Shopping Around the World

Hello Friends!! ❤  It’s that time for Shopping Around the World for March.  For March, we are highlighting ‘go to’ meals that you always prepare when you have nothing else to do.

This one is right up mom’s alley for sure.  Her ‘go to’ meal will always be some sort of chicken dish for sure.

In fact, she made her favorite ‘go to’ meal this weekend for all of us – and we all enjoyed it.

So without further ado, take it away mom!

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You will need the following:  four chicken thighs ($4.38); a pack of english peas ($0.88); salad mix ($1.00); salad dressing of your choice ($0.25); flour/spices/oil ($0.50) = Total cost $7.01 – Could possibly be a bit more 🙂

We all know how to fix your salad mix and peas so I will start with my ‘go to’ spice mix for my chicken.  And although I’ve been using my air fryer a lot these days, I decided to go old school and do this chicken the old southern traditionally way.  First thing – an iron skillet.  Every good southern cook here in the south will have different sizes of iron skillets in the cabinets.  Yes it makes a difference.  Put that skillet on the stove to medium heat and pour some oil in it to heat.  While it is heating, prepare your spice mix.  In a mixing bowl, put two cups of flour.  To that add:  salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste (make it as hot or leave it out altogether).  Mix it together.  In another mixing bowl, add a touch of milk, two eggs, and again season well with salt, pepper and a touch of cayenne pepper.  Mix it together.

Now clean your chicken.  Then they are going to get all seasoned.  Make sure your oil is hot.  How do  you do that?  Take just a pinch of flour and sprinkle it in your hot oil.  Does it bubble?  Yes, it’s ready.  No, give it some more time.

Take a chicken thigh and put it in the flour mixture, then to the ‘bath’ egg mixture, then (this is what a lot people forget) back to the flour mixture.  Yes your fingers will be messy.  Get over it.  After the flour mixture, then the chicken goes into the hot oil.  You should be able to put all four thighs in your pan.  Then wash up those fingers.  I usually do mine chicken around 10 minutes on one side and then flip to the other side for another 10 minutes.

Then serve with peas and a salad – there you go.  Southern fried chicken at its best!

 

Travels in the South

Living in the south, there are lots of comfort foods. But sometimes on a cold and rainy day, you want something that soothes your soul. Mom’s choice for that is grits with cheddar cheese and crumbled up turkey sausage. It’s hot, gooey and delicious. I hear your naysayers turning your nose up at grits. But let me tell you something. When done right like this, grits can be delicious! 😋

 

Hell Froze Over

 Yep, you heard me right.  Hell froze over.  Why do you ask?  Well, we got snow in the south.  Shocker huh?!  We never get snow and twice this year we’ve had it.  The first time back in December 2017.  It wasn’t much.  Hardly anything to write about.  It was more of an inconvenience than anything else.  Then early this week they said we would be getting snow.  Of course, here in the south we laughed.  I mean really think about living in the south.  If we see a single snowflake, we shut down.  Honestly we do.  We are not equipped for snow and we don’t know how to drive in that kind of weather.

So Tuesday night, mom got a text stating work would be delayed Wednesday for two hours – report in at 10AM.  No problems.  Mom woke up Wednesday morning and squealed for joy.  I heard her.  It scared me.  Do you remember when you were in school and you thought you might be having a snow day and you were so excited?  Mom was exactly that for some reason.  She had not even left the bed and she said it snowed.  How did she know?  Is she psychic?  Mom said she could tell because everything was so bright inside of the Hotel Thompson.  I don’t know what she was talking about.  We all stumbled to the front door.  She opened the door and we were in awe.  Look at all of that snow!  We were all mystified.

Mom then got a text saying work was called out for non-essential personnel.  Mom actually jumped for joy.  It’s strange seeing her do that.  Really it is.  Mom then went to the back door and opened it up for all of us.  She told us we could go out and play in the snow.  Shaking my head.  Mom do you not know us at all?  Houdini yawned and left to go back to bed first following by me.  Trust me.  I do not want snow or cold stuff rubbing against my pot belly.  I’ll pass.  What was mom thinking?

Then this morning she was again delayed two hours.  But when she left for work, there was icicles going across the front of the Hotel Thompson.  Do you see them?  And mom called us when she got to work.  What usually takes less than 15 minutes took mom 45 minutes this morning.  The roads were still icy and full of snow.  Mom said there was also some – what did she call them? – IDIOTS driving on the roads going fast like there was no tomorrow.  Weirdos.

 

Travels in the South

The question is why is mom/dad posting this delectable picture of goodness at the beginning of the new year?  Why mom/dad?  Please explain.  Well, they said they had this dessert last year.  Okay, sure mom/dad.   Sure.  It does look yummy though, right?

Mom/dad found it at a restaurant that they don’t frequent very often – but they might now because of this dessert.  This delicious dessert is called a Goo Goo Cluster.  It has creamy layers of chocolate fudge, peanut butter mousse and nougat cream topped with caramel, chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream and Nashville’s original candy ~ chopped Goo Goo Cluster ®.  (That’s what it says on the restaurants website).

Nods head.  Mom/dad says it tastes as good as it sounds… not that she will be tasting it anytime soon this year – snorts with piggy laughter.

 

Travels in the South

If happiness had to be explained in a picture – well there you go.  This is one of mom’s all time favorite desserts.  I know – I know.  Has there ever been a dessert that mom has turned her back to?  Of course not.  But this one she said is exceptional.

Right now the current thing for deserts are those molten lava cakes.  This is one of those with a twist.  The inside of this cake is filled with caramel.  Then the topping is ice cream.  All of the dusting around the plate and on top – that would be salted caramel.  Go ahead.  I’ll give you a moment to ooh and aaw.

Mom says it’s very sweet but when you need something straight up with some extra special kick, go for this treat… the salted caramel lava cake.

 

Travels in the South

Sometimes you just need a little comfort food.  You know something warm to your belly and tasty… don’t forget tasty.  A couple of weeks ago, mom was craving some comfort food just like this.  So her and daddy went to a local pub that has what mom calls the *best* grilled cheese sandwich evah.  Why do you ask is it the best?  This is what it has on it:  American cheese, cheddar cheese and pimento cheese… and mom added gulps bacon to it with a side of crispy french fries.  Hey I can overlook the bacon when it brings a smile to mom’s face like this lunch did.  Have you ever had something so cheesy and good?

 

Travels in the South

Can you look at that picture and say yummo!?  Mom recently got a coupon – the woman is Queen of coupons here at the Hotel Thompson.  This coupon was buy one 12 piece shrimp and get one for free.  Now mom/dad have gotten these shrimp at a local ‘bar’ restaurant before and they have been awesome.  They usually get them medium extra crispy with a side of blue cheese.  But the restaurant has recently changed their sauces.  The usual sauce esd a light colored less saucy kind of yum.  These were more wet and you could smell the heat before you even bit one. In fact, dad was the one that brought up the smell of the new sauce before mom did.  The restaurant did not tell us about the change in the sauce before we ordered.

These were H.O.T.  Mom/dad ate them but way prefer their old sauce more.  Why do restaurants do this and change a good thing?  They hope this restaurant brings it back or gives the patrons a choice in the future.  But hey, free buffalo shrimp you still can pass up, right?

 

Travels in the South

Sometimes you want food that just screams comfort to you.  My mom’s comfort food when she is feeling really bad – are you ready for this – is a Happy Meal from McDonald’s.  Can you believe that?  She has been recuperating from her surgery, some days are good and some days are testing her ability not to scream.  Well one of her friends brought her a hamburger Happy Meal ordered with extra happy for her one day.  Wasn’t that awesome?  I’m not sure if it was the Happy Meal or the extra happy that made mom’s day but it did.

Mom had to take this picture of everything.  That is a hamburger, two bags of cut up apples (I guess that was the extra happy, you think?) a small fries, a drink and of course a girl toy.  And yes, please check out the size of that fries in relationship to the hamburger.  Do you think they could be any smaller?  Snorts and rolls with piggy laughter.

 

Travels in the South

Can you say buffet fun?  Mom/dad went out with some friends to a local hamburger joint called Krystal’s.  Look it up to see if you have one in the area.  Kind of like White Castle but better… we think.  A group of four went out to eat and got all of this food and four drinks for $15.00 – not bad huh?  We call that cheap eats here.  They have miniature square hamburgers that are awesome hot off of the grill.  Their chicken wings are also awesome – they have a little heat though and will give you a kick.  Have you tried any of these?

 

Travels in the South

What is this gooey yummy awesomeness you ask?  Can you guess?  Mom/dad found one of their favorites at a local restaurant they sometimes frequent.   I believe dad said the menu called them Mac and Cheese Bites. Dad was really digging them cause they were really cheesy – like him. Snorts and rolls with piggy laughter. I just had to go there. Mom said they were okay and that she liked her Mac and cheese the old fashioned way. Have you ever had a creation like this?