Sunday Is a Great Day For Rest

It's been a pretty great Rest Day around here -- namely, because I got some rest this morning!! The young Crewers and I stayed up extra late (for some of us) talking during our sleepover, so taking a little extra time to sleep was the right way to start the day for all of us!

All of the pets joined in the sleepover, too. When Pit Crew #3 got up from his mattress, Elly felt entitled to join in the fun all the way:

She enjoyed the moment while she could.

Speaking of yesterday's moments of enjoyment, I must tip my hat to those who have already figured out, and were kind enough to put on the internet, the secret to baking chicken that tastes almost exactly like it's been fried. The secret is baking powder!

Here's ours from last night:

It was as delicious as it looks if you're a fried chicken fan.

For 8 drumsticks, I mixed in a bowl 2 tablespoons of baking powder plus about a quarter teaspoon of both salt and pepper. If the chicken needs to be patted dry, do so before rolling pieces in the mixture. The legs were covered but tapped to get off any extra. Once they were fully cooked in the 425 degree oven, I coated them with a light swath of mixed melted butter and hot sauce (about a teaspoon of melted butter and three tablespoons of hot sauce did the trick to cover them) and baked for another few minutes. Adding this step takes any bit of dryness out of the skin that can result from the baking powder; I found that out on my first successful attempt the other night. It was still very tasty, but brushing it with a little something at the end was exactly what it needed.

This is so easy (and inexpensive!) that the family can expect to see it in front of them on the dinner table often.

So, the weekend is trying to wind down, but there is still a lot to tend to before hunkering down! I'm off to take care of business, but I'll be checking in after the morning run! See you then ...