Southern Sunday Supper

What's more Southern than fried chicken for Sunday dinner? Nothin' that I can think of.  It's been awhile since I've even thought about frying chicken and Neil suggested it yesterday.

And if I'm gonna go through the trouble to make fried chicken, I'd better start peeling potatoes, cause it'd be just undignified to serve fried chicken without mashed potatoes.  

I am a little ashamed of myself for not making any gravy. Oh' well, we'll just count our blessing that we got a chicken dinner on Sunday.  

It's really pretty simple.  Don't let the multiple steps through you off.  It really is simple.  Here's my easy steps for the fried chicken:

• To make it easy on me I buy a cut-up chicken when possible and on sale.
• pour a little milk or buttermilk in a bowl and combine the following seasonings in a large plastic bag:  2 cups flour, salt & pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• drop chicken in bag of seasoning to coat.
• Dip a few pieces of chicken at a time in milk coat.
• Then drop back in you bag of seasoning and shake to coat well.
• Place chicken pieces on a plate or tray and cover with a paper towel, plastic wrap or whatever to allow flour/seasoning to get paste-ie (my word).
• Fill a heavy skillet or cast iron frying pan 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil.  
• When oil is very hot fill with as many pieces of chicken as possible and brown on both sides.  
• When brown reduce heat to med-high,  cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Chicken is cooked through at this point.
• Remove cover and continue to cook until desired crispiness.
• Drain on paper towels.  If you are cooking more than a pan full, let the prepared chicken rest in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

Mash potatoes are quick too.  Here you go:

For just the two of us I use 3 large potatoes, adjust accordingly for your family.

• Peel and cut potatoes into chunks and put in a 2 qt pot of water with salt to boil.  
• Boil until you can cut with a fork (10-13 minutes).  Drain.
• Heat a 1/2 cup (more or less) and 1/4 cup butter (I used salted butter in our house) in microwave for about 45 seconds just to warm.  
• Combine potatoes, milk, butter.  Add salt and pepper (white pepper looks prettier) to taste.  Mix well with hand mixer and serve warm.

I opened a can of green beans and season with salt & pepper. If I'm feeling really good I'll add some bacon grease & onions.

I keep rolls or mini french bread loaves in the freeze to make life simple.  Sorry to disappoint you no time for homemade Southern biscuits here.  Okay maybe I'm just lazy.

Then when the kitchen's all cleaned up (by then you're ready for something else) I fixed us a Orange Smoothie, remember the Orange Julius' one's.  YUM.  You can by a smoothie mix by Concord Fresh.  They have several flavors but we really like the Orange flavor.  All you need is orange juice, Concord Fresh mix, ice and water.  E.A.S.Y.

The only thing that could've made this day better is sharing it with family.  I sure do miss them.

Hope y'all had a beautiful Sunday...

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
                                               ~Exodus 20:8