After all, it seems NO ONE can get it right for Gordon Ramsey so what chance did I have?  So I finally decided to try it. For a year or so, it became one of our go to recipes for dinner. A nice change from regular rice. Then, for Chad's birthday last year I wanted to baconfy it. And a family favorite was born. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I've also posted the recipe on allrecipes.com and it has gotten 9 reviews and FIVE stars!! (toot toot)

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon, diced
5 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook and stir the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and reserve.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to low to keep the chicken stock hot.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion begins to turn golden brown at the edges, about 2 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir until the rice is coated in butter and has started to toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in one-third of the hot chicken stock and continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the liquid and turned creamy. Repeat this process twice more, stirring constantly. Stirring in the broth should take 15 to 20 minutes in all. When finished, the rice should be tender, yet slightly firm.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the Parmesan cheese, and the reserved bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Oh to sleep this good

Wouldn't it be great if you could contort yourself into any position, legs sticking through slots, head pushed in a corner, no blankets, and arm twisted back, and STILL be able to sleep through a camera flash.  Maybe I could actually catch up on sleep if I could sleep this deep. But alas, I believe it is a never ending battle and I will never be fully rested again.

Homemade Donuts!

Now I realize why baker's get up at three in the morning to make donuts. They can take awhile! And although they might not of been as light and fluffy as professional donuts, they were fun to make and really yummy.

Ingredients


1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/3 cup water
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
3/4 cup white sugar
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
 
Directions


Add yeast, milk and sugar in a bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix with dough hook until smooth. Let sit for 1 hours to rise.

Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. With floured doughnut cutter, cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds.

Place doughnuts on an greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in a warm place, about 45 minutes.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry one layer of doughnuts at a time. Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surface until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oil and drain onto paper towels.

I used the chocolate glaze recipe that I posted earlier on my too much chocolate cake. You can find the recipe here

I rolled the doughnut holes in powdered sugar.

They're ganging up on me!!

Reece is really coming into his own as a trouble maker. I blame his older brother ;) He has taught him alot, and we expect that Keegan will teach him alot more things in the future.  We don't seem to have the luxury with Reece as we did with Keegan. Keegan had to figure out how to be a pill all on his own, Reece loves copying his older brother and is learning fast!! This morning while I was cleaning up a mess Keegan made, Reece got away from me and this is where I found him.

Playing in the shower, happy as a clam. Of course, Chad had taken a shower just a few hours before he found his way in there, so he was soaking wet. He obviously didn't seem to mind though.

MMmmm Too Much Chocolate Cake

Chad wanted a really rich chocolate cake for Valentine's Day. I searched allrecipes.com (I've mentioned before how much I love this site) and found a wonderful recipe. It came out rich and moist. And went perfect with vanilla ice cream.  I poured the glaze recipe on top and added chopped pecans

CAKE

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

GLAZE

Ingredients


3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.

Spread warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.

Boys and Puddles

What little boys don't love puddles? We get some pretty heavy rain Friday and Saturday, but it cleared up pretty nice Saturday afternoon. So after Keegan woke up from his nap, we decided we would take him out to the golf course right outside our backyard to play in the monsterous puddles. He was soaking wet and muddy by the time we were done,  but he had a ton of fun!! It looks really dark in the pictures, but it's just before sunset.

(notice how muddy his butt is in this one)