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October 2010 Chickens in the Road Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
*Feature: A Visit, with Jars
*Kitchen Extra: On Any Given Day
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: That Bad Baby
*Recent Highlights: Growing Shiitake Mushrooms, the Table Quilt, Me Against the Baby, and More
*Sneak Peek: Cheese Challenge!
*Farm Bell Recipes: Chicken Nuggets KFC-Style
*Blast from the Past: Apple Spice Simmering Potpourri
*Feature: A Visit, with Jars
I’m always, ever, forever, and persistently fascinated by old canning jars. The other day, I stopped by Georgia’s house to pick something up. (See all about Georgia.) She wanted to show me her new refrigerator, which was quite lovely, but what I fell in love with were the old jars she had moved around in the whole process of getting the new fridge installed. They had been on top of her old fridge and I’d never noticed them before. Her new fridge is bigger, so she was still figuring out where she was going to put them back.
She had them all lined up on a table in her living room.
They’re mostly Ball Ideal jars.
She doesn’t know what’s in this one.
I told her she better not eat that!
I’ve never seen the Ball Ideal jars before.
Jars with the bail wire and rubber rings are so adorably quaint.
They came with reusable glass lids. All you changed out was the rubber seal ring.
Here’s how they work:
Georgia showed me how, too:
I said, “You’re lucky you’re alive. They don’t let you can in jars like that anymore.”
She said, “Well, they might not approve, but I could can in anything I want to.”
Rascal.
(She doesn’t can anymore, so don’t worry. If she tried, I’d take those jars away from her. You know, for safekeeping….)
P.S. There is a GREAT post on Farm Bell Recipes about the advancements in canning science over the years. Read it here.
*Kitchen Extra: On Any Given Day
On any given day, there are at least two or three projects going on in my kitchen aside from normal daily cooking and baking. Today, I have slices of soap airing. I have homemade Velveeta going. And I have a pot of milk ready to start hard cheese. (By the way, in case you missed it, New England Cheesemaking featured my homemade Velveeta here.) Today, I decided to experiment using my new soap mold for homemade Velveeta.
I was trying to make sandwich-size slices. That didn’t work out. The soap mold is too big. Next time I’m going to figure out a way to divide the soap mold so I only put the cheese in half of it. I think that’ll work! Maybe. Cooking is a never-ending experiment.
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: That Bad Baby
She’s gorgeous. And ornery.
She’s Glory Bee. And she’s trying to kill me. I love her anyway. Even when we’re Fighting Over Milk.
*Recent Highlights: Growing Shiitake Mushrooms, the Table Quilt, Me Against the Baby, and More
We’re stocking up our winter hay supply in Stack ‘Em Deep, Feed ‘Em Cheap, but I’ll need more than hay to overcome when it’s Me Against the Baby. Luckily, some farm animals are easier to deal with. See who loves me the most in Who Loves You, Baby. Find all my farm animal stories here.
These are surely the quickest pickles in the world, not to mention tasty–see how to make Party Pickles! Then try a couple of fun treats: Banana Split in a Jar, and (surprisingly vegan) Coffee Bites. Don’t miss a thing in my kitchen! Get all my recipes.
We had a big scare here in Teen Takes Ten Years Off Mother’s Life (but everyone was okay, whew). We also had a big party–if you missed it, you can still enjoy the fun! See The Party on the Farm 2010 Report! Winter’s coming, and I’m watching the signs in The Annual Woolly Worm Report. See all my country living stories.
Make Lavender-Basil Soap then share some vintage-minded decorating thoughts with me in The Living Kitchen and see my historic Table Quilt. Browse all my posts in crafts.
See what I’m doing now! The most exciting gardening project I’ve tried in a long time or maybe ever–I’m Growing Shiitake Mushrooms. I’ve got Elephant Garlic, too! Be sure to see all my garden stories.
*Sneak Peak: Cheese Challenge!
A couple of weeks ago, I was profiled on the New England Cheesemaking blog. (You can see the article here. FYI, this is a separate article from the piece on homemade Velveeta that I linked above in the Kitchen Extras section) Now I’m writing a series of “Cheese Challenges” for New England Cheesemaking! A different hard cheese–every month! Can BP and I do it? Above, pictured, is my first attempt at Monterey Jack. I’m so excited! I’m making Pepper Jack next! (All the details in a post coming soon.) With New England Cheesemaking’s help, I’m also giving away cheesemaking kits. Don’t miss the fun–join in, make cheese with me! Be sure to see my Getting Ready to Make Cheese post for easy, inexpensive ways to set up a “cheese cave” and make a homemade cheese press.
*Farm Bell Recipes: Chicken Nuggets KFC-Style
My kids love chicken nuggets, and they love Kentucky Fried Chicken. And I hardly ever take them there. They are so deprived. Just ask them.
But they are deprived no more! This recipe was posted by CindyP on Farm Bell Recipes recently and I knew I had to make them! They came out so good, I thought about pretending I’d gotten them from KFC, but I could never get away with that since we don’t even have one in this whole county. But if you have a KFC close enough to be believable, maybe you could!
How to make Chicken Nuggets KFC-Style:
4 skinned and boned chicken thighs or breasts
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons Kentucky Kernel Coating mix (or use 1 cup Kentucky Kernel Flour from the store)
1 cup flour (omit if using store bought Kentucky Kernel Coating Mix)
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pan with about 2 inches oil heated to 375-degrees or use a deep fryer
Skin, bone, and cut chicken into approximately 2-inch pieces. Whisk eggs and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl. Mix the Kentucky Kernel Coating mix, flour, and cornstarch in a plastic bag. Coat the chicken pieces in the egg then shake in the bag of flour mixture all at once. Lay pieces on a wire rack over a pan and let rest for 10 minutes. This lets the coating soak into the chicken so you don’t lose it in the oil. Put the chicken pieces into the oil and cook until done–the pieces will start to float. This should take about 6 minutes. Turn once for even browning. Drain on paper towels.
See CindyP’s recipe on Farm Bell Recipes to save it to your recipe box and get the handy print page: Chicken Nuggets KFC-Style. You can also find the copycat recipe for homemade Kentucky Kernel Flour here.
Would you like to contribute a post to Farm Bell Recipes? You can! See all the information here for submissions. We’d love to hear your voice!
*Blast from the Past: Apple Spice Simmering Potpourri
Apple slices and peels, ginger slivers, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves.
You need this delicious potpourri simmering in your house this fall! Get the recipe here.
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Thank you for your comments, your support, and just for being there. Here’s hoping to see you on the Chickens in the Road Forum (make friends, have fun, come join us!) and every day on the farmhouse blog!
Love,
Suzanne
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What are you fixing for supper tonight? Browse the goodness at Farm Bell Recipes — your cooking community!
*I’m giving away a Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving once a week (sometimes more!) so don’t forget to watch the blog for The Ball Blue Book Project days.
