RachelEllen, I know you didn't ask me, and Maria's description is wholly accurate, but there is an easier way to pluck chickens if one is plucking several at a time: Put a steel drum full of water on a brick platform and arrange a torch burner beneath it so the water comes to a rapid boil. Grab a (freshly killed) chicken by the feet with some loooong tongs and dip it in the boiling water for a few seconds, then fire up your plucking machine! There are different configurations for plucking machines, but ours was a motorized horizontal cylinder with soft rubber fingers protrubing from the drum. One holds one's scalded chicken by the feet above the spinning cylinder and it ever-so-gently pulls all the feathers off as it rotates quickly. It's the only really fun part of the process to be honest. More than ten chickens can be plucked this way in the time it takes to hand pluck one. As for slaughtering your own chickens, it can be done quickly and with dignity by just about anyone. Your best bet is to ask someone who has several (get a referral from the place that sells you your chicks) that need dispatching and ask to come help/learn.

I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com a long time ago. We really like them! The flour gives it a nice, crunchy texture, and the sauce is not as hot as it sounds. I use to fry them just plain, but since we've tried them with the flour, it's the only way I make them now. ½ cup flour ¼ tsp paprika ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ¼ tsp salt 10 chicken wings,separated (defrosted and dried, if frozen) Blue cheese dressing Celery sticks Sauce: ¼ cup butter ¼ cup Louisiana Hot Sauce ¼ tsp garlic powder Combine flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt in a bowl Put wings on a plate and sprinkle the flour mixture over them, coating each wing evenly on both sides. Refrigerate wings for 60 to 90 minutes. (This will help the breading stick to the wings when fried.) Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375°F. Combine butter, hot sauce, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat until butter is melted and the ingredients are well combined. Put all the wings into the hot oil and fry for 15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown. Remove wings to a paper towel to drain. Quickly put the wings into a large bowl. Add hot sauce and stir, coating all the wings evenly. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side. ********************************************* I just remembered this. My friend keeps mentioning these wings that I made way back in 1990, whenever I see her around. I had an assembly line of : 1) flour with paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper 2) beaten eggs with hot sauce 3) dried Italian breadcrumbs I coated the wings and deep fried them just long enough for the coating to adhere and not fall off. I then froze them in a single layer first, then put in baggie. Then whenever we wanted some, I just popped them in the oven frozen and they were nice and crispy and not overcooked. They were a lot of work but very good with that sort of breading.

I always make my wings in the oven, and they turn out great. I start with frozen, separated wing sections. Place in a 425 degree on a greased cookie sheet. Cook for 50-55 minutes or until very crispy and golden colored. Place a mixture of Franks hot sauce and butter over top of the wings and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until done. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing on the side.

Here are some you may like. STUFFED JALAPENO DIP 2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese 1 - 4 ounce can chopped green chilis (do not drain) 1 - 4 ounce can sliced jalapenos (do not drain) - double if you like heat 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided 1/4 cup butter, melted In a food processor mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Mexican cheese, green chilis, jalapenos and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Spread the dip into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Mix bread crumbs and the other 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour melted butter over the crumb mixture and mix well. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the dip and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. The top should be browned and the dip bubbling on the edges. Do not over heat or the mayonnaise will separate and a grease puddle will form in the middle of your dip. Serve with buttery crackers, French baguette or chips. Serves 8-10. PIZZA DIP (Foodgawker) 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated 1 cup pizza sauce 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced 2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate. Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and olives. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling and golden brown, about 20 minutes. You can use any pizza toppings you prefer. Serve on toasted garlic-rubbed baguettes. SWISS AND BACON DIP 8 slices center cut bacon, chopped 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard 2 rounded teaspoons horseradish (optional) 1 1/2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded 3 scallions, chopped 1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped Baby carrots and a selection of breads or crackers for dipping Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish (if using), Swiss cheese, and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Top with chopped smoked almonds. Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.