Chicken Fried Steak & Dulce de Leche Rice Pudding

Its been chilly in these parts lately. But bright and sunny! The Bandits have loved playing in the leaves, laughing as the leaves crunch under their feet. Natalie loves shaking the bushes and making the leaves fall down. Madeline loves collecting acorns and throwing them at her sister. Natalie retaliates by bum rushing Madeline with her one arm out flailing while she tries to remain out of Madeline's reach. All this is done in silence. Not one word or squeak. As in matter of fact you wouldn't know it was happening if you didn't actually see it. Being the great mother that I am I laugh...well in sounds more like a cough-laugh-snort because I am trying to suppress it. Fall means harvest time. The girls have a love/hate relationship with the combine the farmer uses. They stand there intrigued and scared at the same time while watching the once tall corn become corn stubble. Now I have to look at a barren wasteland for 6 months. Yay. So here I type, dreaming of the day when I will go back to my roots...back to the south as old man winter creeps nearer to us. I would love to kick old man winter in the nads.

Chicken Fried Steak by Momma Cupcake

• 5 lbs of your preferred steak
• 6 cups of buttermilk
• 6 cups of flour
• 1 tbs of coarse black pepper
• 1 tbs of paprika
• 1 tbs of dried, minced onion
• Shortening or Oil for deep frying

1. Pound steak with meat tenderizer until the meat fibers are broken down. 
2. Cut steak into serving sizes. 
3. Soak steak for an hour in buttermilk bath. 
4. Heat oil to 300 in your skillet. 
5. Mix flour, black pepper, paprika, dried onion in a pie dish. 
6. Dip steak still wet with buttermilk into flour mixutre. 
7. Dip steak back into buttermilk and coat with flour again.
8. Fry until golden brown.

Cream Gravy by Momma Cupcake

• 4 tbs of flour
• 2 cups milk 
• 1 tbs of black pepper
• 1 tbs of paprika
• 1 tsp salt

1. Mix a small amount of milk with the flour until blended. 
2. Stir in remaining milk and heat constantly stirring until it thickens. 
3. Stir in pepper, paprika and salt. 
4. Serve over chicken fried steak.

Easy Peasy Rice Pudding by Momma Cupcake

4 cups uncooked rice
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla

1. Cook rice and let completely cool. 
2. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. 
3. Add sugar and vanilla while mixing. 
4. Beat until stiff peaks form. 
5. Fold in cooled rice.

Even Easier Dulce de Leche by Momma Cupcake

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1. Take label off of the can. 
2. Submerge the can in water in your slow cooker. 
3. Cook for 8 hours on low. 
4. Top Rice pudding with dulce de leche sauce.
5. Top with coarse sea salt.