annie blog

A Good Salad
recipe can be found here.

Don’t you just love a good salad?

I made this Caesar salad just a few nights ago. Jon and I both really, really liked it. It is just about the easiest salad dressing recipe, ever, and you use the same garlic to both infuse the oil for the croutons and as an ingredient for the dressing itself. I just love recipes where you use everything. This would also really appeal to folks who don’t like anchovies or eggs in their Caesar salad dressing. However, if you don’t really like garlic then you should probably steer clear. The recipe says to use romaine but we did not. I’m sure that it would be even better with a crunchy lettuce, but we used it with our field greens and really liked the result. So, if you need a great recipe for an easy Caesar salad dressing and an awesome crouton then please do click on over.

And, because it has been rainy, foggy, cold, misty and gray here lately — I’m going to post beach pictures tomorrow. So, we’ll get a dose of blue sky one way or another.

Happy Thursday, everybody.

Raccoon Lore From My Youngest

youngest son: Hey Mom, guess what?
Me: What?
youngest son: Raccoons don’t have saliva!
Me: Huh? Are you sure about that?
youngest son: Yes.
Me: Hmmm. Really?
youngest son: Yes, dey don’t have saliva..so do you know what dey do?
Me: I have no idea.
youngest son: Well, dey put water on deir food.
Me: And why do they do that?
youngest son: Well, dey put the water on deir food to make it wetter so dat it’ll sliver down deir froats.

And there you have it. Of course, he’s wrong. This is just a myth about raccoons who do, in fact, have salivary glands. I just wanted to blog the conversation so that I’d remember it. I need to get video of him telling me this with the hand motions — it’s hilarious.

“So dat it’ll sliver down deir froats..” What a hoot.

Raccoon Lore From My Youngest

youngest son: Hey Mom, guess what?
Me: What?
youngest son: Raccoons don’t have saliva!
Me: Huh? Are you sure about that?
youngest son: Yes.
Me: Hmmm. Really?
youngest son: Yes, dey don’t have saliva..so do you know what dey do?
Me: I have no idea.
youngest son: Well, dey put water on deir food.
Me: And why do they do that?
youngest son: Well, dey put the water on deir food to make it wetter so dat it’ll sliver down deir froats.

And there you have it. Of course, he’s wrong. This is just a myth about raccoons who do, in fact, have salivary glands. I just wanted to blog the conversation so that I’d remember it. I need to get video of him telling me this with the hand motions — it’s hilarious.

“So dat it’ll sliver down deir froats..” What a hoot.

Raccoon Lore From My Youngest

youngest son: Hey Mom, guess what?
Me: What?
youngest son: Raccoons don’t have saliva!
Me: Huh? Are you sure about that?
youngest son: Yes.
Me: Hmmm. Really?
youngest son: Yes, dey don’t have saliva..so do you know what dey do?
Me: I have no idea.
youngest son: Well, dey put water on deir food.
Me: And why do they do that?
youngest son: Well, dey put the water on deir food to make it wetter so dat it’ll sliver down deir froats.

And there you have it. Of course, he’s wrong. This is just a myth about raccoons who do, in fact, have salivary glands. I just wanted to blog the conversation so that I’d remember it. I need to get video of him telling me this with the hand motions — it’s hilarious.

“So dat it’ll sliver down deir froats..” What a hoot.

Chicken in Milk
This represents my first effort toward completing my Culinary Goals list that I posted here on Annieblog in December.

I started with #1 — which is a pretty good place to start. Don’t you agree?

Anyway, Goal #1 for me was to learn to cook a whole chicken or turkey. I can see now, after this try, that I’m going to do a lot with this goal this year. I liked this recipe but now I want to try more. And so I shall. But first….what on earth is Chicken in Milk about?

Well, I first saw this recipe on the Kitchn(it was originally a Jamie Oliver recipe) and then remembered it recently. Since it called for common ingredients and didn’t require specialized equipment that I do not have (a roasting pan, a roasting rack, etc.) I decided to give it a go.

We devoured it. It was not blow-your-socks-off awesome but it was exactly what it was supposed to be: yummy, moist and easy. The recipe also makes a good deal of sauce — something good to drizzle over the chicken. We had only about 3/4 cup of chicken leftover and so that alone should tell you that this is good chicken.

Chicken in Milk with Lemon, Cinnamon, Garlic, Sage
• 1 – 3-4 lb chicken

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 stick of butter

• olive oil

• 1/2 cinnamon stick (I omitted this)

• 1 good handful of fresh sage, leaves picked
(I used 1/2 T. dried)
• zest of 2 lemons

• 10 cloves of garlic, skin left on 

• 1 pint milk

Preheat the oven to 375°F and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot. Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Cook it for the first hour covered. Uncover it for the final 30 minutes. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. (I didn’t do this.) The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.
To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it on to your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Dip your bread in the juice, spread with the garlic.

Chicken in Milk
This represents my first effort toward completing my Culinary Goals list that I posted here on Annieblog in December.

I started with #1 — which is a pretty good place to start. Don’t you agree?

Anyway, Goal #1 for me was to learn to cook a whole chicken or turkey. I can see now, after this try, that I’m going to do a lot with this goal this year. I liked this recipe but now I want to try more. And so I shall. But first….what on earth is Chicken in Milk about?

Well, I first saw this recipe on the Kitchn(it was originally a Jamie Oliver recipe) and then remembered it recently. Since it called for common ingredients and didn’t require specialized equipment that I do not have (a roasting pan, a roasting rack, etc.) I decided to give it a go.

We devoured it. It was not blow-your-socks-off awesome but it was exactly what it was supposed to be: yummy, moist and easy. The recipe also makes a good deal of sauce — something good to drizzle over the chicken. We had only about 3/4 cup of chicken leftover and so that alone should tell you that this is good chicken.

Chicken in Milk with Lemon, Cinnamon, Garlic, Sage
• 1 – 3-4 lb chicken

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 stick of butter

• olive oil

• 1/2 cinnamon stick (I omitted this)

• 1 good handful of fresh sage, leaves picked
(I used 1/2 T. dried)
• zest of 2 lemons

• 10 cloves of garlic, skin left on 

• 1 pint milk

Preheat the oven to 375°F and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot. Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Cook it for the first hour covered. Uncover it for the final 30 minutes. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. (I didn’t do this.) The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.
To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it on to your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Dip your bread in the juice, spread with the garlic.

Chicken in Milk
This represents my first effort toward completing my Culinary Goals list that I posted here on Annieblog in December.

I started with #1 — which is a pretty good place to start. Don’t you agree?

Anyway, Goal #1 for me was to learn to cook a whole chicken or turkey. I can see now, after this try, that I’m going to do a lot with this goal this year. I liked this recipe but now I want to try more. And so I shall. But first….what on earth is Chicken in Milk about?

Well, I first saw this recipe on the Kitchn(it was originally a Jamie Oliver recipe) and then remembered it recently. Since it called for common ingredients and didn’t require specialized equipment that I do not have (a roasting pan, a roasting rack, etc.) I decided to give it a go.

We devoured it. It was not blow-your-socks-off awesome but it was exactly what it was supposed to be: yummy, moist and easy. The recipe also makes a good deal of sauce — something good to drizzle over the chicken. We had only about 3/4 cup of chicken leftover and so that alone should tell you that this is good chicken.

Chicken in Milk with Lemon, Cinnamon, Garlic, Sage
• 1 – 3-4 lb chicken

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 stick of butter

• olive oil

• 1/2 cinnamon stick (I omitted this)

• 1 good handful of fresh sage, leaves picked
(I used 1/2 T. dried)
• zest of 2 lemons

• 10 cloves of garlic, skin left on 

• 1 pint milk

Preheat the oven to 375°F and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot. Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Cook it for the first hour covered. Uncover it for the final 30 minutes. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. (I didn’t do this.) The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.
To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it on to your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Dip your bread in the juice, spread with the garlic.

My New Baby
Of course, it is blonde like all of my other babies.

Mama Suzie and Papa Joe gave me this pot for Christmas and I love, love it. So far I’ve made chili, a big recipe of taco meat, homemade french fries and a couple of wonderful roasts in it and I’m only getting started.

I plan on cooking with it for many, many years.

Now, the only question is, what do I name it? Of course, it is male, like all of my other blonde babies, but beyond that I don’t know. I’m sure that a great name will come to me. Suggestions?

I was looking around on the Le Creuset website and saw this darling honey pot. It would be a sweet gift for someone who uses honey a lot.

That’s all I’ve got. I hope that y’all had a good Sunday.

Monday, here we come.

My New Baby
Of course, it is blonde like all of my other babies.

Mama Suzie and Papa Joe gave me this pot for Christmas and I love, love it. So far I’ve made chili, a big recipe of taco meat, homemade french fries and a couple of wonderful roasts in it and I’m only getting started.

I plan on cooking with it for many, many years.

Now, the only question is, what do I name it? Of course, it is male, like all of my other blonde babies, but beyond that I don’t know. I’m sure that a great name will come to me. Suggestions?

I was looking around on the Le Creuset website and saw this darling honey pot. It would be a sweet gift for someone who uses honey a lot.

That’s all I’ve got. I hope that y’all had a good Sunday.

Monday, here we come.

My New Baby
Of course, it is blonde like all of my other babies.

Mama Suzie and Papa Joe gave me this pot for Christmas and I love, love it. So far I’ve made chili, a big recipe of taco meat, homemade french fries and a couple of wonderful roasts in it and I’m only getting started.

I plan on cooking with it for many, many years.

Now, the only question is, what do I name it? Of course, it is male, like all of my other blonde babies, but beyond that I don’t know. I’m sure that a great name will come to me. Suggestions?

I was looking around on the Le Creuset website and saw this darling honey pot. It would be a sweet gift for someone who uses honey a lot.

That’s all I’ve got. I hope that y’all had a good Sunday.

Monday, here we come.