All Kinds of Yumm

I remember my first time eating Chick-Fil-A. It was breakfast. My husband, who was 100 lbs. heavier then, scarfed down two chicken biscuits. I thought he was crazy, and the idea of chicken for breakfast was gross. Then, I took a bite and my life changed.

I honestly don't eat out all that much, but when I do, Chick-Fil-A is one of my favorite places to frequent. It's quality food, and it's not easy to duplicate. I will say, this is pretty dang close to the real thing.

Ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
Peanut oil
4 hamburger buns
Butter
Pickle chips (optional)

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in Ziploc baggies, and, using a tenderizer, flatten until they're about 1/2 inch thick. The breading will add girth. Cut chicken breasts in half vertically.
Combine flour, powdered milk, baking powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a deep pan, preheat oil to 350°F. This is a technicality, but if you aren't going to use a thermometer, err on the safe side and keep the oil on a medium heat. If it's too hot (like, an 8/10 on the heat scale), it'll crisp up the outside in no time, but the inside won't be done on the inside. And if it's not warm enough (like, a 3/10 on the heat scale), it won't get crispy on the outside. I left mine on a 6/10, and it was just right.
Dip the chicken in the egg/milk mixture and then roll it around in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place gently in the oil and let cook for about 5 minutes each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
Spread a light layer of butter on hamburger buns and toast until golden.
Set pickle chips on hamburger bun (optional) and top with chicken breasts. Close the sandwich. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the sandwiches and let rest for 2 minutes. It'll get nice and steamy.

Love and chicken,

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Christmas is a time for traditions, both old and new. I have stuck with several over the years, many which stem from my mother's desire to make the holidays "extra-special." Over the past few years as a married lady, I've found that traditions are what make holidays like Christmas so enjoyable.

Don't get me wrong. I love getting gifts. And chocolate. I love the constant presence of chocolate during the month of December.

When I think about it, though, I don't think many of our traditions are all that unique. For example, every year on Christmas Eve, my husband and I get each other Christmas PJ's for that night. Predictable, right? I do the cookie parties, decorate the house incecently the day after Thanksgiving, and blare Mariah Carey like it's 1994. I believe in Christmas, and I believe in traditions.

But for us, there's one tradition that rises above the rest. See, my husband is a student pastor. Christmas is a big holiday in the ministry. He tends to spend a big part of Christmas Eve at the church helping prepare for what they consider to be the "Super Bowl" of church services. Because of this, we make one thing abundantly clear to both of our families:

Christmas Eve is at our place. You may choose to come, or you may choose to not come. Either way, we're stayin' home.

Some people might shirk at this responsibility, but the theme is simple: junk food. While the other people of the world are sitting down to a traditional Christmas feast, we're serving up arterial-clogging, lifespan-shortening dishes. Chips and dip? Absolutely. Tacos? Bring it on. We leave the sophisticated dishes for Christmas day.

Our normal spread consists of sub sandwiches made with a real honey baked ham, an array of chips and dip, chicken tacquitos, buffalo wings, cake pops, homemade Reese's peanut butter cups, cookies that stretch far beyond the horizon, and so much more. For some reason, though, I could never shake the feeling that something was being neglected. And then, I realized...

...it's the chocolate.

You can never give chocolate enough attention. It's the needy middle child who always wants to please. And to be frank, it's my favorite child. So this year, we're making Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream. This is not a new recipe, but it's one that has stood in the background far too long. It's time for it to make its debut, and the stage is my table.

Ingredients: