KFC fried chicken post from Pinterest. UNDER average

If you have been on pinterest you may have noticed a newspaper clipping from the 70's saying it's the recipe for KFC fried chicken.  Well my family loves fried chicken so I took half the day preparing this chicken.  First you "coat" the chicken with the paste, set it into the fridge to rest for a few hours.  Later you take it out and fry it for about 4 minutes each side (I put it into my fryer for 5 minutes instead so I wouldn't have to stand over the stove and turn the chicken plus it regulates the temp for the chicken.) So after several batches of frying you end up covering it with tin foil and pop it into the oven for an hour! After that you take it out and bump up the heat to 400 for 10 minutes uncovered to crisp it up.  While taking it out of the oven. It looked very dark... did look nicely golden after coming out of the fryer but wasn't cooked through. As we sat down to eat the coating seemed to want to fall off the chicken. The taste was meager at best. NOTHING like KFC.  Save your $$ and about 3 hours of slave labor in the kitchen and just pass it up. Its not worth your time to make this recipe. I gave this recipe a ** (2 stars fine if your hungry but not worth your time) NONE of the boys said they would want me to make it again and my son said my own recipe (which I perfected over several attempts before I got thumbs up from all was 10 times better)

But... one the other hand I did use the corn muffin recipe that you add a box of yellow cake mix to and they were really good. Not like your traditional corn muffin dry and crumbly but you got the taste of corn muffin but these were light and airy.  You could cut it open and spread stuff on it and not have it crumble in your hands.  I found the recipe at six sisters website, dig through there they have a crap ton of recipes.  When I made this recipe it made 36 muffins and took about 15 minutes in the oven.  They said to bake by the cake box but the first batch was very dark at 18 minutes (I could smell them getting to done when I had the timer set for 20 minutes) the 2nd batch I set in at 350 for 15 minutes and they were perfect. (I gave this recipe a **** (four stars because it used 5 freaking eggs but so good I will make again)

Sweet Cornbread Cake Muffins Recipe

I love cornbread . . . but sometimes when I make it, it is so crumbly that is just falls apart. I came across this recipe and knew that I had to try it when I saw the the main ingredient was a cake mix. :) It still has the delicious taste of cornbread, just a little sweeter and less crumbly.

My kids LOVE them- we make regular-size and mini-size muffins and they are a huge hit for any meal of the day!

Sweet Cornbread Muffins

Source: Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix

2 Jiffy cornbread mixes

Oil, milk, and eggs according to package directions (on all 3 packages! I think I ended up using 5 eggs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to directions on cake mix box.

2. Combine cake mix and cornbread mixes in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and milk according to all 3 package directions (replace all water with milk). Mix together according to cake mix directions.

(This recipe makes a TON of muffins- I think that I made 12 regular-sized muffins and about 48 mini-sized muffins. If you want to make half a batch, you can try and split the cake mix in half . . . but then you have half of a cake mix left. I usually freeze my extra muffins in meal-sized portions and pull them out as I need them. I just put the muffins in a Ziploc bag after they cool down and throw them in the freezer. If you wanted to, you could make 12 regular-sized muffins and pour the rest of the batter in a 9x13" pan . . . just bake according to the directions on the back of the cake mix package.)

3. Bake muffins (or cornbread cake) according to the directions on the back of the cake mix package (about 20-22 minutes for regular-sized muffins and 12 minutes for mini-sized muffins).

So delicious with honey butter, cinnamon honey butter or Mom's chili!!

I also made mashed potato and homemade gravy.  Westin wanted brown gravy (I'll eat a shit ton of potatoes if you have brown gravy, Whats a shit ton?) So not knowing where my normal brown gravy recipe went to and not having instant coffee anyway (which goes into mine shhhh don't tell my secret) So I looked one up on the internet with the ingredients I had on hand.  I came across http://americanfood.about.com/od/saucesdipsanddressings/r/browngravy.htm This after reading the reviews I didn't add the ketchup but still lacked the brown taste I was after, had to doctor it with onion flake and a few more spices.  I wasn't the least bit inpressed.  I gave it a ** star (won't make it again) 

So that was my pinterest cooking adventure.  Today I'm looking for a crockpot recipes so I don't have to slave over the stove just drop stuff in and maybe make some veggies to go along side.  I do have plenty of corn muffins left over. I have a fabulous recipe for a sweet potato and veggie soup.  Might through that together.  

Good eatting to you.  Got a recipe you want me to try? Send it over I'll be your guinea pig. 

Arnold Palmer

I'm a northerner and until I married an Alabama boy I'd never made sweet tea.  Now 23 years later I no longer have the Alabama boy but I've found the perfect sweet tea recipe. http://cravingcomfort.blogspot.com/2012/07/sweet-tea.html

 Perfect Sweet Tea. (makes 1 gallon)
(Adapted from the Lone Star Steak House)

Ingredients -
5 - 8  Family size Tea Bags. (or 12 regular Tea Bags) 
                    ( I prefer  #1 Luzianne or  #2 Liptons Brand Teas.)
1 Quart  (4 Cups) - Boiling Water
3 Quarts (12 cups) - Cool Water
1 1/2 - 2 (one & a half) - Cups Sugar. 
1/4 teaspoon - Baking Soda (this IS the SECRET Ingredient!!)

Directions - 
1.  Sprinkle baking soda into a pitcher (I use a gallon-size Mason Jar but many people have voiced concerns about pouring boiling water into a glass container, so use whatever container you'd like)
      Add Tea bags to the pitcher/baking soda,  
      Pour Boiling water over tea bags, 
      Cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
                    ~*~
2.  Remove and toss out Tea Bags,
     Add Sugar and Stir until completely dissolved. 
     Add Cool Water.
     Refrigerate until cold and ready to drink.
                     ~*~
3.  Serve over ice, 
     Take a nice long sip.
     Swoon.
     Repeat. 

Then I found the perfect Lemonade recipe  http://simplysogood.blogspot.com/2010/06/old-fashion-lemonade.html 

Old Fashioned Lemonade

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups water

Zest from one lemon

1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice

Ice cubes

Cold water or sparkling water

Lemons slices

Fresh mint leaves

Measure the sugar and water into a sauce pan. While stirring with a wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Let cool slightly.

Add fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest to the sugar syrup. Cool completely. Pour the lemonade syrup into a quart jar. Cover tightly with the lid. The syrup can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 weeks.

When you’re read to serve the lemonade, put some ice cubes in the bottom of a glass. Our ¼ cup of the lemon syrup over the ice cubes. Add ¾ cup cold water or sparkling water and stir.

Float a thin slice of lemon and, if you like, a fresh mint leaf on top of each glass.

The recipe makes enough syrup for 14 glasses of lemonade.

Pink lemonade:  add 1/2 cup grenadine syrup to the jar of lemonade syrup and stir.

Strawberry lemonade:  add 2 tablespoons of puree of fresh strawberries into each glass.

Limeade: Replace lemon with lime juice and lime zest.

So I mixed the lemonade 1/4 to 3/4 to the sweet tea.  The boys are loving it and I don't have to pay $5.00 for a 12 pack of Arnold Palmers at the store.