eaten: Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot

 Now that you have roasted a whole chicken, don't let the bones go to waste. Making chicken broth from scratch is awesome and a great way to really utilize the bones. Plus its so handy having homemade chicken broth on hand. You could even use the leftover bones from a rotisserie chicken. And if you don't have time to do it that night, you can always freeze the chicken bones and make stock at another time. 

 

Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot

Picture and Recipe from 100daysofrealfood

Ingredients

• Leftover chicken bones or carcass roughly equivalent to one small or medium sized chicken
• 1 onion, peeled and loosely chopped
• 1 rib of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh parsley--I used a few dashes of dried
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Salt, to taste
  Note: If you are missing any of these ingredients I wouldn’t let that stop you from making it anyway.

Instructions

1. After removing all edible meat from the chicken put/leave the bones, skin, cooking juices, etc. in the crock pot. I try and remove as much of the fat as I can. 
2. Add the onion, celery, carrot and spices on top of the bones and fill the crock pot almost to the top with tap water (leaving about ½” at the top).
3. Turn the slow cooker onto “low” after dinner and cook all night long or alternatively you could start it in the morning and cook on “low” for 8 – 10 hours during the day.
4. After the stock is done cooking turn off the heat and, using a soup ladle, pass the stock through a fine sieve to remove all herbs/bones/etc.
5. Either refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use. I usually freeze some in both 1 and 2-cup portions, and I also sometimes freeze stock in ice cube trays just in case I just “need a little” for making sauce or rice. (I have been freezing it in ice cube trays, 1 cube=1 oz.) I also set it in a bowl in the fridge first so the fat all solidifies and I can discard before freezing.

Lately...

Since we got back from the trip we have been treading water trying to get back into a routine for the new school year. Here are some things we've been up to in the midst of chaos.

• Gwinnet Braves Game! Last weekend we went out for Henry's first baseball game. In reality we all just chatted with friends, caught glimpses of the game and Henry rolled down a grassy hill. The above picture is kind of blurry but it was the best we could get. Henry was in sweaty heaven just running around with all the other little kids there. And it was the perfect night, kind of chilly especially for August, I had on jeans and a sweater! We recently had two weeks of mild gorgeous, get-outside weather.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Steve and I watched Can't Hardly Wait one evening on netflix. It was kind of fun to throw back to the high school days. We were cracking up at the soundtrack, remember Eve 6? And colored tinted sunglasses and cameos by Jason Segel and Selma Blair. The next morning I found Third Eye Blind up on itunes. Ah the 90's. 
• And speaking of the 90's, why do I keep seeing overalls and Doc Marten boots everywhere? 
• I have been sick the past couple of days which means I will spontaneously fall asleep while Henry is watching tv. I even commented to Steve just earlier last week, "Who do you think will get sick first now that you and Henry are back in school?" Sucker. It was me. 
• I have finally caught up on whatever season number this is of So You Think You Can Dance. I have been watching them online and organizing my pinterest boards during the boring commentaries. I am hooked though and can't believe how great the dancers are this year. Amazing. Also watching hours on end of dancing has made me kind of believe that I can dance. I have found myself doing little moves as I go around the house. I have to rein this in before a public display leads to an embarrassing moment, probably at the gym too. 
• This past weekend we went and played frisbee golf in Watkinsville. Even though I totally stink, I had a great time until Henry started whining non-stop. Later we found out his shoes and socks were soaked through. Poor guy. In the end, Steve beat me by about ten strokes. Why you got to be so good at everything, Steve?
•  A couple of weeks ago, we had to go and get one of our tires patched. So I dropped it off at the tire place and Henry and I walked to Publix to get sandwiches and eat lunch. After not hearing from them, we went on the Barnes and Noble and killed about an hour waiting. On the walk back, we stopped into Rue 21. I know.... Well I happened upon a pair of cute patterned pants. Having recently gotten the itch to try the trend, I was on the lookout. And for $20, why not? So I braved it and I am in love. Next up, layering more with vests. 
• Since the weather is back in the high 80's we have been soaking up the last moments of summer. Last week we went to the pool and the beach. I do love summer.  But I also want fall to be here. Those two weeks were such a tease. I can't wait to wear boots and leave my hair on my neck. 

Okay thats all I can think of for now. Have a great week!

eaten: Chicken Roasted to Perfection

I have never roasted a whole chicken. I have made turkeys but never chicken. Seems like it should be the other way around.

Well it turns out roasting a whole chicken is easy as pie and makes like 3 meals plus 7-8 cups of chicken stock for future use! And I know you might not like handling a whole dead bird with the skin and the bones but it is not such a big deal. I even find it kind of therapeutic cleaning all the meat off the carcass.

This recipe is tangy and moist and some of the best chicken I have ever had. The roasting time is long, about 3 hours but the payoff is big. The white meat was divine! Melt in your mouth succulent. The first time I followed the recipe exactly and the second time I mixed it up using less mustard and putting some of the herbs inside the bird. I liked the less mustard version better. Also I want to play around with flipping the bird mid-roast. Maybe do breast side down for the first 2 hours and then flip to crisp the skin? And I think the method here is what yields the best results, spices and marinade could be swapped out for favorites.

I shredded the leftovers and made chicken taquitos and I used the bones to make crock pot chicken stock--both recipes coming soon. I literally felt like the ultimate resourceful woman. Maybe I could have been a pioneer...

Chicken Roasted to Perfection
recipe and pic from cristina ferrare

3 cups chicken stock, homemade preferably
6 lb whole chicken, rinsed and dried
3/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon, keep rind to stuff inside
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dry parsley
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1 tablespoon dry thyme

Remove gizzards, heart, neck and liver from the cavity of the chicken. Rinse the chicken well inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Place breast side up in a large roasting pan.

Make the marinade. Whist together the mustard, olive oil, lemon juice and soy sauce. Add the garlic.
Sprinkle half the herbs in the marinade and the other half on the lemon rinds, I just kind of eyeballed it. Stuff the lemon in the cavity of the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 350*. Wrap the tips of the drumsticks and wings in foil to protect them from burning. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover with a lid or use heavy duty foil. Make sure the foil does not touch the bird or the skin will come off when you remove the foil.

Roast for 90 minutes with foil on. Remove foil and continue to roast for 30 minutes.

Add 2 cups chicken stock and using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Baste the chicken well. Continue roasting, uncovered for another 60 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. Add chicken stock if needed to keep bottom of the pan from burning.

Remove the chicken from the oven and place bird on carving board to rest. Cover with foil. Rest 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the pan juices and stir to release any crusty bits from pan. Pour through a strainer into a pot. Discard contents in the strainer. Skim any oil from top of juices.

Carve the chicken and serve with pan juices.

bexcaliber: mood boards, retro eclectic

Now that Henry is in preschool 9 hours a week, I have rededicated myself to my etsy shop. During my summer hiatus, I relaxed, played in the sun and spent time with Henry. But now that school has started I am renewed, full of energy and ready to get back in the action.

One of my new goals is to put together mood boards creating rooms including one of my pillow cover designs. There are so many wonderful resources online and let's be honest, I love browsing the internet for pretty things. So this is going to be the perfect project for me to market my wares. Plus it will be a fun challenge to mix items from bexcaliber, etsy, and large and small retail ventures. There isn't anything better than dreaming with no budget.

 Self issued challenge extended: I accept.

So without further ado, here is the first space.

 

I was immediately taken with the beauty of this abstract painting by Linda Monfort. Her etsy shop is full of intriguing, original paintings. I used it to pull together all the colors of the mustard rug, coral and white graphic map and blue love pillow. I love a good nail head design and the Moroccan feel of this ottoman is unexpected but fun. The brass of the sculptural lamp and natural wood accents on the mirror and couch legs keep the feeling organic and lived in. A bold black and white striped pillow in a thin stripe helps bring out the vibrant dashes of pink and blue in the painting without competing with the other patterns.

Custom Love Print Pillow Cover in Peacock on Night Sky by bexcaliber from etsy

Three Hands White Storage Ottoman from Target

Cleo Table Lamp from Crate & Barrel

Abstract Painting by Linda Monfort from etsy

Andalusia Wool Dhurrie - Horizon from West Elm

Octagon Distressed Mirror by englertandenglert from etsy

Map Wall Art Print-City of Washington D.C. from etsy

Black and White Striped Pillow from Fab

Crosby Sofa from West Elm

You can find all these items also in my pinterest: bexcaliber room boards

Henry Draws People

 This one he said was Henry going to preschool. His body is an H.

 I love the ones with hair!

It makes me so proud that Henry is loving coloring right now and is getting really good at drawing little people. He will bring me stacks of these little people. Some have hair, some have jump ropes, some are wearing what look like blessing gowns. He experiments with facial features and sometimes they have little stories with them. 

I love it.

Henry's First Day of Preschool

 Henry has been looking forward to preschool all year. Ever since we visited last spring and registered him, he has asked when he gets to start preschool. Sometimes he just wanted to drive by and see it. Finally the day has come! He will be going to preschool three days a week for three hours each day. Its the perfect transition into full time Pre-K next year. I really wanted something for him that was structured and fun where he could learn to sit still, listen to other teachers and meet new friends.

 Last night we picked out his school clothes, Henry chose his outfit and readied his backpack. We also had an FHE about learning and read story books about going to school. We also talked about receiving father's blessings and Steve gave him a sweet blessing to start his school year off right. This morning he had chocolate milk and blueberry muffins as requested for breakfast.

 The backpack! We got it before our trip so he could carry his things on the plane but it ended up being perfect for school too.

 

We chose to go to the preschool at a nearby Methodist church that was recommended by friends. Henry has two teachers, Miss Jody and Miss Mary. We met them at an open house last week and Henry was so excited and taken by them, he hugged them both that night. He was also sad that night because we weren't going to leave him there for preschool that night. I had been talking with him all summer about how I would be leaving him at preschool by himself. I guess he was ready to start. 

 

 Here is some of his work from the first day. He didn't really have a lot to say about what they did except that he went potty, ate a snack and played on the playground. It turns out they also did a worksheet where he actually traced the letters and wrote his whole name. It might be out of order but that is the best R he has accomplished so far.

 So excited!

He was totally ready for this. Walked right in and got to work with his play-doh. I know we made the right choice with this program. He also didn't want to leave at the end of the day, he started moping when I showed up and kept telling me that he was really sad and mad that we had to leave preschool.

washington part V

Our last day in Washington was spent at Fort Casey on Whidbey Island. We took the ferry, Henry's first, and enjoyed a beautiful sunny yet windy day in the abandoned fort. We were apprehensive around the fort with Henry as there are lots of drop offs without any railings but he had a great time walking Ringo, exploring dark passages and running around in the field.

My brother Micah and his girlfriend Sarah scored big points in the entertainment department by bringing foam planes and mini kites. Henry flew the mini planes on his own and had fun running with his small kite. We had a picnic lunch and everyone lounged around relaxing and getting sunburned.