IT'S CHICKEN WEEK!
BAAAWWWWKKK!

Well, hello again. To add a little atmosphere this week, click on any of the chickens while you're reading. I am dedicatin' this week's recipes to the memory of Taft, my Granny's old rooster. Taft and I were arch barnyard rivals. It was my job as a child to feed the chickens and gather the eggs from the hen house. Taft didn't like the idea I guess and protested by nearly peckin' my skin off every chance he got. Once, when I was feedin' the flock, he snuck up on me and grabbed the end of my long blonde braid and we commenced to dancin' the funky chicken all over that yard. I was screamin' and tryin' to shake him loose when my Granny came a runnin'! I was thinkin' "Thank God! Granny to the rescue!" She carefully pulled the chicken from my hair, cussin' and cooin' almost in the same breath. I was about to cry and make her feel sorry for me and maybe get some cookies out of the deal when she said, "You didn't hurt my Rooster did you?" I was so mad! The day she cooked up that old chicken, I had second helpings! So, raise yer forks to Taft! Bon Appe'chicken!

FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen chicken drumsticks
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Vegetable oil

Marinate the chicken in the lemon juice and hot sauce overnight. In a brown paper bag, mix flour, salt and garlic powder. Heat a deep frying pan 3/4 of the way full of oil. Shake drumsticks in the bag of flour and add to hot oil. Make sure you take your time and don't try to cook too many pieces at once. Cook until lightly brown on both sides then cover the pan and cook until evenly deeper brown (about 7-10 minutes more). Drain on paper towels. Great taken cold to a picnic or served at room temperature.

CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken thighs
• 3 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 2 ribs celery (diced)
• 4 carrots (diced)
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cups green beans
• 1 tablespoon yellow (mild) curry
• 1 can of biscuit dough (canned works the BEST for dumplings, otherwise, canned biscuits ain't fit to eat!)

Boil chicken in the three quarts of water in a large pot until it starts to fall off the bone. Drain the chicken and reserve the stock. Clean and separate the chicken from the skin and bones and return the meat and stock to the large pot. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the biscuits, and cook (covered) until vegetables are tender. Pull each biscuit apart into two pieces and add the biscuit halves quickly, one at a time to the simmering soup. (Careful not to splash!) Cover the pot and let cook for ten minutes more. Serve it up with a nice crisp salad and watch 'em eat like hawgs!

CHICKEN POT PIE

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast meat (cubed)
• 1 cup each of chopped carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pie crust (frozen or homemade - below)

Mix soup with mustard and lemon juice. Add vegetables and chicken and mix well. Turn out into a pie crust in a deep dish pie pan and top with another crust. Pierce or slice the top and cook in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 40 minutes. (YUM)

HOMEMADE PIE CRUST

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix flour and salt in a large deep bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry mixer (I use a potato masher, works great!). Cut the shortening until the mixture forms itself into pea-sized balls. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the ice water 2 tablespoons at a time. Use more or less water depending on how well you measured :). Mix until you have a nice ball formed similar to silly putty. Roll out very thin on a well floured COLD surface. Fold one side in half and lift to pie pan. Unfold over pan and fit to pan bottom. Cut away excess and roll out the rest for the top. Make top as plain or fancy as you like.. but don't forget to put the fillin' in 'afore you put on the top! Butter or magarine can be substituted for the shortening.

Well, eat hardy. And when you are enjoying your chicken dishes, bite down extra hard for old Taft's sake! And if you're REALLY hungry, check out my previous weeks recipes Down Home, Hillbilly, and Veggie.