Dinner & A Dare

Let's start with Dinner:

Bacon Roasted Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 (4 pound) whole chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 carrots, cut in chunks
paprika to taste
8 slices bacon
2 cups beef broth
 

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
 

2. Rub butter over the entire chicken. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Place the carrots inside the cavity, and tie the legs together. Place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan. Lay bacon strips across the top of the chicken, and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with paprika. Pour the beef broth into the roasting pan - do not pour over the bacon.
 

3. Roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, the reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Baste with some of the broth. Continue to roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F when taken in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste every 15 minutes with the broth.
 

4. Remove the bacon and discard toothpicks. Roast the chicken for 15 more minutes to brown the skin. Transfer to a serving platter, and remove the ties. You may eat the bacon, but it is best to discard the carrots.

I got this recipe from the All Recipes App on my iPhone and my whole family loved it! It was much easier than I thought.  If you are looking for a healthier version, just don't eat the bacon!

Now for the Dare...
One of the things I am doing in my family is trying to eat healthier.  I have stopped buying the cheapest milk and meat and spend time looking for organic options.  My newly adopted motto is spend more on food now and save money on medical bills later.  Along with this new challenge of mine comes trying new things.  I decided to forego the regular fruit choices of bananas, apples, and strawberries and instead purchased some Plumcots.

 What is a Plumcot?  Well it is a cross between a Plum and an Apricot:

I had never heard of them nor tried them.  I just nonchalantly placed them on my family's lunch plates and let them dig in.  And boy did they.  My daughter ate 3 in 24 hours.  She loved them and so did I.  So, I dare you to try something new.  Share it with your family.  Don't make a big deal about it, just let is show up next to some familiar foods.  It may just become a favorite-it did for us!  Let us know what you try!

Jenn
Mama Scrapper