Chicken

Chicken was recently on sale at our local grocery...so I decided to stock up a little.

I usually watch the prices on the boneless skinless chicken breasts and the whole chickens. A sale for the local grocery store is usually .99/lb. for a whole chicken and 1.99/lb for boneless skinless breasts. (Which makes it very comparable to a bag of frozen breasts, only these are fresh...and much better quality)

I thought I would share with you what I do when I stock up and my favorite way to cook a whole chicken.

Breasts

• I get my kitchen scissors out and cut away extra fat and lay them 3 split breasts to a freezer bag and place that bag in the freezer. That way I can just grab one bag to use in a recipe that feeds our family.
• You could also "flash freeze" the breasts by laying the individual breasts out on baking sheets (make sure the breasts are not touching) and placing the baking sheets in the freezer. Once the breasts are frozen, take the breasts off the sheets and place all the breasts in one big freezer bag...that way you can grab the number of breasts you need each time you cook.
• Also, when I return from the store after stocking up on chicken breasts, I fill my crockpot up with chicken breasts. I place a little water in the crockpot and then turn it on. 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 on low is a good guide. Once it's done cooking I shred the meat in the crockpot or on a plate with two forks. I then measure out 2 cups of shredded chicken (since this is a common measurement in a lot of my recipes) and fill quart freezer bags with my 2 cups of chicken and place those bags in the freezer. This simple step can really speed up meal prep time!
• Cooking a whole chicken or two ahead and de-boning and shredding is another way to do it...but I would only pick to do this if I was going to make my own chicken stock....I haven't done this enough to have a good recipe to recommend at this point, but maybe in the future I will!

I will share with you my absolute favorite way to cook a whole chicken for a meal...and it's a great recipe for company. It's actually a 2 part recipe and you will have to plan a little ahead. The first step is to brine the meat. Brining is simply a seasoned water solution that the chicken sits in (for 12-48 hours) While the chicken is sitting in the solution it absorbs the flavors of the seasonings and the moisture...giving the meat a flavor and juiciness that is tremendous! If I'm brining for a day or more, I will put the chicken in the solution frozen...it will have plenty of time to thaw.

Here's the brine recipe I use:

Master Brine

After it's done brining I use this recipe to roast it for 5 hours! I really think it's worth it!

Roast Sticky Chicken

I usually do the rub right before putting it in the oven. The other thing I've learned is to use a roaster that the chicken just fits into (touching the sides). I'm not sure why...it's just works! Sometimes I baste or spoon some of the pan drippings over the chicken a few times during the baking, but it's not necessary!

Enjoy!

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On The Good Ship...

We made lollipop birthday cookies for Hannah to share with her classmates! This was one of those projects that evolved as we worked. It was easy peasy!

1. I made a basic sugar cookie recipe.

2. Rolled into balls and slightly flattened them

(they will flatten and spread out even more as they bake.)

3. Stick a Popsicle stick in the middle before you bake.

4. Bake according to recipe. Normally I prefer my cookies very soft and slightly under cooked, but don't do that because the cookie will fall right off the stick before the kid gets one bite taken...unless you LIKE making little kids cry.

5. Allow to cool COMPLETELY.

6. Mix up a batch of "Shiny Cookie Paint" This layer of icing does NOT need to be colored...unless preferred.

Shiny Cookie Paint Recipe

2 Tbsp. Milk

2 Tbsp. Light Corn Syrup

2 Cups Powdered Sugar (Sifted)

Food Coloring

Mix liquid ingredients together in small bowl.

Sift in the sugar.

Add more milk if needed.

This is an icing, not a frosting, so it will be thin and more runny then traditional frosting.

7. Spoon some glaze on each cookie.

It will spread out and level itself. Don't worry about the excess that runs off the cookie...it is easily removed.

8. Allow the white layer to dry completely.

9. To make the color swirls I used a small round cake decorating tip and disposable cake decorating bags. Mix up the Shiny Cookie Paint and add food coloring of your choice. The icing for this step shouldn't be too thin, so that it will hold it's design. Just circle the cookie with the icing. You do not need to wait until completely dry to add the next color swirl.
Before wrapping, allow to dry.

They're wrapped up and ready to send with the birthday girl!


EXTRA TIP:
Another way to use this icing...
Give your kids paint brushes, put the different color icing in muffin tins and let them paint their own cookies!

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White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

I first tasted this scone a number of years ago at a coffee shop in my home town...it was warm and perfect...for years I searched for the recipe. I finally found it, about a year ago, and have made it regularly since then. A perfect combination of raspberries, white chocolate and almond extract. It can't get much better than that. Enjoy!

Raspberrry-White Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. firm butter or margarine

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 c. whipping cream

Additional whipping cream

Sugar

3/4 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries

2/3 cup white baking chips

• Heat oven to 400 F.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter, using pastry blender until mixture looks like fine crumbs. (I don't have a pastry blender, you can find them pretty cheap. I start out using 2 butter knives, pulling them close but in opposite directions. I then finish off by using a fork.)
• In a smaller bowl beat the eggs. Stir in whipping cream and extract.
• Add raspberries and white chips to the dry ingredients.
• Stir in wet ingredients to dry until mixed.
• Place dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Roll or pat dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush with whipping cream and sprinkle with sugar. (I am generous when brushing on the whipping cream- it is a drier dough)
• Bake for 18-23 min. (My crazy oven takes a short 15 min.) or until golden brown. Allow to cool for a short time. Carefully seperate wedges and remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm. (I don't remove from the cookie sheet immediately, I wait until it cools down a bit...mine would otherwise fall apart.)
• Enjoy with a cup of this:

Say hello to my little friend! This was my Christmas present from my father-in-law. I love it...it did take some practicing before getting it right(this is my first "coffee" maker) It is actually a latte/capuccino maker from Williams Sonoma. It makes a big cup in about 5-10 min-or while I get the kids breakfast. You put water in the bottom, espresso ground beans in the middle and milk on the top. It even has a frother!

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