Roasted Chicken. You're welcome.

This morning I went to see my friend Cara for a lovely massage. For whatever reason (it's either the work at the computer or the Strive training at the gym), my back knots up and won't let go. And that makes for a miserable me.

Then Abbie and I headed up north to the big mall in search of a pair of boots for her. The pair she's currently wearing has worn through the heel so badly you can stick your finger in and tickle her foot. It's a drag when it snows. She's already looked in all the shoe stores in Lynchburg and our area, so we tried the huge outlet mall about an hour north of us.

After walking almost two hours and going in every store in the place, we decided we stink at shopping.  We think everything is ugly and overpriced. We left with nothing but a hankering for Chick-fil-A, which we found across the street. After we drowned our sorrows in waffle fries and special sauce and full-calorie, sugar-laden Coke, we drove back to our lowly town and found jeans at Target and Keds at another place. Got a couple of dress shirts for Ben at Kohl's (why am I telling you all this?), and then came home.

In our absence, Man-boy had bought the mother of all leaf-blowers and was entertaining himself piling up leaves from the 5,478 oak trees around our property. The leaf mountains are so high we can't see the street. And I never exaggerate. Never. Not ever.

When we walked in the house, I blessed myself for putting two chickens in the oven this morning before we left. Man-boy said he'd been tormented by the aroma all day and when were we going to eat? So we threw some rice in the rice cooker and had ourselves a feast in 20 minutes. This is the recipe for that roasted chicken I said I was going to share with you the other day.

Mix together in a small bowl:

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Rinse two whole roasting chickens. (Fryers work, but roasters are better. I don't know why.) Rub them inside and out with the dry rub and put them in a roasting pan with sides. This is important because they'll make a lot of juice. Stuff half a peeled onion in each one.

Bake at 250° for 5 hours, uncovered. I know it sounds like a long time, but trust me. It takes this long to fill the house with the amazing aroma and drive your teenage boy crazy so he is begging for food by the time it's done.

If your family is like mine, they will stand around the bar in the kitchen and tear into the birds, thus saving yourself the trouble of setting the table and cleaning up a bunch of dishes. The leftovers (if there are any) make great enchiladas and all sorts of other casseroles. I always cook two at a time so I have some extra. Amen.

Be thankful ~

Karen