Chicken Dinner: Best chicken you ever ate--Beer-Butt Chicken

Normally I have a little western history here, but today we're going redneck.   Yes, for all you culturally deprived people out there, here's how you cook ...

Beer-Butt Chicken

First of all, why would anyone want to prepare chicken this way?  Because the fat drips out but the meat is the tastiest, most moist chicken you ever ate.  Not only that, it seems to entertain the kids--little boys seem to be fascinated with the prospect of shoving a can of beer up the backside of a chicken.  They're all too happy to help, and to eat it when it's done.  Every single kid had seconds!  Not bad for a bunch of picky eaters. 

If that isn't reason enough, then think about the leftovers.  Beer-Butt Chicken makes absolutely exquisite enchiladas, sandwiches to die for, and heavenly chicken salad.  You just can't lose.  So I'm going to tell you how to prepare it, if you haven't already been introduced to this wondrous method.

First of all, I bought a couple racks called The Chick Can Rack.  You don't have to have a rack, but I'm not into things tipping over, especially hot things.

You have to have a good-sized grill with a lid.  A dinky grill won't do because once you stand the chicken up on a  can of beer, it can be nearly 14" tall, so you need that much clearance inside there.  And briquets.  No, we don't use gas but I suppose you could.  You'll also need some long tongs, some good potholders, and a tray or two, and a toothpick. 

Down to Business

Now that you've got all that stuff, we'll prepare the bird.  Um, I don't use measuring cups or spoons, so precise measurements won't be found here. I just cook. 

You'll need:

• 1 good-sized roasting chicken
• 1 standard-size can of your favorite beer
• Rub for the chicken

There are quite a few ways on the internet about how to make Beer-Butt Chicken, so google it if you don't think you'll like the spices I use.

Rub:

• Dollop of olive oil, maybe 1/4 cup or less
• 3 or 4 tablespoons of minced garlic (we use more)
• Enough taco seasoning to make it into a paste (maybe 1/2 cup--I buy it at Costco and just keep dumping and stirring until its right
• Let sit for at least an hour before use.

You'll also need a lemon or lime.

Chicken:

The standard thing--take out the giblets and neck, rinse the chicken inside and out, then dry it.

Beer:

Drink half the can.  ONLY half.  You need half for the chicken! 

Place the half-full can in the rack

Now you're ready for business. 

• Make sure the cavity is free of fat.   Pull it down, but not off. 
• Insert the chicken cavity over the can and rack, and wiggle it down until its stable. 
• Rub the whole chicken with a quarter of a lemon or lime. 
• Smear the rub all over the chicken.  This is messy but go for it.  Don't forget the armpits and such.  Smear it everywhere. 
• Put the quarter lemon or lime in the neck cavity, pull the skin over it, and seal with a toothpick. 

Cooking:

Fire up the coals, baby, we're ready to cook some chicken!  I admit that I turn over this part to our outdoor grill specialist, Mr. R.  He tells me you must use indirect heat, so arrange the coals around the chicken, not directly under.  Close the lid and only open it to check the coals every 15 minutes or so.  Chicken takes about 75 to 90 minutes to cook.  If you're a thermometer kind of cook, google "beer butt chicken" and you'll find some temperatures.  We don't own a thermometer so don't worry about it.

But here's the deal, once the chicken is done and removed from the grill, you have to let it cool for at least five minutes and preferrably ten minutes before you remove the chicken from the can and rack.  If you're impatient, I can pretty much guarantee you'll get a burn or scald.  Go do the crossword puzzle or read a scene or two of one of my books.

Then, carve up and chow down.  I'm telling you, this is good food!

We have two winners!

Congratulations to

Sandy & Caroline

who each won her choice of these books from

Linda LaRoque:

A Law of Her Own

A Marshal of Her Own

Coming May 16:

A Love of His Own

 

A Little History on the Feed Sack

A Little History on the Feed Sack
by Linda LaRoque

Life on the prairie for women in the 1800s was hard. Fabric was scarce so every available piece of cloth was used until it fell apart. When the backs of skirts wore out, the panel was either turned around, or the piece was removed leaving a less full skirt. Sometimes the garment was cut down to make a garment for one of the children. Material was never thrown away, but recycled until it could only be used for cleaning rags.

Until around the 1840s foodstuffs, as well as animal feed, was packed in boxes, barrels, and crates which made it hard for a farmer without a wagon to get from the store to home. When the sewing machine was invented, double lock stitching made it possible to sew fabric secure enough to keep from spilling. Bags of flour, feed, etc. could be loaded on a horse and thus make it home without too much loss.

The first feed sacks were made of heavy white canvas printed with the name of the flour or other product. The farmer could bring empty bags back to be refilled. When mills in America began producing inexpensive cotton fabrics in the later 1800s, these cheaper fabrics were used. The cloth was softer and more useful. Not as durable, they weren’t refillable so women used them for quilt pieces and to make dish towels, curtains, pillowcases, sheets, and other items for the home. The manufacturer’s name was stamped on the sack in vegetable dye so the homemaker could remove it, often a difficult chore, and return it to pristine whiteness. Humorous stories about garments made with the stamp remaining abound—for example underwear.

In 1925 manufacturers began to realize how popular these sacks were to women and started to compete to have the most desirable patterns and colors. Here is a picture of a print representing Gone With the Wind.

Soon pattern makers were creating patterns, even evening wear, specifically for feed sacks.

The Woman - August 1953 Cover: Olga Nicholas, photographed by Dirone Studios, wears a feed-bag formal and matching stole, McCall's pattern #9121. Jewelry by Trifari.

Women often gathered to trade pieces so they’d have enough for a dress or the quilt they were piecing. Imagine how valuable they were to homemakers during the depression. It was hard enough to manage to provide food, fabric was an extravagance. Special was the husband and father who selected several sacks of matching material so his girls could have a new dress.

My mother-in-law said in the late 1920s she chopped cotton all day long, from sunup to sundown, and earned a quarter, just enough to buy two and a half yards of fabric to make a dress. A feed sack holding fifty pounds of flour measured 34 x 38 inches, a yard of fabric. So, depending on the size of the pattern and the style, it would take approximately 3 sacks to make a dress.

When talking about fabric and dress making, it’s interesting to consider Taylor’s Hemline Index which indicates that when the economy is good, skirt lengths are shorter, and when it’s bad, skirts are longer. I know myself that during the late 1960s when mini-skirts were the rage, the economy was good. A few years later in 1974, we had the oil embargo and gas rationing, hemlines were longer. The cycle has repeated itself many times since the Roaring Twenties.

My cousins and I loved the feed sack dresses our Aunt Jewell made for us. Grandma Riley saved the sacks until there was enough for a dress. There was one in particular I’ll never forget. It was a floral pattern with muted oranges and yellow, like a watercolor. The skirt was full and of course I wore a petticoat or two underneath. I have a picture but it isn’t in color and not sharp enough to post. A friend with several sisters grew up on a farm. They often went with their father to the feed store so they could pick out the pattern they wanted. She said it never failed, the one they wanted was always on the bottom.

For further reading, check out this link.

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/feed-sacks-a-sustainable-fabric-history/

How about you? Did you ever wear feed sack dresses? If so, tell us about your favorite one. Feed sacks are in vogue again. Maybe you’re a crafter and enjoy making items to show off their unique characteristics.

References:

http://www.quilthistory.com/feedsacks.htm

http://www.popularpatchwork.com/news/article.asp?a=4466

http://www.planetpatchwork.com/feedsack.htm

http://pinterest.com/christih/feedsack-fabric-and-history/

Don’t forget to leave a comment today to be entered into my drawing. I’ll be selecting two winners.

Thank you Jacquie for having me on your site this week.  I’d like invite RTW readers to enter the contest I’m having on my blog to celebrate the release of A Love of His Own. I’m giving away a Brighton heart box of chocolates charm. If you read the story when it comes out May 16th, you’ll recognize the significance of the charm.

Thank you, Linda!

Great reads from

Linda LaRoque:

A Law of Her Own

A Marshal of Her Own

Coming May 16:

A Love of His Own

Contest!

And TWO chances to win a Free Book

right here at RTW

At the end of the week, on April 27th, Linda will give away two PDF copies of her books—two winners. Just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. The winners can view her website and pick which book they’d like.

Small print: Please leave your email address or we'll have to draw another winner.  Drawing will be held April 27th, 9pm Pacific Time.

Linda LaRoque: A Love of His Own

A Love of His Own
by Linda LaRoque

This week, Romancing The West features Linda LaRoque and her May release, A Love of His Own. A little about her: Linda LaRoque is a Texas girl, but the first time she got on a horse, it tossed her in the road dislocating her right shoulder. Forty years passed before she got on another, but it was older, slower, and she was wiser. Plus, her students looked on and it was important to save face.

A retired teacher who loves West Texas, its flora and fauna, and its people, Linda’s stories paint pictures of life, love, and learning set against the raw landscape of ranches and rural communities in Texas and the Midwest. She is a member of RWA, her local chapter of HOTRWA, NTRWA and Texas Mountain Trail Writers.

RTW: Welcome, Linda. Thanks for joining us this week!

LL: Jacquie, thank you for having me here on Romancing the West. You have a beautiful and interesting blog with loads of fascinating people and topics. I’m pleased to have this opportunity to share my upcoming release with your readers.

RTW: Thank you! I'm amazed at the talented authors willing to come and share with us, and I'm glad you're with us, too! So why do you write Westerns? What aspect of life in the Old West intrigues you the most? Did you work that into A Love of His Own?

LL: As a young girl, I day dreamed about living in the Old West and wondered if I’d be a farmer’s wife or a dance hall girl like Miss Kittie on Gunsmoke. Of course, I didn’t have a clue what those ladies did other than wear pretty clothes and serve drinks.

In high school and college I enjoyed history and read extensively, historical novels being one of my favorites. The first story I remember reading about the Old West was Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow. From then on I was hooked on the time period.

On the aspects that intrigue me, I have to say most everything—the clothing styles, the home furnishings, customs and speech, and the unity of some small communities.

In my upcoming release, A Love of His Own, I tried to make every aspect as authentic as possible—from the clothing to how to drive a team of mules. RTW: If you lived in 1892, what would you visit first? Is there something you’ve been curious about that you can’t find in your research sources?



Linda LaRoque, author



LL: A Love of His Own is the third story in this time travel series and is set in 1892 Prairie, Texas in the Texas Panhandle. I’d want to ride a train and sleep in a sleeper car, visit a mercantile, try on a pair of the original Levi’s, and try to cook on one of those wood stoves.

RTW: If a person who had never read a Western (any sub-genre) asked you for a recommendation, what novel or movie would you recommend and why? What did the author do to bring the story alive for you?

LL: Oh boy, that’s a hard one. I’d have to stay Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow and How the West Was Won by Louis L’Amour. Both authors showed the hardships and the struggles experienced by both men and women when traveling across the country, settling the land, surviving, and building a happy life.

RTW: Why must Bull Dawson take this particular story journey? What does he have to prove? How does Dipsey affect his journey?

LL: My hero, Buford “Bull” Dawson, is determined to travel back in time and live out his days with his daughter’s family. There is nothing left for him in the future. He’s been a widower for close to thirty years.

He sets his sights on the widow Dipsey Thackson, a woman shunned by the community because of her past. His goal is to marry her and have a love of his own.

RTW: Now that you have us intrigued, please set up the excerpt for us.

LL: Bull Dawson, New York lawyer, mourns the loss of his daughter, who disappeared from a cabin in Fredericksburg, Texas four years ago. A history book found in his office safe leads him to believe she traveled back in time to 1888 Prairie, Texas. He's determined that if she can time travel, he can too. Life will be different, probably hard, but practicing law can't be so difficult back in the Old West.

Widow Dipsey Thackson scratches out a living for herself and her young son on their farm. Shunned by the locals, she keeps to herself. When a man appears in her wheat field one day, life changes for the better. Then her brother-in-law arrives, claiming the farm is his and threatening Dipsey and her son. She fears for both their means of survival and their safety.

Her dilemma will take more than a knowledge of the law, but Bull vows to do his best to protect her and her boy.

A Love Of His Own (Excerpt)

by Linda LaRoque

Copyright © 2012 Linda LaRoque

Dipsey walked back to the wagon and placed a foot onto the spoke of the front wheel to climb into the wagon. A snorting sound from behind her made her pause. Grabbing her rifle from under the seat, she whirled and peered into the field of winter wheat gently waving in the cool morning air. Sunlight glanced off the stalks giving the field a slight iridescence, but no movement caught her attention.

The noise stopped, then resumed with a loud bleating resonance. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Thomas was asleep in the wheat field, but she’d buried her husband two years past. Who trespassed on her land?

Rifle cocked, she stepped in the direction of the snoring. Thomas always said she could sneak up on Satan himself. She hoped her skill served her well today.

Lying on her precious wheat, breaking the stalks flat and making it useless, was a big, burly man. Wrapped in someone’s finely stitched quilt, he had a brown felt hat over his eyes. One arm lay across his chest, the other cradled a new-fangled model Winchester, so new the shine hadn’t yet worn off.

She snatched the rifle from his arm. The dang fool didn’t open his eyes. Dipsey thumped him on the shoulder with the butt of his weapon. He farted and rolled to his side exposing a muscled butt and legs encased in denims. She stumbled back a few steps. Disgusting man!

RTW: Hahaha! Good one and we'll be waiting impatiently to read the rest! So what’s next? Is A Love Of His Own a part of a series?

LL: A Law of Her Own and A Marshal of Her Own are the first two stories in this series. I think A Love of His Own will be the last story and I’ll move on to something else, probably another series. I have a Paranormal Romantic Suspense set along old Route 66 with an editor now. It involves a woman on the run, a recovering ex Albuquerque police detective, a ghost, and a set of missing Zuni prayer fetishes. My latest work-in-progress is another time travel set in Waco, Texas in 1890. My first time travel, My Heart Will Find Yours, is also set in Waco in 1880. I grew up in Waco and we moved back to the area in 2002. I love researching local history and am having loads of fun with this new project.

RTW: And you have a...

Contest!

LL: I’d like invite your readers to enter the contest I’m having on my blog to celebrate the release of A Love of His Own. I’m giving away a Brighton heart box of chocolates charm. If you read the story when it comes out May 16th, you’ll recognize the significance of the charm.

And TWO chances to win a Free Book

right here at RTW

At the end of the week, on April 27th, I’ll give away two PDF copies of my books—two winners. Just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. The winners can view my website and pick which book they’d like.

Small print: Please leave your email address or we'll have to draw another winner.  Drawing will be held April 27th, 9pm Pacific Time.

Chicken Dinner: Romancing The West Cupid Party Results

Feb 6 to 11 has been the
RTW Cupid Party!

and all this week's commenters were entered in the

Cupid Party Grand Prize Drawing!

for Six Free Books

and a

New Kindle!

♥ Thanks to all of you who visited Romancing The West this week. ♥

Small print:

• USA mailing only for the Kindle. 

• Email address must be included in comment to qualify for the drawing.

Brought to you by these talented authors!

And here are the daily winners:

Monday: Heather Hiestand
Captain Fenna’s Dirigible Valentine  goes to:
Calisa Rhose

Tuesday: Jacquie Rogers
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues goes to:
shadow_kohler

Wednesday: Beth Trissel

Somewhere My Love goes to:

hotcha12

Thursday: Ginger Simpson

Sisters in Time goes to:

Carol G 

Friday: Karen M. Nutt
Mr. O'Grady's Magic Box  goes to:
donnas

Saturday: Linda LaRoque
A Marshal of Her Own goes to:
Kat Bryan

And the Grand Prize winner!

Who won...

Six Free Books

and a

New Kindle?

Moriahhh

Congratulations, Moriahhh!  Happy Reading!

What's happening this week at Romancing The West?
Monday: Jacquie's Jabbering
Tuesday: Valentine's Day with the Hippie Chicks!
Thursday: Old West article--The Great Die-Up

RTW Cupid Party: Linda LaRoque

The Most Romantic Valentine Gift
by Linda LaRoque
Copyright © 2012 Linda LaRoque

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. With the anticipation comes the question, “What shall I give him/her.” We want to give the perfect gift, one to inspire and leave a lasting impression. To do so requires thought and planning. Or, it might happen by pure luck. I love the Big Bang Theory. Sheldon admits he’s afraid he’s not good boyfriend material, but Penny takes him shopping to buy a “make-up” gift for his girlfriend, Amy Farrah Fowler, who is mad at Sheldon because of his self-centered attitude. We despair during his shopping spree and fear he’s going to make things worse, but Amy is ecstatic with the tiara he gives her. What girl wouldn’t want to be considered a princess, especially by her boyfriend?

Giving the perfect gift can often be pure luck on our part. Other times it comes from knowing the desires of your love’s heart, what would make them happy. It may not be appear to be a romantic gift at all, but a practical one, but it says, “I know you and want to give you something that shows it.” What could be more romantic than that? An example can be found in my western time travel, A Marshal of Her Own, a western time travel set in 1890 Prairie, Texas. Cole Jeffers gives Dessa Wade a typewriter. You’ll have to read the story to learn its significance.

So, give loads of thought to the gift you give this Valentine’s Day. Make it one from the heart, one to be remembered and cherished a long time.

Blurb for A Marshal of Her Own:

Despite rumors of “strange doings” at a cabin in Fredericksburg, investigative reporter Dessa Wade books the cottage from which lawyer, Charity Dawson, disappeared in 2008. Dessa is intent on solving the mystery. Instead, she is caught in the mystery that surrounds the cabin and finds herself in 1890 in a shootout between the Faraday Gang and a US Marshal.

Marshal Cole Jeffers doesn’t believe Miss Wade is a time traveler. He admits she’s innocent of being an outlaw, but thinks she knows more about the gang than she’s telling. When she’s kidnapped by Zeke Faraday, Cole is determined to rescue her. He’s longed for a woman of his own, and Dessa Wade just might be the one—if she’ll commit to the past.

Excerpt:

Dessa resisted the urge to scream again. She bit her bottom lip as a reminder to stay silent and not draw attention to herself. Her heart thundered in her chest, threatening to jump from her body. This couldn’t be happening. God, please tell me I’m dreaming. Wake me up. Please...please... Just in case God wasn’t listening, she was getting out of Dodge.

On her hands and knees she crawled toward the safety of the trees and the shadows. Afraid to look up, she continued forward as fast as her limbs would take her. Rocks and debris scratched her hands and gouged into her kneecaps, but she didn’t care.

She bumped into something and shifted to the left but whatever was in her way moved with her. Uh, oh. Dread inched up her spine. She stiffened. She might be caught, but she darn well wouldn’t go peacefully. After all, she was a victim here. Tilting her head up slightly, she eyed a pair of well-worn boots. As her eyes moved upward she noted faded denims, sculpted muscled thighs and...oh my...just below his gun belt. She blushed and pushed herself up to sit on her haunches, putting a little distance between them.

Buy links for A Marshal of Her Own: The Wild Rose Press ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Also available: A Law of Her Own and coming May, 2012: A Love of His Own, the third story in the Prairie, Texas series.

Contact Linda:

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

It's RTW Cupid Party Time!

One commenter on Linda's post will win a free copy of

A Marshal of Her Own

and all this week's commenters will be entered in the

Cupid Party Grand Prize Drawing!

You could win Six Free Books

and a

New Kindle!

Comment each day for six chances to win the Kindle and all Six Books!
Yes, you can still comment on previous Cupid Day posts!
Daily winners and Grand Prize winner will all be announced February 12, 2012

Small print:

• USA mailing only for the Kindle. 

• Email address must be included in comment to qualify for the drawing.

We have a great line-up for you this week!
Monday: Heather Hiestand
Tuesday: Jacquie Rogers
Wednesday: Beth Trissel
Thursday: Ginger Simpson
Friday: Karen M. Nutt
Saturday: Linda LaRoque
Sunday: Chicken Dinner, all winners announced!

Good Luck!