December 12, 2011: Crock Pot Chicken and Potatoes Recipe

Here’s another easy way to cook the ever popular chicken in the crock pot. Especially during these hectic weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, it’s a real blessing to be able to put dinner in the crock pot in the morning and come home at night to a fully cooked meal.

All the ingredients in the crock pot, ready to cook all day on low.

Crock Pot Chicken and Potatoes

1 T. olive oil

6 – 8 garlic cloves, peeled

1 medium-sized yellow or white onion, cut into big chunks

2 large white potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 t. fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

2 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

2 T. butter

1 t. dried sage

½ t. paprika

½ t. garlic salt

¼ t. cumin

1 t. Montreal Chicken Seasoning (McCormick Grill Mates)

Set your crock pot heat to high. Add the olive oil, garlic cloves, onions, potatoes and fresh rosemary. Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on top of the vegetables. Melt the butter and add the seasonings. Pour over the top of the chicken; sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Cover the crock pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 – 6 hours (or 7 – 8 hours on low).

Optional: Just before serving, heat a skillet to medium high. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down. Cook for a minute or so, just until skin crisps up.

Variation: For something a bit different, use yams in place of white potatoes and a Vidalia (sweet) onion in place of yellow or white onion.

Serve chicken over vegetable mixture and add a green vegetable, such as peas or green beans, for a complete meal.

Serves 4

November 21, 2011: The Secret to the Best, Juiciest Turkey Recipe

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post with my mother’s stuffing recipe, I’ve been in charge of making the Thanksgiving dinner for quite some time. It was back in 1986 that I was first pressed into service and I’ve been doing it alone ever since (which I love, by the way – cooking is the best part of Thanksgiving as far as I’m concerned!). Over the years I’ve experimented with different ways of roasting the turkey so it would come out both flavorful and moist. By far, the secret I’m about to share with you is the best way I have ever roasted a turkey.

The secret? Brining.

Just as brining chicken makes it melt-in-your-mouth moist, so does it work for turkey. The only difference is that you’re working with a bigger bird so you have to start the day before to ensure that all those wonderful flavors in the brine are incorporated in your turkey.

There are no exact measurements to this recipe; just try throwing in a handful of herbs and spices at a time, adding a bit more for a large (16 lbs. or more) turkey or less for a small (12 lbs. or under) one.

Roasted Brined Turkey

The day before roasting, clean the turkey and remove giblets. Cook and save for dressing (see stuffing recipe) or as a treat for your dogs.

Brine

Enough water to cover your turkey in brining container (at least 2 gallons)

1 ½ cups kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

Juniper berries

Black peppercorns

Allspice berries

Whole cloves

Fresh thyme and rosemary leaves

Garlic cloves

Bay leaves

Mix together the brining solution in a large container, big enough to hold your turkey. If you can, store it in your refrigerator overnight; otherwise, if it’s cold enough (38 degrees or less), you can store the covered container outside. An ice chest works really well for this because it’s insulated and won’t allow the turkey to refreeze if left outdoors overnight.

Roasting the Turkey

The next day, remove the turkey from the brining solution (discard - I usually dump it in the yard) and pat dry. Stuff the inside cavity with slices of orange and lemon, along with smashed garlic cloves and fresh sage leaves. Place the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Take softened butter and rub it all over the skin. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and cover loosely with foil. Place in low oven, about 275 degrees. Roast one half hour for every pound, removing each hour and basting with pan juices.

When drumsticks move freely and meat begins to pull away from the bone, the turkey is done. Remove it from the oven and let sit on a platter, tented with foil, for up to half an hour.

August 29, 2011: Herbs de Provence Seasoning Recipe

The end of summer is almost here and chances are, if you’ve been growing a garden, you have lots of herbs. If you’re not sure quite how to use them all, go ahead and dry them. Tie together bunches at the stems and hang upside down until completely dry.

When dry, consider combining several to make this French all purpose seasoning mix, herbs de provence.

Herbs de Provence

3 T. dried marjoram

3 T. dried thyme

3 T. dried savory

1 t. dried basil

1 t. dried rosemary

½ dried sage

½ t. fennel seeds

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container. Use to season chicken, vegetables and beef.

Tip: If you don’t have all of these fresh herbs, go ahead and use store-bought jars. If you wish, you can also add a half teaspoon dried lavender to the mix.

June 5, 2011: Recipes for Healing Bath Waters

As temperatures start to rise the closer it gets to the official first day of summer, the last thing you may be thinking of to cool off is taking a bath. But in all truthfulness, a lukewarm or tepid bath is a great way to refresh, reenergize, and cool down. Here are a few ingredients you can add to your bath water to address specific skin needs.

Milk

Whole milk is a good treatment for sunburn. While in the bath, use a washcloth dampened with whole milk to plaster on the burned areas of your skin. Or, you can add one cup of instant dry milk to the bathwater. Rinse well afterward so you don’t smell like sour milk!

Oil and Vinegar

Instead of bubble bath, which really dries out your skin, add a few tablespoons of any of these oils to your bath water: almond, sesame, vitamin E, baby, vegetable, olive or nut oil. Your skin will feel silky smooth when you get out of the tub and unlike taking a shower which rinses away the oil, the effect will last.

Adding a cup of cider vinegar to your bath water is a great way to relieve dry skin, too.

While you’re in the bathtub, use the time for a manicure and pedicure. Simply take the oil you are adding to your bath water and massage a small bit into the cuticles of your fingernails and toenails. After soaking a few minutes, use a wooden cuticle stick to gently push them back. Remove the oil with soap and water before polishing.

Herbs

Adding a handful of dried herbs to your bathwater turns your bath time into a spa treatment. This combines aromatherapy with healthful skin benefits. Try such herbs as dried lavender, sage, mint, or rosemary.

Summertime is a wonderful time to relax in a lukewarm bath and chill out. Try it with one of these additives and see how refreshing it feels!

May 23, 2011: At Home Spa Treatment Recipes

With the long Memorial Day holiday weekend coming up soon, you may want to indulge yourself with an “at home spa” day. This is a great way to refresh yourself, if you don’t have any travel plans, and get ready for the busy upcoming summer season. Here’s a few recipes sure to relax and rejuvenate you!

Body Scrub

¼ cup coffee grounds (go ahead and use the ones from this morning’s coffee)
¼ cup Epsom salts or Kosher salt
1 ripe avocado, mashed
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
Almond oil

Mix all ingredients; add just enough oil to make a smooth paste. While in the shower, use this in place of soap. Just rinse off and towel dry.

Recipe (slightly modified by me!) courtesy of Redbook magazine.

Cornflower Eye Refresher

2 T. dried cornflowers
½ cup water

Make a tea with the cornflowers in boiling water. Cool. Dip two cotton balls into the cooled mixture and place over your closed eyelids for 15 minutes. On a really hot day, ice down the cornflower tea before using.

Tip: To find cornflowers, look at your local health food store. They’re easy to grow so you may want to include them in your garden this year.

Use either of the following rinses as a final rinse for your hair (don’t rinse it out), then sit out in the sun and let your hair dry naturally. Each of these formulas is mean to enhance your particular hair color.

Chamomile Hair Rinse (for fair hair)

3 ½ cups water
2 ounces chamomile flowers
2/3 cup cider vinegar
5 drops lemongrass oil

Make a tea by boiling the water and adding the chamomile flowers. Let it steep for half an hour, then strain and add the vinegar and oil.

Rosemary Hair Rinse (for dark hair)

Same recipe as above except substitute 2 ounces rosemary sprigs and 5 drops oil of bergamot.

The above 3 recipes are courtesy of The Country Store by Stephanie Donaldson and published by Lorenz Books.

These recipes should get your at home spa day started. You may also want to do a mani/pedi and rub some yummy scented lotion over your body after you step out of the shower. Enjoy!