Mouth-watering fried chicken

Before I became pregnant this last time, I could count on one hand the number of times that I ate fried foods.  My usual meals consisted of things that were baked, boiled, or broiled--seldom fried.  That changed due to pregnancy cravings.  I wanted fried chicken and more fried chicken.  Now a couple months postpartum, I'm shocked to find that this craving has not totally subsided. It is certainly not part of a heart-healty diet, but when eaten in moderation (which I can do now that I'm not a slave to those cruel pregnancy cravings), it is something most enjoyable.

I like to soak my chicken overnight or for at least four to six hours in the fridge using a saltwater brine.  Not only does this add flavor but it makes the meat tender and juicy.  To make a saltwater brine, I add enough cold water to cover the chicken in a large bowl.  I then add saltwater to taste to the water. Finally, add the chicken to the water, cover, and refrigerate.

  Fried Chicken

(Note: After allowing the chicken to soak in the saltwater brine, discard the water and use a few papertowels to blot some of the excess water from the chicken.  Then follow the recipe below.)
What you'll need:
A whole chicken cut up
1 cup of milk
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Vegetable oil
How to do it:

1.) Take two bowls and in one put the milk and the egg and mix.

2.) In the other bowl place the dry ingredients then mix well.

3.) Coat each piece of chicken first with the flour mixture.

4.) Then coat each piece with the milk batter.

5.) Next, coat with the flour mix again.

6.) Heat vegetable oil in a skillet on medium heat or in a deep fryer. You'll need enough oil to cover the chicken if you use a skillet.  I highly prefer a good cast iron skillet because it heats and cooks evenly.  Carefully place each piece of chicken in the oil.  The trick is to make sure that the oil is hot before adding the chicken.  (You can sprinkle a dab of flour in the oil and if it starts sizzling--the oil is ready).  Now carefully place each piece of chicken in the hot oil.

7.)  Cook until chicken is golden and cooked through.  (Any juices in the chicken should be clear). Once done, I like to place the cooked pieces on a tray covered by a paper bag. This maintains the crispiness of the chicken and absorbs excess oil.  Here is the finished product, sans the paper bag:

I use a poultry seasoning that contains rosemary and I love catching a bite of that flavor in the finished product.  As always, feel free to experiment and tailor to your taste. There are tons of recipes out there for fried chicken and I'll never claim mine is the best, but it sure is delicious and worth a try

How to say "no" without guilt

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Can I borrow...? Would you ...? Could you just...? We've all been there. Being asked to do something that we either cannot or simply do not wish to do. We've been called upon by our mate, children, parents, friends, relatives, boss, neighbors, the list goes on and on. The problem is that as much as we would like to, we just can't seem to say no, at least not without feeling bad or guilty behind it. Of course, we know that being a "yes" man is not good, so why do we keep saying "yes" when we really mean "no"?

Poisonous flowers in the flower pot

Yesterday I wrote about buying some pretty flowers to decorate my patio.  Unfortunately, I found out that the foxglove (digitalis purpurea) that I bought is highly toxic on ingestion.  Of course I'm not interested in eating the flower, but I can't say the same about small children--which I have. 

I know next to nothing about flowers/plants I just get what looks pretty.  I'm aware now that I really have to be more careful in choosing flowers and plants because some can be beautiful, but dangerous. I got my plants at Lowe's garden center.  Since no employee came to offer help, we started looking around and picking what we liked. 

I only wanted a few flowers that would look pretty in the colorful pots that I have and that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds.  The foxglove looked so tall and stately with attractive pink flowers.  Even my three year old stated "that's bootiful mommy."  I didn't even know the name of the plant initially, because it was missing the little stake thing that has info on the type of plant and how to care for it.  I was in line and a guy behind me was admiring the plant and asked what type it was.  I quickly looked on the container and told him it was called foxglove. 

While the cashier gave detailed instructions on how to care for the plant (since the info was missing from the plant), but never once mentioned how dangerous it can be if a child was to ingest it, and I had my children with me.  Anyway it was too late to pot it when I got home last night so I started this morning, even having my three year old to help as I had promised.  She was very excited to try out her new kid gardening gloves.   

We had already transferred it to a pretty planter, when I noticed the store container had a small sticker on it with the species name: digitalis purpurea. Being a nurse, I immediately recognized digitalis as a drug used to treat congestive heart failure.  That seemed like to much of a coincidence so I quickly looked it up on the Internet. 

Surely enough, the cardiac medicine is derived from foxglove plant, primarily from the leaves.  I found out that even the water that collects after you water the plant can be fatal to a small child, should they drink it.  In fact, it takes ingestion of only a small flower to kill a child. 

Needless to say this little beauty will be going back in exchange for a safer alternative.  There is a need for caution if you have pets as well.  I checked ASPCA.com and found that this flower is toxic to both dogs and cats (and horses if you have them).

There are other toxic flowers and plants that may be in your home or yard.  I was surprised to find that the beautifully frangranced lily of the valley can be toxic if consumed , along with the common spring flower the daffodil.  There are certainly others so please do some research or ask a gardening expert before bringing plants home.  I'm glad I found out about the foxglove before a child got to it. 

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Blueberry pancakes!!!

I started craving blueberry pancakes a few months ago, when i was around eight months pregnant.  Interestingly enough, this craving did not go away after I gave birth.  After doing some shopping Saturday, I had a strong craving for them again...at 9:30 p.m.  No worries, hubby was on board with the idea.  Except I did not want the pancacke mix from the box, I wanted made-from-scratch pancakes. 

I came across a classic recipe on Allrecipes.com from the makers of Silk almond milk.  It so happens that I had silk almond milk in the fridge because I use it to make fruit smoothies, and the recipe looked simple enough. I added vanilla extract and blueberries to the original recipe but the results were soooo delicious.  They were so light and fluffy with just the right hint of sweetness.  Before I knew it, I was eating them as soon as I took them out of the pan, without syrup.  Here's how to make them at home. You've been warned:

Blueberry Pancakes
 (Adapted from classic pancakes recipe by Silk on Allrecipes.com)

Yields 8 to 10 pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup of all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of Silk pure almond Original or Vanilla (almond milk)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used the frozen organic kind)

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, oil, vanilla extract, and egg. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, then add blueberries and stir just to moisten - a few lumps here and there are fine. Cook pancakes on a griddle or in a skillet over medium heat.

These pancakes are so easy and delicious that you will wonder why they even sell boxed pancake mix.  I very lightly dusted my cakes with powdered sugar. So very yummy.

Sabotaging Friendships: 10 Traits that Can Ruin Relationships

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We all have some annoying or negative personality trait, perhaps several. It is simply a side effect of being imperfect. This is not always a bad thing; sometimes it is just a small blip on the radar that is easily overshadowed by our more attractive qualities. Truthfully, though, it is not getting any easier to have and maintain close friendships. According to Wikipedia, the number and quality of friendships for the average American has been declining since around 1985, and a 2006 study showed that 25% of Americans have no close confidants at all. Sure we can rationalize, "I've tried to make friends but I just can't seem to connect with anyone," but sometimes the problem lies with us. There are some characteristics that in large doses can be harmful or even fatal to our relationships. What types of negative traits you ask? Read on.

If you could go back in time...

I had a moment where I started thinking about how great it would be if I could go back in time to any era I so choose.  Which era would I want to experience, or re-experience, as the case may be?  I'm solidly sure I would go back to the 80's.

I was a young kid during that era so I didn't fully understand all the trends and pop culture of the time. I mean think back to the fashions of the 80's: big hair, shoulder pads, Jheri curl, neon clothing, denim jackets, leather pants, and leg warmers. 

The release of the very first computer (although I think it was the size of a compact car) came during the 80's. The first gaming systems were introduced.  Do the names Pac-man and Donkey Kong ring a bell?

Don't forget about the birth of MTV and of course Michael Jackson owned the 80's; but there was also George Michael, The B-52's, Cyndi Lauper, and Prince.  Hip-hop was still young but there were several hip-hop artists during the 80's, including LL Cool J, Run D.M.C, and EPMD.

You could blare your favorite hits from a boom box on your shoulder or listen on a Walkman.  You would probably even start pop locking or break dancing. Remember TV shows from the 80's? The A-Team, MacGyver, Saved by the Bell, and Miami Vice were all popular at the time. 

If you were a kid like I was during this period a lot of this stuff is over our heads. Candy from the 80's--now that would be our area of expertise.  Remember eating Runts? What about Big League Chew, Pop Rocks, and Nerds?  Yes, I would hands down pick the 80's to go back in time to.  I would love to go back...but only if I can take my smartphone and an iPad.

Breastfeeding Mamas

As a breastfeeding mom I was excited to come across the Nuk reusable nursing pads by Gerber again.  I am very familiar with these because I used them during the time that I breastfed my first child.  What I like most about these pads is that they are so easy to clean.  The packaging says to hand wash and lay flat to dry but I toss them in the washer with my baby's clothes on delicate cycle and dry them in the dryer without a problem.


There are six pads in a box and they have a cotton inner layer which makes them very absorbent.  A pro and a con at the same time is that they don't have the sticky strips like the disposable nursing pads, but on the other hand, this means that at times the pads may shift in your bra.  I've found that a snug bra (not too tight or your milk supply may decrease!) helps to combat this. 


Because your breastfeeding experience can go on for many months or even years, these pads are easy on the wallet, saving you the cost and trouble of repeatedly buying those disposable pads, but also easy on the environment because there is nothing to throw away. Wonderful!

What I love for my teeth

Right now I am loving Crest 3D White Vivid.  The product claims it whitens and "can remove up to 80% of surface stains in 14 days." I've been using it for about six months or more and I really do see a difference.  A while back, I went with a less expensive toothpaste, figuring that I was paying somewhere around $5 and some change for a tube of the Crest White. Well, let's just say that I did notice a change and not in a good way.  To be fair, other toothpaste will likely do the same job of cleaning the teeth and mouth, leaving it minty fresh.  However, I personally see that my teeth are a bit whiter when i use the Crest 3D White.  So I guess the ante for the Crest 3D White is a reasonable for what I get. 


The Crest white does not contain any harsh or dental office strength whiteneners, so don't expect your teeth to necessarily change to supermodel white. But it does subtly lift some of the staining or discoloration. The box does state that "Crest 3D White will provide you with a whiter smile-guaranteed." It goes on to say that if you are not satisfied with the results, that they will refund your purchase within 60 days of purchase. 


So you might want to try it.  Sixty days is more than enough time for you to evaluate if their claim is true in your case.  Of course, if you try it...we want to know!

Cradle Cap Nightmare

Sadly, I've been fighting cradle cap for the last three weeks or so.  My baby has it in the worst way and I've scoured the internet looking for a way to treat it and some suggestions were outright scary (adult anti-dandruff shampoo on a newborn? Yikes!). I've repeatedly shampooed his hair and I tried first using baby oil, then an organic oil blend that had olive, sunflower, and a few other oils blended.  I even tried Vaseline and Aquaphor, but nothing seemed to work and I think the itching was driving my baby mad. Worse than that, no matter how much I washed his hair, it seemed to have a bad smell.


Well yesterday I think I've finally started to win the battle! Here's what I did:  I generously applied a petroleum based hair moisturizer that I had been using on myself and my daughter's scalp.  It is non-medicinal and the jar states that it is formulated to relieve itchy scalp.  It has lots of oils: coconut, mineral, sesame seed, and soybean, along with some other hair nutrients.  Once I applied it I let it sit on his scalp for about five minutes to soften the scalp.


I then took a fine tooth baby comb and gently scraped his scalp. I started getting (gulp) HUGE flakes to loosen from his scalp.  I then gave him a thorough shampooing, combing the hair both with and against the grain, to remove flakes.  He didn't like it, but was I elated.  For the first time in weeks, no flakes!!! I was happy to have that sweet scented baby hair back as well. The cradle cap has not come back and I'm hoping it's gone for good.

Update: It's been almost a month or so since I tried this remedy.  I'm happy to say that it worked!  I had a very brief recurrence of some fine flakes on the scalp, right at the front of his head, on and near the soft spot.  I did not have to do more than a good shampoo, using the fine tooth comb on that particular spot and it was gone.  Best of all--no more smells and itching (Yes!!).

What I love for my hair

Ok I  have two very young children, so I confess, it is very difficult for me to devote time to doing my hair.  For the last few days or so I've been doing the wash and air dry thing.  I love the ease and the look. My hair dries to a curly, fluffy style which looks great on me and is easy to maintain.  The only concern I have is preventing tangled hair.  I was actually looking for a product to make detangling and combing easier when I comb my daughter's hair.  I came across a new product in the Just for Me! kid's line called hairmilk straightening mist.


I have been using this on both my hair and my daughter's hair.  It can be used on wet or dry hair, but I generally use it after washing.  It makes it so much easier to comb through the hair without tangles and breakage.  I absolutely love this product and the best part is that it costs less than $5! Score.

What I love for my skin

I have sensitive skin that tends to be very dry.  I gave up on soaps a long time ago after having a few bad experiences. My skin care routine for years has consisted of me using plain warm water to clean my face, followed by either a lotion, ointment, or cream of some sort. Sometimes I would use a cleanser for sensitive skin, but those did not seem to work for me.  I just didn't like how my face felt afterwards.


 I now have something to be excited about that works very well for me.  I recently started using Cetaphil's Gentle Cleansing Bar to not only clean my face, but for my body as well.  it has a light clean smell and the best part is that it leaves no residue on my skin after a shower.  My skin has been feeling so soft and smooth since I switched.  I decided to add the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion to the mix.  I have been very impressed by the results!  Since I've started using the soap and lotion on my face I can definitely see a difference. Gone are the dry, flaky patches and my skin really does have a pretty glow now. Awesomeness!


Best of all it is so mild that I use it on my newborn (being careful to avoid his eyes) and on my toddler, both of whom have extremely sensitive skin (and yes I've tried Aveeno baby products with so-so results on my three year old and horrible results on my baby) . I've seen geat results with Cetaphil on both kiddies so I'm definitely sold.


Cetaphil is a bit on the pricy side costing roughly $10 for the 3-pack of soap bars and in the same ballpark for the lotion, but to me it's worth the cost.   You can likely find it at stores like Target, Walmart, or any drugstore.