Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day and for me that means I am barred from the kitchen.  That's right, DH and the little GP's don't allow me to cook or clean up on Mother's Day.  The cleaning up, I can deal with, but the cooking is killing me today.  I've been reading so many blogs this weekend, and finding so many new recipes I want to try that I am antsy to get back in the kitchen.

Warning, this post is very long.....I can't help it, I love roasted chicken.......

Now if I were cooking today, something for myself, it would be a roasted chicken.  Next to a nice juicy steak, nothing beats a perfectly roasted chicken with homemade gravy and mashed garlic potatoes.  At least in my book.  And since I am still working on my steak technique, I would cook myself a roasted chicken.  Extra crispy skin, please.  And pass the gravy.

But since I can't, I will just have to blog about the one I made yesterday.  Guess, I had my roasted chicken after all. ;)

I wanted a simple roast chicken, nothing to herb-ey.  Since I will be using the left over chicken carcass (carcass, every time I hear that word I think of buzzards picking at some roadkill, isn't there a better word?) to make chicken stock because my freezer is out at the moment.     I was also out of a lot of fresh herbs, carrots, and celery, oh and to lazy to go to the store.  Usually my favorite recipe for simple roast chicken is Thomas Keller's method, dry the chicken inside and out, let the kosher salt rain down on the skin, sprinkle with fresh black pepper, truss, and roast at 450 degrees for about an hour.  But with this method comes a lot of smoke, maybe it's the pan I use or fatty chickens, I don't know.  I do know  I wasn't in the mood for being smoked out, and since it's 90 degrees here I couldn't open my windows,  I went a different route.

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Depression Cake

Chocolate Crazy, Wacky, Depression Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup water


Spray an 8 x8 inch pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together.  Add the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.  Pour into prepard 8×8 pan.

OR if you want to get "Wacky"

Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water over all, and stir well with fork.

Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until it springs back when touched lightly, or until a cake tester comes out clean which ever is your prefered cake testing doneness method.

Allow to cool completely before serving.  Top with powdered sugar or frost as desired.

This is the frosting I made, it's pretty sweet.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup butter

In a large glass measuring cup, warm milk in microwave.  Mine took 45 seconds.  Add cocoa and powdered sugar.  Stir to combine.  Put back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and butter 1 tablespoon at a time.  This should thicken up the frosting slightly.  This isn't a thick frosting.  But it did thicken slightly when cooled.

You could also do this in a saucepan, just Combine milk, cocoa, and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook until combined about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla, beat until spreading consistency.

Mmmmmmm.............cake.

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Testing

recipe


Beef it's what's for dinner.....

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