Meal Idea for Wednesday Evening

Fried chicken

Mashed potatoes, or baked potato
Fresh green beans from the night before or frozen peas
Country gravy  - packaged or home made
Biscuits

Homemade White Country Gravy - Jan's Way

About 2 tablespoons of chicken grease or a little more
2 tablespoons of flour or a pinch more
2 cups of milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken grease and add the flour.  Stir until you get a smooth paste - this is where you might add a little more chicken grease or a pinch more of flour if needed.  After you get a smooth paste slowly add your 2 cups of milk, salt and pepper.  Now you need to stay with this stirring constantly -otherwise you will end up with your gravy sticking to your pot.  What you are looking for with this gravy is when you drip your spoon in it and tip it over the gravy pours off the spoon with grace.  Girl - I know this is so fattening - but now and then...just don't over do it.   Use on your mashed potatoes or break apart the biscuits and pour over.

Fried Chicken - Jan's Way


Chicken
Eggs
Flour
Salt and pepper

The amount of the above ingredients will depend on how much chicken you are fixing - just use enough to dip the chicken in and then flour.

Vegetable oil or Crisco Shortening - put enough in your pan to cover your chicken slightly.  Let heat up on medium heat.

Dip a chicken piece in flour, then dip it in the beaten eggs, then dip it back in the flour -making sure the chicken is completely coated.  Place in oil that is heated to a sizzle.  When all the pieces are in the pot turn your heat down to about a Number 4 or a little less than medium heat - cook on side for 20 minutes. (Periodically check this because not all stoves use the same heat source) The key to cooking chicken is to cook it on one side for 20 minutes on low heat then turn it on the other side and cook it for 20 minutes.  After the 40 minutes have passed by your chicken should be golden brown crust.  At this time use a cooking thermometer and on chicken it should reach 180 degrees to be done.  Please double check this - you don't want to eat raw chicken - EGADS!  I always cook mine another 10 minutes just to make sure and I always check it for the right temperature.  You don't want your chicken to get to a burnt crust stage - that just ruins the flavor.  You might not get this right at first.  But just keep on trying. It makes delicious fried chicken.  My George loves fried chicken and I was determined to get it right.


Shop for:

Chicken - pick out the pieces you like or buy a whole chicken and cut up or purchase already cut up.
Bag of frozen peas or canned peas - your preference
Canned biscuits
Milk
Flour - should have this stocked in your pantry
Eggs for dipping
Baked potatoes or bag of potatoes for mashing - for this meal I would go with the mashed potatoes so you can pour the gravy over them.

Stay tuned for more meal ideas and recipes!