Carnival Squash and Fried Chicken!

My dear, sweet husband gave me The Pioneer Woman Cooks for my birthday. : ) I was very excited. Of course, I read through it right away. The most intriguing recipe for me was the fried chicken. Oh, it looked so yummy and crispy and perfectly delicious. And I have never been able to make fried chicken. Ever. It always burns on the outside and doesn't cook on the inside, or the breading falls off in the oil, or something. So this recipe, which has you fry the chicken until it's nice and browned and then bake it in the oven to finish cooking it, looked very promising. I made it the other night for my husband (along with her buttermilk biscuits and some creamed corn) and it was so yummy! I was so very excited to finally be able to make fried chicken! It just seems like the quintessential homemaker meal. I feel like a real wife now. : )

I also made my carnival squash.


I decided to just butter and salt it and roast it in the oven. It was...interesting. It wasn't quite what I expected. Not terribly sweet. Anyway, it was fun to try either way.


The Pioneer Woman's Fried Chicken

2 cut-up fryer chickens
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups flour
3 tbs seasoned salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup of milk
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Rinse chicken and cover with the quart of buttermilk. Soak in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to fry, set on the counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour and seasonings in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine the 1/4 cup of buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and with a pastry cutter gradually mix until there are little lumps throughout. This will adhere to the chicken and make for a crispier breading. If necessary, add a little more flour or milk to make it slightly lumpy.
Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet over med-high heat until a thermometer reaches 365. Lower the heat slightly, if needed to keep the oil from getting hotter.
Thoroughly coat each piece of chicken with the breading, pressing extra breading onto the chicken if necessary.
Add the chicken to the oil three or four pieces at a time. Make sure they aren't sticking together, the cover the pan and fry for 5-7 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken isn't getting too brown.
Turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook 3-5 minutes more. All the while monitor the temperature of the oil to make sure the chicken doesn't burn.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake the chicken for 15 minutes to finish the cooking process. Make sure to check the chicken to see if it's cooked through.