Everyday is fried chicken day

Thanks to email and email “buddies,” I am getting notices of what National Day it is. One day last week was National Fried Chicken Day. I missed it, however. The way I see it, every day is Fried Chicken Day. To me the best fried chicken is the simple old fashion fried chicken. I don’t use the good lard that mama, grandpa and my aunts used. I use a good vegetable oil. When my family celebrates Christmas together, we have brunch on a Saturday morning and have fried chicken, gravy, sausage, grits, fruit, cheese, scrambled eggs, homemade biscuits, jelly and jam. For drinks, we have coffee, hot and iced teas and fruit juice. Today, I am going to tell you how I make fried chicken. I’ll be seeing you around…Agnes

Memaw’s Fried Chicken

1 ½ cups plain flour

½ cup cornstarch

2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 (3 pound) fryer chicken, cut up

Deep cast iron fryer and about 1 inch of cooking oil

Whisk or sift together all the dry ingredients and put in a gallon zip-lock freezer bag.

Have chicken damp, thoroughly coat the chicken with the mixture and set aside until oil is heated to 325 degrees. Carefully place chicken in hot oil and cook until brown, turn with tongs, put lid part way on pan and finish cooking.

NOTE: Always use tongs to turn chicken (never a fork) and don’t play with the chicken while it is cooking.

Chicken Gravy

Pour grease from pan, leaving the drippings. Stir in 1 large package Southwestern Peppered Gravy mix and 2 teaspoons chicken powdered soup base. Stir with a whisk and add as much milk as needed to make the gravy. Be sure and use the whisk. When it is the desired thickness, it is ready.

Sausage and Fried Apples

5 pounds good lean smoked sausage, cut into serving pieces

1 cup water

1 small stick of cinnamon

2 whole cloves

Put all in heavy pan with lid and place in 350 degree oven. Cook until water is gone and sausage are done. Roll sausage and let begin to brown. Remove sausage from pan and cover. Discard spices. Quarter and core 4 to 6 large apples (Gala is a good one). Slice thin and put in layers in the pan that the sausage was cooked in. Sprinkle with brown sugar (1/4 cup for each apple). Put on lid and cook over low heat, turning apples over with a spatula, until apples are tender. Serve in a bowl alongside the sausage.

Winter Fruit Bowl

3 quarts orange sections

1 to 2 quarts good orange juice

10 ounces Baker’s coconut

1 quart pineapple chunks

Sugar, if needed

2 containers of strawberries, de-stemmed and quarted

Mix all together, cover and refrigerate. Serve very cold.

Angel Biscuits (Serves: 24 biscuits)

4 cups self-rising flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable shortening

1 (1/4-ounce) packet yeast

3 tablespoons warm water

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 475º F. Lightly grease rimmed baking sheet pan with about a tablespoon of shortening. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two forks. Add packet of yeast to a small glass bowl. Add warm water and allow yeast to sit for a few minutes. Pour buttermilk and yeast mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined, but do not over mix. Dust countertop lightly with flour and turn biscuit dough out. Lightly flour the top of the biscuit dough and pat into a ½-inch thick circle. Cut dough into biscuits and place onto prepared baking sheet pan and let set for 30 minutes. Place in the oven. Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until the biscuits turn a golden brown. Remove from oven and brush the tops lightly with melted butter. Serve warm.

Recipe for Laughter:

The Different Types of Men

There are three kinds of men in this world:

•Some remain single and make wonders happen.

•Some have girlfriends and see wonders happen.

•The rest get married and wonder what happened.

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