When I first got married, all I could do in the kitchen was toast bagels and warm up Campbell's soup.  Now, for me, cooking is a hobby.  It evolved from the fact that 90% of my life is spent in the kitchen anyway.  Might as well enjoy it, right?  When life hands you lemons, use the zest in rice dishes and poultry, squeeze some over seafood and juice the rest.  Oh, and plant the seeds so you can grow your own. 

Anyway, it took me a long time to learn how to cook "big meat".  I still can't do beef very well but birds are my thing.  My favorite grocery store had a 6lb chicken for $4.00.  Here's how I turned him into a delicious dinner for tonite:

At 3:00 I pulled out his innerds and washed the body cavity.  Then sprinkled all over with salt and pepper.  I made a marinade in the blender with garlic, dijon mustard & olive oil.  I stuffed the bird with chopped onions and some rosemary sprigs from my garden.  Then poured the marinade inside and out.  Trussed him up.  Baked at 375 degrees for 2 hours.  Ding.  Dinner is served.  I save the bones etc for stock.  I love to smell homemade stock on the stove.  Yum.  I did cheat and make instant mashed potatoes but used the homemade gravy to flavor it and my husband couldn't tell the difference.  Again, yum.  Ahh....yum.

No dessert for me, though.  I always flirt with the whole diet thing this time of year.   I'm a very bad dieter.  I guess I just don't care enough to make the big effort.  Why all of America is SO obsessed with being teeny-tiny, I'll never know.  I really hope that my girls avoid all of that nonsense and just stay healthy inside and out.  And CONFIDENT!!!! 

(Amen, sistah!)

Alright, gotta clean up.  Later.