Wisdom From Grandma

Over the years, this delicious fried chicken dish has been updated to be a bit healthier, but it still tastes wonderful. We rarely eat leftovers when we have this meal, since there is usually no chicken left.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of breadcrumbs or crushed cereal flakes
1/4 Cup of grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 Teaspoon of salt
1/4 Teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon of pepper
1/2 Cup of butter or milk
3 Pounds of chicken (Grandma killed, plucked, and cut up her own chicken, but we just buy a three pound pack of breasts, wings, or thighs from the store.)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Skin chicken.
3. Melt butter and dip chicken pieces in the butter. (Or coat them with milk.)
4. Dip chicken pieces in bread crumbs or crushed cereal flakes until they are thoroughly coated.
5. Grease a 12 x 8 baking pan.
6. Place chicken in the pan and bake for one hour.

Serves four hungry people or six dieters.

If Grandma was having guests over for dinner, she would whip up a wilted lettuce salad for her guests. This simple recipe is absolutely delicious when you use fresh lettuce or baby spinach right from the garden.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
Dash salt
1/2 Teaspoon of mustard
1 can of milk (Grandma used fresh cream)

Directions:

Blend your ingredients and toss lettuce or spinach leaves until they are thoroughly coated. Serve alone or add a few pear slices to each plate.

Grandma’s pickles are the perfect condimint for sunny side up eggs on toast. Top with a fat tomato slice fresh from the garden. For these pickles, I will even bring out the dreaded pressure cooker to seal the pickle jars. Grandma’s secret tip: Do not overcook your cucumber mixture or your pickles will be mushy.

Ingredients:
25 cucumbers
8 large onions
2 large green peppers
1/2 cup of salt
5 cups of vinager
5 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon tumeric
1/2 tablespoon celery seed

Directions:
1. Wash and slice cucumbers, onions, and peppers.
2. Mix the sliced vegetables with 1/2 cup of stand.
3. Let the mixture stand for 3 hours. (Grandma used an old fashioned pickle crock, but a bowl will do.
4. Combine remaining ingredients together and bring them to a boil over high heat.
5. Drain the cucumber mixture.
6. Add the cucumber mixture to the boiling vinager mixture. Make sure the vegetables get hot, but do not let the mixture keep boiling.
7. Pack your pickles in steralized jars and be sure to seal the jars.