I’ve never been great at frying chicken. But my family loves it. When I came across this recipe, I had to try it because I’ve always wanted to be able to fry up some crispy, flaky chicken. This recipe didn’t disappoint. The result was juicy fried chicken with a tasty batter. The only thing that I’d change next time is upping the salt. I’ve never been a heavy seasoner, but from what I understand, fried chicken needs to be heavily seasoned. I thought I was doing that, but guess not as much as I thought.  So I will try to be a little more heavy handed next time. Here is the recipe. Try it and enjoy!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Difficulty: Easy/Intermediate (depends on how well you deal with hot grease!)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Inactive prep time: 6 hours – overnight

Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces (about 2-3 lbs)

2 cups buttermilk

4 eggs

3 cups flour

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place chicken pieces in a shallow dish and cover with butter milk. If using breasts, place the skin side down.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate in the frig for at least 6 hours or overnight if possible.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

3. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk nd season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

4. Put eggs in a shallow bowl and beat. Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl or in a large bag. (I prefer the bag but it gets kind of messy.)

5. Roll (or shake if using a bag) the chicken pieces in flour to coat them first. Then dip them into the eggs. Then coat them in flour again.

6. Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet, enough so that it’s about 2 in. deep. Heat the oil until it starts to sizzle.

7. Fry the chicken on both sides about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and bake it for about 15-20 minutes or until it is cooked all the way through. (I am always afraid that I’m undercooking chicken, so I tend to cook it a bit longer just to be sure.)

As the summer draws to an end, my mood has started to take a nosedive. I’m so not ready for my long days of doing nothing to end. But just because my psyche is plummeting, the hot, Texas heat is not following suit. So here’s one to cool you off as these last days of summer wither away.

The refreshing, non-alcoholic cocktail also has some health benefits. (I can’t say the same about the alcoholic version for sure…) Pomegrantes are loaded with healthy antioxidants. *They are a good source for vitamin C and potassium. Juice of the pomegranate has been found effective in reducing heart disease risk factors. Pomegranate has also been shown to reduce cholesterol and systolic blood pressure.  It has also been proven to reduce stress triggers and as having antibacterial effects against dental plaque. While the fruit is available during the summer (normally available from September to January in the Northern Hemisphere and March to May in the Southern Hemisphere), it’s juice is and it makes for some great cocktails. So drink up.

Pomegranate Sangria (Non-Alcoholic Recipe)

INGREDIENTS
1 quart pomegranate juice
2 cups papaya, mango or apple juice
1-2 oranges (depending on size)
6-8 strawberries
2 kiwis
1/2 cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix juices and sugar briskly until sugar dissolves.
2. Wash oranges and berries and cut them into thin, round slices.
3. Remove kiwi skin and cut into thick, round slices. Place all fruit into your juice mixture and allow the flavors to blend in fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight, before serving.
4. Serve in individual glasses, garnished with fresh fruit slices.

Pomegranate Sangria (Alcoholic Recipe)

1 orange, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 apple, cored and sliced
1 bottle red wine
3 cups white rum
1/2 cup orange flavored liqueur
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 quart club soda, to taste

In a pitcher add orange, lime, apple and cover with red wine, rum, orange liqueur, orange juice, pomegranate juice and stir in sugar. Chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours. When ready to serve top off with club soda, to taste. Enjoy!

You can add any fruits and berries that you wish. Try strawberries, pineapples, and mangos. Yummy!

* Wikipedia

I absolutely love Mexican food! Anytime I can make it at home is a great! If Mexican food is also your thing, here’s a simple recipe for Chicken Enchiladas.

Chicken Enchiladas

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
8 soft corn tortillas

Filling:
3 cups chicken broth
4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast, 6 to 8 ounces
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 small onion, quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/3 palm full
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt

Sauce:
2 cups tomato sauce
2 teaspoons hot cayenne pepper sauce, several drops
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 pinches
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack shredded cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

2. Wrap corn tortillas in foil and warm in the oven.

3. Bring broth to a boil in a saute pan. Set chicken into broth with bay and oregano and onion. Return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer.

4. Poach chicken in broth 10 minutes. Remove chicken breasts to a bowl and shred with 2 forks.

5. Add 1/2 cup of cooking liquid and tomato paste, spices and salt and work through the chicken using the forks. Combine all sauce ingredients and heat through, keeping warm until needed.

6. Remove tortillas from oven and switch broiler on high. Pile chicken mixture into warm corn tortillas and roll. Line casserole or baking dish with enchiladas, seam side down. Pour hot tomato sauce over the chicken enchiladas and top with cheese.

7. Place in enchiladas in hot oven 6 inches from broiler and broil 5 minutes to melt cheese and set enchiladas. Serve.

With school being out and me having so much time on my hands, I’ve been doing alot of baking (and eating)! In my search for another cookie recipe, I came across this one for ice cream sandwiches. We love cookies and ice cream in my home. I buy ice cream sandwiches alot, so I decided to try making my own, which will make my guys happy; and save a bit of money in the process, which will make me happy. For you ice cream and cookie lovers out there, here ya go!

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time:
Cooking Time:
Yield: 16-20

Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 package (10 to 12 ounces) chocolate chips or M&M’s
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
5-7 cups vanilla ice cream

1. Let the ice cream soften in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 325 degrees and adjust the shelves to the upper third of your oven.

2. Lightly butter large baking sheets. In a large bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, sugars, oil, and corn syrup. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until blended, then gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.

4. Pat 2 tablespoons of dough into flat circles on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly browned.

5. Remove the sheets to wire racks and cook for about 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and cool completely. Repeat until all the dough is used.

6. Spread 1/2 cup of ice cream on the bottom of one cookie. Place a second cookie on top. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap or foil and freeze for 2 hours, or until firm. If the sandwiches are too hard, let stand at room temperature a few minutes before serving.

BONUS BONUS BONUS

Chilly Yogurt Sandwiches

For a quick frozen treat, put a scoop of frozen yogurt between two graham crackers. Wrap in plastic and freeze.

I am a big burger lover and when I came across this recipe I just had to try it. Can you say um, um, delicious?

Bleu Cheese and Bacon Burgers

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
For Bleu Cheese Butter:
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons bleu cheese crumbles

For the Burgers:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
1/4 cup real bacon pieces (recommended: Hormel)
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning (recommended: McCormick Grill Mates)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 onion rolls, toasted
Lettuce, tomato, onion
Sliced avocado, optional

Directions
For bleu cheese butter:
In a small bowl with a fork, smash together butter and 2 tablespoons bleu cheese crumbles; set aside.

For the burgers:
In a mixing bowl, stir to combine ground beef, 1/3 cup bleu cheese crumbles, bacon pieces, and steak seasoning. Wet your hands to prevent sticking and shape into 4 patties slightly larger than the buns. Cover with plastic and set aside in refrigerator.

Set up grill for direct cooking over high heat. Brush and oil grate before cooking. Salt and pepper burgers and place on hot grill. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium. Serve hot on toasted onion roll. Spread with bleu cheese butter, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sliced avocado, if using.

INDOOR: Follow instructions for preparing burgers. Preheat broiler. Place burgers on wire rack over foil lined baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil 6 inches from heat source for 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium