Comfort Food: Fried Chicken With Recipe

My first memory of fried chicken is my dad taking me to Kentucky Fried Chicken to let me get a chicken leg. I was a very picky eater and did not like most foods (trust me when I tell you that has changed!) but I loved fried chicken.

This love has been passed down to my children. While we don't have it too often, my kids know enough about how I make it to get excited when they see me crushing up crackers.

Any of my children: "Mom, are we having what I think we are having?"

Me: "If you think we are having fried chicken then yes"

Child above: "Guys, we are having fried chicken!!"

Loud cheering then explodes and is heard throughout the neighborhood...ok maybe that doesn't happen, but you get the gist that my kids love fried chicken!

So I thought I would share with you my version of some awesome goodness...

Popcorn Fried Chicken
I never measure, so this is a guesstimate of what I use.

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
About 1 cup of crushed up crackers..any variety.
About 1 cup of flour
1 egg
A couple tablespoons of milk
Oil for frying

-In one bowl combine your flour and crushed crackers

This particular time the only crackers I had were Triscuits. No worries though, the chicken turned out great!

- In a separate bowl whisk together the milk and the egg.

- Dip your cubed chicken pieces into the egg & milk mixture

- Then dredge your chicken in the flour and cracker mixture. Coat thoroughly.

- Place it into your well heated oil and let em' fry!

-Fry until golden brown (and done in the middle)

That's it..You can add bread crumbs in your flour mixture, pepper (although I wouldn't add salt if you use crackers, since they usually have salt on them) or any other seasoning that you like.

While my kids like to eat them with ranch dressing or ketchup, I like to throw a little Frank's hot sauce on them, then toss them in a salad.

Linked to Finer Things Friday

Three Ways To Freeze Potatoes

Last week a local grocery store had a one day only sale on potatoes. They were 10lbs. for $1.99.

I know right?

That is way cheap.

I only bought one bag.

We definitely eat our fair share of potatoes, but I was sure that we could not go through any more than that without them growing trees or something.

I hated not being able to stock up on these, I mean, seriously they were $0.20 a pound!

So in order to be able to take advantage of this kind of deal in the future, I decided to find out how, if even possible, to freeze potatoes.

Here are three ways that next time this deal rolls around, I will be making and freezing...

French Fries... of course, why that did not cross my mind at that moment, I have no idea. I found several sites that give detailed instructions, but Misplaced Recipes makes it easy.

Twice-Baked Potatoes.... Yes, please! I love bake potatoes and I really love twice-baked potatoes. Emily @ Joyful Abode shares great tips on baking and freezing twice-baked potatoes & potato skins.

Mashed Potatoes...Who knew you could freeze mashed potatoes? I guess I never really thought about it until last night when Jennifer @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes post came through my feed on Facebook! A truly perfect recipe for sure!

Oh how I wish I would have snatched up at least a few of those 10 pound bags of potatoes, but alas I didn't. At least now I am prepared for any potato sale.

Linking to Raising Homemakers and Works For Me Wednesday.

Got Bread??

Stale bread that is.

Not moldy, just stale.

No time to run to the park to sit and feed the ducks?

No problem.

You can make homemade croutons from your stale bread and I PROMISE they will be the best croutons you have ever eaten.

Here is all you need to do...

Take your stale bread and cut into cubes about 1" size.

The only other ingredients needed are butter (2-4 tbsp. or so) and your favorite seasonings.. that you like on croutons..I wouldn't use your favorite steak rub for this! I use a general Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Melt your butter with the seasonings added and then mix. Pour your seasoned butter mixture into a large baggie or bowl..whichever you prefer. Add your cubed bread and coat it evenly in the seasoned butter mixture. Then spread your bread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 - 12 minutes.

As you can see since they are half gone now, my kids love these so much that they don't wait for us to have a salad to eat them.

They store good for about 3 weeks...if they last that long.

Linking to Raising Homemakers and Works For Me Wednesdays.

Pinterest: Buffalo Chicken Bites

I love buffalo chicken wings..I love buffalo chicken dip..I love buffalo sauce.

So you can imagine how excited I was to try What's Cookin, Chicago's Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe that I found via Pinterest.

Of course, I did tweek it a bit. I used Ranch dressing instead of blue cheese dressing and I used my favorite very versatile pizza dough recipe for the breading.

These turned out fantastic! I will definitely be making them again soon. I have a couple of whole chickens in the freezer waiting to be cooked and shredded!!

Linking to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Pinterest Recipe: Strawberry and Chocolate Nachos

Last week I shared with you the apple nachos I made and how wonderful they were...remember??

Well, this week...ok, actually today, I made strawberry and chocolate nachos.

                                                                                Picture property of  Our Best Bites


Oh my goodness were they ever so yummy!!

To add to the wonderfulness they were easy to make. The only baking involved in this dessert is really just the baked cinnamon chips which are made out of tortilla shells.

This recipe came from Our Best Bites.

You. Must. Check. It. Out.

Linking up to Finer Things Friday

Pinterest Recipe: S'Mores Cookies

Let me just say that these were the best cookies I have had in a very. long. time.

The recipe came from Baked Perfection and it had a whole lot of perfection-ism going on let me tell you!

While the recipe said it would yield 4 dozen cookies, it didn't for me, but maybe I made the cookies too big (is that even possible??). I was able to make about 2.5 dozen.

The only change I made was to the last batch, my husband asked me to add some pecan pieces for him.

I did...I am a good wife like that.

If you are looking for new dessert, a new cookie, a new something with chocolate, you must check out this recipe. I promise you will thank me!


Linking up at Raising Homemakers.

Pinterest Projects

Well, it has been awhile since I posted anything. It started about ten days ago when our Internet quit working.

My husband's first questions..."Did you pay the Internet bill?" Silly man, of course I paid the bill...ok, ok, I did have to try to remember if I did. Thankfully that was not the issue.

The issue was.....

This lil' lady.

Yes, she chewed up our cable/internet lines outside.

Needless to say, I was not happy, especially since this was far from the first time she chewed and destroyed something.

But I love her (most of the time) anyway!

Moving on...my niece and I had our first Pinterest Friday two weeks ago.

One recipe. One craft.

We had a lot of running to do that day, so we opted to do a very easy, but still new to us, recipe.

I mean there was not even any cooking, just melting of chocolate, involved.

We made Apple Nachos found at Manifest Vegan via Pinterest.

                                                                  Sorry about the poor picture quality, camera phone


They were a very nice treat..the toppings I used were caramel sauce, melted chocolate chips and chopped pecans.

For our craft we made vinyl record bowls found at Stars For Street Lights via Pinterest.

Amber (my niece) and I searched at several thrift stores and finally found us a some records to use.

Amber heated up the oven to about 350 and it was our third attempt before we got the results we were looking for...

                                                           Ugh...camera phone again..sorry

I am going to make several more of these and use them as planters for herbs...how cool would that be!!!

Amber and I did not get to do Pinterest Friday this past Friday because she had to prepare for a youth event at her church.

Hopefully this Friday it will be game on again...

Earthquake Cake = Pinterest Fail

                                                                      Picture and recipe found at Ideas Come From Brownies via Pinterest.


Tell me that just doesn't look heavenly.

Tell me and I won't believe you!!

When I came across this recipe on Pinterest and realized that I had all of the ingredients (ok I didn't have enough butter and had to pick some up) I could not wait to make it.

I bragged about my new chocolate recipe to my sister and my neice..chocoholics. We are all chocoholics.

I promised I would save them a piece.

You can imagine my disappointment when it was a FAIL.

I made my two mixes.

I spooned my cream cheese mixture, just how I was supposed to.

But it tasted just like a regular old chocolate cake. Not that chocolate cakes taste bad or anything, but you know I was waiting for my earth to quake or quiver or something.

NAH DAH!

I went back over the way I made it..

I did omit the coconut..we I don't do coconut.

I did omit the peanuts..I wanted my kids to be able to take a slither in their lunches and they attend a peanut free school.

I did have some left over cream cheese mixture...I was just sure that the original baker must have been smokin' something, I mean where on earth was I going to put ALL of that cream cheese in my 9x13 pan.

And that is the moment I understood why it didn't turn out like hers at Ideas Come From Brownies.

I should have followed her complete directions. So technically it is not a Pinterest fail, but a Penny fail.

However my family appears to have enjoyed my "failure".

Check out the complete recipe here. I probably will give it another try sometime but will follow ALL. OF. THE. DIRECTIONS.

Linking up to Works For Me Wednesdays and Raising Homemakers.

White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

I found this wonderful, delightfully easy chicken enchilada recipe through Pinterest. It originated from Joyful Momma's Kitchen.

Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce

10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan
2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Enjoy!!

Cheesy Potato Recipe..So Easy and So Yummy

Yesterday we had a Thanksgiving dinner at our church. I decided to bring cheesy potatoes.

They went quick. (honestly, I think my oldest may have eaten half the dish!)

With the holidays coming up I thought I would share the recipe that was given to me from my husband's side of the family. They are for sure a family favorite!

Things you need:

-1 bag of southern style hashbrowns
- 1/2 of a Velveeta cheese loaf. (Saying 1/2 sounds a lot better than saying 1 lb..don't you think?)
-1 or 2 handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese - Sometimes I don't even add cheddar cheese, but if I do that is about all I put in.
- 8 oz of half and half.

Hey , I never said it was healthy..just good!

What you do:

-Pour your southern style hashbrowns into a large casserole dish. I am not sure if it is necessary, but I always spray the bottom of my dish with a non-stick cooking spray.

-cut up your Velveeta into small squares

-In a large pot pour the half & half, along with the Velveeta squares and heat them on medium heat. Stirring very often until melted. (Burnt cheese tastes yucky)

-Add your cheddar cheese if desired and stir until melted.

-Pour cheese mixture over the hashbrowns and bake at 375 for 45 min. to an hour.

Mmmm....Gooey Butter Cookies

Yes, that's right. Even though we have at least my weight in candy leftover from Halloween, I still found it necessary to make Gooey Butter Cookies.


And. They. Were. Delicious.



After the first batch was done, I knew it was not in my best interest to bake them all, so I rolled and froze the rest of the dough.

And like any good blogger I am sharing the recipe:

Gooey Butter Cookies

1 8oz. cream cheese
1/2 c butter, soften
1 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pkg. of yellow cake mix ( I used white and I heard you can use chocolate!)
1/4 c. of powdered sugar (I used more like 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl cream together cream cheese & butter.
Stir in the egg & vanilla.
Add cake mix & stir until well blended.
Roll into 1" balls. Roll balls in the powdered sugar.
Place 1" apart onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes.


If you like gooey butter cake even a little bit, you will LOVE these cookies, I promise!


Linking up to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday and Raising Homemakers.

Quick & Easy After School Snack

Last week when I was participating in Tasty Tuesday, there was a link that caught my eye.

Pizza Pinwheels.

If you know anything about my husband and our children, you know that they love pizza in any form.

So as an afterschool surprise snack for the kids, I gave it a try.

Meal Plan Monday & Recipe Review

Last week we tried the hashbrown and pork chop casserole.

It was Wonderful!!

**The only variation was that I used southern style hashbrowns instead of shredded hashbrowns.**