Rosemary Lemon Roast Chicken…and a Father’s Day Giveaway!

Have you ever noticed how much harder it is to shop for dads than it is to shop for moms? They just don’t want anything! I mean, my mom and I have the same taste in a lot of things, so it’s easy to find her just the right purse for Christmas or pick out the perfect flower arrangement to send her for Mother’s Day. But my Dad? He doesn’t like flowers, and the only wallet he uses is the one I bought him 10 years ago. He likes to fish, he plays ping pong, and he gardens, but he’s already bought himself everything he wants in those arenas. Plus, his tool room downstairs is already full to bursting, and I’m pretty sure my mom is going to kill him if he doesn’t get rid of some stuff soon. 

Fortunately for me, my Dad also loves to eat, and he seems to like my cooking.  So now, instead of buying him gifts he won’t use, I always whip up lavish lunches for my Dad on special occasions. This year he requested a roast chicken for Father’s Day, so I cooked him a juicy, crisp-skinned bird stuffed with lemon and rosemary from our garden, stuffed bell peppers, chili crab deviled eggs, roasted potatoes, tomato-mozzarella crostini, and kimchi fried rice (his idea, not mine). We also had a big pitcher of chilled sangria to help us wash down all that food, and blueberry pie for dessert.

My Dad loved everything! He oohed and ahh’d over the chicken, raved about the potatoes (which Dan made), demanded that I give my mom the recipe for stuffed peppers, and inhaled half a plate deviled eggs and crostini before crying Uncle. I was happy with his eating, he was happy with our cooking, and my Mom was happy that my cats finally let her pet them. All in all, it was a good Father’s Day celebration, probably one of our best so far. I don’t know how we’ll top it next year, but for now…Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you 🙂

Jocko, if you’re reading this, I love you too! Come visit soon and I’ll cook for you 🙂 Happy Father’s Day!

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And, in honor of Father’s Day, I’m holding my second giveaway. One lucky winner will get a Cardpool gift card worth $50, redeemable at the winner’s store of choice.

If you’ve never heard of Cardpool, today is your lucky day! It’s an amazing money-saving website that allows you to buy discounted gift cards to all your favorite stores. Hungry for Applebee’s? Save 10% and spend only $21.25 for a $25 gift card! Need clothes for work? Pay only $93.33 for an Ann Taylor gift card worth $124.44! The upfront savings are pretty amazing, but if you combine the cards with coupons/promo codes readily available in stores and online, you can save boatloads of cash on the things you want. No expiration, no fees, free shipping on all orders!

Interested? Then go check out the Cardpool website and leave me a comment below telling me which store you’d like to spend your $50 at. The giveaway will close on Friday, June 22, and a winner will be selected at random and notified on Saturday. Good luck!

Congrats to Toni Greene for winning the giveaway!

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Rosemary Lemon Roast Chicken

Ingredients:
– 5lb whole chicken
– 4 sprigs rosemary
– 4 tbsp butter, shaved or cut into slivers
– Salt/pepper
– 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
– 4 large carrots, chopped
– 4 stalks celery, chopped
– Olive oil

Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 425.
(2) Throw chopped carrot and celery pieces into the bottom of a large, high-sided baking/roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt/pepper to taste.
(3) Remove entrails bag from inside your chicken, rinse out the cavity, and pat your chicken dry.
(4) Sprinkle a little salt into the chicken cavity, then stuff lemon slices and 3 sprigs of rosemary inside.
(5) Carefully insert half the butter shavings under the skin of your chicken, as well as your last sprig of rosemary.
(6) Rub the rest of your butter over the entire surface of your chicken.
(7) Lightly season your chicken with salt/pepper to taste on both sides.
(8) Lay buttered/seasoned/stuffed chicken breast-side up on top of the bed of carrots/celery.
(9) Stick everything into the oven, and bake for 1hr 30min, or until juices run clear.
(10) Pull chicken out of the oven, tent loosely with foil, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
(11) Enjoy!