Orange Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) growing on the banks of Placer Creek, near Wallace, Idaho. Did you know there are 180 species of honeysuckle? And that 100 of them occur in China? Lonicera ciliosa is one of about 20 species that are native to North America. Oh, Wikipedia. Thank you for making me seem smarter than I really am.
I notice that the focus on this picture is a little off. I got a new camera for this trip and I am still learning how to use it.
Wait. Are you ungrateful bastards getting bored with the Idaho vay cay posts? Listen, you get what you get. You feel me? I'll kick your ungrateful asses, swear to God.
Kidding. Please don't hurt me. I'm very weak.
I'll finish up the vacation posts over the next few days, mostly because I want a record of what we did for later. You know. When I have The Alzheimer's.
Huge worry of mine, by the way. Grandmother. Mother. Which one of us siblings will win that lottery?
I'm having a hard time getting started this morning. I need to go see my parents, I need to give Rosie a bath, I need to blah blah blah it's endless. I'm just not feeling the motivation.
Maybe I am in the early stages of Alzheimer's!!!!
Yesterday I was a small duststorm of activity. It was Josh's birthday (55!), and since I hadn't bought him a birthday present I decided to do a bunch of stuff around the house that I had been ignoring AND make him fried chicken for dinner. Over the course of 30 years of marriage, Josh has occasionally hinted that he really likes! fried! chicken!
I have never made fried chicken in my life. Here are my excuses:
- I'm not from the South, and my mom never made it. It's not in my genes.
- It never appealed to me because I've only ever had it at KFC and it's gross.
- Oven fry it! It's just as good! (WRONG.)
- I thought you needed some sort of specialized equipment to deep-fry chicken.
- I thought you needed a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices that were known only to the Colonel.
My friend Betsy encouraged me to be brave and FRY BABY FRY.
It turns out, all you need is chicken, oil, buttermilk, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and a big-ass pot, preferably cast iron. Oh yeah, and a candy thermometer. I had the pot and most of the ingredients. Everything else was easily obtained.
Holy Mary Mother of God THAT FRIED CHICKEN WAS GOOD.
A little messy, yes. But worth it.
Josh fell upon that fried chicken with extravagant joy. I also made Thai cabbage salad, rolls, and baked beans. True confession: The rolls were Pillsbury. Come on, I'm no domestic goddess.
Oh, and I made brownie pudding for dessert but we were too full to eat it what with all the fried chicken. Have you ever had brownie pudding, served over vanilla ice cream? It's the easiest thing in the world to make and it is crazy good. It's one of Josh's childhood favorites. Just google it and you will find some recipes. It also freezes well. It's in my freezer now for an emergency chocolate situation.
What do I do with the leftover oil, though? Right now it's sitting on my stove in the big-ass cast iron pot. Can I use it again? If so, how many times? Like, if I wanted to fry up a few more batches of chicken can I just keep on using the same oil? Do I pour it down my sink when I'm done? Or do I sneak into my neighbor's backyard and pour it out there?
Gotta go over and check on my parents now and see if Mom has allowed the aide to turn on the a/c. It's only gonna be 100 degrees, and she might not think that's hot enough for air conditioning.
I am totally impressed with all the frying and cooking and baking stuff, Mary. I, too, LOVE fried chicken, yet never have made it--mostly for all the reasons you listed.
I guess you could get tested for the Alzheimer's--for the gene? Of course, that might involve a painful spinal tap or something. I read somewhere that changes begin in the brain decades before the symptoms appear outwardly. I wonder if taking medication to improve cognition early on would make a difference? So, the meds seem only to address symptoms but not the disease itself.
It's all so confusing . . . and depressing to think about.
I'd rather think about fried chicken.
I hope Rose gets to go to the beach with the family.
Wish Josh a happy birthday for me!
Posted by: Anne | July 21, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Hooray !!! I am so glad I was able to convince you. Put the oil in a coffee can after straining it and it can be used again. Also, I am so proud of you ! Is the family beach vacation coming up? I hope that there are really good stories and some strife. I hope Rosie can come too.
Happy Birthday Josh !!! You are so lucky to have a wife that cares enough to fry things for you.
Please do not expect anything else because that is gift enough.
Posted by: the bee | July 21, 2011 at 11:39 AM
I have the same problem with fried chicken, it is not good for you so there's that, but the mess of making it, the fine mist of oil all over everything and the splatter on the stove and the dripping of the batter or whatever, eesh! But it does taste good. I have never had brownie pudding and will have to check that out.
If my Dr asked me if I wanted to be tested for The Alzheimer's , I really don't know what I would do/say. I have the double whammy in my genes, so it doesn't look good for me. I keep hoping I take more after my Dad's side where it started much later and really could have been old age dementia. If I take more after my Mom's , I'm in big trouble. So, I'd rather think about fried chicken too, and now I am hungry.
Posted by: Pam L | July 21, 2011 at 12:13 PM
Yummy, fried chicken! I haven't made that in forever. We don't keep our oil, I put it in a can, stick in the fridge till it hardens-then toss it. I love your vacation posts, Idaho is very pretty.
Posted by: Maureen | July 21, 2011 at 02:32 PM
Southerner here...Sure, you can keep the oil. I would strain it and refrigerate it IF I were going to keep it. But in the olden days (1920s-70s...ha ha) they didn't always refrigerate it and still kept it.
But...it's 2011 and I wouldn't bother. It's not very good for you plus it's kinda gross. Personally, I would buy fresh if I were going to cook it again. But good job on the fried chicken! I can't believe I wrote all that about oil. Feel free to ignore my oil advice! ;)
Vacation looks great!
Posted by: maddy | July 21, 2011 at 04:22 PM
Josh is a lucky guy.
Posted by: blackbird | July 21, 2011 at 04:31 PM
I'm not a fried chicken fan, but yours sounds good. I've only had KFC(gross) and not your delicious homemade stuff. NO oil down the sink!! I wouldn't keep it for long--it will get rancid. I would follow the Bee's advice. It's what I've done when cooking with oil. I'm more of a beignet person than chicken though. :)
Posted by: Margaret | July 21, 2011 at 07:16 PM
It seems to me that only really accomplished or smart people get alzheimers. So I'm not worried in the least--about myself, that is--but you may have cause.
Dang! homemade fried chicken--And it was 95 degrees in the shade yesterday--that's what I call true luv.
Posted by: Stokesia | July 21, 2011 at 07:41 PM
You can use the oil again, but yes it will go rancid. NO oil down the drains unless you want to call a plumber. You should be able to recycle the oil.Most recycling centers have a drop off site. Even in Alabama.
Posted by: tammy | July 21, 2011 at 09:44 PM
Fried chicken is my "red light food". A friend who does WWatchers told me once that foods you could not resist were called that.
As a teen, I worked at the "Maryland Fried Chicken" joint at Crescent Beach and the owner said we could eat all we want for free, because we would get sick of fried chicken pretty quick.
Little did he know.
Yes, use the oil over. My guidelines say, do NOT store it in the fridge.
I keep the peanut oil (Gawd, tell me you used peanut oil and not some healthy canola goo) bottle and just funnel it back in after it cools and the sediment settles out.
Happy Birthday to Josh!
What a great present.
I must go and Google brownie pudding now.
Posted by: FC | July 21, 2011 at 10:03 PM
Dude. You turned on the oven? Oh, wait, I've been to Maryland. You have air conditioning.
Posted by: Dusty | July 22, 2011 at 11:09 AM
I haven't had fried chicken in years. When I was very young (in the 1950s), my parents would make it, and all of us kids (four of us) would eat only the crust. We thought that was enough. I don't know how my parents put up with us.
Your Idaho posts are GREAT.
Happy birthday to Josh.
Posted by: robin andrea | July 23, 2011 at 10:43 AM
Salamba sirsasana is the yoga antidote for Alzheimer's. I stand on my head for 10 minutes a day.
You are a good wife, Mary!
Posted by: bonnie | July 25, 2011 at 11:46 PM
Fried Chicken?
Beats Steak and a Blow Job for his birthday any old day.
(that's what she said)
Posted by: MsCellania | July 26, 2011 at 06:56 PM