Herb Encrusted Chicken

Herb Encrusted Chicken

I'm Southern, we fry food, nuff said...well something like that.

I love finding ways to take that wholesome comfort food (you know that stuff you were raised on but turns out its bad for you) and make it a little healthier without losing all the great flavours.

This is my fried chicken recipe, it's a little unconventional compared to the way others may make theirs but I like it, it taste great and it's rather simple to make.

Here's what you'll need:

I use wholemeal flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, garlic, panko breadcrumbs and peanut oil.

Oh and of course the chicken would help. Normally I use our own homegrown chicken but since we haven't gotten our flock set up yet then go down to your local store or farmer's market and buy some chicken. I like the thighs.

You can save money by buying the ones with the skin on them, which you would think would be essential to making good fried chicken right? Wrong!

First things first, take it all off...the skin that is and trim the fat off as well.

Next add 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of Panko, 2 1/2 Tbsp of Italian seasoning, a sprinkle of garlic, salt and pepper to season (I use about 1 1/2 Tbsp and 2 tsp of salt). Mix it all together!

Then whip up a few eggs in a bowl, like so.

Dip the chicken in the egg

Add chicken to the flour mixture and coat well

Add about 3/4"-1" of Peanut Oil to a large deep skillet and heat on medium-high heat until a splash of water sizzles or until it reaches 400*F.

  

Cook roughly 8-10 minutes on each side until deep golden brown, lay on paper towels  but do not cover. Even though the skins are removed, we added Panko which gives the chicken a crunchy outer coating.

Enjoy

Coconut Prawns

Coconut Prawns

When I originally had the idea to start blogging it was suppose to be a place to organize new ideas, recipes, interesting life events etc. Obviously with our recent migration to Australia the Life events category has taken center stage here. Well that's about to change!!! While I will still be including fun and interesting things from our new life down under I will also be posting craft, gardening and lots of Foodie stuff!

Starting with a very easy and incredibly tasty Coconut Prawns recipe.

Here's what you'll need:

1 Kilo (about 2 pounds) of large Uncooked Shrimp or Prawns

2 1/2 cups of baking mix (divided)

1 cup water

1 package (8 oz) of moist sweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 cup of Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Peanut Oil

For those who aren't familiar with Baking mix it is a simple mix to make in bulk and keep around.

6 cups of AP flour

3 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp salt

3/4 cup shortening

Remember you only need 2 1/2 cups of the mix for this recipe.

Now there's lots of different ways to enjoy coconut shrimp, they all share the basics which is coconut, a batter to adhere the coconut and of course the shrimp/prawns. 

I start off with 1Kilo of large uncooked Banana Prawns. These prawns have a mild sweet flavour and are great to use with spices and full flavoured recipes. But any raw large bodied shrimp will do. Often if you buy them still intact and clean them at home, they're much cheaper!

Remove their heads, shell and legs and de-vain them. Leave the tail shell on as that makes them easier to handle. Give them a good rinse then butterfly them by taking a sharp knife down the back, be careful not to press completely through or you'll just split your prawn in half.

Next to prepare your batter stir 1 1/4 cup of baking mix with 1-1 1/2 cup of water in a bowl. I like it a little runnier than pancake mix.

Combine the coconut and panko together in a separate shallow dish.

Then stir the remaining 1 1/4 cup of baking mix with 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp red pepper into another bowl.

Coat all prawns in dry mixture then dip in wet mixture allowing the excess to drip off, then dip in coconut mix.

Place all coated shrimp on a baking sheet then place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the 

coconut batter to stick really well to the shrimp.

You can use a deep fryer or a dutch oven with 3-4 inches of peanut oil heated to 350*F/176*C.

Cook shrimp 6-8 in a batch at a time in oil for about 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.

Can be served with cocktail sauce, mustard sauce or no sauce at all.

Pair with a fresh snap peas and corn on the cob for a complete and satisfying meal.

Serves 6-8 people.

                                       Recipe adapted from Southern Living Cookbook

Growing Dreams...

I feel like I'm still trying to get the hang of this Blogging thing. The OCD in me is trying to come through and organize this page. Plus I keep playing with the design...it's all Blogger's fault, they have too many cute designs! So from time to time depending on the post it may be repeated, such as recipes. I'll post them in the blog section but then archive them under the recipes section. Nice and organized, makes sense right?? :)

There is so much going on right now with my family I feel I can't keep my head on straight at times. Hubby is looking for a better job, I just started school, the garden is growing and I'm beginning my Spring/Summer planting oh and I started homeschooling our youngest. Looking at schools for all of our kids to attend next year together, settled court issues with hubby's ex (always fun) and did I mention I just started school...has the room stopped spinning yet???

My love of gardening has literally blossomed in me, so why not make a career out of it right? I mean I'm only 32, guess its about time I figured out what I want to be when I grow up lol! Don't get me wrong, I've loved having the opportunity to be a stay at home Mom for 12 years. I've been able to be here for our kids 24/7, keeping them out of trouble (or as close as I possibly can), helping them with school, teaching them responsibilities and instilling mine and my husband's values and morals in them. I did say 24/7, that's a BIG job! Not to mention I'm kind of a hard ass at times. Our kids will tell you, they don't get away with much, I have fantastic instincts and they always get busted! Besides I'm seriously outnumbered, there are 6 of them, 3 are teenagers, I have to hold my ground or I'm screwed...

All in all I've loved it. Saved a heap of money with never needing childcare and I honestly feel I have a bond with our children that is stronger than anything. They know I'll always be there for them, that they can count on me, and I'll still be keeping an eye on things to hopefully steer them in the right direction. I suppose I should point out that my hubby is pretty awesome with them too!

But the plan was always for me to go back to school once our youngest was in school himself.
My love of cooking and baking led to wanting to know what I was feeding my family. Which led to a love of home grown organic ingredients and of course growing it myself! It's not like I had anything else to do around here, insert sarcasm....heaps of sarcasm!!

This is only my second year gardening. Last year hubby built me an awesome greenhouse while we were still in Alaska, and I was able to grow lots of Tomatoes and Cucumbers in it. It was my trial run but it was great. So I knew moving here to South Australia with our fantastic Mediterranean climate, I could actually garden all year long! Picture me doing the "Happy Dance" cause that is exactly how I feel inside.

My greenhouse garden in Alaska, lots of Maters!

So after moving into our home at Christmas and adjusting to the fact that it was HOT and not cold at Christmas time, too hot in fact for my unacclimatized body to brave the dry heat of 85*F. I mean we had just left 4 feet of snow in Alaska of all places, going from -5* to 85* in a month was definitely an adjustment. Come Autumn I was already a bit behind in getting things started as I had only gotten the  layout completed by then, we still had to put it all together. We decided to use recycled materials as much as we could, plus we're cheap! So we were off to find pallets, lots and lots of pallets! We cut them in half then spiked the tips to make a wooden, picket fence. We cut more pallets down to use as wooden borders between beds. We hung up the lattice for planting peas and beans. We even used the pallets to make a cubby house for the kiddos.

Before we broke ground

Potager style garden

Picket fence panels made from pallets

Borders

Garden Table

Lattice for Peas

First borders and fence up.

I decided that since we were "going all out" on this gardening thing we might as well learn how to compost, so I talked hubby into making a compost Tumbler. He used a black plastic barrel, cut some holes and a door in it and made a wooden stand to support it with wheels underneath the barrel to spin it.  Have I mentioned I married a genius? We've also picked up a "Can-O-Worms" to use for composting as well.  Hubby even found the time to build me a neat garden table to work on outside and to store my gardening mess.

After getting my hands dirty on a regular basis with all that we'd had going on out back I realized I really loved it. I looked forward to going outside every day. Even just putting up the borders or preparing the soil or transplanting my seedlings, I couldn't wait to get outside.

I had been thinking about going back to school for my first love of cooking, but had my doubts and after a lot of soul searching and heart to hearts with my hubby, who has always supported me, but felt necessary to point out that I "am NOT a people person", I changed my mind. I'll admit, I'm not really one for working under others, I like to do my own thing and be my own boss. So my other love, even though only recently discovered, became my second choice. Funny thing was I had no doubts what so ever about this decision. I knew I could not only do this but be successful at it. It was my "why didn't I think of that before, dummy" moment!

I'm now studying to become a Certified Horticulturalist specializing in Permaculture and Biodynamics. Sounds pretty smart huh! The goal is to one day open my own Commercial Organic greenhouse, selling heirloom veggies and fruits to the public and helping people as a Consultant to set up their own organic gardens. Ever since I was a wee one, and I can remember this as far back as 7 or 8, I wanted to live on a Farm. So hopefully I can blend the two together one day. Not only offering organic produce but organically raised livestock products, whether it be meats, milk, cheese or even baby chicks to be raised for meat and egg consumption. Sounds like a lot to take on I know, but I believe that I can do it. In Alaska I got a taste of it there and absolutely loved it! So I feel comfortable with time and heaps more of knowledge I'll be ready to take it to the next level...

Homeschooling...again?

Ok, so it's been a long time since I've written on here....a really long time, 8 months kind of a long time. I'm so ashamed. Moving on...

I've been thinking about returning to homeschooling for a while now. I'm constantly asking my kids if they'd like me to do it again, to my surprise most of them say "yes." My problem is self doubt. I have 5 kids currently in school, that's 5 different grade levels, 5 different sets of curriculum, 5 different levels of my attention required...you get what I'm saying here, right?

I often find myself alone when talking to the other Moms at school about holiday break times. How I don't look forward to my kids returning to school, like all the other Moms do.  I miss my children, and worry not only about how they're treated by other students and even staff but what so called "life lessons" happen to be circulating around the playground. I worry about the slow progression and the boredom or lack of attention my kids get at school. I've noticed bad attitudes coming from my kids that were never there before. I've heard the potty mouth language coming out of the 8 year old "mouths of babes" when they've come to my home for birthday parties. I've seen the drama and disappointments on my daughter's face when I ask her how her day was. I also feel some of what they learn is a bit redundant, my kids have either already learned it or the class just spends too much time on it to make sure the other kids are all on the same page before moving on. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with their school, matter of fact I think they go to a pretty good school, expensive but good. But all conventional schools have the same problems and the staff and parents don't always want to see what really goes on.

However (and you can call me bias, I really won't care) my kids are not conventional, they're unique, inquisitive, self motivated and down right amazing little minions of mine and my husband's making. I don't believe I'm sheltering my kids from the "real world" or that I'll be that super over protective parent but honestly isn't that my job? If my husband and I don't look out for our kids's best interest, no one else will.

I don't work outside the home (I sell Scentsy, or I will once it opens up here in Australia next month, but that's another post all together) and I'm currently finishing up a degree in Organic Horticulture so I'm quite able and willing to homeschool them again.

As one who's been here before, I keep revisiting things in my mind where I can do it differently and be even more successful at it. Right now I'm currently settling down to the idea of it again, learning laws, rules and regulations, searching curriculum sites, homeschool groups, forums and how to go about this again. Should I home school my oldest son who's currently in 11th grade? I'm thinking I probably won't, not unless he wanted me to but as for the younger four I think it would be wonderful.

I've had friends and family ask me over the years "how are homeschooled kids socialised?", "how do they get to enjoy extra curricular activities?" yadda yadda yadda! Socialising for us is easy, we're a family of 8, we're plenty social when its needed. Keeping kids involved is the key, whether it be sports clubs, church groups, and or homeschool groups the kids make friends and enjoy common ground.

I'd much rather not have my kids stuck doing 6-7 hours of school work just to come home to do 1-3 hours of homework. What kind of life is that for them or even us as a family? There isn't much quality family time in the evening when the kids are glued to math books and science notes.

Life goes by too fast, childhood isn't always the best time of it either but it's certainly the foundation for the type of adult we grow to be. I want my kids to feel loved and supported, to know that they are always accepted and acknowledged. That they can learn more during "school" then just what the year's curriculum has assigned.

I hope to look back on my life and be able to say that I did all I possibly could to help my children reach their full potential and to be the best people they can possibly be. Here's to the beginning of our new journey ahead.

Our beautiful family

Has it really been a year?

Time has really flown by...must have been having too much fun! I can't believe we've actually lived in Australia for an entire year now...well since November 16th. I keep meaning to get on here to write but life takes over all too often and it moves further down my to-do list.

We've had such an amazing year here. Hubby has found a good job (definitely not his dream job but it pays the bills), I've gone back to school, the kids have all finished their first year of school here and the older kids have good paying jobs...I sure never made that kind of money at 16 or 19 :(  and everyone has really settled into all the little differences between cultures.

Still a huge adjustment for us experiencing Christmas during the hot summer months as it is for most Northern Hemisphere migrants to Australia. We do love a white Christmas but heck even a cool Christmas would be welcomed. Even still we had a wonderful Christmas and New Years together, the younger 5 all participated in the Christmas exhibit at Church. The boys got to be Shepards and our daughter an Angel, even our oldest son Wesley got up in front of the congregation to do a reading...we are very proud of all of them.

Our garden has been a struggle. In early Autumn we began the layout and ground work on the veggie patch. Of course I'd never really gardened before in my life, unless you count 5 gallon buckets with Tomato plants in a plastic greenhouse in Alaska lol, though shockingly I seem to have had better results there. Even still I've discovered I really do love working in the garden just wish my garden felt the same way about me. It appears I'm often found mumbling a dirty four letter C-L-A-Y!. I have horrible soil, either too hard and dry when we don't get any rain (which is often) or its so boggy and saturated and won't drain worth a darn that my plants either drowned or bolted and all grew moss.

Needless to say my wonderful hubby and I decided to build up raised beds and bring in some good garden loam and mulch. But now I'm so worried my seedlings won't get far enough along to transplant into the raised beds in time to still get a viable harvest off of them. This has all been a major learning curve especially in realizing what we want out of a future property and climate. Summers are hot and incredibly dry here in SA, the driest of all of Australia's states/territories in fact. I'm worried that our goal of living rather self sufficiently are going to be 10 times more difficult here in SA especially during the summer months.

Our original plan when we visited Australia 5 years ago was to scout Tasmania for a possible future home. We even spent 6 weeks out of our 3 month holiday there. While we were only there during Springtime it was beautiful, green, full of life and cool. The only reason we came to SA was because at the time they had Carpenters listed on their State Sponsorship list. Don't get me wrong SA is a beautiful state 9 months out of the year, its green, it rains and it has relatively great weather! So we shall see what happens in the next year or so. The kids all seem to be up for a move to Tassie (well except for our almost 20 year old bound to stay and go to University of Adelaide here) and of course we can't leave until we fulfilled our two year agreement here in SA. So who knows what will happen. I think the first step is to plan a family trip down there and see if it's everything we remember.

Everyone talks about how cold it is there, which honestly makes me laugh! After living in Alaska for three and a half years, I find no place is actually really COLD in comparison. But I'll admit I do love cozying up to a fire in the wood stove sipping my coffee under a blanket with a good book! So the cold Tassie winters won't bother us at all, Lord knows our big Giant Malamutes will LOVE it and we do know what it takes to raise livestock during the colder months. Of course the benefit of warm but not hot summers will be wonderful for the garden too. As even here I have to worry not only about my plants getting enough water but also not being scorched to a crisp during our frequent heat waves.

Hmmm, Tassie is sounding awfully enticing...

Cast Iron Pizza

Dough:

6 cups of AP Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Warm water
1 1/2 tsp dry Yeast

Toppings:

4 Cheese Blend
Pepperoni
Mushrooms
anything else you want to eat :)


Mix flour, salt and oil in a food processor with a dough blade. Place yeast in 2 cups of warm water (no hotter than 110*F), soak for about 5 minutes then stir and add to flour mixture in food processor. If dough is really wet and sticky, add 1/4 cup more of flour and mix in processor.

In a large bowl drizzle more olive oil around to lightly coat, pour dough mixture into bowl and toss over a few times to coat in the oil. This helps prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl as it rises.

Cover dough with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm area to allow the dough to rise. Usually an hour.

Remove wrap or towel and place on a floured surface, knead gently a few times (not too much).

Divide dough into 4 sections, depending on your size pans.

Heat pan in oven on highest setting (usually around 260*C or 500*F) for about 20 minutes, I usually do this once I'm preparing and kneading the dough. Then roll out your dough and place it in a hot pan. Gently shape to fit the pan...remember it's HOT, be careful!

Place pan back in Oven on high for 10-15 minutes. You don't want to brown your dough just cook it slightly. Just ignore my little brown spot! lol

Next it's time for toppings. Every now and again I go for making my own sauce, it's easy enough but I didn't have everything for it, so I cheated. Oh well :) I like a Garlic and Wine sauce but use whatever you like. Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Salami, Pepperoni, Sausage etc all make great toppings. 

Bake on high in oven for 20 minutes or until gold and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Homesick...but not how you may think

I love it here in Australia, I really really do. Ask my hubby, every time we go out I'm constantly commenting on how pretty it is here!!

But every now and then I find myself having a moment...a moment where I feel almost homesick. It's been 8 years since we left Virginia so I've easily dealt with missing my family and friends from there. However after leaving Virginia and moving around a bit as we have, we were still within the United States. A lot of the food was still the same at least as far as what I could buy at the store. Some veggies we like were much harder to find up north such as Ford hook Lima beans but we managed.

No my homesickness is deriving from a lack of familiarity. A lot of things here are very different, more then the obvious like dialect and driving on the "wrong" side of the road. But as some know from reading here, I'm a Foodie! I love to cook and bake and try new recipes and of course feed it to my love ones. My family really loves the fact that I'm a Foodie as they often get to enjoy the fruits of my labour.

Over the years I've spent in the kitchen I have fallen in love with certain ingredients such as Nielsen Massey Bourbon Vanilla and Spice Islands Saigon Cinnamon and let us forget Ghirardelli cocoa chips. None of which I have been able to find easily here. I often feel lost when I go to the super markets to shop. While we do enjoy the bountifulness of the freshest produce (something not often enjoyed in Alaska) I'm still "homesick" for some frequently used ingredients.

There is absolutely some fantastic foods food here in Australia, visit any corner bakery and you;ll experience it first hand. So obviously culinary cuisines can be easily created with the local ingredients available....but I guess this is one of those adjustments I must make, even though it feels more like a sacrifice, to be able to be here without my normal cooking goodies.

Hopefully over the coming years I'll be able to find many culinary delights for cooking and baking with. In the mean time...I'll simply reminisce.