Ready for Summer?

The holidays are over. Winter doldrums will soon turn into cabin fever: but it doesn’t have to be so depressing.

Serve up some easy oven baked fried chicken picnic-style in your living room. Turn up the thermostat a few degrees and spread a quilt on the floor. Rent last summer's blockbuster movie. And don't forget to bake a batch of brownies!

Summer won’t feel so far away… at least for a couple of hours.

OVEN BAKED SUMMER FRIED CHICKEN

One 3 pound chicken, skin on, cut up

1 cup milk

1 cup biscuit mix

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

olive oil or butter flavor cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients in a one gallon size plastic baggie. Shake well. Pour milk into a medium bowl. One piece at a time, dip chicken in milk then coat with flour mix by shaking each piece individually in the baggie. Place each coated chicken piece in a shallow baking pan in a single layer.

Lightly spray the top of the coated chicken pieces with oil or butter spray. Bake 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear. Internal temperature of the chicken pieces should be 170 degrees F. Serves four.