Christmas is Coming!! Have Your Kids Been Nice?

Can you believe Christmas is less then a month away?! Is it just me or do kids seem to act up more around Christmas time? At least mine does!! And lately he has been TOP NOTCH NAUGHTY!! What would be a better way to scare your kids into good behavior then a personalized message from Santa Claus himself!! That's right!! My good friend Lee over at LDP Production is offering personalized messages from Santa!! You can listen to the demo here.  He is GREAT at what he does and because he is such a great guy he is offering a $20 deal for Cyber Monday!! You can email him at  Lee@ldpvoiceover.com  for details!! I can't wait to see the look on Troop's face when he gets his message!! Merry Christmas ya'll!!

Fantastic Fried Chicken!!

So I recently found out Cpt Hunk loves Fried Chicken. You would think after nearly 10 years and me ALWAYS cooking, he would have said something!! Oh well. It reminded me of a great recipe that I haven't used in years and thought I would share it! It's one that has to marinate so be prepared ahead of time! Remember, handling raw chicken can be dangerous so be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and spray your counter when you are done! I use Clorox anywhere spray!

Fantastic Fried Chicken
Ingredients:

4 lb chicken, cut in 8 pieces or 8 legs, thighs or drumsticks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp ground dried oregano
2 cups buttermilk

Mix the spices together and add to raw chicken. Mix so the spices coat the chicken. Then pour the buttermilk over the chicken. Let marinate for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Flour Mixture:

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Fully coat the chicken in the flour mixture. Heat up about 2 quarts of oil (peanut or canola are fine) to 350 degrees. Then add the chicken and cook for about 20 minutes. Super easy, super crunchy and super yummy!! Goes great with mashed potatoes and gravy!! I used the chicken stock from my freezer meals to make the gravy!!

Budget Friendly Spice and Seasoning Mixes!

The other day I opened up my pantry in search of something and found a packet of taco seasoning. I thought to myself "Where in the WORLD did that come from?" I have NEVER used taco seasoning for my taco meat! I pulled it out and remembered a recipe I used awhile back called for a packet of the stuff and I must have bought two of them. So it got me thinking and made me wonder how many people actually use the stuff to season their taco meat. Hence, the question I posted on Facebook. I got to doing a little research and found out that those taco seasoning packets are one of the most popular seasoning packets that are bought!! REALLY!?!?! In MY opinion (hope not to offend anyone) I DO NOT like the stuff. If I wanted mushy red meat in my tacos, I would go to Taco Bell! Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Taco Bell, I just don't want my home made tacos to taste like it. However, there are so many of you who DO love the stuff and I just wondered, do you know how EASY and CHEAP it is to make? Stop spending $1+ on pre made packets and make your own!! I bet you have all the ingredients in your cabinet! And I'm not just talking about taco seasoning. You can make so many spice blends that are EXACTLY the same as what you find in the store for a FRACTION of the cost!! Plus, you don't have to worry about all the extra salt, preservatives or mystery ingredients that usually just call themselves "spice". Hmmm... On that note, here is a recipe for some home made taco seasoning that is JUST like the store bought stuff!

Taco Seasoning
Ingredients

1 tbs chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp course salt

Mix together then add to beef with about 1/4 cup of water. This makes enough to season 1 lb

Here is a link that has a TON of home made spice recipes! Not only are they super easy to make but they can also make great gifts! Everyone needs spices, right? You can even make them cute!

Another super easy home made concoction I wanted to share with you is Hot Cocoa mix. We go through the stuff like crazy in the winter at our house! We just made a big container of it the other night and it sits on our counter for easy access!

Hot Cocoa

25 oz powdered milk
11 oz powdered creamer (They have so many flavors but I use plain then add the flavored creamers laters)
16 oz Nesquick
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Mix it all together and store in an airtight container. Use 1/4 cup of mix for a cup of hot cocoa! ENJOY!