By Sylvia Britton

Frying chicken has always been a source of mystery and consternation for the uninitiated. But I don’t think it’s that difficult and I know you can do it!

The main thing to remember is that you need to get the fluids out of the meat and the meat cooked all the way to the bone without burning the crust on the outside.

Here are the steps I take to make Fried Chicken. Follow them carefully and you will have a delicious batch to serve to your family.

1) Cut up your chicken or buy pre cut chicken. Wash it and place it in a deep bowl or pan or even in a zip top type bag.

2)Pour BUTTERMILK over the chicken. cover the chicken completely.

3)Place the chicken and buttermilk in the refrigerator and allow to sit over night.If you do not have buttermilk, you may substitute salt water. But it will taste different than my recipe. The buttermilk tenderizes the meat and gives it a wonderful flavor.

4)When you are ready to fry the chicken, place about 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

5)Place 4-5 cups of self rising flour in a bowl. Take the chicken pieces one at a time and roll them in the flour. The buttermilk and flour makes the batter. Place them in the HOT oil.

5) The key is to regulate the heat so that it does not get too hot and begin to burn the chicken.Once the chicken is light golden brown on one side, you may turn down the heat, cover the skillet and allow it too cook a while. It takes about 20 minutes for a thick piece of chicken to cook all the way through on medium high heat.

When the chicken has cooked for 20-25 minutes, you may turn the piece over and allow it to cook on the other side, with the skillet uncovered.

Covering the skillet and cooking helps to cook the meat all the way through. Uncovering it helps the crust to get crisp.

If you’re not sure whether or not your chicken in done, just take a small sharp knife and cut into the meat at the thickest part of a thigh piece. If the meat is cooked and the juices run clear, the meat is done.

ok, now I’m hungry for chicken!

© 2006 Sylvia Britton

Takes about 10 minutes to prepare, about 3 hours til it’s ready…

1 cup cold water heated to 120-130* F
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cups Bread Flour
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 package or 2 teaspoons Dry Active Yeast
Cornmeal
1 egg white, beatenLightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast; mix well. Add warm water and oil; mix well. Turn dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. Place dough in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap and a cloth towel. Let rise in a warm place (80-85*) for 30-40 minutes.

Sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal. Punch down dough. Cover dough with inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 15 minutes on the counter.
Shape the dough into a baguette-shaped loaf (long than wide and oval) about 12 inches long. Place the dough on the cornmeal covered cookie cheet. Cover, let rise in a warm place for 35-40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Heat the oven to 375*. With a sharp knife make 1 deep length-wise slash in the top of the loaf. Brush loaf with eggwhite. Bake at 375* 25-35 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

Bread Machine InstructionsPut all ingredients in the pan except cornmeal and egg whites, in manufacturer’s suggested order.

Set machine on dough setting.
When dough cycle is finished, remove dough and allow to rest on counter under a bowl for 15 minutes. Proceed as above.

By Sylvia Britton

Ingredients:

3 cups beet juice

4 tsp. lemon juice

1 box powdered pectin

4 cups sugar

1 small pkg. raspberry-flavored unsweetened Kool-Aid

To make beet juice: Peel and dice raw beets, simmer them til the water is very dark red. Strain.

Combine beet juice, lemon juice, and pectin (Sure Jell) in large pan.

Bring to a rolling boil. Quickly add sugar and boil for 6 minutes.

Add the soft drink powder and mix thoroughly.

Pour into sterilized 8 ounce jelly jars. Fill to within 1/2 inch of top.

Put on cap, screw band firmly tight.

Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Yield: Four 8-oz. jars.

This is beautiful stuff and makes very nice gifts….

© 2006 Sylvia Britton

© 2006 Sylvia Britton

Just another fun things to do with your children or learn to make for a more natural diet…….
Many years ago sugar was a priceless commodity. And only as distant as WWII sugar was rationed and prized as a bartering tool.
Kings and Queens have throughout history given and received sugar as tribute and as royal wedding gifts.

You can make this prized sweet from sugar beets very easily. Make sure you are growing or purchasing Sugar Beets. Scrub the beet well and chop it up into small pieces.
In a large pan, cover the beet pieces with water and bring to a boil.
Cook the beets til they are tender and the juice is extracted. Drain out the juice and reserve it.
Boil down the juice to about 1/3 it’s original volume. Let cool and scrape out the crystals. Boil the juice again, til it is all gone, remove the crystalized juice again.
Your sugar will not be pure white and it may have a slight beety flavor, but it will be far superior nutritionally to refined sugar.
Store our sugar in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Use it just as you would refined sugar.

© 2006 Sylvia Britton

Ingredients:

1 gallon ground beef, cooked til no longer pink, not crisp

1 pint catsup (8 ozs)

1 c brown sugar

2 Tablespoons salt

4 Tablespoons vinegar

1 tsp barbeque seasoning (or make your own using chili powder, cayenne, etc.)

Broth or tomato juice to thin and chopped onions if desired

Combine all ingredients except beef, bring to a boil, boil for a few minutes. Add beef, bring back to boil. Put in quart jars. Leave 1/2″ head space. Seal and process at 10 pounds pressure for 90 minutes.