Goode Goodness: Best. Chicken. Ever.

I am on a cooking kick and therefore a food bloggin' kick this weekend. So, I finally documented my very favorite chicken recipe EVER. 

Bottle o' Beer Chicken Thighs from one of my favorite Weber cookbooks.

FYI-Weber status: LOVE the cookbooks, hate the restaurant and never owned the grill.

Now, ya might notice that their picture looks a tad different than mine...Why you might ask???
 
Let's do a multiple choice:
 
A.) I wasn't available to make the recipe for them so their chef had to fill in for me.
B.) I used skinless-boneless thighs, while they used regular thighs with the skin on
C.) Their professional photographer was delayed at the airport and could not make the photo shoot for this blog.
D.) All the above
 
You know the routine here.  I don't give answers... you will just have to live in suspense.  Harsh, I know.
 
So, ya start with a can of beer. I know it says bottle.  But Puddie drinks cans--so I go with what I got.
 
 

 
HOLD IT-- now, I know there are some tea-totalers out there.  I am pretty much one myself... if you don't count the occasional glass of red wine. 
 
Fact is I hate beer.  It smells nasty-- however-- it is heavenly to cook with. So go with me here. Pour a can of beer into a mixing bowl.
 

Then you take a hand full of green onions and chop them up.

Toss the onions in the bowl with the beer.

Now ya got some happy onions ;)

Add some Kosher Salt.  I heart Kosher Salt. If you don't gots you some--get some... If for no other reason than it makes you look super cool when you sprinkle it on ;)

Then add some minced garlic

And then a couple splashes Worcestershire shherrecherer sauce.... who the HECK can say that word anyhow.  Bad marketing if ask me.  From now on I ordain it "Shire Sauce".

And then a splash of hot sauce

Note for the "heat weak" like myself: Don't accidentally add too much hot sauce trying to get the perfect camera shot.  It ain't worth it...

Then add about 1/4 cup of mustard.  You pick the flavor... it's all good.

Then grab your chicken.

 
I choose to use Boneless Skinless Thighs. They are heavenly and much lower in fat than their skin-on counterparts.  You can use breasts if you like--but watch them closely on the grill or they will dry out fast.
 
So dunk your birds in your special elixir.
 

 
and wait. Weber says 8 hrs I think.  I wait 20-30 minutes...lol.
 
Then pop 'em on the grill.
 

Note: Weber can teach you all about direct and indirect heat. 

Me, not so much. I like mine crispy, so hot is typically my "method"

Please excuse my pitiful grill.  It gets the job done though ;)

I grill the chicken about 15 minutes on each side--paying special attention to the hot spots on my grill and the size of the thighs.

This chicken KICKS BUTT. Seriously.

No kiddin'. I'd rather have it than any other chicken.

Yummo! ;)

Stay tuned for more food bloggin'.  I hope to record many of our family's favorite holiday dishes next week and share in the coming weeks.
 
And, a big shout out to Brooke and my other loyal readers who have been inspired to dust off their cookbooks and join me in the kitchen :)

Goode Goodness: Potato and Corn Chowder

THIS is what we had for lunch today.  Potato and Corn Chowder. YUM!  This little dish is a new favorite around here.  Especially on November days that actually act like November days and are a little chilly outside.

Bet ya can't guess what cookbook I got the idea from???

You guessed it.  Gooseberry Patch.  This particular one is one of my most used cookbooks by the way.  LOVE all of the ideas and recipes.

So I started with an onion... no tears please :)

I chopped her up and threw her in a pot with 2 T "butter". I used light margarine--GASP. (Sorry I ain't a butter purist Paula--and let's be honest if I were Paula I would have put the whole darn stick in.)

Then I cooked her up until the onions were a little translucent.-- Not sure why my onion is a girl today, but she is--so go with it.

In the mean time, I grabbed some red potatoes. I heart red potatoes.  I grew up on Russets, but now we have red 90% of the time. Oh I know the potato gods think you need a different potato for different dishes. Not me... red potatoes are too heavenly to use anything else;)

So I began to peel 'em up. But first I grabbed a garbage bowl a-la Rachel Ray style.

Speaking of Rachel.  I've got a whole new respect for her after the Martha comments. And Martha, I have decided having an "inner Martha" ain't such a good thing anymore-- I know you will be heart broken.

I have decided that since my skills pale even in comparison to poor Rachel's -- I think I will now consult my "inner Rachel"--but Rach, I think I'll keep my own voice if that is ok with you ;)

Back to the potato.  I chopped them up and set them aside.

Then I measured out 2 cups of chicken broth (I strayed from the recipe here--you know me... cooking has to be an adventure and following things to a tee is just too boring!)

Then I added the broth and potatoes to the pot and brought to a boil

In the meantime, I added some chopped red and green peppers for a color and flavor punch!--also a deviation from the recipe.  Watch out I such a rebel!

Pretty.

After adding the peppers, things were coming to a boil.

So I added some Kosher salt and pepper.

I heart Kosher salt.

Then I added 2 cups of milk to 2 T of flour  in a separate bowl.

G-R-A-D-U-A-L-L-Y

Easy does it...

Once I had a liquid-y paste, I added the rest of the milk.

And  then poured the milk and 1/2 a 32 oz bag of frozen corn into the pot.

Mixed 'er up and let simmer for about 1/2 hr.

In the mean time I chopped up some fresh parsley

And threw it in as a garnish

So hearty and yummy

And pretty :)

I seriously have only one serving left :(

Next time I need to double the batch...

Goode Goodness: Whipped

How do you solve a problem like Maria  real whipped cream that won't set up right!

Ok, I admit it... I have never been able to master whipped cream--other than from the RediWhip can.

Soo--with Turkey day approachin' I was thrilled to see this Farm Chick's post!


http://thefarmchicks.typepad.com/farmchicks/2009/11/the-whipped-cream-secret.html

So now maybe I have a shot at mastering this fluffy heavenly substance--sans can...

I'll keep ya posted.

Goode Goodness: Cheese Head on My Hands

I got a Cheese Head on my hands.

Seriously.  My girl LOVES her "Stick Cheese"

One of the few healthy things she will eat, let alone ask for...

She loves her stick cheese, but the flash...not so much. 

Sometimes she actually holds her hands up and says "Stop Mom".

Like I am the paparazzi or something!?!?

My 2 year old couldn't possibly have more restraint than me--could she!?!?

Nope... appears that I am safe. Check out her mouth crammed full of "Stick Cheese"

Eww...Told you I had a Cheese Head on my hands... you didn't believe me --did ya?

This right here is an example of the stuff they don't tell you about in parenting books. Little people have an incredible capacity to cram themselves full... AND an equally amazing capacity to rid themselves of such fullness.  You have now officially been warned...

It's a Goode Life: Take Me Out to the Ballpark

Look what Santa dropped off today while I was at work.

This is gonna be our craft, playdoh and colorin' table-- insert any other activity that I am kidding myself if I REALLY think it will stay on the table...lol

This should be called: "my climbin' table and chairs to use to get to things I ain't suppose to"... but my guess is their marketing folks advised against that name.  So much for truth in advertsin'

Add hasn't noticed the new box.  She is too busy asking "play with tree???" and  with  this:

We found this in the closet when digging out the Christmas Tree.

I am convinced this toy -- a gift from her cousin Nick on her first birthday-- is better than anything she will get for Christmas.  She is OBSESSED with it.

By the way this particular fashion statement is brought to you by Outfits by Daddy...

She says "Hold it like this"... lol. Then hits the ball and runs around the house.:)

Poor baby ain't got no toys

-- nor a housekeeper apparently.