"Love Somebody" Roast Chicken

OK guys, this is it. This is freaking good chicken. To me, this roast chicken is the ultimate comfort food. It's the perfect meal to share with dearly loved ones. When I think of this roast chicken, I think of the word "Welcome." It's like...a warm hug. In plated poultry form. That's why I call it Love Somebody Roast Chicken.

In full disclosure, I am not too great about sharing recipes, because I typically "wing it" (no pun intended) as I go. So please bear with me here. 

Preparing this meal isn't difficult, but it does indeed take time. I know us Americans love to rush through everything, but you know what? Good food takes time. I have personally come to appreciate the discipline of giving my time to cooking and preparing a rich and delicious meal for those I love. It's become extremely meditative for me. Cooking is loving, folks!  

In full disclosure Part Deux, I like to go big on flavor. There are few things in culinary life worse than bland and dry chicken, AMIRITE?! This roast chicken recipe is essentially a combination of several recipes with a few twists of my own. Y'all ready for this? [Cue "Space Jam" theme song]

What you'll need:
 
-1 organic free-range chicken about ~6 lbs. (because happy chickens are yummier chickens. My name is Sarah Brown, and I approve this message.)
-lots of thyme (in a bunch, and 1tsp thyme sprigs only)
-some rosemary (some kept on stem, and 1/2tsp finely minced)
-some sage (kept on stem)
-3 T butter (or ghee! or coconut oil! Trust me.)
-1 onion (1/2 kept in skin, other 1/2 coarsely sliced)
-1 head of garlic cut in half + 1 crushed garlic clove
-1 lemon
-salt and pepper
-kitchen string 
-6 carrots (peeled and chopped)
-2 stalks celery (coarsely chopped)
-2T olive oil

And now for the Directions! 

-Clean the chicken: remove the innards (I hate that word) and set aside, make sure chicken in fully thawed. Remove any extra feathers and fat or whatnot. Wash the inside and outside of chicken by scrubbing it by hand with salt. Rinse with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. 

-Melt butter (or ghee or coconut oil) over low heat - don't let it brown or burn! Throw in a crushed garlic clove so it infuses the butter. Mmmmm. Set aside. 

-Season inside of chicken with salt and pepper. 

-Cut lemon in wedges, cut head of garlic in half (keeping the skin), cut onion in half (keeping skin), and stuff the chicken's cavity with as much of this as possible. Take a handful of thyme, a thing of rosemary, and a thing of sage, and stuff it in there as well. It's OK if the herbs stick out. Stuffing the chicken will give it wonderfully mellow undertones of lemon, onion, garlic, and herb flavors in every bite. Heaven on earth! 

-Remove garlic clove from butter, and liberally brush butter all over the chicken. This will give your roast chicken a beautiful brown color and makes it perfectly crispy! 

-Season chicken with more salt and pepper. 

-Take some more herbs and stuff them underneath the skin at the neck and closer to the bottom of the chicken. 

-For the veggies: Coarsely slice onions, chop celery and carrots; place in bowl. Mix with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste (don't go too crazy! The chicken will flavor the vegetables as well as it roasts). Add thyme sprigs and finely minced rosemary, then toss together. Place all veggies on bottom of a buttered roasting pan. 

-Place chicken on top of vegetables. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen string. No, I didn't do this even though I knew I was supposed to (Do as I say, not as I do! ;). And you know what happened? The legs cooked faster than the rest of the chicken! Tying the legs together ensures a more even roasting/cooking process. 

-Place in 420 degree F oven for approximately 1.5 hours or whenever the juices run clear when you poke the leg/thigh area. Occasionally check on the chicken while it's cooking and baste it with its own juices in the roasting pan. 

-Let chicken sit for 15 minutes covered with foil before plating/serving. 

Enjoy!!! And go love on somebody! Through chicken. 

Benjamin's Birth Story!

[NOTE: Before you read on, I want to make it CLEAR that just because I am a fan of natural childbirth doesn't mean I am "anti" epidural or "anti" C-section. Praise GOD for epidurals and C-sections and for how they have helped (and SAVED!) women and babies! Do you want to plan for getting an epidural? Do you want to elect for a C-section? Go on with your sassy self! This is just a matter of different strokes for different folks. What is TRULY important is that we are mothers who love our children, no matter how any one of us chooses to bring a baby into the world - via natural birth, epidural, C-section, adoption. And NO ONE should ever make ANY woman feel guilty, ashamed, or lesser than for that personal choice. We must celebrate one another as sisters, as mothers, as women.] 

Benjamin's first birthday is TODAY (!!!!), and I am RUSHING to the finish line to get his birth story out there. Basically, I am doing this on behalf of all the second children of the world who think their mamas did *everything* for their older siblings but hardly have any baby photos of themselves. Ha!! I wrote a birth story for Naomi, so I must write a birth story for Benjamin, gosh darn it!! 

It was about 1am when I first started feeling contractions, which is no bueno when you can no longer sleep through contractions and labor has just begun. With Naomi's labor/birth, I described the pain from start to finish as "not that bad." With Benjamin, it felt like someone was stabbing my abdominal area with dozens of knives while another person was swinging a bat and breaking my lower back at the same time FROM THE GET-GO. I know that's a holly, jolly picture for you right there. I'm not one to mince words.

I had the irresistible urge to listen to "All Mixed Up" by 311 (who ya know, I hadn't even thought about since like, HIGH SCHOOL). Most probably because it had the "F" word in it - which, if you've ever felt like knives and good ole Louisville sluggers were harming your body, you may also be tempted to say. With Naomi, I reached for melodramatic praise and worship songs by Christy Nockels. With Benjamin, it was songs with the "F" word. Such a doting mother I am.

I like to say that I am ca-ra-zy every day of life...except for when I am busy bringing a baby into the world. During labor I become very isolated, quiet, introspective, and I don't want ANYBODY to touch me. I have this vivid memory of Christopher wanting to get all loving and cuddly (like the good, good man he is thought he was supposed to do) and I calmly but firmly snapped at him, "Leave me alone. This is a woman's work!" Rawr. BAHA. Sorry, boo. 

Sunday morning came, and my dear friend Stella came over bright and early in the morning to keep Naomi company while we were waiting for our parents to arrive and take care of her. 

My contractions were a little all over the place. For 30 minutes to an hour, I would consistently get them five minutes apart, but then they would suddenly stall back to 20 minutes or so apart. As a former doula, I already knew this was no bueno and that it would be a long labor from the start. Throw the back labor into that mix, and I was pretty miserable and feeling hopeless from the beginning. I got weepy with exhaustion several times. In total, I labored through contractions and back labor for at least 21 hours. Special, special times. 

Around early evening, Christopher and I finally drove to GW Hospital (praise God it was a Sunday, so there was no rush hour traffic!) when my contractions were sporadically 3 minutes apart for almost an hour. What is more miserable than feeling contractions like knives were being jabbed into your body all the while bumpily riding in the backseat of a car (DC potholes + contractions, man...ouch!)? I don't know. Probably actually having real knives being jabbed into your body while riding in the backseat of a car in real life. 

They checked us into a room and our midwife Laura ever so nonchalantly greeted me. She checked me, and I was only at 4cm. I bawled like a baby. Over 12 hours of labor, and I was only at a 4 and baby had not dropped yet. I knew immediately it was the stress I felt and the excruciatingly painful back labor that kept me from getting into helpful birthing positions that were stalling labor. They ran an IV line because they probably thought this weepy woman was eventually going to get an epidural. Ha. Little did they know what a stubborn person they were dealing with. Different nurses tried to stick me in between AND during contractions literally EIGHT times...and failed. I bawled some more. I finally asked them to get an ER Tech or Anesthesiologist to stick me (ProTip: ER Techs/EMTs are AWESOME at this since time is of the essence in their line of work!). 

Like the first time around, I wanted a natural, unmedicated childbirth. It was even more important this time, however, due to some surgeries I had in the year prior to carrying Benjamin. I NEEDED to feel all my contractions to avoid a C-section (major surgery! Tough recovery! C section mamas are some super strong women, people!) and avoid doing more trauma to my body. I NEEDED to feel every contraction so that I WOULDN'T push but let my body do the pushing itself.

With Naomi, my over-and-over again mantra slash affirmation during labor was "This is a good thing." With Benjamin, my mantra-affirmation was "I am STRONG. God has made me STRONG!" And truly, it felt like a little hug every time I said it. 

I eventually complained of my back labor so much that the midwife recommended a water injection to my lower back. In a nutshell, these water injections to your lower back will take the edge off of the pain in back labor. I got 4 of these injections all at once, and it was by far the most painful part of labor. Thankfully, it did take the edge off of back labor pains. My pain went from an 11, to maybe a 9. And that was ALL the edge-off I needed to get into helpful laboring positions and to pick my spirits back up. Let the oxytocin flow, baby! Within an HOUR or so, I went from 4cm to 10cm! 

The midwives and nurses ushered me to the birth tub to labor some more until my water broke. My contractions were back to back at this time --- We were in Transition, baby!!! The midwife saw the (albeit quiet) panic on my face, as the craaaazy levels of hormones typically make women do, and she firmly instructed me to mirror her breathing and facial expressions. This helped me IMMENSELY! I didn't think so much about my pain or my body uncontrollably convulsing. I was intensively studying her facial expressions and mimicking them. I was instructed to get out of the tub because GWUH was not permitting water births at the time (boooo hoooo!!!) and I got on the bed. 

My midwife Laura kept asking me, "Listen to your body. What is your body telling you to do?" She let me choose my body's preferred "pushing"/delivery position. In less than 30 minutes, Benjamin was born!!!!!!!!!! Christopher and I both CRIED so MUCH! The sense of relief, awe, accomplishment, wonder, and overwhelming love is extremely difficult to put into words. After hours and hours of labor, you finally SEE the long-expected baby you lovingly carried with you for almost 10 months. I know it's different for everyone (no one is the same as another and that's is FINE!), but I instantly felt this deep I-will-do-anything-for-you, I-love-you-more-than-life-itself kind of love for Benjamin, just as I had immediately felt for Naomi. I like to think that is the good Lord's way of letting us women experience what it is to love like He loves, just as He has loved us through the Cross and Resurrection.  

Here are some photos from that happy day! I'm getting misty just looking at them. My precious son!!!!! 

In which I made my husband video record me lip-syncing Faith Hill

Doooo you know what todaaaay is? It's our anniversary, it's our anniversary!

Actually, our anniversary isn't until November 20, but I just couldn't help but sing that classic Tony Toni Tone song.  Now that I've got that song stuck in your head, you are welcome.

On our first anniversary, I spent the weekend vomiting my guts out in the beautiful Shenandoah Mountains due to pregnancy. It went something like Mountain Picnic-->Vomit-->Drive to another picnic location-->VomitF-->Walk up a hill-->Vomit-->Go back to B&B-->Vomit-->Lie down-->Vomit-->Go out to eat-->Vomit. It was awesome. 

For our second anniversary, we traveled to New York City to watch Ricky Martin shake his bon-bon in Evita, stroll through Central Park, and take in all the beauty of autumn in New York!  

On our third anniversary, we celebrated over high tea in Old Town followed by "dinner" at Co Co Sala. And by "dinner," I mean overpriced meals with tiny portion sizes more appropriate for hummingbirds. We had to stop at McDonald's afterwards. I may be high maintenance, but I'm not too cool for school to eat at McDonald's, and I happen to be very proud of that fact.

As we approach our four year mark, I find myself praising God for His faithfulness in bringing us and holding us together. I also find myself wondering how in the world I ever got married to begin with - to such a solid, normal, patient, and amazing man like Christopher at that. The Lord really knocked it out of the park in bringing me to a husband like him. In fact, I wonder how in the heck I ever got married quite frequently. But our upcoming wedding anniversary just makes me wonder about it more. If you know me well and have known me for awhile, you are most likely equally surprised that a hopelessly independent, yet so very needy and oftentimes eccentric and terribly opinionated firecracker like me got married too. I don't say that in a self-deprecating way. I'm just self-aware, alright! THANKS, God!!!!!

Now I leave you with a years-old video in which I lip-sync Faith Hill's "This Kiss" to my husband with a sippy cup as my mic. It's really attractive. Christopher the Cameraman's reaction at around 2:10 might be my favorite part of this video. I may or may not get that same exact reaction from him like, oh...75% of the time in our life together. Happy Anniversary to us! 

Porch Futbol with Naomi

Oh, ya know.  Just a little porch futbol in a tutu...



Something tells me little Nay's gonna be quite the "shot caller" when she grows up.

life a la iPhone

Here are a few photos from around these parts.  :)

Little Miss Has the Magazine Munchies

I recently bought a food magazine, and I caught Naomi looking through the pages and pretending like she was eating pieces of food from the mag photos.  At least I hope she was pretending!  This girl is seriously such a ham.  So thankful to God for a little lady who keeps me amused and laughing...a lot, lot, lot.  The very end cracks me up the most.

Fall Festival: NW DC Style

Last Saturday, we happened upon a Fall Festival hosted by a community in NW DC. Highlights of our time there included cotton candy, African dancing and a drum circle, and a special "hay ride" that basically involved an oversized stroller with a bit of hay taped onto it.  Too funny.  Here are a few snap shots of our day!  Happy Fall...y'all.

Fall Recipes: Sweet Potato Pie

Had Instagram existed a few years back, I would have IG'd the look on my husband's (then boyfriend's) face when I volunteered to bring a pumpkin pie to Christmas Eve dinner at his mom's house.  It was a look of shock, horror, disapproval, and dismay.  "No, you can't," he insisted.  "We don't eat pumpkin pie," he explained.  OK, then.  

Christopher has never tasted (and does not personally care to ever try) pumpkin pie. However, he is an avid fan of sweet potato pie.  

I never had sweet potato pie until we started dating, but you better believe I had to pony-up and figure it out once we got married.  It is similar to, but not exactly like my mother in-law's recipe.  You see, my mother in-law is an amazing cook and baker.  She does it all so effortlessly too.  Let's be honest, there is simply no need for me to hopelessly try and replicate her amazingness.  So I take her foundations and just kinda twist and turn it here and there to make it different.  (Let's be honest again, CB probably likes his mom's pie more, and I am totally and completely OK with that.  :D)  

Alas, here's what we've got:

Oh hello, Gorgeous.  Get in my belly.

Ingredients:

*2.5 c sweet potatoes (Or I go by using 3 really big ones because I cannot look at potatoes and somehow think in "cups")
*3 eggs
*1 c melted butter
*3/4 c evaporated milk
*1/2 c sweet condensed milk (or a little more, because why the heck not)
*2 t cinnamon (go big or go home, baby)
*2 t nutmeg (side note on spices: Be mindful of how old your ground spices are.  Spices like nutmeg and cinnamon only have a shelf life of about 2 years.)  
*1 t vanilla (another side note: not all vanilla extracts are created equally.  For pies and other baked goods, I LOVE to use Watkins.  You just have to trust me on this. You will notice a difference!)
*1 c sugar (yeah, you read that right)
*2 pre-made roll-out pie crusts

Gather all your ingredients.  And uh, please excuse that jacked-up wall.
Our home is still under construction!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Do not be like me and cut corners by setting it to a higher temperature (unless you are in a rush to get to a Church potluck, then fine.  Hi, Grace Mosaic!) or else your beloved pie will come out a bit dryer than it's supposed to.

Cut sweet potatoes in half and boil them (with skin) until tender.  When ready, run under cold water to easily peel skin off.  Stick em in a bowl like so.

Mash em real good in any way you can.  I used a masher (or whatever that's called), a hand mixer, AND a hand blender.  OCD much?

Whatever you do, just make sure you get all the lumps out.
Note that some SPs are stringy.  You DO NOT want that!  No lumps!  No strings!  You do not want a whole bunch of Betty Crockers judging you.  If you are a novice baking lady or a dude who actually cares to read this post because you want to impress a lady, you must understand that people take their pies very seriously.  
Let me say it again: No lumps!  No strings!

Add the following 8 ingredients listed above.  Keep mixing. Just check out that beautiful sweet condensed milk action.  

Roll out your pie crust into the pie pans and shape the crust as you wish.  

After all the mixing at whatnot, it should look something like this.  

Pour evenly into pie pans.  

Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until it's baked through!

Cue the "Hallelujah" chorus.  And enjoy!  

Daddy-Daughter Date Night

Our Little Miss had quite the milestone on Monday night: her first Daddy-Daughter Date Night!  There are no words to fully express how grateful I am for Christopher and the way he tirelessly loves, serves, teaches, and sweetly cares for our daughter.  I'm so grateful that God blessed me with a man who is such an active part of her life, no matter how long and exhausting his days at work have been.  

I hope our Little Miss grows up knowing how incredibly blessed she is as well to have a "Dada" like him.  And that she holds every single man who ever comes her way (in the LONG and DISTANT future, of course! ;) up to the high standard her Daddy has already set for her. Yes, Lord!  

All dolled up for Date Night!

Cheese!

Love her so much!

Playing with the pretty flowers.

Kisses from Daddy!

Love love love.

Hello, Apple Cider Season!

It's that time of year!  All things pumpkin and apple cider season!  Hallelujah.  

Given our recent house move, my home is still a wreck.  Not to mention, I've been under the weather and rather debilitated too. But that did not stop me from preparing 
some cider as soon as the summer-like weather (in October?!) here in DC went away.  Priorities, people.  

 

I know some people like to make apple cider from scratch.  With a toddler, a husband, a new house, a job, and did I mention a toddler?, I do not have time for that.  
Also, I am not Amish.  But I still like to do the next best thing.  

Bought this baby from our local grocery.  Pour however much you want into a pot.  
I used about half a gallon. 
Turn the oven on low.  Simma down nah!
Add a couple Tabslespoons of brown sugar and stir.

And now for some citrusy goodness.  Use one orange per gallon.
Cut it in half if you'd like to give your cider a more citrusy kick.  

Here's a special little infusion secret I learned from my friend Josh.  (Hi, Josh!)
Take whole cloves and stick em ever so nicely into the orange, 
so as to create an alien-like species of sorts.
It is tres annoying to me when little remnants of cloves get into my mug.  Hence this trick.  Don't use too many cloves though or else your cider will become way bitter.  
Stick it in the pot.    

Now meet the ALL STAR players of the season.  Nutmeg and Cinnamon!  Stick one cinna stick in the pot.  Add a few dashes of nutmeg.  
Your house will start to smell heavenly right about now.

Wait anxiously for ~20 minutes and then, voila!  It's apple cider time!  
Instant happiness in a cup!  Enjoy!  #sickiefaceselfie