This & That Junk Drawer Wednesday!! Decorative Antique Blocks From Milk Cartons & Southern Fried Chicken Supper!!!

Create these decorative antique blocks from recycled milk cartons!

I love recycled crafts, and this is one of the best. These vintage-look antique blocks are gilded with aged, cracked varnish (craquelure) and glazed to highlight the cracks. This traditional technique has several variations. You can buy the craquelure finish in a kit, or make it yourself..

The folks at VintageImageCraft.com generously share images, tips and tutorials for creating vintage illustration crafts, such as these cool crackled blocks made from used milk cartons. These blocks would look great on the mantel year-round — just change them out according to the season

To receive detailed instructions with pictures for making these blocks than click on Vintage Crackled Blocks

Southern Fried Chicken:

Thanks Paula Deen for the best fried chicken I have ever made! It has a nice, savory flavor and a coating that has just the right amount of crispiness. Although it calls for what seems like a lot of hot pepper sauce, it isn't any spicier than Jack-In-the Box's Spicy Crispy Chicken--you can take it!! I'm not saying it tastes like KFC--only that you won't be doing business with them anymore.
Ingredients
2 lbs cut-up chicken
Sauce mixture
4 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot sauce (I use Louisiana Hot Sauce)
Seasoning blend
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Dredging mixture
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat peanut oil in a large deep pot to 350°F (do not fill more than half full--you don't want a hot-oil spill-over accident!).
For sauce mixture: in a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the water.
Add hot sauce and whisk together well.
Pour this mixture into a large plastic zip-top bag.
For seasoning mixture: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
For dredging mixture: In a another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Rinse and pat dry chicken pieces with a paper towel.
Cut breast pieces in half across ribs.
Sprinkle chicken generously on both sides with seasoning blend.
Drop a few chicken pieces of chicken into bag of sauce mixture and squish around to coat thoroughly.
One piece at a time, roll chicken in flour mixture and drop into hot oil.
Don't crowd chicken pieces--I cook about half the chicken at a time.
Fry chicken until brown and crisp.
Drain on paper toweling.
Dark meat will take about 14 minutes, white meat about 10 minutes.
Remember smaller pieces cook faster than the larger ones.
You can check for doneness by piercing to the bone in the thickest part with a fork.
If the juices run clear, it is done

Loaded Mashed Potatoes:

6 lbs idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup butter
1 head garlic, roasted
1 (12 ounce) carton sour cream
milk
1 (8 ounce) package sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 lbs bacon, julienned and browned
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Directions
In large stockpot, cook potatoes in enough salted water to cover until tender.
Drain and return to stockpot.
Add butter, garlic, and sourcream; beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add a little milk, if needed.
Stir in cheese, bacon, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Milk Gravy:

1/4 cup bacon grease
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk warm
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter
Heat bacon grease in a cast iron skillet. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbly about 1 minute. Add the warm milk slowly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and stir, until thickened, about 5 minutes, adding milk as necessary to control the thickness. Add butter until mixed in. Season the gravy with salt and pepper. Serve hot over biscuits.
This will have more flavor if you use 1-2 tablespoons of oil from the oil you fried the chicken in. If you don't have that, no need to worry, you can use vegetable oil or vegetable shortening.

Buttermilk Biscuits:

Ingredients:
3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the shortening with a fork until it looks like cornmeal. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until well mixed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly two or three times. Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch cutter.
Place the biscuits in a greased iron skillet. Gently press down top of biscuits. Brush the biscuits with half the melted butter. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the hot biscuits with the remaining butter.

This & That Junk Drawer Wednesday-Paper Cones, Chalkboard Paint Tutorial & Yummy Recipes!!

HOMEMADE CHALKBOARD PAINT:

Did you know that you can make your own custom color chalkboard paint? I tried it out and not only is it inexpensive and easy, it actually works!
All you need is paint in the color of your choice. Flat is preferable, but I used satin and it turned out great. You also need unsanded tile grout.
Mix 1 cup paint with 2 T. of the grout in a small container. Be sure to mix it thoroughly.
Apply paint to the prepared surface with a roller or sponge brush. Let dry between coats!
Do at least 2 coats to be certain of full and even coverage.
When dry, smooth with 150-grit sandpaper.
To condition rub side of chalk over the whole area and then wipe with a barely damp cloth.
Hints for using the chalk...
Try using sidewalk chalk.
Wrap the end of chalk in a wet paper towel-wait a minute-unwrap.
Use wet chalk it glides.
Wipe area with a wet towel to erase!

ULTIMATE COFFEE CAKE:

Ingredients
16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen:
Now you know any recipe from Paula Dean isn't a healthy one, but my gosh they taste so good....So make & try a little of both recipes...Tomorrow I will give you some healthy recipes!!!!!

PAPER CONES:

In Victorian times, paper cones like these were filled with fruits and nuts. Made from patterned and textured paper, these modern versions are trimmed with rickrack and vintage silver tassels, and hung with ribbons and beaded wire. Brimming with sweets, the cones make wonderful little gifts or party favors.

SUPPLIES
Decorative paper; wire; silver beads; wired tinsel; rickrack or other trim; compass; scissors or utility knife, craft glue; ribbon; beads; 1/8-inch hole punch; needle and thread.
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut paper into a 3-, 4-, or 5-inch square; place face down on a flat surface.
Place compass point at one corner of the square; extend its arm to an adjacent corner. Drag the pencil across the square to form an arc; cut along arc with scissors or a utility knife. The result will be fan-shaped (below, center).
Overlap the straight sides of the paper and attach them with a thin coat of craft glue. Use a paper clip to hold the seam together while the glue dries (below, right).
Decorate the top with wired tinsel, silver rickrack, or other trim. Cut a length of trim long enough to fit around the top of the cone; glue it onto the inside or outside of rim, beginning at the seam. If using rickrack, position it halfway inside the rim so it has a scalloped effect from the outside.
To fasten a bead at the point of the cone, pull a threaded needle (with thread knotted at end) through the bead and the hole in the bottom of the cone until the bead is positioned snugly at the point. Pull string taut inside the cone, tape string to inside wall, and trim.
To attach a handle, punch holes with a 1/8-inch hole punch in opposite sides of the cone, approximately 3/8 inch from rim. String ribbon or beaded wire through holes. Secure ribbon ends with knots; curl wire ends!

GORILLA BREAD:

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen: