I'm Dreaming of a Big Chill Christmas

Maybe it was my talking about how I should have been a 1950s housewife or actually watching two episodes of I Love Lucy yesterday that prompted my dream last night. Are you ready for this? I actually dreamt of appliances.

Last night I dreamt that I found (yes, found!) this amazing pair of 1950s style refrigerators. One was mint and the other was a pretty pastel blue. They were just sitting there, all alone in some tall beach grass. Then, out of nowhere, a woman came out and congratulated me on finding them. She then told me that since I had found them, I could pick one and keep it. OMG! A new fridge!!! And I WON IT (I never win anything)! I chose the blue one, but I woke up before I was able to get it home. I was bummed about that.

I had never actually seen this type of refrigerator in a store. In fact, the only place I've seen it was in a People Magazine article where it was listed as one of Miranda Lambert's favorite things (it's slide number 5 and hers is pink). I had to know more about them.

I woke up this morning and have been sitting here reading about these wondrous creations and just pinning amazing kitchens designed around Big Chill appliances. I think I'm in love.

Big Chill appliances were founded in 2001 in Boulder, Colorado by Thom Vernon and his nephew, Orion Creamer. Thom wanted something for his vintage beach house: "a retro design with modern functionality".

These energy efficient refrigerators boast a steel body with chrome trim, and are available in over 200 custom colors. (actually, the whole thing is customizable) Oh...and they come in mini size which means you can keep one in your office or give your kid the coolest fridge in the dorms. Then I found that they do more than just refrigerators - ranges, microwaves, hoods, and  dishwashers - which means that I can have a full Big Chill kitchen in my new house! Omg YES!!!

So naturally, I started pinning away. Check out what I found. Almost immediately, I found my new dream kitchen. Here it is:

THIS IS THE COLOR FROM MY DREAM!!!

I absolutely love this shade of blue with the dark cabinets

Even without the pop of color, Big Chill still makes for an amazing looking kitchen

Here is the other color I dreamt about!

The possibilities are endless

These appliances are a designer's dream and my new obsession so of course I had to share it. Now I'm off to revise my letter to Santa ;)

When in Rome...

I've been on a roll with trying new recipes lately, and while I was checking out BlueStar's All Star Chefs, I came across Michael Symon's Butter Fried Chicken. Literally, everything about this recipe sounded amazing: Butter. Fried. Chicken. There's just not much more to say.

Growing up I had been to Florida so many times (always Disney or Miami). But despite the fact that Florida is south, I never actually considered it to be "the south". However, Florida seems to be the only state where the farther north you are, the deeper you are in the south. We are currently about an hour or so away from Georgia, so yeah. We are in the south.

Anyway, one of the foods I see everywhere down here, aside from barbecue, is fried chicken. As a new southerner, I feel that it is my duty to learn how to make fried chicken. I'm also buttering up my husband with delicious meals. He needs to see how much we need a jewel tone BlueStar range. Although today I'm really feeling this sapphire stove. I may have to leave the final decision up to my designer because it's going to be a tough decision. Both the topaz and the sapphire will look AMAZING!

Bluestar Jewel Tone Range in Sapphire

Bluestar Jewel Tone Range in Topaz

Seriously - I'm feeling like this may be the most difficult decision that I will have to make in our new house. My husband is team sapphire. It looks like our designer will have to have the final say.

And without further ado, onto the fried chicken!

Tools:

• 12 inch skillet
• Skillet splatter screen
• Large serving platter layered with paper towels 
• Tongs
• Measuring cups
• Batter bowls 
• Cooling rack

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature (I used salted because that's what I had)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 chicken cut into 8 pieces (I bought packages of thighs and legs, both on the bone with skin)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Wings sauce)
• 3 garlic cloves peeled and mashed (I grabbed a heaping Tbsp of minced garlic from a jar)
• 1 small bundle of fresh thyme (I used dried thyme instead of fresh)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ground cracker crumbs (I used Ritz - the buttery cracker adds better flavor than a saltine)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Canola oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whip together (I used a rubber spatula for this) butter and maple syrup. Season with some salt (to taste). Place in a piping bag and set aside. **I don't have a piping bag. I put this in a large ziplock bag and cut off one corner when I was ready**

   

   Butter and syrup in a ziplock bag. Just cut off the tip when you're ready to pipe it under the skin

2. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
   
3. Lay out the chicken pieces and loosen (but do not remove) the skin. Pipe the compound butter under the skin of the chicken. Then press the skin back down slightly. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the buttermilk marinade. Let marinate in the fridge for at least two hours. **I am such a bonehead and totally forgot about this step. Mine only marinated for about an hour and I left it out on the counter so that I could skip step 4**
   
4. Remove chicken from the fridge and let sit for about 30 minutes to take the chill off. In the meantime, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (I don't have a cast iron skillet. I used a regular non-stick skillet instead and it worked just fine).
5. Mix together the flour, cracker crumbs and paprika. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge in the flour. Be sure to shake off excess flour mixture. Then dip again into the buttermilk and again into the flour mixture to coat. ***After coating four thighs, I had to add more flour and crackers***
   
6. Add a good inch or two of oil to the skillet and heat to 360 degrees (I kept it on low-med heat) for a shallow pan fry. When all of the chicken has been coated, lay it in a single layer, skin side down and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove to a cooking rack to drain and then serve!
   

   

   I made the mistake of cooking the first batch on med-high heat which cooked the outside really fast but not the inside. I cooked the second batch on low-med heat and it came out perfect.

   
   

I'm not sure if this recipe constitutes as authentic southern fried chicken, but it was delicious nevertheless! The hot sauce was not overpowering and it added a really nice flavor! I served with mashed potatoes and broccoli slaw.

Enjoy!