I Feel A Need to Share

Last night, I cooked. Its something I do very consistently. I am not a gourmet chef, but I am also not a "add water and microwave" kind of guy. I like to explore and experiment. I like to feel like I am a pioneer of something culinary. And last night, I succeeded. What I did was nothing new. It has been done before, but I maintain that what I did last night is as good if not better than any version ever done. What was it you ask? Oh, merely Beer Can Chicken. But, I will share my secret, nay my recipe, with you in hopes that your tongue can tingle in joy while the veritable bevy of flavors dances on your palette like Baryshnikov on a dance floor. Am I playing it up? Read the following and then you tell me!

Irish Beer Can Chicken

1 Whole Chicken (Sans Gizards)

1/2 Cup "Secret" Spice Rub (Equal Parts) 

• Lawry's Season. Salt, Paprika, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cayenne Powder

1 Can Wexford Irish Creme Ale (or Irish Beer i.e. Guinness, Smithwicks..) 

1 Marinade/Turkey Injector

1 Beer Can Chicken Holder (thats its actual name)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 450 Degrees Farenheit.

2. In bowl, combine spices and mix.

3. Open beer, pour half into glass to be used for injection. Inject chicken breast and thigh with beer of choice. Place Beer can (half full) in to Holder. Place the chicken (butt end first) over the can so it is sturdy. 

4. Rub spices generously over entire chicken.

• Once oven is ready, place the Chicken and Beer holder in a Cake pan (to catch drippings) and insert it into the oven for 15-20 minutes.
  
• Then after 15-20 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 and cook for 40-45 more minutes. 
  
• Pull out and let sit for 5-7 minutes. 
  
• Then eat!  
  

Guaranteed you will fall in love with this dish. Its easy, and takes only minutes to prepare. 

P.S.

Also works great with DR. PEPPER if you don't have beer.

Enjoy.

Music, Marriage and Money

Don't let the title fool you. That is not an "A+B=C" equation. It is simply just three things that have been on my mind, and before your mind wanders, lets re-focus and I'l start the explanation.

Music.

There are seasons when my heart and hands coordinate and the words in my head make it to paper before twisting and turning into a jumbled mess that is not recognizable. There is something releasing and freeing about writing. No matter if it is lyrics, poetry, short story or free verse, when the mind and heart can release what is stored it is such an amazing thing. Now, as much as my feeble words have tried to paint it to be poetic, I am not in one of these phases right now. I sit to write and nothing comes out. But that got me thinking....

The times when I sit in my room or in my office and simply strum between two chords and find in the quiet, a peace and a rest that I cannot get anywhere else, is that really something to look past. There are so many times when I simply create the background music for the confronting of my heart with the One who has created me! It is such a beautiful struggle. To know that in the still, when everything is drowned out, I get to be in the sacred space with the one who is the author of creativity. 

Marriage.

I am not (as of now) quite on the brink of this, but it is not far off. I do not have a profound thought here, its just been on the back burner of my mind and slowly creeping forward. To think that I am 23 and not married is not that big of a shock. Its very normal, but in my family, thats almost "over the hill" for marriage. But after August, I will be next in line. So stay tuned to see what unfolds.

Money.

"I don't have enough. I spend too much. I don't have any saved. If you have some laying around, I'll take it." 

These seem to be my thoughts on the 14th and 30th of every month. From the first paycheck I ever received when I was 15 until now. But not to worry, 2009 has become my year of finally reaching financial mediocrity (baby steps people). I am not expecting to have thousands of dollars in my account at all times, but to not have to worry every 14 days would be a huge bonus.  

Whatever happens in the 3 areas I have written about, I know that God is good!