Oven Roasted Beer Chicken

Living in an apartment comes with limitations.  The one that Joe finds particularly upsetting is that we don't have a grill.  We have to accommodate food that at home we would have grilled to be cooked on the stove or in the oven, which Joe has been pretty awesome at so far (for example, pan sear or stir fry steak).

Both Joe and I had had beer chicken made on a grill back at our respective homes.  My dad even has a special beer stand to hold the can and chicken to it doesn't tip over.  Joe says he first had it in high school at his friend Noah's house.  We both have fond memories of sitting around drinking beer and shooting shit with friends and family while the low-maintenance bird sits on the grill.

 Obviously this same recipe could be used on a grill- just nix the casserole/pyrex dish.  The beer keeps the chicken nice and moist, and can add a little bit of flavor, depending on your beer choice.

Pick your bird- ours was some organic one from Dominick's.  We don't usually go organic, but the chicken at our grocery store is usually so freaking crappy we figured it couldn't hurt.

For seasonings we used the above- rosemary, garlic pepper, coarse salt, and Old Bay- as well shredded parmesan cheese (from the shaker, not fresh), and some olive oil.

Make sure you get that bag of giblets out of the hole, if yours came with one.

The only beer we had in cans was coors, so that's what made it into our bird.  Normally Joe would use a tall can- drink the first half and cook with the second half- so it usually ends up being something cheap.


Pour out some of the beer (or drink it earlier), and get it up in there as smoothly as possible.

I recommend using a sturdy casserole dish- either a ceramic or pyrex dish. We once used a cookie sheet and it popped halfway with the heat, sending the chicken onto it's side and spilling the sauces all over the bottom of our oven.

Feel free to go crazy with your seasonings of choice.  A barbecue dry rub could be really good too.

And pop that baby into the oven! You'll have to lower or remove your shelves.  Set it to 350 or 365.

Cooking time will depend on the size of your bird.  Ours was about 5 pounds and took about an hour and 15 minutes.

Popovers and Tea

My grandmother, Onnie, is one of my favorite people to have ever graced this earth.  She was a difficult, strong-willed, opinionated woman, and I loved all of those things about her.  Up until her very last days she made her own decisions and stuck to them.

Growing up neither of my grandmothers fit the cookie-cutter, kids' book picture of a grandmother.  Both of mine were strong, passionate women, with their own loves and interests to guide them.  To my recollection neither of them have ever baked me cookies.  When I was little I thought it was so strange that all of the media representations of grandmothers are sweet, rotund, delicate women with quiet voices and gentle attitudes.  Mine were nothing of the sort.  They were happy to tell you off if you were wrong and were never particularly adept in a kitchen.

It took me years to realize how truly fortunate I am to have these women in my life growing up.  I learned that women need to do what's best for them and their family.  I learned to keep that good man if you find him, but don't be afraid to get rid of those that don't treat you the way you deserve.  I learned that women are strong, confident, and opinionated.  And in this world that is no small thing.

They also introduced me to many of the passions that drive this blog: knitting, crocheting, sewing, and a totally healthy obsession with my dog.

As I said earlier, my grandmothers rarely cooked.  But each have a few specialties, and this is one of Onnie's.  For me, they're one of those comfort foods that takes me right back to my grandmother's dining room.  It always makes me smile to remember the way she would tease my brother by knocking on the underside of the table and saying that the geese had come for him.

  They might be a New England thing; they seem pretty British.  Where ever they came from they are most definitely amazing.  Popovers are this buttery, delicious, light, eggy roll made in a muffin tin.  They take a little bit of time, but the recipe is pretty simple, and they only have four ingredients.  Give them a try.

The delicious final product!  

Intrigued?  Read on for set-by-step pictures, and the recipe at the bottom.

Irish Soda Bread

This weekend was St. Patrick's day, also known as my anniversary, so it's a pretty exciting weekend in our house!  In honor of our mutual Irish heritage I decided to try out something totally new - Irish Soda Bread.  Joe is especially fond of dense breads, and this is super simple and takes very few ingredients so it was destined to be a great new addition to our recipe book.

I based my creation off of this recipe.

The Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk - OR - 1 cup milk and 1 tsp vinegar stirred together and left to sit for 10 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbs sugar


Mix dry ingredients, stir in buttermilk.

If it's too sticky, add some flour.  If it's too dry and won't stick together, add a dab of milk.  It probably won't be perfect.

You can also add exciting things like nuts or dried cranberries or more sugar, but it was my first time so I went basic.

TOO STICKY!!!  Add more flour. 

Now that looks more like bread dough.

Don't forget one of the essential essential elements of Charm Hour- your drink of choice.

And you gotta go Irish on St. Patrick's Day if not always.