Our Mt Horeb Home
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Ingredients: 1 - 4# or so, whole chicken 2 - whole cloves garlic, cut in half 1 - 1 lemon, cut in half 1 - bunch of fresh herbs, any combo of Parsley, Basil, Sage, Rosemary, or Thyme that you want... 1 or 2 Tablespoons of olive oil Kosher Saltv Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Directions: Take your bird, and after rinsing it out and patting it dry, place it on a 1/2 sheet pan. Take half the lemon and squeeze it as you rub it all over the chicken, and then cram it up inside the bird, the skin side towards the neck opening. Hold the chicken open end up. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Take your garlic cloves, cut them in half, and throw one clove in. Cram in the fresh herb combo of your choice. Drop in the last of the garlic, and then place the other half of the lemon into the bird. It should form a sort of closure to the opening. Lay it down. Pour a little olive oil over the bird, and rub it all over the skin. Tie the legs together using butcher's twine, closing the opening over the end of the lemon. Tuck the wing tips behind the back of the bird. Sprinkle on some more salt & pepper. Let this sit out for up to 45 minutes while the grill gets hot. Prepare you charcoal grill. I use a Weber kettle. I also use a chimney starter to get my natural hardwood coals as hot as possible. Soak either apple wood or hickory chips in water until needed. I create a "snake" out of aluminum foil, and wrap it around the base of a shallow aluminum tray. (It's reusable. Mine is 6 years old! See how Alton Brown makes a similar one in Grillus Domesticus) Once your coals are hot, place the tray inside the foil rectangle. Distribute the hot coals all around the outside of the tray. Place the grill rack over top. The bird goes breast side down over the tray below. Cover the chicken with a deeper aluminum pan placed upside down. It'll form a sort of oven in your grill. Open the grill's grates on either side of the bird and sprinkle on half of your soaked wood chips. Close the grates, put on the lid with the vents all open. Don't forget to place a whole sweet onion on the "head-side" of the bird. After 30 minutes flip the bird, add more chips, and cover with both the foil tray, and the lid. After another 30 minutes test the temperature using a probe thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh. If it's at, or near 170°F take it off the grill. Cover it with loose foil, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
The odds are good this will be the last grilling session for the season. My wife asked for her favorite grilled dish that I make. I've been making Paella using Alton Brown's recipe for years, and it's a fun dish to make. It was a perfect meal to smell simmering on the grill on what is likely the last warm day we'll enjoy for a while.
Teri has spent the summer painting the front porch. It seems to be her "zen time" activity. It's almost done.
First Day of School - 1st Grade!
Freja's first day of 1st grade. Teri took the whole week off, and we're making a celebration of it. So quiet at the house, and we can leave at any time to go wherever we want. No herding, or having to explain what we're doing. ahhh...
It was a perfect spring day! So far it's been rather cool, and wet this spring. Today though was a pleasant change. It was sunny, comfortable, and with little wind. While I prepared a paella on the grill, Teri relaxed, and Freja painted. We also enjoyed the company of friends who dropped by to eat with us. It was truly a perfect, relaxing day at home!
Freja has playing a game called Minecraft on her tablet. She's created detailed worlds, and has learned how to craft items. We don't mind her playing it as it's basically "digital Lego." She enjoys showing Teri her creations.
Freja and Teri played a vigorous game of volley balloon on our back porch.
The Easter Bunny seems to sneak into our home, takes the eggs the kid colored the day before, and then hides them all over the house! Freja loves to hunt for them, collecting them in her little basket.
Over this past winter Teri has been working from home on occasion. She's even set up a nice stand up workstation in our living room. It easily slides into a nearby closet when not in use, and even has a nice little base for her to stand on. I've really enjoyed having her around the house a lot more, even if I can't interact with her while she works. Apparently I can distract her...
The odds are good this will be the last grilling session for the season. My wife asked for her favorite grilled dish that I make. I've been making Paella using Alton Brown's recipe for years, and it's a fun dish to make. It was a perfect meal to smell simmering on the grill on what is likely the last warm day we'll enjoy for a while.
First Day of School - 1st Grade!
Freja's first day of 1st grade. Teri took the whole week off, and we're making a celebration of it. So quiet at the house, and we can leave at any time to go wherever we want. No herding, or having to explain what we're doing. ahhh...
It was a perfect spring day! So far it's been rather cool, and wet this spring. Today though was a pleasant change. It was sunny, comfortable, and with little wind. While I prepared a paella on the grill, Teri relaxed, and Freja painted. We also enjoyed the company of friends who dropped by to eat with us. It was truly a perfect, relaxing day at home!
Our gargoyle watches over the backyard. The squirrels can sometimes be seen to interact with it, as well as nap on the branch in front of it.
