Simple Country Fried Chicken

So delicious.

I made fried chicken the other night. It was very delicious! So, I’m sharing here. :-)

 My mom and I kind of made up this recipe. The measurements may not be exact, but here’s the general idea. 

Ingredients:

The best quality chicken you can afford (quartered –I used drumsticks and thighs).

Coconut oil for frying! (I used organic expeller-pressed coconut oil. It doesn't have a strong coconut flavor).

Flour, sea salt, eggs, and milk.

Chicken, eggs, flour, coconut oil.

Mix 2 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a dish. Next, whisk together 2 eggs, ½ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon of salt. (You may have to double this amount if frying 2 sets of large chicken pieces... like I did.)

Roll the chicken in the flour/salt mixture until coated. Dip the floured chicken into the egg/milk mixture. Roll coated chicken in flour a second time. The chicken should be thoroughly covered in batter.

Heat coconut oil in a frying pan (I prefer an iron skillet). There should be enough oil in the pan to measure about 1/2 inch. Heat oil until it starts bubbling when the chicken in placed in. Gently lay the chicken pieces skin down in the hot oil. Be careful not to let the oil get so hot that it starts splattering. The chicken will probably need to cook for about 10 minutes on each side. Turn the chicken over with tongs. I would use a knife to check the chicken after about 5 minutes. The cooking time really does vary. (My chicken pieces were very large, and they took forever to cook through. I had to turn the temperature down so that the outside didn't get too dark while the inside was cooking.) The chicken is done once it looks like the inside is cooked through, and the outside is brown and crispy. Remove the chicken to a rack or paper towels, so that the extra oil drips off. The fried chicken can be served hot or cold.

That’s it! Enjoy.

A note about coconut oil:

Coconut oil is a much better choice for frying than rancid genetically modified vegetable oil. I've heard that shortening makes crispy fried chicken, but so does coconut oil! Coconut oil is a natural and heat-stable fat. It also will not make you fat, but will satisfy and nourish your body. If I ever have some spare time, I’ll write a blog post about my research on the health benefits of coconut oil. But for now, you’ll have to take my word for it. Or, better yet, Google the health benefits of coconut oil yourself! You’ll be a coconut lover like me.

Edit: Shared with Homemaking Link-Up! and Whole Foods Wednesday

After nearly a year....

So after nearly a year, I’m ready to start blogging again!

Here’s an update on my status: This past year I've continued with my study of traditional foods and alternative medicine. I've enrolled in a couple herbalist courses. The first wasn't exactly what I hoped it would be. However, the second (my current herbal course) goes above and beyond what I was hoping for. I’m a student with Vintage Remedies School of Natural Health. I’m enrolled as a Family Herbalist student, and I’m learning SO much.

Actually, I’m learning so much that I have a feeling it will be spilling over onto this little blog I started last year. As I study, I find myself taking notes that I want to share with other people. If anyone is still reading, stay tuned for blog updates with my thoughts and newly-found knowledge.  

I highly recommend Vintage Remedies to anyone interested in herbs or nutrition. Jessie Hawkins (founder) understands the meaning of holistic health. This is not just any old herbal school! Vintage Remedies does not teach merely how to treat symptoms, but focuses on prevention. They recognize the importance of food and lifestyle as foundational to good health. The information in my course has already caused me to rethink the way I view the germ theory, the common cold, and even how I make bread.

My goals this new year are to complete my Family HerbalistCertification, start an herbal Etsy store, start teaching classes through Vintage Remedies Essential Series, and enroll as a Clinical Master Herbalist through Vintage Remedies.

God bless,

Corryn 

"FRESH" (video)

A friend sent my family a link to a great documentary called "FRESH." It's about sustainable agriculture and raising food naturally. Joel Salatin is featured, along with a really cool urban farm and an "all natural" pig farm. The movie is very enlightening and reveals a little of the mess that goes on in industry farming. Please watch this soon! The movie is only available online until Feb. 1st. 

Watch it here: FRESH the movie 

Enjoy! 

Simple Hot Cocoa Recipe

My sister has been making hot cocoa as a treat for us in the evenings! We love drinking it while watching Christmas movies. It’s made from only a few real food ingredients. It will fully satisfy your chocolate cravings, and it’s a perfect dessert for this time of year. We make it on the stove top, and it only takes a few minutes. This recipe is a much healthier alternative to powered cocoa mix or using the microwave.

Ingredients:

½ cup sucanat or rapadura (or brown sugar)

¼ cup (pure/unsweetened) cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

1/3 cup hot water

4 cups whole milk

¾ tsp. vanilla extract

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in saucepan; stir in water. (The cocoa mixture doesn’t mix well with the cold milk. That’s why the water is added first.) Stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes until mixture is hot. Add milk and stir until the cocoa is hot (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Makes 4-6 servings (depending on how big your mugs are ;).

Instead of marshmallows, sprinkle ground cinnamon on top. Enjoy! 

This post is linked to Frugally Sustainable and Raising Homemakers. 

Delicious Holiday Eggnog

It’s Christmas time!

One of the best (and worst) things about the month of December is all the delicious holiday treats and desserts. Eggnog is one of those special desserts my family enjoys during this time of year.

I have a great recipe for delicious eggnog that is not bad for you.

But first, for the sake of a little extra motivation…

Pick up a jug of eggnog next time you’re at the grocery store, and read the ingredients… Yikes!

Now, after you spent five minutes trying to pronounce those ingredients, put that jug of eggnog back on the shelf! Go home and try this simple recipe.

Delicious Holiday Eggnog:

Soft custard:

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 cup sucanat or rapadura (or brown sugar)

Pinch of salt

2½ cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

            Ground cinnamon

Mix eggs, sugar and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over low heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly (Note: you have to stir the whole time or custard might become lumpy). Once mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon, remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Let cool and serve warm, or refrigerate for about 2 hours and serve cold. 

Soft Custard 

Whipped cream:

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare Soft Custard (above).

Just before serving, beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in small bowl until stiff. Gently stir 1 cup of the whipped cream into custard.

Mixing whipped cream into custard

Top individual cups of eggnog with remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle on cinnamon. Serve and enjoy! 

We made this eggnog tonight and it was SO good! The flavor of homemade eggnog is very mild compared to eggnog from the store. You can also experiment with this recipe. My recipe book suggests adding nutmeg, rum, or coffee to the eggnog. Mixing a cup of coffee in with the batch of eggnog is a combination I love! 

--Corryn

Do you know about the dangers of genetically modified foods?

Seeds of Deception
by Jeffrey M. Smith

Do you know that non-organic fruits and vegetables sold at the grocery store have a good chance of being genetically modified? As well as vegetable oils, and packaged goods?

Almost all corn and soy (among other things) in the U.S. are now genetically modified. None of these GMO foods are labeled. This gives us no way of knowing if the foods we’re buying were created in a laboratory.

What are GMOs? This quote is taken from the Non-GMO Shopping Guide: “Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are made by forcing genes from one species, such as bacteria, viruses, animals, or humans, into the DNA of a food crop or animal to introduce a new trait.”

Many animals avoid eating GMO foods when given a choice. There have been several tests to see the effect of GMO foods on lab rats. They all ended up getting sick and dying, or becoming infertile.

One of the scariest things about GMO crops is that they cross-pollinate, by wind and other natural means, with normal crops. This contaminates the normal crops and turns them into GMOs.

Please read these 10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs from the Institute for Responsible Technology. Genetically modified foods are dangerous to our health and environment. 

You can also sign this petition for requiring GMO foods to be labeled: Label my Food! If protestors in Europe were able to get their foods labeled, we can do it here too.

Don’t allow yourself and your family to be deceived. We live in the day and age where we buy most of our food from the grocery store from only a few giant corporations… Remember, just because it looks like food doesn’t mean it is. Buy organic when you can, and look for non-GMO seals on foods.

Wishing you health and discernment!

--Corryn