*A Perfect Roast Chicken* Oh, and Risotto too!

I love a nice hearty meal every once and a while! Here's what I had for dinner last night. It was the icing on yesterday's 'cake' :)

Take your ingredients out...(chicken, butter, herbs and seasoning of your choice, and whatever vegetables you have in the house) Let your chicken and butter rest a bit (maybe 20 mins) Preheat your oven to 425dgrs.

OMG! IT'S NAKED!?! hehe

Clean your bird under cold running water. (inside and out.. and remove any insides that are leftover) Pluck any extra feathers and scrape the skin with your knife good to get rid of the gross stuff! :) (Notice that little feather poking out on my chickens butt?!! That's when you know it's fresh! haha)

Pat your chicken dry with a clean towel or a paper towel. Dry skin will help your bird get a nice crispy skin. Mmmm ...Now throw that thang onto your roasting rack.

Chop up some veggies and toss them in the bottom of your roaster.

I used some celery,

carrots, onion, and garlic. Chop chop! Drizzle them with just a little olive oil.

Now break out your spices! I used some fresh ground sea salt, black pepper, garlic power, rotisserie chicken seasoning, and paprika.

Now take that softened butter and coat your chicken ALL over! Inside and out. Notice the crazy butter chunks? That's what you want! Mush it good!

Now sprinkle your spices. Don't be stingy either!

Rub it all in reeeeeaaaal nice! Get all the crack and make sure to sprinkle some in the bird cavity and on your veggies.

*Cluck cluck* She's so happy.

Now add  your herbs if you'd like.. I used a sprig or two of rosemary. YUM! Give yourself about 10 minutes and your house will smell amazing!

Here comes the fun part! Grab a lemon. Roll it around crazily on your countertop to soften it up and get it juicy. Now STAB IT!!! mwahahaha.. (with tons of holes lol)

Stuff this bad boy into your chicken. This is going to give it such a fresh taste.

NooOooOO 'Help me! It's hot in here!!'

Pop your thermometer in there and cook about 2 hours or until your internal temperatures reach 180 degrees in the breast.

Flavorful crispy skin and juicy meat! *Drool*

Now for the side Items!

This stuff is tasty! Lundberg Alfredo Risotto. I try to find a lot of organic food and this tops the list as one of my favorites.

First brown your risotto with just a bit of butter until is starts to sizzle a bit and smell 'nutty'

The smell is fabulous at this point.

Add your milk and water. (1/2 cup milk, 2 cups water as box directs)

Add your seasoning and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes. Tada! A creamy and fun side dish!

OH BOY!

Plate up, garnish with an extra sprig of rosemary and you are in for a treat!