Crazy Cooking Challenge- Fried Chicken Style

This has been one crazy week. I'll fill you in later on that. But now, I'm filling you up with this

This is my entry in this month's

When I heard that this month was going to be the Fried Chicken challenge I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but then I remembered that we had to find our recipe from another wonderful Blog out there in Blogland. Here's the one that I was going to use originally from My Name is Snickerdoodle, and trust me this is a GREAT recipe!

But then, to my surprise, the game changed!

Now we're allowed to use any Fried Chicken recipe we'd like. I knew exactly where to go!

A few years back Dear Hubby and I bought these books, and one of my most favorite recipes in it is the fried chicken.

In fact, I've used it so many times, my book falls open to that page every time I take it out of the cabinet!

I've had to change up the recipe a little bit, but it's still the perfect copy cat recipe for KFC Original Recipe Fried Chicken.

Here's how it's done!

3 cups Crisco vegetable shortening

1 egg, beaten

2 cups milk

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon Accent

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Place the shortening in a large electric skillet or frying pan. Heat to medium high heat (about 350).

In a small bowl combine the egg and milk.

In a seperate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Dip each piece of chicken into the milk until fully moistenend.

Roll the moistened chicken in the flour mixture until completely covered.

Dip each piece back into the milk mixure and then back into flour mixture once again.

Place each piece into the melted oil.

Allow chicken to cook on each side about 15 minutes (do not keep turning, you only need to turn it a couple of times)

Remove from pan and allow to drain on a cooling rack.

Aside from my grandmother's and mom's fried chicken recipes this has to be my all time favorite recipe. It's amazing alone, on a sandwich with some mayo and pickles, or served up next to a big heaping pile of mashed potatoes,  I really hope that you enjoy this one as much as I do!

Now it's your turn! You want to be a part of the fun?! Check out the Crazy Cooking Page at Mom's Crazy Cooking for all of the details!

Let's see what everyone has been up to this month!

Power Outage

Sorry everyone, I'm just stopping by real quick to let all of you know that we'll be back up and running in a few days. We've had some bad storms here and we have been without power for 3 days.

Hope to see all of you later on this week!

Kim

The Ohio State Buckeye Ice Cream Cupcake

I've never considered myself a social butterfly.

I knew when I went to college that I'd be the paranoid friend.

"Well, how are we going to get home?"

"I'm underage!"

"I just don't feel comfortable using a fake ID to get into Canada. It would be my luck I'd be stuck there"

"My parents would kill me!!"

And even though I was the paranoid one when it came to, well...social events, I was first in line for the, "I'm finally 18, away from home, and have my own money, tattoo."

Yep. Out of all of my friends that night, I was the only one who came home with Ink.

That was my rebellious moment in college.

I loved college.

The fall football games. The dorms (yeah, I'm weird). The freedom from being away from home.

My lovelies of Alpha Xi Delta. It was great!

I'm from Ohio, and to most kids in Ohio the only college to go to is

The Ohio State University

but for me, that spell ANXIETY in every language.

So instead, I went to the great

University of Toledo.

I loved it and I miss that campus so much.

But I have to tell you, I am a huge OSU Football Fan!

And I am positive God knew what he was doing when he put me here on Earth in Ohio because I LOVE Buckeyes. And I'm not talking football or tree's here people.

The candy.

Have you tried them?

If you haven't, obviously you have not experienced one of the greatest candies in the world!
So when I saw the ad for this

 I decided to pay homage to my home state of Ohio and make a Buckeye inspired cupcake ! Or what I would like to refer to as

The Ohio State Buckeye Ice Cream Cupcake

This is the Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious 5th Annual Ice Cream Cupcake Contest!

A chance for bakers everywhere to showcase their Ice Cream Cupcake creations for a chance at $250.00 to their favorite cooking/baking store and many other "sweet" prizes!

I've seen this post on Cupcake Project for the last few years and decided this year I wanted in on the action. So I decided to go with

The Ohio State Buckeye Ice Cream Cupcake

It's a mix of my most favorite chocolate cupcake, homemade peanut butter ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate topping.

Yum with a capital Y!!

I am totally addicted to these!

And they're pretty simple to make. Here's what you'll need!

For the Cupcakes:

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 small box of Chocolate Jell-O Instant Pudding

3/4 cup Guinness beer, room temperature

For the Peanut Butter Ice Cream:

1 cup Half and Half

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Toppings:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted but cooled.
Chocolate Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping

Here's what you do!

In a large mixing bowl combine eggs and sour cream. Mix well.

Add in Pudding Mix.

Slowly add in melted butter, mix well.

Alternatly add cake mix and beer, mix just until it is mixed together. Do not overmix.

Fill cupcake wrappers 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Remove from pans and allow to cool completly.

In a small ziploc bag combine Half & Half and Sugar.

Fill a large (gallon) ziploc bag half full of ice. Pour salt into large bag.

Place small ziploc bag inside large bag, be sure both bags are sealed completely.

Shake bags for 5 minutes.

Remove small bag and carefully rinse bag with cold water.

Pour ice cream into a small bowl.

Mix in creamy peanut butter.

Place in freezer and allow to set for 30-40 minutes.

Once cupcakes have cooled, remove wrappers and slice in half. Place bottom slice of cupcake into a clean cupcake wrapper.

Spoon some ice cream onto bottom half of the cupcake and place the top half of the cupcake back on top.

Spoon some peanut butter topping over the cupcake top.

Place some of the ice cream into a piping bag and pipe a swirl of it on top of the cupcake.

Cover the ice cream "frosting" with Chocolate Magic Shell topping.

Dive in with a big spoon!!!

This was so much fun. I went through so many ideas in my head before I decided on this cupcake and although all of those ideas sound delicious,  I couldn't pass up the chance to mix peanut butter and chocolate!

I hope all of you enjoy these AH-MA-ZING Cupcakes!!!



Sweet & Simple {twelve}

Happy Sunday Everybody! Today is going to be short and sweet. It's a busy camping filled weekend at the Campbell House so we're just going to get on with the show!

Here are this weeks Top Picks!

Make sure you grab a Featured Button!!

1. Cookie Dough Truffle Pops from Hugs & Cookies

2. Good For You Cookie Dough Dip from Back for Seconds

3. Chocolate Cookes with White Chocolate Chips from Chocolate Chocolate and More Chocolate

4. Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge from Addicted to Recipes

5. Strawberry Coconut Pancakes from Peanut Butter and Peppers

I think there was a pattern this week! It seems everyone is on a cookie or cookie dough kick!

I hope all of you have a great week and I can't wait to see what you've been fixin' up this week!

Popcorn Crazy {Round 2}

Sweet & Simple Sunday {eleven} is still going on, make sure you stop by and link up!

So remember yesterday I said that I was Popcorn Crazy. And I mentioned that I was going to be crazy and make two flavors. Well here's flavor # 2.

And I have to say, as crazy as I was about that one, I am TOTALLY CRAZY about this one!

I love anything mint.

I mean seriosly, I think the gal at Tim Horton's knows me when I pull into the drive thru, (good morning Kim, another Medium Mint Iced Cap today?)

Although now with my new car it's like I'm a secret spy and I can sneak up on them.

Did I mention I love mint.

And chocolate.

Who doesn't love chocolate?

I'm sure there's someone out there who says, "oh, I just don't like chocolate, it has too many calories." Well I'm sorry, deep down inside there's a Chocoholic standing at the locked dungeon door, fists clenched, screaming at the top of her lungs trying to get out. Trust me, I know. I've tried puting mine there!

Didn't work. Obviously!

So back to this round of popcorn.

I just don't know what else to say about it, except, prepare yourself to be totally overcome with joy when you pop this into your mouth. I bet this would be so cute wrapped up in a nice little package at Christmas or something, but mine didn't make it longer than 24 hours.

And yes. I shared.

I didn't eat the entire batch myself.

(although I'm sure I could have)

So now that you know about Mint Chocolate Chip Popcorn...

Make It. Eat It. Share It (or hoard it, whichever you prefer!)

Popcorn Crazy

I can't think.

I'm having such a hard time writing this post.

Do any of you ever feel that way?

I don't know what it is.

This recipe is so simple, but OH SO GOOD.

I'm having just as hard of a time trying to stay out of it.

It's a good thing that I'm going to work tomorrow because if I wasn't and had to sit in this house with this popcorn I'm sure I'd gain another 50 lbs.

And with an impending doctors appointment next week I can't afford to gain any more.

Do you remember back a few weeks ago I showed you this (man that stuff was good!)

Today as I was sitting here, basically waisting time, being productive, while the baby was sleeping, I had an idea.

Why not try one of the other flavors. Heck, why not make it two!

I'm kind of crazy like that.

Then I decided I'd try one at a time.

The first one up...

Do you see this???

I mean FO REAL!

Popcorn, chocolate marshmallow coating, graham cracker crumbs!

H E A V E N!!!

I am totally in love with this crap stuff!

It has totally blown my diet I'm sure, but I don't even care, it's so worth it!

Dear hubby even liked it. And he's really not a big popcorn person. Who wouldn't love this though. I'm totally patting myself on the back for this, and I don't care one bit!

I just hope that all of you will try this. It is so good and so simple.

So go. Now.

Get up from your computer, and if you don't have all of the ingredients, go now and buy them.

Make this.

And share it with the world!
Oh yeah, but first, stop by Sweet & Simple Sunday and link up!

Kid & Caramel Overload

Do you ever have days where you just wish you could call a do-over.

I'm having one of those days.

Since becoming a parent 7 years ago I've learned that sleep is never a given. Especially sleep on the weekend. I don't know why in the last seven years I've fooled myself by thinking, "oh they'll sleep in tomorrow I'm sure!" It never happens that way. I've so badly wanted to sleep in the last couple of days, but dear little Sophie decided that she wants to be up early, and has all of a sudden decided naps are no longer part of her schedule.

She has been fighting a nap for the last hour or so, no matter what I do. I'm about to loose my mind. So what do I do? I sit down at the computer and begin to type.

Because I know that most of you can relate.

I know that like me, you too have had those never ending, tear filled days where you just want to throw in the towel and scream,

"I QUIT!"

But we can't quit. We can't give up on our kids or ourselves.

We have to trek on, apron strings tied and smile on our faces.

It's not always fun, but it's defnitly rewarding. That the Kid Overload part.

If I had a gallon of Peanut Butter Buttercream today, I'm sure I'd have already eaten the entire container.

But instead of Peanut Butter today, I've got Caramel.

Caramel Cupcakes filled with Caramel and topped with Caramel Buttercream

Yep, that's the Caramel Overload part.

I know some of you have never attempted the whole homemade caramel process. And trust me, as many times as I've attempted it, I'd rather buy it in a jar at the grocery.

I was searching for a caramel recipe and that's when I found the greatest way to do this EVER!

I'm not sure if this really counts as "caramel" or not, you decide, I really don't care, I refer to it as the sweetest, yummiest, carmaliest thing I've ever made or tasted.

Okay, so here's what you need to do first.

Simple Homemade Caramel Sauce

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Crock Pot

That's it!

Peel the label off of the Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Lay it in your crock pot.

Completely cover it with water.

Cook on Low for 8 hours.

Remove from Crock Pot and Voila! Caramel Sauce!

I told you! It is so easy! And no, I did not eat it right off of that spoon. I wanted to. But I practiced self control in this particular case!

Now, once you have your caramel sauce made, it's time to bake up the cupcakes.

Caramel Cupcakes

1 Golden Butter or Yellow Cake Mix

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup milk

3 eggs

1/2 can caramel sauce (homemade kind works best!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin tins.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, milk, and eggs until everything is incorporated. Slowly add in caramel sauce and mix well.

Using an ice-cream scoop, fill the muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tops bounce back.

Remove from pans and cool completely on a cooling rack.

Once cupcakes are cooled, pipe some of the left over caramel sauce into the top of each cupcake. I used a large round decorating tip for this.

Caramel Buttercream

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons milk
Caramel Sauce

In a large mixing bowl combine butter and shortening. Add in vanilla. On slow speed begin adding in powdered sugar. Add milk one Tablespoon at a time if needed. Add in caramel sauce to your liking Continue mixing until frosting is piping consistency.

Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. And then as if that wasn't enough caramel, melt some remaining caramel sauce and drizzle over the top of each cupcake.

I'm feeling much better just thinking about these cupcakes. Enjoy!