Busy week! Happy Graduation Justin!!!

I spent the better part of the morning working on new dog clothes for my company Pure Country Pet Boutique, and the new photo contest for customers to vote on. We are getting ready for all of our kids to come visit for 9 days, PLUS This week is Graduation. Many of my daughters close friends are graduating. Also Justin, who lives with us and is like a son to us, is also graduating. We are throwing him a graduation party tonight. His 3 favorite foods are Spaghetti, Pizza and Fried Chicken. So I am making all 3. He also loves dessert pizza, so I am making that as well. We are very proud of him for finishing High School, so what better way to celebrate than with food? While this is not a gourmet post. I will share with you the recipe for fried chicken, and pizza, as well as post some pictures of the other food. I am specifically NOT making my gourmet spaghetti with homemade Bolognese sauce. He is 18 and wants typical boy food. So I am refraining from my usual palate pleasers and switching to kid pleasers for today's post. I do however make my pizza from scratch. I have yet to find a pizza I like better, and amazingly enough all the kids love it too. Here is the recipe for the dough:
Pizza Dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Cornmeal

Directions
I use my kitchenaid mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the warm water and yeast and sugar and stir to dissolve the yeast. Add the olive oil, flour, and salt. Mix with the dough hook until the dough comes together and climbs up the dough hook.

Remove the dough from the mixer and, on a floured surface, form into a smooth ball shape. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a clean towel. Place in a warm, draft free place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll to desired size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Sprinkle a pizza stone with the cornmeal and place dough on top of the stone. Cover with your favorite pizza toppings. I make my pizza sauce, but you can even use your favorite marinara. Mozzerella, pepperoni... whatever everyone likes.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes depending on how thick you made the crust.

For the fried chicken, I adapted this from Paula deen several years ago. I have watched her do several throwdowns and cooking competitions and she always wins. Nothing beats real southern homemade fried chicken.
Southern Fried Chicken

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• About 1 cup hot red pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• House seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
• Oil, for frying, I use canola oil, Paula uses Peanut oil.

Directions
In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange.

In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the house seasoning by sprinkling it on like you would salt. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture. A common way to coat the chicken in the south, is to put flour in a brown bag and shake the chicken in it.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot or use a deep fryer like I do. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

House Seasoning:
• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months

I also made cookie Pizzas and like I said... spaghetti.

Here are some of the kids digging in

Happy Graduation Justin! We are all so proud of you!!!

Tots thought she might get a bite