Christmas 2012... The Food Edition!

So....

My sister Kentucky cooked for Thanksgiving, so that meant that it was my turn to cook for Christmas.

(I guess that is the routine now. Seems to be shaping up that way).

Kentucky wanted fried chicken.

O_o. Well, I'm not sure why she couldn't roll by Popeyes and get herself a two piece chicken snack. But that's what she wanted... that's what she gets!

So I broke out my trusty old skillet that I've had for the past 20 years...

You know... that GOOD skillet!

And I fried her up a whole mess of chicken!

Just for Kentucky.

(I have NO idea what to do with all that grease).

And I thought it was a good time to try out some local pasture-raised chicken that I'd been eyeing.

Let me tell you something: yard chicken is some expensive chicken. That right there in that aluminum pan is a good $15 worth of chicken.

Let me tell you something else. When it's not all shot up with hormones and antibiotics and such? And it's been running around in the barnyard eating grass and worms? It needs to be cooked differently. Ain't much fat on it. It is VERY lean. I dried it out. It tasted alright, very clean tasting, as to be expected.  All I know is that you just better place it in a oven bag or wrap it real tight with a whole roll of aluminum foil. Either that or baste the crap out of it!

Seeing how that is too much work and too much going on, I won't be fooling with yard chickens again. And that's good since I rarely even cook meat.

But it was good, all flavored with rosemary branches and burnt up carmelized onions and such.

Anyway, Kentucky was happy with her chicken. And she took most of it on home with her! She set for the week!

Here's a lovely pan of cornbread.

Kentucky didn't want that. She was digging the Parkerhouse rolls (not pictured).

I wanted some cornbread because I cooked a whole mess of vegetables.

I made some swiss chard!

And here's a very unclear picture of some sauteed squash/zuchinni, green beans and potatoes,
okra/corn/tomatoes, spinach and orzo...

Baked sweet potatoes, collard greens, carrots!

And of course, Kentucky's fried chicken...

Is this a clearer picture of my veggies? NO! 

Time for a new camera, I suppose.

All I know is that I have my veggies for the week. I am good til' the weekend, baby! And that was my purpose!

Kentucky had never had swiss chard or spinach and orzo before. She liked it much. So she was happy to try something new.

For dessert, there was apple cranberry pie, peach pie, sherbert and ice cream. Oh, and oatmeal raisin cookies and oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cookies.  We didn't eat any dessert. Well, Kentucky was digging the oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cookies. I had made a batch for Tayari, and left a few at home. (Uh yeah, hanging out with Tayari and her mama and nem on Christmas eve was an adventure. O_O. Stay tuned for that post tomorrow, lol).

I had a pretty quiet Christmas. Very quiet. I woke up and had my prayer and crochet time. That's always a good way to start the day. I was in and out of sleep for most of the day, and Kentucky came over around one o' clock. I don't think I spent more than an hour in the kitchen.  The longest thing was frying up that chicken! You know I can whip veggies together super fast!

We ate and watched television and talked. It was a really good time.

She and I both love that time together. NO DRAMA. None at all.  Very very calm. And that's how I like it.

She gave me some nice gifts: clothes, earrings and body scrub. My mother sent me a bunch of scarfs. (Yes, this Oldgirl loves head scarfs, man.)

I bought my sister some of the ritzy high class peppermint water she loves so much. And I bought her a slew of bath items, since she loves her bubble baths. She must get that from our mother. I bought mother a bunch of bath gear, too. I owe her a gas card. I'll give that to her the next time I see her. (It's been raining too hard the past few days and her favorite gas station is too far away).

And of course, I made her that fried chicken for Christmas! I think that was Kentucky's best gift, lol.

I talked to a bunch of people also. I even got a chance to have a good long convo with my brother Milk and Cookies. He should be coming through at some time. We might have to do some ol' bootleg madness like go pick him up at some military base some 2 hours away or something like that. And that's cool. We can do that! You know I'm all about the bootleg!

I had a great Christmas. I hope you had a good Christmas, too.