Grandma's Fried Chicken

by designs 11 Replies latest social family

• 

  designs

  One of my favorite memories growing up was to visit my maternal grandmother in San Bernardino California and have Sunday Fried Chicken dinners. I can still remember the smells of her peppery chicken frying in the kitchen and sitting down on their enclosed patio to a meal of mashed potatoes, peas and that best of all her fried chicken.

  My grandmother was a special person, loving and generous, one of the early Bible Students in California. Before my time her home was known for helping the poor during the Great Depression.

  I don't remember the recipe for her delicious chicken, maybe my mother knew and tried to copy it. My grandmother would start off with fresh live chickens which everyone can't get these days.

  Anyone have special memories from childhood and special dinners shared.
• 

  LisaRose

  My mom made a mean fried chicken as well, she was from Texas, they lived on gravy and chicken, yum. I have found that organic chicken tastes better and is more like what chicken tasted like when I was a child. They pump chicken full of antibiotics and things, it makes them grow faster, but they have sacrificed flavor, as well as created a huge problem with the environment.

  If you live where they have a Trader Joe's, the organic chicken is fairly reasonable. There is nothing like real fried chicken, but I make an oven fried version that is pretty good, and a lot easier. I use the skinless thighs, coat them in seasoned flour, then egg, then Panko bread crumbs. I put it into an oiled iron skillet, spray the tops with veggie oil spray, then bake at 375 for about 35-45 minutes, flipping over halfway through. My husband loves this.
• 

  designs

  Thanks for the recipe. My uncle on my father's side raised chikens on his ranch in Moses Lake Washington. When we visited my job was to collect eggs in the morning for breakfast. It was there that I saw my first chicken being chopped and dressed. I was fascinated by the eggs inside at different stages of development.
• 

  James Brown

  My Great Aunt for a treat would make me kidneys, onions, gravy and French Bread and butter when I was a youth.
• 

  insearchoftruth4

  Oh yeah the memories! "fried chicken" mash potatoes and peas, umm.. yeah. in those days in LA, it seemed like every body had big yards with all kinds

  of fruit trees, pomagrante, orange, figs, avacado, lemon, everything grew. My dad had live chickens and turkeys but I couldn't handle the way he slaughted

  them. I tried to steal some chickens one time until a big turkey chased me and bit me in the ass so hard, i was running scared and crying. Some of the best

  times being a kid when my whole world was new..
• 

  designs

  lol great stories.

  Our yard was like that also. My dad bought some fruit trees, ones that Luther Burbank had patented, and planted them in the back yard. Peaches, Apricots and a Plumcot hybrid. My mom made the best Apricot pies from our tree.
• 

  LoisLane looking for Superman

  My Grandma who lived a mile away didn't cook us fried chicken. She had an apricot tree. Lucious tree ripened apricots. She also grew boysenberries. Umm Warm Boysenberry pie with vanilla ice cream. That was something we would stop at The Clock Restaurant on the way to Palm Springs, to eat.

  We had a lemon tree. Bill Scott if you are out there, thank you for picking the lemons at the top of our tree for us. Mom, or me used to always make fresh Lemon Merinigue pie. One time when I was a child of about 6, I had brand new leather shoes on. I was helping to carry plates with fresh lemon merinigue pie to the dining table, and I tripped, and the slice of pie went right on top of my new shoe. Everyone said that was my piece, lol so since they were brand new shoes, I ate some of my piece of pie off of my new shoe and then my mom cleaned my shoe, so my shoes wern't wrecked.

  I went on a picnic with a Brother named Ron. I was to bring the food, as he was busy working on his office. I remember I brought fried chicken and a lemon merinigue pie I had made. When it came time to have a slice of pie, I had forgotten to bring a knife, so we used one of his tools, a hack saw to cut the pie. lol I wonder where you are now Ron, and if you ever think of all the laughter, that day.

  I haven't made fried chicken, in ages.

  Designs, did you ever go to Knott's Berry Farm for their fried chicken dinners? I went with a group decades ago, after a brother with the first name of Rob, gave his first public 1 hour talk. The food was delicious then. I was there a few years ago, and it was a disappointment.

  Did anyone from Los Angeles ever go to Dinah's Restaurant, I think on Sepulvada in Culver City? They were famous for their fried chicken dinners.

  LoisLane
• 

  designs

  LL- Knott's Berry Farm was a favorite spot, especially for the pies. My wife worked at Knott's serving chicken dinners to work her way through college. She was still working there when we started dating.

  Do you remember the amphitheater in Buena Park close to Knott's where we had Circuit Assemblies.
• 

  LoisLane looking for Superman

  Designs... No. Only " theocratically " went to Anaheim to Anaheim's Angel Stadium for "special" talks... which were talks designed to tell those in Southern California, to give, give, give, to the wonderful world of Watch Tower .

  How neat that your beloved worked at KBF. I was totally unprepared when I went back 3 years ago to see how HUGE it had become. And Disneyland is like a city in size. Fun, fun, fun though.

  What years are you talking about the theatre in Buena Park???

  If it is the same theatre I am thinking about, I went there decades ago and saw Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Righteous Brothers perform there.

  LL
• 

  Iown Mylife

  We used to go to Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland fairly often - my cousins lived in Buena Park. Now my aunt lives with my mom in Van Nuys, off Sepulveda. My mom has been there since 1956 in the same house. Several repairs from earthquake damage. She's scared to sleep in the bedroom now. She has made a dorm in the living room by the front door.

  The folks directly across the street used to have an awesome apricot tree, they would let us get a lot of fruit at the ripened stage. They also had a barn behind their house and kept a Shetland pony and he pulled a little cart.

  It's a Spanish-style house and one time the show Martial Law filmed a scene there and used my mom's front door and front yard - so exciting!

  We used to go to Trader Vic's restaurant when i was small - there was a treasure chest all the kids could go up and get a prize - but I don't remember where it was located. Somewhere in the LA area. In Van Nuys we used to go to Coffee Dan's a lot. Also a Penney's, i remember the wood floors. My mom didn't know how to drive and she would walk with my brother and me all over town. There were sidewalks everywhere.

  There's a website called Museum of San Fernando Valley - very interesting!

  Well i just wanted to talk Californee with you'ns, LOL!

  Marina