Super Deep Fried Super Bowl Sunday

 

Ever get an idea and then really go crazy with it?  Captain Project wanted to try making his delicious fried chicken in the turkey fryer on Sunday.  When putting together the grocery list, we kept adding things that we wanted to fry (previously, we'd only used the turkey fryer for, well, turkey!).

 

I present you with pictures of "Paul and Cindy's 1st Annual (because we'd die if we ate like this all the time!) Super Deep Fried Super Bowl Sunday!"

 

Corn on the cob and Brussels sprouts:

 

 

 

 

Made Paula Deen's recipe for hush puppies:

 

 

 

A few wings:

 

 

And finally the chicken that started this whole, crazy idea:

 

 

For dessert we wanted to try something I found on Pinterest ~ deep frying Little Debbie Strawberry Cheese Cake Rolls but our grocery doesn't carry them.  Instead, I mixed together some cherry pie filling, raspberry jam and cream cheese and rolled them with wonton papers:

 

 

I popped them in the freezer to keep while we started the "fry fest" and they stuck together like glue.  Could NOT get them apart without tearing the wrappers and ruining them!

 

 

Just as well because we realized deep fried berry desserts in peanut oil would be pretty gross.  I suggested we both just pop a Lipitor for dessert!

 

 

 

It was all delicious!  And as I type this I swear I'm still full!  And getting ready to hit the gym.  Obviously.

Homemade Apple Pie & Pie Aprons

My BFF Melanie does so many things so wonderfully.  In fact, I think she's perfectly wonderful, the truest of all friends!

Our mutual love of pie goes way back.  This was us eating chocolate pie for breakfast in Vegas almost 20 years ago!

Despite her perfection, she struggles with making pie crusts and recently asked me to help her.

I'd never used a mechanical peeler before so this was fun.

 

 

We used Beth Howard's recipe and followed her proven techniques.  Click here for one of my prior posts about Beth (she's the true expert on pie making!).

I think where Melanie had been going wrong may have been that she'd been handling the crust too much, trying to make it perfect.

The quicker you can throw the ingredients in the bowl and fluff them together with your hands, the better.  I've found that my most flaky, buttery crusts have come from handling the pastry for less than 4 minutes ~ that's from the time I toss the ingredients together, roll the crust, and place it in the pie dish.  Fast.  Gotta be really fast!

Walah!  Melanie made a beautiful pie!

The crust was deliciously buttery and very flaky!

 

If you're looking for more pie baking inspiration, check out my Retro Revival pie aprons:

 

 

They're available in my Etsy shop...

 

 

...or message me for details.  I ship for free to my friends and family!

Quick Easy Veggie Flat Bread Pizza

Looking for a new, easy, go-to recipe?  You've just got to try this!

As with any pizza, you can use just about anything!  Here's what I used:

Ingredients:
Flat bread (I like the nooks and bumps on Naan)
Olive oil
Parmesan sauce (any type of pizza or spaghetti sauce will do)
Chopped garlic
Spinach
Chopped tomatoes (I used canned)
Chopped artichokes
Feta cheese

Directions:
1. Place the flat bread onto a foil-covered cookie sheet
2. Lightly brush olive oil onto the flat bread
3. Spread on the sauce
4. Lay down spinach

5. Add the tomatoes and artichokes, and sprinkle on crumbled feta cheese

6. Slide your masterpieces into a 425 oven for about 5 minutes, then remove them from the cookie sheet and place them directly onto the oven rack for another 5 minutes, or until the bread is crispy brown and the veggies are slightly browned.

So delicious!  This recipe is most definitely going into my weekly rotation!

Sweet Blueberries {Apron & Muffins}

I baked homemade blueberry muffins for the first time this week.  So much better than from a box!

 

 

I followed Alton Brown's recipe.  And added a generous glob of butter before devouring this one.

 

 

To go with the baked decadence, I stitched up a Retro Revival blueberry muffin apron (available in my Etsy shop):

 

 

Also a first ~ I added a scalloped hem to the top layer of the apron.

 

 

Sweet!

It's Pie Day!

Happy National Pie Day!

 

 

Don't you love our country?!  We seem to have an official day for just about everything!

 

 

I take National Pie Day very seriously!  Not only did I bake an apple pie from scratch (using Beth's recipe here), I also stitched up a couple of apple pie-themed aprons.

 

 

I told Twyla that I don't think there's a "National Beagle Eats Pie Day."  That didn't stop her from jumping into the shot!

 

 

I've listed these aprons in my Etsy shop if you want to take a closer look.

 

Hope you eat a slice of pie today!

Easy Warm Meal for a Cold Night

 

My "Chicky Rice" is a staple in our home and perfect for cold, winter nights.  Here's how I make it...

 

 

1. Cook Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice (original recipe) according to directions (I used two boxes for this recipe)

2. While the rice is cooking, sprinkle a little garlic powder and Lawry's on chicken breasts and broil (about 5 minutes each side)

3. Cut up chicken into tiny pieces

 

 

4. Put the chicken into the cooked rice (use the same pot)

 

 

5. Stir in about a pint of heavy whipping cream

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Dinner in about 30 minutes.  It's thick and creamy and guaranteed to take the chill out of the night!