Cranberry & Sausage Stuffing {CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE}

CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

Welcome to the all NEW and IMPROVED
CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE
November Challenge - STUFFING

This is my one, my only, my favorite stuffing of all time (I can't wait for my after Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner to make another batch of this). I am only bummed that Stove Top removed their Cranberry Stuffing from the shelves, but it's still just as good otherwise.

This will be the last month of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE, we hope you have enjoyed it and can join in (it may be too late to make stuffing for today, but you never know, some people are crazy cooks like me and can whip a recipe up in no time at all.) But, for those of you who read about the challenge last month and are prepared to share your STUFFING with us today, we are SO excited to see what you made.

I am also super excited for my Thanksgiving dinner this year, I will be making a Thanksgiving Dinner on the Sunday after, at my house (YUM!). On Thanksgiving day, I will be the wanderer going around from house to house to visit family and friends, while my husband and step-son visit his mom in Oregon and my little guy is on a cruise with his Papa and G'ma. Thanksgiving in our house is always interesting, remember last year my son and I went to Oregon without my husband (and we made these CUTE Thanksgiving suckers), so this year he is going there with out me. Our schedules NEVER match up, I guess it's just the way it goes.

Have you started making your Thanksgiving Menu? I know I have. I have all my recipes picked out and I am beginning the shopping to make sure I get all the necessary things for this delicious meal.

Thanksgiving Dinner (for the Sunday after)

Cheesy Baked Artichoke Dip

Deviled Eggs with Bacon & Cheese

Mozzarella Sticks

Upside Down Turkey

Sinful Bread

White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes

Sausage Stuffing

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce from Pioneer Woman

Mexican Corn on the Cob (new recipe)

Wedge Salad with Comeback Sauce

Apple Cake

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin Marshmallow, White Chocolate Chip Cookies (new recipe)

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButton-1.jpg " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

For those of you who have already participated, you know how this is done, check out the NEW & IMPROVED information here. You can read all the details and get all the codes for you to link up, join in and get this great linky party added to your CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE post.

Last month we made Apple Pies , but today it's all about Thanksgiving Stuffing.

Cranberry & Sausage Stuffing
from Food Network Magazine (a long time ago)

1 lb sausage roll (we like Jimmy Dean)
1/2 cup butter
6 celery stalks, finely diced
1 medium onions, finely diced
1 (12 oz) package stuffing (any Stove Top)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp salt
1 to 1-1/2 cans chicken broth (original recipe calls for 2 cans, but I think it's too wet)

Preheat oven to 325. In a large skillet,, crumble and cook sausage until browned. Remove from pan, and in the same skillet melt butter. Saute' celery and onions until softened, about 5 minutes. In large bowl, combine celery, onions, sausage, stuffing, cranberries and salt. Add the broth and stir until well combined. Place into a casserole dish and cover. Bake at 325 for about 1 hour.



Everyone who wishes to join in on this challenge, all you need to do is add the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON (grab the code above) and make sure your STUFFING includes the BLOG HOP Linky Party (code is below the linky party, click on BLOG HOP CODE) or you wont be able to link up. We hope you join us in this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE....

Just an FYI - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is always on the 7th of every month and will post at MIDNIGHT, Linky Party opens at 7am.

the Crazy Cooking Challenge will be ending with this post here (November 2012)

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If you want to participate please see instructions on the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE tab and then to add the Linky Party to your post and join in this Blog Hop please grab the code by clicking on GET THE CODE HERE (below). If you are on word press that code will not work and you will need this code.

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ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE {Apple Pie}

My weekend was JAM PACKED, I held a 3-day garage sale and raised $1,050 dollars for my son's Washington DC and New York City field trip, and today I am leaving on a plane to Missouri but not before I announce the winner of the APPLE PIE challenge. It's time for that CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE ultimate recipe. The Apple Pies were kind'of all over the place from apple bars, to apple pie cookies and then the traditional apple pies, which is what we were looking for. But, in all fairness, I wanted to promote the apple recipe that received the MOST hits.

I am LOVING the NEW CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE and it's simple rules, the easy link up and all all the information being delivered in one post (on the 7th of every month), no more pouring through 100+ emails every week. Yes, I really think I am gonna LOVE LOVE the new CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE, I hope we can get some more followers and bloggers who want to join in with us, because it truly is alot of fun. You can click on the tab and read all about the challenge and join us next month as we search for the ULTIMATE Stuffing (dressing) Recipe.

Today, I am excited to announce the winner of the challenge, voted on by you the readers and bloggers. If you missed the post or if you are new here make sure you go back and check them out...  APPLE PIE RECIPES !

The Ultimate Recipe is chosen from the blog that received the most traffic/most clicks from the linky party. Did you know that our little challenge received almost 18,000 hits in one week. You guys are AMAZING!

Now, let's announce the October WINNER of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE.

The Ultimate APPLE PIE Recipe

Sarah's Kitchen

Apple Pie Bars

We'd like to thank you for sharing your recipe with the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You deserve a big round of applause and you are entitled to the ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON, please feel free to grab it below if you wish and post it proudly on your blog.

A BIG THANK YOU to all of the bloggers who participated.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButtonVotedUltimateRecipe-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />

Grandma's Apple Crisp Pie {CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE}

Welcome to the all NEW and IMPROVED - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE
October Challenge - APPLE PIE

We are in our second month of our second year of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE, you can read all about it and join in next month (it may be too late to make an Apple Pie for today, but you never know, some people are crazy cooks like me and can whip one out in no time at all.) But, for those of you who read about the challenge last month and are prepared to share your Apple Pie with us today, we are SO excited to see what you made.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButton-1.jpg " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

For those of you who have already participated this past year, you know how this is done, check out the NEW & IMPROVED information here. If you are new here come on over and check out how to jump on board this wild and crazy, CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You can read all the details and get all the codes for you to link up, join in and get this great linky party added to your CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE post.

Last month we made Ranch Dressing and next month we will be doing Stuffing Recipes (like Turkey Stuffing or some call it Dressing), ya know that stuff we all have on Thanksgiving day. But today it's all about apples and Apple Pie.

So, after another great day of fresh Apple Picking with a couple of friends (actually one of them are my twins girl friends, but since their away at college, I just steal their friends and call them my own). Nikki, Kristina and I had an awesome day picking apples, raspberries and then came home to bake all day.

Everyone who wishes to join in on this challenge, all you need to do is add the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON (grab the code above) and make sure your Apple Pie includes the BLOG HOP Linky Party (code is below the linky party, click on BLOG HOP CODE) or you wont be able to link up. We hope you join us in this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE....

Just an FYI - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is always on the 7th of every month and will post at MIDNIGHT. Here is a SNEAK PEAK for the next couple of months, so everyone can think ahead and be prepared for the themes.

November 7, 2012 - STUFFING Recipes (dressing)
December 7, 2012 - PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE
January 7, 2013 - FRENCH TOAST

I have been practicing all week with Apple Pies (the first one we made was this Dutch Apple Pie, it was SO GOOD I am not sure I can top it, but it was for the SRC and is already posted on my blog), so I keep trying to come up with an even bigger and better Apple Pie recipe. With one failed attempt, my husband suggested I call his mom (ya, don't ya love that). It's okay, I actually don't mind, she is a great cook and is more like a grandmother to me then my mother-in-law.

I called my mother-in-law and said her son said she made apple pie all the time when he was little and could I have her recipe. She had no idea what he was talking about (funny!). She is almost 80 years old but her memory is perfect and my husband is 51 years old, so between the both of them, who knows, she did say that she use to make apple crisp all the time. She found the recipe and now I've got it. YEAH for me, another family recipe passed down. The challenge though was for Apple Pie, so my brain went to work and the creation began, apple crisp turned into a beautiful Apple Crisp Pie.

Apple Crisp Pie
adapted by me, given to me by my mother-in-law Charlotte

Pastry Crust (from the Dutch Apple Pie)
1-1/4 cups plain flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp butter, chilled and diced
5 tbsp ice water
1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp sugar (mix together)

Apple Pie Filling & Crumb Topping
4 cups sliced apples
1/4 cup hot water (or fresh apple cider)
1/2 cup butter (extra butter for bottom of crust)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar

vanilla ice cream
caramel syrup, drizzle

For the crust, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold diced butter over the dry ingredients, mix with a pantry knife, working the butter into the mixture, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add in 5 tbsp water (more if needed) using the pastry knife or a fork incorporate it until the dough will hold together, without being too sticky. Flatten the dough into a round disk, and sandwich in between two pieces of wax paper, roll out into the desired shape (round) that will fit into your baking pie dish. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Transfer the dough to the round pie dish and press into the base and over the top of the edges of the dish. Trim the edges to extend 1/2 an inch over the lip of the dish. Mix together the 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of sugar and then sprinkle on pie crust. Place the dish into the freezer for 30 minutes until very firm and cold. Place the oven rack on the lower middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the apple slices into the cinnamon pie crust. Pour water (or apple cider) over the apples.  Cream together with a pastry knife the butter, flour and sugar to form crumbs.

Bake in a hot oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, then raise oven to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until top is brown and apples begin to crisp. Serve with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup.

To add the Linky Party to your post and join in this Blog Hop please grab the code by clicking on GET THE CODE HERE (below). If you are on word press that code will not work and you will need this code.

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ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE WINNER {RANCH DRESSING}

I am excited about the continuation of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE, the new simple rules, the easy link up and excited about all the information being delivered in one post (on the 7th of every month), no more pouring through 100+ emails every week. Yes, I really think I am gonna LOVE LOVE the new CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You can click on the tab and read all about the challenge and join us next month as we search for the ULTIMATE Apple Pie.

The Ranch Dressing Challenge was a good way to re-start this challenge and with the short notice I am so happy that a handful of you went out of your way to join in on the FUN! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I learned some great new ways to make Ranch Dressing and I am excited to try them, of course I PINNED my favorites.

I am excited today to announce the winner of the challenge, voted on by you the readers and bloggers. If you missed the post or if you are new here make sure you go back and check them out... we have 21 DELICIOUS Ranch Dressing / Dip Recipes from the challenge last week!

The Ultimate Recipe is chosen from the blog that received the most traffic/most clicks from the linky party. Did you know that our little LAST MINUTE challenge received almost 10,000 hits in one week. You guys are AMAZING!

Now, let's announce the September WINNER of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE.

The Ultimate RANCH DRESSING Recipe

Zig Zagging Thru Life

Healthy Ranch Dressing

We'd like to thank you for sharing your recipe with the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You deserve a big round of applause and you are entitled to the ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON, please feel free to grab it below if you wish and post it proudly on your blog.

A BIG THANK YOU to all of the bloggers who participated.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButtonVotedUltimateRecipe-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />

Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing/Dip {CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE #13}

Welcome to the all NEW and IMPROVED - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

Each month for the past year we have had a group of awesome people blog together, the same themed item (main dish or dessert) at the same time. We would posted and link together at this awesome linky party and no one wanted to see this linky party end (including me). So, we are going to continue the tradition for another year and let the linky party be open to ALL who want to join. I have streamlined many of the rules, no more signing up, no emails for me to send out and no more making sure you email me your URL to link you up. It's taken us a few months to get where we are today, but I hope everyone will join and play along. Please help us in searching out for the ULTIMATE theme recipe, I will still be show casing the most popular recipe one week after the linky party goes live.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButton-1.jpg " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

For those of you who have already participated this past year, you know how this is done, check out the NEW & IMPROVED information here. If you are new here come on over and check out how to jump on board this wild and crazy, CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You can read all the details and get all the codes for you to link up, join in and get this great linky party added to your CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE post.

For the first month we will all be making RANCH DRESSING (OR RANCH DIP). Everyone who wishes to join in, all you did to do is add the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON (grab the code above) and make sure your Ranch Dip includes the BLOG HOP Linky Party (code is below the linky party, click on BLOG HOP CODE). We hope you join us in this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE....

Just an FYI - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is always on the 7th of every month and will post at MIDNIGHT. Here is a SNEAK PEAK for the next couple of months, so everyone can think ahead and be prepared for the themes.

September 7, 2012 - RANCH DRESSING /RANCH DIP
October 7, 2012 - APPLE PIE
November 7, 2012 - STUFFING Recipes
December 7, 2012 - PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE

This is our FAVORITE homemade ranch dressing, to date. And we've made alot of ranch dressings. We use Ranch dressing or dip with just about everything you can imagine (and some you might not want to imagine). It's one of those things we put Ranch on top of our Ranch. What would the world be without Ranch Dip? What on earth would I dip my pizza in? And my daughter dip her french fries in and my son his chicken nuggets? The list just goes on and on. Life is just BETTER with Ranch!

Homemade Ranch Dressing/Dip
found over at Smells Like Home, originally came from The Gourmet Cookbook, 2004

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
small bunch of chives, roughly chopped
small handful of parsley
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients with 1/4 cup of buttermilk in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency and blend in additional buttermilk if desired. Less buttermilk for dipping or pizza dipping sauce or more buttermilk for salad dressing. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

I made a great presentation at my daughters' graduation party with this dip and a vegetable tray. This idea of course was found on Pinterest and came from Eddie Ross. I filled mine a little too much, but all in all it still worked out great, especially for a large party when you begin to run out of nice glass bowls or you just want a very cool presentation for the veggie tray. This bowl was a cinch to clean up too (it all just went straight to the garage after a 12 hour party).

NEW & IMPROVED Crazy Cooking Challenge

The CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is a monthly themed linky party, that we all make the SAME type of recipe and we all post on the SAME day each month (which will be the 7th of every month). We are now in our second year of this theme recipe challenge (see all of the past months at the bottom of this post). And now we are back and on the look out for the next ULTIMATE RECIPE.

I know it's only a couple of days away, but I thought a post here on my blog would be the fastest way to inform all of the past participants, we are posting on the 7th of September, the ULTIMATE Ranch Dressing/Ranch Dip.

All of the new rules are under the tab CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE, but I've also listed them below too. It's pretty simple and easy to join in.

Welcome to the all NEW and IMPROVED

CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

This linky party is a little different then most. This CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGES all of us to go out and find the ULTIMATE recipe for one particular type of food item. Then each month on the 7th of every month, we all post together and display our ULTIMATE recipe we found or created, the linky party is attached to every one's post for all of blogland to enjoy and to help us VOTE on the ULTIMATE RECIPE.

I can't wait to continue on this tradition of posting together once a month, and plus welcome many more bloggers to join us for this CRAZY & FUN once a month challenge. I have streamlined all of the rules, no more signing up, no emails for me to send out and no more making sure you email me your URL to link you up. It's taken us a few months to get where we are today, but I hope everyone will join and play along at this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. Please help us in searching out for the ULTIMATE recipe.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButton-1.jpg " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

For those of you who have already participated this past year, you know how this is done, check out the NEW & IMPROVED information here. If you are new here then here is the low down.

• Each month there is a THEME food item. You can create a new recipe, find a recipe in a cookbook, or find it anywhere in blog land (we aren't picky just stick with the theme, if you don't stick with the theme your recipe will be deleted). Then on the 7th of the month, we will all post together the ULTIMATE recipe that we came up with (you can NOT link up an old recipe, it must be posted LIVE on the 7th).  There is a particular theme item each month and below you can see what's coming up, so you have plenty of time to seek out the best recipe.

• There are TWO things that MUST be included in your post (or you will be removed from the linky party). This will make our linky party stronger and hits higher for all of our blogs. If you'd like to play along, please make sure these two things are included.

        1. You MUST include the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON (see code above)

          2. The BLOG HOP MUST also be included in your post. The blog hop code will be on my
              site at midnight (on the bottom of my post) on the 7th of every month.

• We hope this is easy and simple for everyone to come along and jump on board this wild and crazy cooking challenge, we welcome everyone to play along (please just make sure to include the above items) and you'll be all set to go.

If you have any questions you can email me at tina@ggelectric.net. We hope you join us in the AWESOME CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE.

Just an FYI - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is always on the 7th of every month and my post will be posted by 12:00 am on the 7th. You can post anytime that day and you will have 48 hours to link up your ULTIMATE recipe before the linky party closes. Here are the upcoming themes.

September 7, 2012 - RANCH DRESSING /RANCH DIP
October 7, 2012 - APPLE PIE
November 7, 2012 - STUFFING Recipes
December 7, 2012 - PERFECT SUGAR COOKIES

This Linky Party is in it's second year and below are all the great challenges we have accomplished so far. Check them out, it's a great resource for finding a whole bunch of recipes all in one place.

Challenge #1 - MACARONI & CHEESE

Challenge #2 - CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Challenge #3 - MASHED POTATOES

Challenge #4 - FUDGE

Challenge #5 - CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Challenge #6 - CHOCOLATE CAKE

Challenge #7 - SPAGHETTI with RED SAUCE

Challenge #8 - BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Challenge #9 - GRILL CHEESE SANDWICH

Challenge #10 - FRUIT SMOOTHIES
Challenge #11 - FRIED CHICKEN

Challenge #12 - CHEESECAKE

ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE {Cheesecake}

WOW, what a way to go out with a bang! The cheesecake recipes are all to-die-for and yes I wish I could have just one slice a day for the entire month. They all look so good, I of course PINNED my favorites, click on over to my CHEESECAKE pin board to see if your cheesecake made my favorite list. There are just too many to name. (And yes I have an entire board for cheesecake, call me crazy).

I am excited today to announce the winner of the cheesecake challenge, voted on by you the readers and bloggers. This was our final month of the ONE-YEAR challenge of baking, cooking and making the same recipe each month with lots of other bloggers. If you missed the post or if you are new here make sure you go back and check them out... we have 78 DELICIOUS Cheesecake Recipes from the challenge last week!

The Ultimate Recipe is chosen from the blog that received the most traffic/most clicks from the linky party. Did you know that our little challenge received over 37,000 hits in one week. You guys are AMAZING!

I am wrapping my brain around a NEW challenge, and I am taking ideas and suggestions, so please comment and let me know what you guys would like to see for next year's challenge, I have a few ideas, but the more the better.

Now, let's announce the August WINNER of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE.

The Ultimate CHEESECAKE Recipe

Peanut Butter Truffle Mousse Cheesecake

Sarah's Kitchen

We'd like to thank you for sharing your recipe with the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You deserve a big round of applause and you are entitled to the ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON, please feel free to grab it below if you wish and post it proudly on your blog.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButtonVotedUltimateRecipe-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /> </body>

Also a BIG THANK YOU to all the bloggers who participated in the challenge!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake {CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE}

...The FINAL...
CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

Cheesecake

I have only attempted to make cheesecake a few times so I was happy when this attempt came out PERFECT! I had seen this recipe on Pinterest and tucked it away for a baking day, that baking day came when I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies that came out a flat mess. (I've got pictures to prove it, next time I will listen to negative comments on a blog before I make a recipe). But, the cookies tasted SO good and I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, they were just flat and all broken to pieces and I knew I needed to make "Lemonade out of Lemons", ya know what I mean.

I wanted to make a really cool recipe for today and well this recipe is just that. It's super delicious and super cool and just perfect for a flop cookie recipe made into an AMAZING Cheesecake recipe. Enjoy!

We have completed our ONE YEAR of CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGES, this month completes my goal of a 12 month challenge and I couldn't be more proud. I started this CRAZY challenge one year ago on my blogs one year anniversary and it has been a HUGE success, I've met some amazing bloggers and one very special blogger that I even got to meet in person and I am sure we will be friends for many years to come. (Yes, that's YOU Nicole at The Daily Dish)

I know this FINAL month is going to be a real big treat with all the yummy cheesecake recipes. My second BLOG-anniversary is coming up and I will be taking on a different-challenge for the next year, so please Stay-Tuned as to what the will be.

I do want to say one BIG HUGE THANK YOU! to all of you, to all the new folks who just joined in, to all the bloggers who have been here for all tweleve months and to everyone else inbetween. All of your posts and recipes have been SO wonderful and now maybe this year's bucket list will be to try and re-make SO MANY of the great recipes I've came across on this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake
adapted by me Tina Hudgens
inspired by this recipe found on A Thought Chronicle originally from Cookbook and Recipe Cards

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 to 2 cups baked & crumbled chocolate chip cookies
1/4 cup chocolate chips cookies
1 pre-made Pie Crust

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Add in approximately 1 cup of chocolate chip cookie crumbles and mix by hand until just combined.

Pour cheesecake mixture into pie crust. Top with a sprinkle of chocolate chips and crumbled chocolate chip cookies.

Bake for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or over night.

ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE RECIPE - Fried Chicken

Oh, I wish, I wish, I wish that I could have tasted ALL of your fried chicken recipes. They all looked so delicious. Did you see all the Fried Chicken recipes, WOW? The different recipes are all amazing and the styles are endless.

I am excited today to announce the winner, voted on by you the readers and bloggers. This is our eleventh month of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE; and it just keeps getting better and better! If you missed the post or if you are new here make sure you go back and check them out... we have 56 AWESOME Fried Chicken Recipes from the challenge last week!

The Ultimate Recipe is chosen from the blog that received the most traffic/most clicks from the linky party. Did you know that our little challenge received over 32,000 hits in one week. You guys are AMAZING! That's so wonderful and many bloggers who participate say that their challenge recipes are their most popular posts. If you want more details about this challenge or joining this challenge for next month read all about it here. Next month we will be baking and blogging about the ULTIMATE CHEESECAKE. Please come join us!

Now, let's announce the July WINNER of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. This recipe won by a land-slide, WOW! WOW! WOW! I think I will be adding this to my menu very soon.
The winner is ..... A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE to.....

The Ultimate FRIED CHICKEN Recipe

Copycat KFC Original Recipe

Cook Lisa Cook

Thank you, Cook Lisa Cook for finding this recipe over at CopyKat. We'd like to thank you for sharing your recipe with the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You deserve a big round of applause and you are entitled to the ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON, please feel free to grab it below if you wish and post it proudly on your blog.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButtonVotedUltimateRecipe-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /> </body>

Also a BIG THANK YOU to the bloggers who participated in the challenge!

Pioneer Woman's Fried Chicken {CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE}

CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

Fried Chicken

WOW, WOW, and WOW again. I can not believe I have sucessfully made Fried Chicken. I have attempted a few times before, but this time, let me tell you. The BEST Fried Chicken EVER!!! And so easy and user/cook friendly, really anyone can do this. Believe me, my husband's favorite meal ever is Fried Chicken and I have always just bought a bucket from KFC, he is gonna be so happy now that I can make it fresh, like his mama does. :-)

One year for Valentine's Day, I made a huge delicious meal complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob, homemade coleslaw and YEP Fried Chicken (I purchased this from Kentucky Fried Chicken), no lie. I really went up to the fast food place and bought the chicken because I could not figure out how to make  GOOD Fried Chicken! Well, problem solved this is KFC good.

This month we are making FRIED CHICKEN. I started this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE almost a year ago and it's so exciting for a bunch of us bloggers to get together once a month and all make the SAME recipe. Just click on the tab CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE to see all the details and find out how you can join in for next month. Our theme for August will be Cheesecake.

The CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is alot of fun. It's nice to see all the variations and exciting to watch how many other bloggers out there make a similar or almost identical items.

I knew this month was gonna be so easy for me. I have been dieing to make Pioneer Woman's Fried Chicken. When I first started blogging I didn't even know who Pioneer Woman was and a dear sweet blogger named Leigh Anne of Your Homebased Mom had actually made PW Fried Chicken and blogged about it, this is where I first saw the recipe. Perfect! I got to make Pioneer Women's Fried Chicken and I still get to highlight an AWESOME blog Your Homebased Mom.

Leigh Ann is the talent behind this wonderful blog, Your Homebased Mom. And she is also a Facebook friend of mine (I love how we have FB friends, and you feel so close to them, even though you may of never even met)! I just LOVE LOVE watching all she does and what is coming up next in her kitchen. The next time I am in Portland visiting family, I have got to meet her in person. You see I found Leigh Anne by mutual friends, through our Creative Memories contacts. I knew who she was, but did not know her personally and well we have never actually met, YET (a few emails and postings on facebook every now and then)! Then, she hosted an awesome scrapbooking event in Portland and I have a niece in Portland, I hooked them up and well they got to scrapbook together. Lucky for them... but one day I will visit Portland again and I too hopefully will have the privilege of meeting Leigh Anne.

Leigh Anne is a stay at home mom and mother of four grown kids. I watched her all this past year as her youngest went away to college, and now this fall I will be sending my twins off the college. It's nice to see how other moms have done this and survived.

I have made a few other recipes shared by Your Homebased Mom. Here they are: EggNog Cranberry White Choclate Muffins, Shaved Parmesan Chicken & Lemon Creme, Fluffy French Toast, White Chocolate Mousse, Brown Sugar Brie, Buttercream Frosting and our all time favorite cupcake that we've probably made at least 100 times (no exaggeration) Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. So check her blog out, check out my other postings of these fabulous recipes and enjoy!

Again, thank you to Leigh Anne for introducing me to the world of blogging, it it wasn't for Your Homebased Mom and seeing, reading and loving every bit of it. I may not of ever have become a blogger myself! THANK YOU! 

Pioneer Women Fried Chicken
recipe found on Your Homebased Mom and adapted by me with a few small changes, but originally is from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond

2 cut-up fryer chickens (my family loves just legs, so I bought the big pack of just legs)
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp Lawry's seasoned salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme (we leave out the thyme & add in basil instead)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
canola or vegetable oil for frying

Rinse your chicken and in a large bowl add the chicken with 1 quart buttermilk. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to fry, remove chicken from bowl and let sit on counter for 30 minutes to take chill off. (I actually added the buttermilk to the chicken and then froze it until later when I was ready to make it, didn't hurt it a bit. Then I just let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight)

Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and cayenne in a very large bowl. In a small bowl combine the 1/4 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and use a fork to mix until still slightly lumpy. The lumps help the breading stick to the chicken.

Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat to 365F. Use a thermometer to monitor your heat. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with the breading, pressing to adhere the breading. Add the chicken to the oil 3-4 pieces at a time. Cover pan and fry 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure chicken isn’t getting too brown. Turn, cover and cook additional 3-5 minutes more. Monitor temperature of oil to make sure chicken doesn’t burn. Keep in mind chicken will finish cooking in oven. (I love this, then I don't have to worry about pink in the middle)

Place chicken on baking sheet and continue frying rest of chicken. When done, bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes, until chicken cooked through. You can cut into one of the thicker parts of one of the pieces to make sure it is thoroughly cooked.