.. what's for dinner on TurkeyDay??

I don't want to bore you with another recipe for another ThanksGiving dinner, I would be a little late for that anyway, right? I didn't even prepare a turkey this year!

 I opted out for .. CHICKEN .. a bird is a bird is a bird after all! This year's ThanksGiving dinner, my TallGuy and I were the only invited guests! So why would I run around in the kitchen for hours like a chicken with its head cut off (yeah .. pun intended) preparing a turkey that we would have to eat for days over and over again?? None one of us likes turkey that much!!!

 The chicken I picked out was not too small and not too big .. a nice 5pounder! After defrosting it in the fridge like a chef I decided to brine it! Hey, only because it is not a turkey I still want to do the right thing! It's still a bird that I want to digest this holiday !!!

And just in case you want to use this brine for your bird (good for turkey and chicken) next year ... here is what to do!!

16 cups of water

3/4 cup of salt

2/3 cup of sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Italian spices .. basil, thyme, rosemary etc

1 head of fresh garlic crushed and chopped

Put all that together in a big pot, mix and make sure all the sugar and salt are dissolved .. and drown that bird over night!

  

Of course, before you roast your birdie, make sure it has a nice bed of vegetables to rest on!! Chop those onions, potatoes, carrots and celery like there is no tomorrow, toss them in some olive oil and then off into the baking dish ! Oh, and don't forget to powder that chicken butt with a few more spices like onion salt, paprika, and garlic powder, inside and out, before you shove it in the (385 degrees), preheated oven! Every 38 1/2 minutes (or something like that) I checked and poured some melted butter with more spices over the skin and ....

... after 2~3 hours (depending on the size of your wing thing) you have a crispy skin but juicy meat bird-meal. YUMMM...

I also decided to make some homemade mac and cheese and some dressing as sides! And of course, there was pie .. sweet potato pie .. storebought ... but sssssshhhh don't tell!

So until next year, gobble 'til you wobble!! Just don't blame it on me! 

;)