Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken is a favorite in the Harmon House. Mainly because it is so easy & also because it's so versatile. I enjoy switching up how I cook it because in the Harmon House we eat quite a lot of chicken! I'm not a leftover person or a person who can eat the same thing over and over. So when I cook chicken, I'm always trying to create a different dish with it! Our favorite meals have been those I made up at the last minute. This recipe is one of those treasures I cooked up with what I had on hand & it. was. deeeeeeelicious. I've made several roasted chickens with similar ingredients but the lemon & rosemary in this just taste wonderful together. The more you cook, the more you start knowing what spices and flavors go together. This is essential when you're trying to be creative in the kitchen. Get the basics down and start playing around. Don't be afraid to try new things!

So, are you ready for an easy, delicious, & quick meal you can cook up for your family? Okay, in full disclosure it's not really quick cooking but it is a quick prep meal & I usually prep it the night before once all the sweeties are tucked away dreaming. Give this recipe a try, you won't be sorry! & you WILL make it again :) 

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken 

4 tbsp butter, melted

Juice of 1 lemon + zest 

1/2 tbsp rosemary  

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Place your chicken in a roasting pan & preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Mix the zest & juice of 1 lemon into melted butter, mix well. 

3. Drizzle melted butter mixture all over the chicken. 

3. Sprinkle rosemary, salt, & pepper over the chicken evenly.

4. Roast chicken covered in the oven for 1 hour. Remove cover and roast for 1 additional hour uncovered. 

5. Remove chicken from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. 

You have to comment and let me know if you enjoyed this wonderful recipe! I served ours with rice & carrots. Do yourself a favor and chop your own fresh carrots. They're so good when you make them fresh & just as cheap! I got my bag of carrots for just 75 cents! About 5 extra minutes to peel & chop and my family enjoys a fresh, simple side. My sweet J thoroughly enjoyed dinner...as you can tell! :) if it's toddler approved, you know it's yummy! 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

How Far We've Come

When Joe & I got married we moved into a small one bedroom apartment. I remember we were so happy to finally live together and have our place. We'd sit and eat our hamburger helper and talk about all the things we were going to do when we got real jobs. What would we do with all our time without having to go to school and go to work? We'd talk about the house we'd have and the three boys that'd be running around it. That's what I wanted, three boys. I think about how we'd laugh & say, "One day, when all this happens, we'll think back to this night and this time. We'll wish that our rent & bills were this cheap." & today, as we did the final walk through at our new home before the closing, I thought about that night. 

I thought about how this man that I'm married to now, isn't the man I talked about those dreams with. In our very short time of marriage we have become two different people from the beginning. We came from two crazy college kids falling in love to a family of five. How wild is that?! We have three children and this coming June we will be married for three years! But the craziest part is, I'm much more in love with the man I'm married to now than the man I married. I've seen this man with my children and there is nothing that makes you love your husband more than seeing him be a father. It's a completely different level of love. 

I thought about how I wanted three boys. How silly was that! I can't imagine life without my girls. Lucky for me, He knew exactly what my heart wanted. 

I thought about how I was just beginning to venture out in my cooking and the first night I burned dinner. The first time Joe grabbed Chinese takeout and we sat on the floor watching Netflix entirely too long because we didn't have to get up in the early morning. I thought about when it was just us. I'm fairly certain we took that time for granted. 

I sat there trying to figure out when our future became our present. When did we get here? Look how far we've come. Look at this wonderful life we've created and the new memories this house will bring. I stopped myself there. I don't want to think about the future memories, I just want to live them. So, how far have we come? We're homeowners. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife