Green Cleaner

I am all for green cleaning products. I love that this is one you can make yourself. It's an easy & economical way to get nearly any surface in the house clean. Best of all, it's earth friendly.

To make it, you'll need an empty 32 ounce spray bottle, some distilled white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, unscented castile soap, and some essential oil (for fragrance).

Begin by adding 2 cups of water to your spray bottle. I used a funnel to make life easier.

To that, add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar,

1 teaspoon castile soap,

3/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide,

and 20 drops (approx. 1/2 teaspoon) each of tea tree oil & essential oil. I used lemongrass oil.

Shake it all up & get cleaning. I love the way it smells!

Citrus Rice Salad

Ever since having this salad at my Pop's house last summer I've had it on my mind to make it again. I had never had a salad quite like it before and loved it! It's so unique and refreshing. I love the combination of tart {and slightly bitter} citrus fruit with salty Parmesan and chopped nuts - all mixed with fluffy white rice. I also love that this dish is so versatile. Citrus fruit is available in most places year round, and you can really use any combination of citrus you'd like - oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, clementines, limes, lemons...you name it. It also works very well with any seasonal menu - it's as delicious served alongside a cozy, fall roasted chicken dinner as it is alongside grilled chicken in the summer.

To make the salad, begin by measuring out 2 cups of white rice {or brown, if you prefer} into a medium saucepan. Fill the pot with salted water, and simmer, just as you would when cooking pasta, until the rice is tender - about 10-15 minutes {brown rice will take about double that time}.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad, beginning with the dressing. For that you'll add 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed citrus juice {I used orange juice, but lemon, lime, or any other citrus juice would work too}, 2 tablespoons citrus zest {again, I used orange} , a 1/2 cup olive oil, and 1 tablespoon agave nectar to a blender. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until the dressing is emulsified. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning, or the amount of citrus juice as desired.

Kitchen Tool of the Week...

Meat Thermometer.

DH & I were vegetarians for many years. When we started eating meat again, we lived in a teeny, tiny Brooklyn apartment with about 8 inches of counter space. So, up until we got pregnant & moved to the burbs, we rarely cooked. Cooking meat, in particular, was something I was clueless about.
But, now we have a very carnivorous family. The Bozos could eat the meat off an entire chicken if they had the chance.
Early on, cooking any kind of meat made me very anxious. I was so worried that I was under cooking it, that I inevitably cooked it to the consistency of leather. Investing in a good meat thermometer freed me from those worries. Now, even though I don't need to rely on one as much as I use to, I pretty much always still use it.

Bozo Picture of the Week...

Happy 5th Birthday to my little guy!



Pictured here enjoying his sweet new wheels.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

During the winter, one of my favorite Sunday night dinners is a roast chicken. This is a great summertime version. The recipe is from BFC's Back to Basics cookbook.
You will need a whole 3-5 pound chicken, which has been butterflied. You can do this yourself, or have your butcher do it for you.
Once your chicken is cleaned up, dry it off & season both sides with a generous amount of kosher salt. Then begin the marinade.

Start by putting 3 minced, cloves of garlic, in a large rectangular, oven safe, baking dish.

To the garlic, add a 1/3 cup of olive oil,

the grated zest from 2 lemons,

a 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice,

a tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary leaves,

and a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Whisk the marinade up to combine.

Place the whole, flattened chicken in the dish & rotate a few times to coat evenly. Cover the dish with plastic wrap & chill for 4 hours, or overnight. Flip the chicken around a few times while marinating.

When you are ready to cook, preheat the grill.
Lay the chicken on the grates, skin side up. Turn the grill heat down to medium-low & place the dish you used for marinating on top of the chicken to weigh it down.
I wrapped mine in foil, because I didn't feel like scrubbing off a charred mess later on. You could also use 1-2 bricks wrapped in foil as well.

Depending on the size of your chicken, it will need about 15-20 minutes per side. Check on it occasionally to make sure it doesn't char too much. If it is, turn the heat down.
After it's flipped, place the weight back on for the other side.

Using a meat thermometer, check to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the grill & let it rest a few minutes, before slicing into serving pieces.
Arrange them on a platter & serve.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Tuscan Lemon Chicken
From Barefoot Contessa
Serves 2-3


1 (3 1/2 pound) chicken, flattened
kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
freshly ground pepper
1 lemon, halved

Season the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, & 2 teaspoons pepper in a small bowl. Put the chicken in a large baking dish, large enough so that it fits in flat. Pour the marinade over the chicken & flip to coat.
Marinate for 4 hours, or overnight. Flip the chicken occasionally while marinating.
When ready to cook, heat a grill on low heat.
Lay the chicken on the grill & place the dish you used to marinate on top of the chicken, to weigh it down. Cook for 15-20 minutes per side, or until cooked through. When done, tent with foil & let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Click here for printable recipe.