Homegrown Chicken . . . Tasty

Since PE killed the bird last weekend we needed to get it cooked. So, Thursday night PE did the prep for Garlic Lovers' Chicken in the Slow Cooker (recipe below) and Friday morning he just had to put the crock in the slow cooker and turn it on. On Fridays I work half day so when I got home around 12:00 the house smelled SO good. Yummy, yummy, gonna have garlic in my tummy.

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Garlic Lovers' Chicken in the Slow Cooker
from Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Print Recipe

1 whole chicken, about 6 - 7 pounds
1 onion, sliced
30 cloves of garlic, peeled OR
15 cloves and 5-6 Tbsp refrigerated minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
1/4 cup flour dissolved in 1/2 cup chicken stock

Place chicken, onion, and garlic in slow cooker. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme over the chicken. Add wine and chicken stock mixture to the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6 hours. The internal temperature of the chicken should register about 165 degrees when it is done.

++We strained the remaining juices and made gravy. To make the gravy put the remaining juices in a pot. Add cornstarch dissolved in water. PE did this and I don't know how much of each he used.

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We served the gravy over PE's delicious mashed potatoes. To make the mashed potatoes, dice 10-12 pealed russet potatoes and boil in water until tender. Drain potatoes and return to pan. Start to mash and add some butter, salt and pepper, and cream cheese, oh and for good fattening measure, add whipping cream too. (Seriously!? Yes. They are so tasty. Just don't eat too many.) You can truthfully add any combination and amounts of the cream cheese, butter, and whipping cream. You can also add any of the following in the place of or in addition to those ingredients: milk, plain homemade yogurt, sour cream, or half and half.

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We had a bit of a sweet tooth after dinner so I made No Bake Cookies. PE loves them because of the chocolate and peanut butter combination.

No Bake Cookies
from PE's Family Cookbook
Print Recipe

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa
pinch of salt
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup flour

Line a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with waxed paper. In a small saucepan combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, milk, cocoa, and salt. Place in saucepan on burner with medium heat. Stir with a wooden or silicone spoon. Bring mixture to a boil and let it boil for one minute. (Begin timing when the first bubble rises from the bottom of pan.) Remove pan from heat and place on heat-resistant surface. Add peanut butter, vanilla, quick oats, and flour. Stir until well mixed. (Mixture should be moist and shiny. If mixture is dry and crumbly, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time until mixture is moist and shiny.) Using two small eating spoons (or one of these), scoop a small portion onto your jellyroll pan that has been lined with waxed paper. Allow mixture to cool in refrigerator before eating. (They set up as they cool.) Yield: about 24 cookies.

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That was our evening with Bob (Moo and Bug were at football games). Bob is such a good kid when he isn't arguing with Moo or bugging Moo/Bug.