Last night I made poppyseed chicken, and my family LOVED it!  They wanted more, but there was no more to have, so next time I make this, I will have to double the recipe.   This recipe was from Menus4mom   and was very easy to make and is something that the kids could do easily…..actually H did help me with it :)   It is NOT low fat or low sodium (even though I used reduced fat crackers and reduced fat and reduced sodium soups (by the way, I know that I normally don’t use the canned cream of ____________  soups, but I wanted to try these recipes as written the first time so that I can give honest reviews here on my blog and to friends and family that I recommend the Menus4moms to…..the next time I make all of these recipes, I will be making my own cream of _________ soups to put into them).    but it was very tasty!   I have to be honest in saying that when I tasted the cream of chicken soup from the can, I didn’t know how this casserole was going to taste good….the cream of chicken from the can was nasty!   But the casserole was WONDERFUL!!!!   The other thing I might do to stretch this casserole some is to serve it over some steamed rice…..that would be really good too!

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole 

serves 6

2 cups cooked chicken (I used 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts that I pre-cooked and then cut into bitesized pieces)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I would recommend making your own)

1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)

1 sleeve Ritz (or generic Ritz) crackers, broken up slightly

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds (could increase this, next time I will double it)

TOPPING:

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, broken up slightly

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

poppy seed for garnish

Combine chicken, soups, sour cream, 1 sleeve crackers, and 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds in a large bowl.   Mix well and transfer to a greased casserole dish.  Mix together remaining topping ingredients and sprinkle on top.  Garnish with poppy seeds.   Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

For more Favorite Ingredient Friday recipes, or to add your own, please click on the banner above and visit Overwhelmed with Joy!

It has been a LONG while since I participated in Favorite Ingredient Friday, hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy and last week I participated in her Holiday Cooking recipe exchange and realized just how much I miss participating in it, so I am joining in again   To get more great recipes or to participate yourself please click on the banner above and visit Overwhelmed’s blog.

Today I want to share two of my favorite recipes from the past.  The first one is a main dish that I used to make a lot as a newlywed.  When D and I were first married, I knew how to cook the basics, but learned A LOT from reading cookbooks and cooking magazines and experimenting on my own.   One of the cookbooks that I had at that time had this recipe, and I had adjusted it to suit our tastes better.  This is my version of the recipe (the cookbook is LONG gone….I don’t even remember the name of it…..but I had the recipe written on a card in my recipe box)…..I haven’t made this in a LONG while, but I’m going to be making it again very soon!   This was a definite favorite when D and I were newlyweds, and I did serve it to company a few times.

Italian Style Turkey Patties

Serves 4

1# ground turkey (today I would use the ground white meat turkey, back then I used whatever was cheapest)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 C. bread crumbs (I used the seasoned type)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sage
2 slices provolone cheese or about 4 Tbsp. grated mozzarella
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups shredded cabbage

 Mix turkey, bread crumbs, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and sage together.   Shape mixture into 4 thin patties about 5 inches in diameter.  Cut each slice of cheese into halves.  Place half slice on half of each patty and fold patty over.  Pinch to seal.

Heat butter in pan over medium heat to melt.  Cook patties in butter until done.  Remove patties, keep warm.  Cook cabbage in drippings until wilted  (about 5 minutes).  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Serve turkey patties over cabbage and garnish with lemon wedges.

The second recipe that I want to share is a recipe that my friend Laura used to make for the birthdays in our small group bible study.    This was my favorite cake and she made it for me every year!    I think that this is probably one of the first “from scratch” cakes that I really loved!

Old Fashioned Spice Cake

from Laura Iacopetti

Serves:  many

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. butter (1/2 cube)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 can condensed tomato soup

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I would use pecans because my family doesn’t love walnuts)

1/2 cup raisin (I prefer golden raisins in this cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease & lightly flour 2 8inch round cake pans or 1 9×13″ pan.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a mixing bowl.    In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in egg.  Beat in flour mixture 1/2 at a time alternately with tomato soup, beating JUST until blended.  Fold in walnuts & raisins.

Pour into prepared pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Lemon Butter Frosting:

Cream together 1/2 cube (4 Tbsp.) butter with 1 cup sifted powdered sugar.  Stir in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.  Beat in 1 more cup powdered sugar alternating with 2 tsp. milk, until smooth and spreadable.

Note:  DOUBLE for 8″ round cakes.

Last year I participated in Holiday Cooking Blogger Style and got some great recipes!    I want to say a HUGE thank you to Overwhelmed with Joy for hosting this again this year.    Last year when I shared I shared my heart about the holidays, so I won’t type that all out again, but if you didn’t read last year’s post or just want to be reminded, then please go back and read it.     If you want to share your own holiday traditions and holiday recipes (really you could share ANY holiday, not just Thanksgiving and Christmas) or want some new ideas for this year’s holidays please visit Overwhelmed with Joy by clicking on the banner above.

In light of my re-prioritizing of things, this year’s holidays will include some (quite a bit actually) make-ahead and crockpot items.   I’m not sure yet what we are doing for Thanksgiving, but here’s what I’m making for Thanksgiving to go with whatever/wherever we go.   I made this recipe for the first time a few weeks ago and the whole family LOVED it!   I THOUGHT that I had first seen it in a crockpot cookbook, but now that I’m looking in that book, it’s not there.  So, unfortunately, I am not sure who to credit this recipe for, but when I made this it was more from the concept, not the literal recipe that I made it.

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes & Apples

(I made this in a 7 quart crockpot, could EASILY be made smaller, you’ll just have to adjust the amounts.  The amount listed will easily serve 12 people.)

6 medium size sweet potatoes (peeled and sliced into 1/2-3/4 inch slices)

4 apples (I used fuji, but granny smith would be wonderful also, or really any of your favorite variety), cored, peeled and sliced into 8 slices (vertically, not horizontally)

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3-1/2 cup real maple syrup

3/4 c. whole or broken (but not chopped) pecan halves (OPTIONAL)

Place sweet potatoes in slow cooker crock.   Layer apple slices over the sweet potatoes.  If using the nuts, arrange them over the top of the fruits/vegetables.   Mix together the melted butter and maple syrup and pour over entire mixture in slow cooker.    Cover with lid, let cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Notes:  This dish was SOOOO good and so sweet, it would make an awesome dessert!

For my second recipe, I would like to share our traditional Christmas Eve dinner.   When D and I were first married almost 19 years ago (we will celebrate our 19th anniversary in late January) we started our own holiday traditions.  Part of our Christmas Tradition that we started was to share dinner together, and then go to church for the Christmas Eve candlelight service.   The first couple of years I made ham, scalloped potatoes, veggies and salad and we LOVED that meal.  And then while I was pregnant with our oldest daughter, I was on bedrest for a while and had LOTS of time for reading, and one of the books that I read was about creating traditions in your own family based on both sides of the family’s cultural heritage.  Well, D is part Italian, and I read that part of the traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner includes stuffed pasta dishes.  So that year I started make raviolis with my homemade marinara sauce, french bread and green salad.   For the next several years we alternated between the ham/scalloped potato dinner and the ravioli dinner, and then when our children were old enough to voice their preferences, they made it abundantly clear that they prefer the pasta dinner, so we do that every year now for Christmas Eve dinner.   The dish has morphed over the years from a plate of raviolis with sauce to a baked pasta dish.   So, now I present to you the Scott Family Christmas Pasta Bake…..

Scott Family Christmas Pasta Bake

Serves 6-8

3 pound bag of frozen raviolis (we prefer the cheese type, but the type really doesn’t matter too much)

6 cups of pasta sauce mixed with 1 cup of water

1 pound grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a deep 9 x 13 baking dish spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce around in the bottom of the dish.  Layer with 1/3-1/2 of the still frozen raviolis.  Spread with 2 cups of the sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.  Layer another 1/3-1/2 of the raviolis, 2 more cups of the sauce.  If you have remaining raviolis and more room in your baking dish (when the ravioli’s cook they will expand a bit so make sure that you have 3/4-1″ of space at the top of the baking dish) add 1/3 of the cheese and then repeat layers using remaining ingredients.  If you don’t have room for more raviolis then add enough sauce to cover the pasta and remaining cheese.   VERY loosely cover with aluminum foil (I also bake on a big sheet of aluminum foil in case of any spills).   Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60-90 minutes or until the raviolis are heated all the way through.  If you like a browned top you can remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking time.

And one more recipe to share with you all.   D’s step-mom made this for dessert a few years ago for Christmas and it was SOOOO rich and delicious!  I may just make it again this year :)  Along with a chocolate cheesecake.

Candy Apple Pie

Recipe from Emeril Lagasse as shown on Good Morning America

CRUST:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 T. sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/3 cup butter (melted)

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1 cup chopped pecans

Filling:

5 granny smith apples (peeled/cored/sliced)

5 T. butter

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 t. cinnamon

8 oz. pkg cream cheese

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 C. sugar

Topping:

3/4 C. heavy cream, whipped

2 T. sugar

1/2 C. caramel topping

1/4 C. chopped pecans

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Combine crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.  Mix well and press into a 10 inch pie plate, and up the sides.  Bake for 6-8 min until golden in color.  Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely.  Pour caramel into pie shell and sprinkle with 1 c. chopped pecans.  Refrigerate while making filling.

For Filling:

In a large skillet melt butter, add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Stir with a wooden spoon.  Add apples & stir.  Cook 15-20 minutes until apples are soft & tender.  Let cool 10 minutes and pour into pie shell.  Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

For Cream Cheese topping:

In a medium bowl, using a mixer on low speed combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth.  Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for 1 more minute until fully blended.  Pour over apple filling in pie shell.  Bake for 30 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean.  Remove pie from oven and let cool.  Refrigerate for 4 hours.  Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

For the topping:

Top whole pie  with whipped cream, caramel and pecans and swirl with a knife.   Slice and serve.

Overwhelmed with Joy is hosting another Holiday Cooking meme this year!   I participated last year and am REALLY looking forward to it again this year!   Can’t wait to share the holiday recipe that I’ve been waiting for several weeks now to share! :)   You can click on the banner below to participate.

Oops, I forgot that this week’s FIF was a Muffin Edition. SO, I’m posting TWO FIF entries And that’s ok

I bake muffins all the time to sell with my breads, but I keep my repertoire for those rather limited. I do branch out more with the family, but I think that I’ve posted most of our favorite muffin recipes in the past (to see those recipes, you can do a search for “muffins” in the search button here on my blog). Today I’ll share a recipe that I make quite often for selling. They are DEFINITELY a favorite of my family’s, but they are white flour/white sugar, so I try to not have extras available for them very often. I’m going to have to find another equally wonderful recipe for the same type of muffin that I can tweak to meet our family’s needs better. But so far this is what I have found and love This recipe is from the Taste of Home website

A HUGE Thank You to Overwhelmed with Joy for hosting this meme each week. If you would like to participate or just want some fantastic recipes, please click on the banner above to visit OW’s blog.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups biscuit/baking mix (I do use a homemade version of this that DOES NOT contain any hydrogenated or transfats)

* 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
* 1/4 cup poppy seeds
* 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the baking mix, pudding mix, poppy seeds and lemon peel. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice; drizzle over muffins. Yield: 1 dozen.

Ok, apparently I’m getting nostalgic this Thanksgiving, because while looking for a specific recipe that I wanted to make for Thanksgiving, I found a lot of “oldies, but goodies” in my recipe box.   Most of these I haven’t made in 10+ years!   Here’s another recipe that was shared by my very close friend and  “adopted” sister (we adopted one another 18 years ago when we were both preparing to get married to our husbands :)),  Julie.  This is a recipe that she got from her Mom, who got it from one of their relatives in Minnesota.  For the LONGEST time, we couldn’t find one of the ingredients here in CA, and would only be able to make it when her mom went to MN, and then would come here to CA to visit “us”    Now I know where I can find this ingredient locally, so I can make it anytime.    Would LOVE to know if anyone else has ever heard of this dessert!

Strawberry Danish Dessert
from the kitchen of Julie G.

CRUST:      2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
Combine on cookie sheet and baking in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, turning so that it becomes browned evenly.  Cool completely.

FILLING:    8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 pkgs Dream Whip (mixed according to package)
Whip cream cheese with milk.  Add powdered sugar and mix well.   Fold into Dream Whip.

TOPPING:    1 pkg. Strawberry Danish Dessert (Mix according to package)
1 bag frozen strawberries, lightly mashed
Mix together the prepared Strawberry Danish Dessert Mix and strawberries.

Layer into 9 x 13 inch pan in this order:     1/2 crust mix
all of the filling
remaining crust mix
all of the topping

Place in refrigerator and let stand for at least 2 hours before serving.

To share your favorite recipes, please visit OW’s blog (by clicking on the banner above) and join in on the Favorite Ingredient Friday, or just to get some FANTASTIC new recipes!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I’d share one of our family’s favorite recipes for Favorite Ingredient Friday (to participate or get more great recipes, please click on the banner above to go to OW’s blog).      This recipe is one that my mother in love has made for my dh since he was a little guy…..I have her exact recipe, but I just can never make them taste as good as my mother in love (even in my opinion, they aren’t as good as her’s……I’m pretty sure it’s all in our heads, but it does keep us asking for her to make them :))  The recipe doesn’t necessarily have an official name, but we call them …..

D’s Special Peas

Serves 4-6

1/2 pound bacon, diced

2 tbsp. flour

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1/2 bunch green onions, sliced (reserve green part)

1 pint half & half (the fat free half and half DOES NOT work in this recipe, just prepare to indulge!)

1 pound frozen PETITE peas (you can use regular frozen peas, but they just aren’t as good)

1 tbsp. butter

In 3 quart saucepan fry bacon until very crisp, being careful to not burn.   Drain most of bacon grease off (leave approx. 1 tbsp).  Saute mushrooms and white part of scallions until soft.  Stir in flour.  Whisk in 1/2 & 1/2 slowly to avoid lumps.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Let simmer until thick and creamy, stirring often to keep from burning.  Add peas, butter, and slced green tops from scallions.  Let cook until everything is nice and hot.

If you make this and enjoy it as much as we do, please post a comment here

Ok, first and foremost I have to thank Overwhelmed for hosting a Cookie Edition of Favorite Ingredient Friday!!!!   My hands-down favoritist dessert of all time is cookies!   I love cookies!  All types….chewy, soft, crunchy, crisp, gooey…..you name it, I love them!   You could put the most decadent cheese cake, the moistest chocolate cake, the warmest apple crisp in front of me with a plate of cookies, and I’ll ALWAYS choose the cookies!  I have learned to really portion control myself with cookies, I’m just as happy with 1 small cookie that I take the time to enjoy as I am with a  plateful of cookies that I scarf down (actually, I’m much happier with the 1 small cookie :)).    I LOVE COOKIES!!!!!!!!  And this is one of those themed days where I will probably try every single cookie recipe that is posted!   I LOVE COOKIES    Which is one of the reasons that I had such a hard time trying to decide which cookie recipe to share today….AND the reason that I am posting my two favorite “whole foods” cookies.    Have I told you that I LOVE COOKIES?   And YES, I will be baking some cookies today    How can I not?

Oh, almost forgot to share…..to see more cookies, and to (pretty please?) share your favorite cookie recipe, please hop on over to Overwhelmed With Joy (you can click here or on the picture above).

Ok, gotta say it one more time!  I LOVE COOKIES

Here are two of my favorite whole foods recipies…..the source for one of the cookies is listed…the other one, I’m not entirely sure of).

Rice Crispy and Oat Cookies

1/2           cup  butter — softened
1/2           cup  sucanat
1/4           cup crystalline fructose (I don’t  have so I used 1/4 cup more sucanat)
1                     egg
1           teaspoon  vanilla
3/4           cup  whole wheat pastry flour
1/2      teaspoon  baking powder
1/2      teaspoon  baking soda
1/4      teaspoon  salt
1 1/4           cups  crispy brown rice cereal (I used Barbara’s Brown Rice Crisps)
1                cup  quick cooking oats (I use regular old fashioned rolled oats)
1/2           cup  unsweetened coconut  (I omit this, and use 1/2 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips :))

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream butter, sucanat and fructose until
well-blended.  Add egg and vanilla and stir well.  Sift flour, baking
powder, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl.  Blend dry
ingredients into butter mixture.  Stir in cereal, oats and coconut until
evenly mixed.  Drop gently by rounded tablespoons, at least 2″ apart
(these spread)  onto lightly greased baking sheet and bake 9-11 minutes
or until lightly golden and cooked in centers.  Let cool on cookie sheet
3 minutes then remove to counter to cool completely.

 Peanut Butter Bars
from Taste of Home, altered by Nita C. (from the Real Foods Digest)

1/2 cup softened butter (or Better Butter)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sucanot (or other sweetener)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup carob, Sunspire chocolate, or peanut butter chips

Cream butter, sweetener, and peanut butter.  Add egg and vanilla; mix
well.  Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir into creamed
mixture.  Spread into greased 9 x 13″ baking dish.  Sprinkle with chips.
Bake at 350  for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden.  Cut into bars
when cooled a bit.

Ooooh, I LOVE soup, especially this time of year!   There is nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of homemade soup and a slice of bread or a dinner roll….I LOVE bread!     I was SOOOO excited to see that Overwhelmed with Joy was doing a Soup edition of her Favorite Ingredient Friday.    I love soup so much that it is really hard to not post a BUNCH of soup recipes, so I’ll pick a couple of my current favorites and post them and then link back to some of the soup recipes that I have posted in the past :)    To see more soup recipes, or to share your own, please click on the picture above and go to visit Overwhelmed with Joy.

The first recipe I want to share is a Rachael Ray recipe…… to see HER original version you can click on the picture, here’s my version

Mini Meatball Soup

2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water

1 can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups dried pasta (I use mini shells or salad macaroni or whole wheat elbow macaroni

1 pound fresh spinach, coarsely chopped  (I use whatever greens I have on  hand)

In a deep pot over medium heat add  chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves and enough water or broth to keep it all from sticking and burning on the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.
Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread.

And here’s another favorite…..

Crockpot Split Pea and Potato Soup

• 1 pound green split peas, sorted, washed and drained
• 2 medium yukon gold potato, grated and held in salted water until ready to add to crockpot (at least 5 minutes)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery (with leaves, if possible) diced
•  1/2 teaspooon dried thyme leaves
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

In 4 quart crockpot combine all ingredients and let cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.   Set lid slightly sideways  to allow steam to escape for last hour of cooking (on high, if you have set it to low all day).    I like to quickly run my stick blender through this to smooth some of it out, but if you prefer a chunkier soup, you can skip that step.

Serve in large open bowls and garnish with:  sour cream, chives, croutons, grated sharp cheddar cheese, very finely diced ham, very finely diced tomato, soy (or real) bacon bits.

I like to serve this soup with a soft dinner roll and a green salad.

Here are some of the other favorite soups that I’ve posted in the past….

Crockpot Chili 

Mexican Chicken Vegetable Soup

Tortellini Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yummy Minestrone Soup

Our Favorite Navy Bean Soup

New England Clam Chowder

Creamy Mushroom Barley Soup 

Broccoli Chowder

I got this recipe many years ago on the internet, I have no idea of it’s origins, but I got it on a Once a Month Cooking email loop in the mid-90s and it has been a favorite since then!   In the winter time I bake it in the oven, as directed in the recipe, during the summer I use the “beer can chicken” method with it over the gas grill (It roasts MUCH quicker, and at a higher temperature this way, but is still juicy, moist, and delicious!).        This year I am planning on getting an 18 quart roasting oven, and I will probably buy a case of whole chickens each time they go on sale, and will do 4 at a time in my roasting oven and then take the meat off the bones and use the carcasses and skin to make broth in my roasting oven the next day.

Anyhow, this is one of our old favorite recipes, and it is wonderful!    This is the recipe as it was posted (well, mostly, I have added the orange……we like it better this way) when I got it about 10-13 years ago.   For more Favorite Ingredient Friday recipes and just to visit some great blogs, please head on over to Overwhelmed with Joy’s blog…..ooooh, and next week’s theme for FIF is “Soups”.    I LOVE soups, and will be posting a bunch!   Would love to see YOUR recipe on Favorite Ingredient Friday……

Sticky Chicken

2 teaspoons salt  (for our family’s tastes, I only use 1 tsp)
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper  (I never keep white pepper on hand, so I skip this ingredient)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 pounds
1 large onion, cut into 8ths, skin removed
1 large orange, cut into chunks, skin left on, but scrubbed very well….this would be a case where an organic orange would be very much preferred

Combine all spices (first 8 ingredients) in small bowl.

Rinse chicken, inside and out. Drain well.

Rub spice mixture over skin and the inside of chicken.

Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roast, stuff cavity with onions and orange chunks.

Place chicken breast side down in roasting pan.

Roast uncovered at 250ºF (that’s not a typo…it’s really 250º! Anything over 225º is safe as long as the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 155º, which this does, and more) for 5 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices.

Serves 4.