W.F.D.T.R: Valentine's Dinner

Eeeerrrgggg Blogger why do you hate me so?  I just lost 25 minutes of work on here.  If you do not first succeed, try, try again I guess.

As I was saying...This is not a recipe but I will add some helpful tips.  It is important to know that I am a Plain Jane. Some people like garlic infused roast chicken with a rosemary ginger rub, cranberry pine nut stuffing and a maple ginger glaze (I totally just made all that up,)but I like Roast Chicken. Ok maybe I like Roast Chicken.  ANYWAY...

• Roast Chicken (Raised, killed, plucked and gutted by yours truly...ok fine I had some help.)

Salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to the skin.  Once I tried making stuffing and almost threw up when I saw how unhealthy it was so I stuff my poultry with apples and onions for moisture.  So in case you thought this chicken was giving birth or sprouting a strange growth, it is just an apple.  Cover with foil for fist 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.@ 325.  Uncover and roast until legs are nice and limber.

• Mashed Potatoes

Peel, cut, cover with water with 1 inch to spare, boil, drain, milk, butter (I use less than most.  Just enough to get the flavor and good texture.), salt, pepper.  I prefer the texture with a potato masher vs. a mixer.

• Peas No picture but I put frozen peas in a bowl, add a splash of water and cover with a plate and microwave (for a healthful glow he he)on the setting for frozen veggies.  The always come out tender and sweet, though I do pay extra for petite peas; it makes a huge difference.
• Carrots

Two tricks here.  #1Don't boil the carrots, just steam them.  Add the carrots and about an inch of water to the pan and boil until desired tenderness.  #2 Save the water from the carrots and peas and use them for soup another day.  There's lots of good stuff in that water.  Thank you Grammy Deslaurier for that tip!

• Pickled Beets (Grown, harvested, cleaned and canned by...you guessed it, ME (with some help of course.))  No picture but I needed recognition for all the amazing stuff I do...just kidding of course ;)

• Gravy Again no picture.  I take the drippings from the chicken add water or milk, though adding milk and then boiling it makes funny white dots in the gravy, onion, garlic, salt and pepper then bring to a boil.  Add cornstarch dissolved in cold water and return to a boil.  If you added too much cornstarch add more milk and water, if it is too thin, rinse and repeat.  Ok just repeat.