Rosemary Sage Roasted Chicken

May 242013

Lets just get this out in the open.

I love butter.

In fact I love it so much that I’ve taught my kids something that I consider to be very important. It goes like this…butter makes everything better.

Say it with me now, “Butter makes EVERYTHING better.”

Ok yes, now we can move on cause the recipe in this post is just simply delicious AND it contains a lot of butter.

Mmmmmm.

I have about darn near perfected the roasted chicken. It is so good, soft, juicy, and finger lickin’ tasty that I just have to share it with you. What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t?

When I first got married I was so intimidated by the (whole) chicken. I had no idea how to cook it and quite frankly didn’t really want to touch it. I cooked a few and they were just as bland as a piece of unbuttered toast and dry to boot. The whole chicken quickly was put on the back burner and I turned to the boneless skinless chicken breast. While the chicken breast is very versatile it can also be very dry (I have a trick for this too – later friends, later) and can’t go as far as a whole bird.

I can’t remember the last time I bought chicken breasts. I miss them at times, but I can get at least two meals, maaaybe three out of a whole chicken. Plus I make bone broth with the carcass when I’m done. Score! I’m pretty sure you can’t make two chicken breasts last as long as that (I said two because there are after all, only two breasts on a chicken).

So before we get started on the chicken I’ll show you a little technique I’ve come up with. It makes life much easier and tastier. I like to put butter under the skin of the chicken and on top. Have you ever tried to put butter under the skin of a chicken? No matter the answer, let me show you how I do it.

Get 1/2 cup of butter to room temp and peel one small head of garlic.

Mince or crush your garlic into your butter and mix thoroughly. I like to make my butter VERY garlic-y because I love garlic too. You can definitely do as much or as little as you want, but please, add garlic.

Once mixed, put your garlic-y butter on wax paper. Spread it out to about the size of an elongated stick of butter. Next you’ll want to wrap the edge of your wax paper around your butter and squeeze all the air out. Gently make the butter into a smooth tube and keep the wax paper as wrinkle free as possible (this is so when you go to unwrap the butter, the wax paper will easily come off). Gently twist the edges of the wax paper like you see on a taffy candy wrapper. Put butter into fridge and let harden (I like to do this step the day before to make sure that is is ready).

Now for the finger lickin’ chicken.

First things first. Rinse off your chicken inside and out, then dry it off with paper towels. Don’t skip the drying off, it makes for a crispier skin and it makes it easier when you go to slather the butter on the bird. Believe me if you don’t dry off your chicken, the only thing that is going to have butter on it is YOU.

Next take scissors and cut one slit on each of the legs. Once you’ve made your cuts, take your finger stick it under the skin and separate the skin from the meat. You’ll also want to separate the skin from the breasts in the same manner. I about get my whole hand under the skin on the chicken breasts. I want my butter to go far.

Now is the time to whip out your tube of garlic butter. Unwrap the morsel of buttery goodness and cut the whole thing into slices. Separate 2-4 slices from the bunch and then stick the rest in a baggie and put it in the fridge for future use. Split one of the slices in half and then slide the halves under the skin on the legs. Next slide the other slices under the breast of the chicken. Make sure you really get them in there. You don’t want your butter to drain out of your chicken do you? Of course not.

Once your done sliding the butter under the skin, stuff the small stash of herbs (below) into the cavity along with a lemon that’s been cut into quarters. Tie the legs together with a piece of baking twine.

Next you’ll need to make the herb butter for the outside of the chicken.

I have herbs growing right outside my door so I grabbed a handful of sage and rosemary and thought it good for my chicken. You can really use whatever herbs you want, but this combination is a good one. Separate a small stash for the inside of the bird (above) and then mince the rest for the butter. You really want to make this as small as you can. Also, if you choose to use fresh rosemary, be sure to remove the needles from the stem. The stem is essentially wood and is no bueno for eating. Once your done mincing, add it to about 1/4 cup of softened butter and mix well. I like to add a bit of salt too, but do whatever suits your taste.

Generously rub the herb butter all over your whole chicken and make sure you cover it well. The butter should stick well if you made sure that your chicken is dry. Once that’s done, drop the rest of the herb butter on your potatoes (assuming your cooking your chicken on potatoes).

Cook for about 1 1/2 hours with your oven on 350 degrees. If your potatoes aren’t quite done yet (don’t cut them too big) turn the oven up to about 375 for about 10 minutes and that should do the trick.

And voila, you have a fantastic mouth watering roasted chicken! Make sure you let it rest for about 10-15 minutes so all the juices soak into the bird and don’t just flow out when your cutting it up. The potatoes are going to be mouth watering tasty due to them being baked in your buttery, garlic-y, herb and chicken juices.

Are you hungry yet?

I really hope you try this, it’s just too good not to.

And if after all that I’ve told you, if you can only remember one thing, please remember my motto…

Butter makes EVERYTHING better.

Sheep Bums

Farm, Farm Updates, Lambs, Sheep 2 Responses »

May 222013

Here are the ladies getting ready to be moved to the lambing pasture. I’m so excited for lambs that I just HAVE to share everything with you! Even the unsightly. I’m not gonna write a lot for this post, just wanting to give you a photo update. So here you go.

And your welcome for these lovely views of sheep bums and udders bagging up.

The ram is not a bit happy about having to be separated from his ladies, but birthing is not his business. Just the lamb makin’ is.

Here’s the nursery where the lambs will go with their mama’s once they’ve gotten their legs underneath them. It’s all nice and cozy and ready for it’s guests.

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

I hope you are too.

…and so we wait.

Farm, Farm Updates, Lambs, Sheep 2 Responses »

May 222013

My little alarm clock went off at 5 o’clock this morning. A bit early, but I can’t nearly refuse such a warm snuggle from a little bundle that I love so. A belly was filled, back patted, and the babe was asleep once more. I now had a choice to make, either snuggle up with my slumbering hubby or soak in a nice hot shower with no chance of kids interrupting. I chose the latter. A shower is a blessing to a mama of three, especially when it’s able to be soaked up for all it’s worth. Washing off the grime of the last two days is liberating.

Nothing exciting happened, but it was a good day. Laundry was washed and folded, dishes were not overflowing, and the dust rag was put to heavy use. The babe is teething and so a steady amount of playing, nose wiping, and cuddling was afforded to the youngest of the McNeil household. One can never have to many snuggles, I’m convinced of it.

The back pasture is looking absolutely lovely and lush. The clover all but reaches to my knees and you can hear the bees happily buzzing as they bounce from flower to flower. God has truly created nature is such a beautiful way and it has such purpose and order. While the kids were playing with play dough and the said babe was taking a nap, I decided it was time to give the water trough a good scrubbin’ so the sheep could devour the clover that was perpetually taunting them from the other side of the fence. I like to refer to clover as sheep candy, they just can’t get enough of it. As I was elbow deep in water trough cleansing I was thinking about how sad it is that we’re going to go another year without lambs. I knew the ram we got was young, but I was sure he’d get the job done. That boy gave it all he had, so I can’t say he didn’t try. He was very, very, VERY persistent.

Trough was cleaned, put back together, and filled. Such an awesome thing to see a half filled murky trough turn into a sparkling tank of crystal clear water. Talk about a sense of accomplishment! Lunch time was approaching and so I quickly opened the gate and moved the sheep from the orchard into our back pasture. I didn’t look them over too hard, no one was limping and faces were clear of fox tails and no runny noses. We were good.

I made lunch for the kids and it was actually quite fun. We all sat at the table eating and talking about how fun play dough is. Everything is exciting when you are 5 and 3, everything. Jude made fish that he was pretending were large mouthed bass and Ella made a dog and an angel. I decided to wander to the sliding glass door while the kids were finishing their meal and I stared at the sheep. Something seemed different and it made my heart race. I had no time to figure out what my eyes were seeing and so I went back to the kids and helped them clean up. Nap time was quickly approaching and I had things to do.

I am still trying to catch up on my house chores since being sick and so spent nap time working around the house. I totally forgot about the sheep. My grandma moved back to town today and we wanted to go visit, so as soon as the kids were awake and dressed I loaded them into the car and ran back to the house to grab my purse.

Time stood still and I thought, “I still haven’t checked the sheep.”

And so, I slipped on my boots and wandered slowly out into the field. I wanted to see closely and make sure my eyes didn’t deceive me. Sure enough, I was not deceived. My sheep are pregnant.

“WE’RE GOING TO HAVE LAMBS!!!”, I yelled and shouted. I started to literally dance and skip in the field while fist pumping the air. The sheep just stared at me like I just lost my mind. I did, a little.

I have been thinking for the past two months that the ram wasn’t able to do the job, that he was too young, and that my sheep aren’t pregnant. I’ve been resigning myself to the fact that at least they’ll help to keep the grass down and that they are still serving a purpose, even if we won’t have meat for the freezer this Fall. I am so thankful to God that I’ve been WRONG this whole time. The ladies are really bagging up and so I give them a week tops before we have the first lamb drop here at the Shepherd’s farm.

This will be the first animal born on our farm. The first product of a teeny tiny farm operation that is getting it’s feet wet and we’re wanting to dive in headlong. It’s like a christening and I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I went from thinking we’re going to have NO lambs to realizing that we’ll probably have lambs in a few DAYS.

Wow, just wow.

Now is the time to get ready and prepared. I got the pen in the barn covered in fresh straw and there’s a water bucket ready to be filled. Grain is in the barrel just waiting to be served to a new mama needing some food after the birth.

I still need to get some iodine to dip the umbilical cord in so we can prevent an infection. I need to get some bands and ear tags.

I need to stop and pray that God will bless us with live lambs and that the births go smoothly. I only have one sheep that has lambed before, the rest are first timers. More than likely they’ll be fine, but you never know.

I just can’t wait for my children to experience this part of farm life. To see an animal give birth is so amazing. Not up there with human births, but it is pretty cool and miraculous nonetheless. Kids learn so much from seeing life in all it’s stages on a farm. A parent hardly has to have ‘the talk’ with their kids when they live this way. It doesn’t take much figuring out when your children are involved in the breeding of livestock.

In the morning I will move the sheep back to the pen that is next to the barn. It is a much better place for lambs to be born. I can’t wait till the new lambs are born…and so we wait.

Homemade Carmel Corn

Country Kids, Country Life, Family, Food, Recipes 10 Responses »

May 202013

Well, I’m sorry.

It’s been a long time since I posted a recipe, but life has been in such a whirlwind lately that I’ve been cooking basics. Nothin’ exciting or fun.

Until now, that is.

On Saturday the fam and I went to a rodeo. It was so much fun and my son now is fixed on becoming a bull rider. If you knew him, you’d realize how serious he is. Next year we’ll sign him up to do the muttin’ busting and he can get a taste for sand. Hopefully that will rid him of his desire to die on the back of a bull. I mean really, what mama gets excited when her son tells her he wants to ride bulls? Not this one.

Moooooving on.

Sorry, I can’t help myself.

Knowing that we were going to a rodeo filled with all sorts of junk food, I decided that I wanted to bring some snacks that could rival anything the concession stands could fry our way. I mean come on, who doesn’t love a corn dog?

I didn’t make corn dogs, but I did make something even better. I give you…homemade carmel corn!

It tastes every bit as good as it looks and it’s full of good stuff. You won’t find any hydrogenated oils or corn syrups here. No way. Just goodness the way God intended. I will not make you wait any longer, here ya go!

Homemade Carmel Corn

First things first, pop your self some popcorn. Put 1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn in your air popper (if you don’t have one use a heavy pot over medium low heat). I really like air popped popcorn because it’s lighter than popcorn popped in a pan.

Wow, this is a lot of popping. Let’s just say I’m trying to make sure I’m doubling the p’s and not the o’s. If you know what I’m sayin’.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and butter two 9 x 13 casserole dishes. Once buttered, split the (popped) popcorn between the two dishes.

Next you want to make the carmel for the popcorn.

In your pan add 1/2 cup molasses, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup butter, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Once it’s boiling, let the carmel mixture boil for 5 minutes without stirring.

Remove from heat (very important).

Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp baking soda.

Make sure you are stirring carefully when you add these because the carmel is going to want to foam and will rise quite a bit.

As soon as these are mixed well pour equal parts over your two dishes of popcorn. Mix quickly and carefully. You want to make sure you coat all the popcorn with the carmel before it starts to cool and you don’t want to break all your popcorn to bits. I suggest you fold the carmel into the popcorn like you would fold whipped egg whites into batter.

Bake in your preheated oven for 1 hour. Stir/fold the carmel corn one more time and then pour it out on parchment paper and let cool.

If you are going to be eating this carmel corn right away you don’t have to bake it if you don’t want to. It is sooo good and gooey and soft. If you are going to be eating this later then I suggest you bake it and make it wonderfully crispy. It doesn’t save well unbaked.

This is some of the best carmel corn you’ll ever eat! I’m serious. We ate this in about 10 minutes at the rodeo and I was lamenting that I didn’t make more.

Next time, I will be FULLY prepared.

I can’t wait for you to try this and it’s really so easy to make.

Oh, and I dare you to not lick the pan when your done.

*Shared on the Thank Your Body blog carnival.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Homemade Carmel Corn

Author: Noël McNeil

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

½ cup Molasses
½ cup Honey
½ cup Butter
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
½ tsp Baking Soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Butter two 9 x 13 casserole dishes.
Pop ½ dry popcorn.
Split the popped popcorn between the two casserole dishes.
Combine in saucepan the molasses, honey, butter, and salt. Stir while bringing mixture to a boil over medium high heat.
Once mixture is boiling, let sit for 5 minutes without stirring.
Remove from heat. (VERY IMPORTANT)
Once mixture has been moved away from the heat source, add the vanilla and baking soda and stir constantly until fully mixed.
Split the carmel mixture between the two dishes of popcorn.
Stir carefully and quickly, covering all the popcorn as well as you can. (Remember to fold in the carmel like you would whipped egg whites into batter.)
Place both dishes in the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the carmel corn from the oven, stir/fold again, and let cool on parchment paper.
Enjoy!

When Disaster Strikes

Animals, Chicks & Chickens, FAITH, Family, Farm, Garden, Motherhood, Seeds & Seedlings 3 Responses »

May 172013

Well friends I had a COMPLETELY different post planned for today, but as the Lord would have it, plans change. Let me start at the beginning.

This day has started rough. I will admit I was a bit of a grump and then you add two children who have bad attitudes as well and let’s just say it’s a recipe for disaster. Not only do I have to deal with myself, but I also have to teach and train my children as to what it means to be happy, thankful, and not complain about every-single-little-thing-that-isn’t-perfect. Oh, my what a hard job parenting can be! It’s difficult to try to make myself get a better attitude let alone a 5 and a 3 year old.

Breakfast time was a task and we made it through. We all ate, were satisfied, and even smiled a little. I talked to my hubby during that time and he told me that I should just take the kids outside and go for a walk to get some fresh air. Little did he know…

When baby went down for her first nap I thought it would be a good time to go let the chickens out into their run and let Jude and Ella burn off some steam (literally). My mood was definitely perking up as I was putting on my tennis and feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. The kids were thrilled to get to see the chickens and maybe, just maybe get to catch one. It’s so nice to see how little things make them so happy. They catch chickens everyday and yet it never gets old for them.

As we were walking towards the coop together talking about how beautiful of a day it was, I looked up and about died. Yes died. Our whole garden was under water! The beautiful garden we just finished planting, the one I just finished weed eating, the one that we’ve been waiting for was under 5-6 inches of water. My heart dropped and I promptly turned around to go get my irrigation boots on. Damage control was in need and I had to get prepared. My first thought was about my beloved seedlings that I just planted, but alas I can’t do much for them but wait and hope the the water will drain quickly. I hope everything doesn’t die, but there’s a good chance that it will. I’m thankful that we can flood irrigate our property, but we need to prevent it’s passage into our garden and chicken coop.

Oh, yes I said it, the chicken coop. It definitely didn’t escape unscathed. The poor girls were probably wondering what the heck happened. I just bought two sacks of organic feed for the chickens. You and I both know that it ain’t CHEAP and I knew it was sittin’ in the water. I got a empty garbage can and a bucket, two garbage bags, and pruning shears. Since the feed bags were upside down I couldn’t open them properly and had to cut the tops off. I scooped out all of the dry feed and put them into the bags that lined the garbage can and bucket. Thankfully we only lost about a fifth of each bag so it definitely could have been worse. I decided to let the wild birds have some goodies and instead of throwing the damp food away I spread it out in our front yard and figured the sun would dry it and the birds could have an easy meal.

I seriously could cry over my seedlings. I know it sounds silly and pathetic, but I’ve been doting on those darn things for weeks now and only one week after planting them I might lose them. I so desperately want a garden and to be able to feed my family from the place. I want to spend time with my kids teaching them about the rewards of hard work and get our hands dirty together. All-in-all I want everything to be perfect.

That is the problem. Perfection is unattainable this side of heaven. Life happens and lessons are to be learned.

On a spiritual note, I was humbled today. I myself woke up a bit grumpy and then was irritated when my kids did the same. I wanted them to just change their attitude and be nice, respectful, and happy. Just like that. I wanted to quickly go let the chickens out so I could come back to the house and clean, clean, get ready for company, and clean. I have laundry that needs to be folded, a house that looks like kids live here (cause they do), dishes to do, and the list goes on and on and on. While scooping food into the dry bags I was thinking about how the day already is a bad one and then no sooner did I think that then did I realize it was a great day. What do I have to complain about? I have a house, food, children, a husband, I have animals to care for that will provide food one day (Lord willing), and I have a garden. Even though it’s under water, I still have one. I’m one of the Lord’s and He’s blessed me. I should NOT complain, my life could be infinitely worse.

The Lord was changing my heart and helping me to see my blessings and not the events that I was dwelling on as the makings of a terrible day. I got perspective in a hurry. While I was grumbling in the coop about the over-abundance of water, my children were outside playing and having a joyous time. Imaginations were running wild and I could hear them defeating the crocodiles and saving the lady bugs from imminent death. Such grand tales from such little souls.

Again, humbled.

Farm life has unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes it seems like everything is going right and that life couldn’t get better. Seeds are growing, sprouting, producing, and animals are thriving, healthy, and reproducing. There are the times when disaster strikes and flooding washes over your garden (or a drought), animals get sick and die (or eaten/attacked), and I could go on.

If your dreaming of a farm, please know that there are highs and lows much like life. If you have farmed or are living on one, I’m probably preaching to the choir.

I have come up with a short list that I will leave you with. One that I think is a compilation of what you need to have on hand when you have to deal with a flooding garden and chicken coop.

Empty and clean garbage cans
Garbage bags (preferably the LARGE ones)
Scissors (or garden shears when your desperate)
Irrigation boots
A good attitude
Sanity

Older Entries