Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

I decided to combine two of my most favorite foods and hit pay-dirt! Who doesn't love homemade macaroni and cheese? OK, my oldest son doesn't care for it, but still......you can't deny that most people can't pass up a dish of mac & cheese. There's a reason it's known as "comfort food". Then there's buffalo chicken. There hasn't been a single time when I've gone out to eat and ordered buffalo wings or tenders when I didn't end up only wanting more. They're tasty, do doubt! But not the most filling of dishes. For me, the union of these two treats was nothing less than a taste of heaven here on earth!

Directions:
First, you'll want to prepare your chicken tenders to fry up later.
Combine 1/2 cup flour with 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper and 1/4 tsp salt in a sm. bowl and mix well.
Cut 10 thawed chicken tender into 1 inch chunks and put in lg. bowl. Pour flour mixture over the chicken chunks and toss to coat. Place coated chicken in a single layer on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for about an hour. This will help the coating to stick to the chicken when frying.
Heat vegetable oil in skillet (just enough to cover the meat) to med-hi heat (375 degrees). Fry chicken for about 10 to 15 minutes, but don't overcook! Place chicken on paper towels to drain.

Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
16 oz. lg. elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
Pinch of black pepper
4 cups milk
4 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup pepper jack cheese (shredded)

Cook macaroni according to pkg. directions.
In a deep saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper then slowly add the milk stirring constantly.
Stir in the cheese until melted.
Drain macaroni and add to cheese sauce, gently stirring to coat.
Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan or dish.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Buffalo Sauce:
Combine 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot pepper sauce, dash of pepper and a dash of garlic powder in a saucepan and heat until butter is melted and everything is well blended. Add chicken to buffalo sauce and lightly toss to coat.
Pour buffalo chicken and sauce across the top of the mac & cheese and bake @ 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy!!

The Sweetest!!

My wonderful, beautiful, smart, talented daughter Aubree made this sign for me in wood shop class. What a lucky mom I am!

Grandma's Rice Pilaf

This is a recipe of my husband's beloved Grandma Kemp. I changed it, but just a little. No disrespect to Grandma, but her recipe calls for 1 lb. of butter. It's no secret that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE BUTTER!!!! But I found that a full pound in this recipe was a bit too much for this luvah of buttah! I cut it back from 1 lb. to 1/4 of a lb. The recipe calls for long grain rice, but I have been known to use brown rice (as shown in the picture) when I want it to have a bit more texture.This is supposedly a "side dish", but I'm a tellin YOU! This is delicious enough to be a meal all on it's own. Enjoy my friends!!

Ingredients:
1/4 lb as in 1/2 cup as in ONE stick of butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 cup fresh, sliced mushrooms
2 cups long grain uncooked rice
2 cups water
3 cans beef consomme

Melt butter in a heavy container. I like to use my dutch oven. Add chopped onion and cook until onions are clear. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 20 minutes. While this is simmering, you can preheat your oven to 350 degrees. After it has simmered for the 20 minutes, cover and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.

Maria's Famous Cookies

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Maria. She doesn't want to take credit for it because she didn't "invent" this recipe. That doesn't matter to me. She's the one who gave me the recipe and she will forever be the person I associate with this cookie. I used butter in place of shortening when I made these just to see if "real" butter would make a difference. It did, but not for the better. They were fine, but a little too close to the crispy side for me. If I'm going to have a home made cookie, then I expect it to be soft. Not crunchy like a cracker. Anyhow, that's just a matter of taste. If you want a more crispy cookie, then use the butter. If you want a cookie that is more like a dessert, then use shortening, at least in THIS recipe. One of the reasons this oatmeal cookie is a hit with me, is because it doesn't call for raisins. Another reason, it has coconut AND chocolate! For those who like raisins, you can add them, if you must!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. water
1 cup coconut
3 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Mix brown and white sugars with shortening. Add eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients together and add to mixture 1/2 cup at a time until well blended. Add chocolate chips and stir. Drop by teaspoon full and bake for 10-12 minutes. Store in airtight container.