High-res version

Once upon a time, I used to blog regularly. I also used to cook many recipes from scratch, document them, and post regularly on this FOOD BLOG. This was long ago before I had my children. Fast forward 5 years later and I’m barely cooking these days. I make no apologies, honestly. I’m just doing the best I can. I’m a huge fan of pre-packaged salads and frozen thin crust Homerun pizza. I’m also a huge fan of my mother. She delivers (at least) two proteins a week, which SAVES these precious children from having pizza every night. Don’t forget that I work at a TEACHING FARM and have access to the best produce I could ever imagine, but life is life and I’m rolling with it these days. (Thankfully, I roasted some Jones Valley Teaching Farm broccoli to go with the recipe listed below, used our lettuce in a salad last week, AND have enjoyed a few carrots.)

So you can imagine how I felt last weekend when one kid was at Gran’s and the 1-year-old was asleep and I had 30 free glorious minutes to watch Barefoot Contessa. She was cooking the most delicious looking skillet chicken recipe with onions, lemons, and white wine. It looked easy enough and I immediately thought I could accomplish this recipe. I could conquer the kitchen again. Wild and crazy thought, I know, but the next thing you know I’m buying a whole chicken and lemons and onions and feeling overconfident (and obviously delirious).

Then reality set in. I never found the time to take the backbone out of the chicken. I looked at that whole chicken in my refrigerator the entire week feeling defeated. I prepped for the 5-year-old’s birthday party. I made some frozen pizzas. I counted down the days until I HAD to do something with the dang chicken and I finally did! With the help from the husband, we managed to tag team the chicken prep and actually cook the recipe. You can find the recipe here: Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken. I omitted the fennel seed because, well, I’m not a fan.

I have to say this recipe was rather easy minus the whole chicken and backbone situation. I’d probably have the butcher prep the chicken for me next time to make my life easier and prevent the unnecessary pressure of a whole chicken staring me in the face day after day. Nonetheless, I’m really glad we accomplished something the husband and I used to love to do together. Even with little children running around.

I highly recommend this dish. But of course, I recommend almost every single thing Ina Garten makes. How could you not?

I probably won’t cook again for, oh, 3 more months so let’s all celebrate the little victories, shall we? I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.