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July is a strange month, as it’s not only National Blueberry Month, but yesterday was National Blueberry Day. So, in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen today, we’re planning on celebrating them all at once. Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. You can snack on them without a care in the world. Blueberries are loaded with fiber, and rich in antioxidants. They help lower cholesterol which promotes heart health, can help reduce the risk of cancer, and may help to slow the aging process. How do you like to enjoy your blueberries? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know.

Best Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshl...

Fried chicken is one of America’s favorite meals, and it’s a staple in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. We know that fried foods aren’t good for us, especially if you have it on a regular basis. But, one day can’t hurt, right? There’s one thing you need to do celebrate: eat some fried chicken. Make some the night before, and take it to lunch. Warm it up for dinner, and balance it out with a tossed green salad. Now for your trivia: fried chicken was a sign of wealth when it first debuted. What’s your favorite seasoning for fried chicken? Let Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know!

Classic Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of different chicken pieces
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teas...

I hope you’re ready to enjoy the lovely weather this month, because here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we’re celebrating National Picnic Month. Find a great location, like a public park, a beach, or scenic byway with picnic tables. Don’t forget to plan a group activity like a card game, frisbee, or volleyball to keep everyone occupied. There’s countless foods you can prepare to enjoy in the warmth of the sun, such as sandwiches, salad, fried chicken, corn on the cob, and something cool to drink. And because there’s so many recipes, you can go on picnics pretty much every day! What are your picnic staples? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know.

Avocado and Ham Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 loaves of ficelle
• ¼ c. butter
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• .13 tsp. coarse black pepper
• ¾ lb...

We’re excited to eat waffles today at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen! Waffle Iron Day celebrates a great kitchen gadget that help you make a tasty meal that you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A waffle iron is powered by electricity to heat two metal plates that take the goopy batter you made earlier to create light, fluffy waffles with built-in syrup catchers. You can top them with your favorite fruits too. Waffles were discovered in the 1300s in Greece. They cooked flat cakes between two metal pans, topping them with cheeses and herbs, since pancake syrup wasn’t invented yet. What kind of toppings do you like on your waffles? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know!

The Best Belgian Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2...

On June 25, 1987, President Ronald Reagan began a presidential Proclamation 5672 with the words: “more and more Americans are discovering a uniquely American food delicacy — farm-raised catfish.” In doing research to learn more about catfish in general, I learned that 95% of the nation’s catfish comes from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. At Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we’re going to be enjoying this dish in different ways. A traditional preparation method is to coat it with cornmeal and fried, or blackened in a cast-iron skillet. How do you like your catfish? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know in the comments.

Oven-Fried Catfish

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds catfish fillets
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoo...

I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but National Peanut Butter Cookie Day was on the 12^th.  I just found out myself! So, we’re making up for it at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen by celebrating a few days late. Today is not the best day to have a nut allergy, but for those of us who can partake, we should do so with gusto. The biggest promoter of peanuts in the United States was George Washington Carver. He first published a book with over 100 recipes using peanuts in 1918. Today at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we’ll be celebrating the cookie version. How do you like your peanut butter cookies? Let your friends know in the comments below!

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ½ cups all-purpos...

On International Sushi Day, we’ll be eating sushi at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, if you couldn’t already tell. You could take the easy route, and go to a Japanese restaurant that serves all-you-can-eat sushi. But for the particularly brave… how about trying to make sushi at home? It sounds intimidating but the great thing about it is that you’re allowed to make mistakes. Professional sushi chefs deserve all the respect in the world for doing what they do. But when you’re at home, you don’t have to have that pressure on you. We’ve never made sushi at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, and today is as good a day as any to learn. How do you plan to enjoy sushi today?

Sushi at Home

Ingredients

• 6 sheets sushi seaweed / nori
• 1 batch prepared sushi rice
• ½ lb...

Who doesn’t love sweet corn on the cob? It originated in Mexico, and goes as far back as 9,000 BC. National Corn on the Cob Day is a reason to enjoy this tasty summertime treat. There’s so many ways that we’ve enjoyed it at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, such as the old standard of boiled in a hot pot of water with salt and pepper. We’ve tried it steamed, and grilled. If you didn’t know, sweet corn loses its sweetness quickly, so it’s important to cook them immediately once you buy them from the store or your local farmer’s market. What’s your favorite seasoning for corn on the cob? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know!

Boiled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

• 6-8 ears of corn, husks and silks removed and cut in half (if desired)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 stick of butter

Directions

1. Fill ...

World Oceans Day was first introduced in 1992 to raise awareness of the crucial role the sea plays as sources of food, oxygen, and medicine. No matter where you live, you can participate, and we will at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. There are tons of concerts, demonstrations, fossil hunting walks, and photo contests to show your support. Today – June 8^th –  was recognized by the United Nations in 2008. This year’s theme is encouraging solutions to plastic pollution, and preventing marine litter for a healthier ocean, and a better future. Kathey Jo’s Kitchen believes in sustainable seafood initiatives, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium has an invaluable resource called Seafood Watch. How will you support the day? Let us know!

Seared Scallops with Chorizo and Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 pound red-sk...

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day is a great day to eat America’s favorite flavor of ice cream. It’s a big for ice cream makers, and it’s part and parcel of the experience here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. We don’t need any additional incentive to eat it, nor will we entertain any argument against eating it. With the arrival of the summer weather, cooling off with ice cream is a natural, time-honored solution. How do you enjoy a day themed after a great dessert? Eat it, of course! How many times you should eat it is entirely up to you. Here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, the bare minimum will be three.

Easy No-Cook Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Whisk t...