Weekend Company {Guest Blogger Bobbi}

Beginning this week, I'm trying something new for your Saturday at Everyday Mom's Meals. I think one of the best things about the weekend is it's the time of the week out of town guests seem to stop by the most. So, why not have some "weekend company" here too! For the next several weeks, you will get your weekly menu plan from me, and then my weekend guest will be sharing a recipe w/ you. I'm hoping this really takes off and introduces all of you--my loyal and enthusiastic readers-- to some great new foodies whom I'm so lucky to know. If you have a blog, you just love to cook, and would like to guest post, please email me at everydaymomsmeals@gmail.com to sign up! If it develops into something we enjoy, it will become a permanent feature!

For our first guest, I'm so happy to have another blogger I was introduced to through Facebook. I love her "Food Star Friday" feature--yep think Food Network meets home blogger. Plus, I respect her. This girl has had a "wow" weight loss and is still in love w/ food.  Please show her a warm welcome to EMM, and be sure to stop by her blog very soon! Without further adieu, here is Bobbi of Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen!

Hi, my name is Bobbi and I have been blogging for just a few short months now. In 2004 I underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost a total of 160 pounds. After that the whole world of food changed for me. It became all about quality, not quantity. I began my quest for new for new recipes to showcase great food with good flavor.

That is when I became addicted to cooking. I have TONS of cook books, watch countless cooking shows, and my house is littered with all types of cooking magazines.Having only done "basic cooking" before my surgery, I was so happy to find recipes that tasted wonderful but didn't require a culinary degree to prepare them. Fresh herbs and veggies took over in a kitchen that had been more accustomed to seeing fast foods and Hamburger Helper.

I have so many blessings in my life in the form of my family. They are the true inspiration for everything I do. At any given time you can find any or all of them in my kitchen helping, tasting, or just hanging out. My son Seth and daughter Jessi. My father Bob and my wonderful sous chef/boyfriend Kevin. Oh I have a few four footed babies running around here as well. We have quite the full house. They are the inspiration for everything I do!

Blogging has been a way for me to celebrate food, my family, and life. I always say that if I love you I am cooking for you. So this is a way to share just a bit of that love with you all!

2004 Right Before Surgery

Over the Memorial Day weekend we wanted to do some BBQing so we did a couple racks of ribs (I am still working on the rub and sauce so I will post those recipes when I get them right). But it is a 3 day weekend. You have to have something else besides ribs right? Well at least I thought so. I mean if you are going to BBQ LETS DO SOME BBQIN'!

Walking around the store my wonderful sous chef/boyfriend Kevin and I decided besides the ribs, we wanted do do something else. Burgers? Hhhhmmmmmm I don't know. Then we wandered past the poultry section. After looking at the thighs and legs and wondering if we were going to choose to BBQ them I looked at the whole chickens and BING a light bulg went off in my head. I turned to Kevin and announced, "I want to do a beer butt chicken"! The lady next to me looked at me with a strange look like I wanted to violate small farm animals and Kevin just flat out asked me what the heck I was talking about. "You know....beer butt chicken....where you shove the beer can up the chickens...." "Ooohhhhh was his response. The lady next to me quickly guided her children away from this obviously deluded woman.

Now Kevin is a BBQ purest. There are those that only cook on coals and those that cook on gas. We have the latter, and it drives him nuts. He misses his old charcoal grill and has grumbled on my occasion that using a GAS grill is not REAL grilling. I just laugh and remind him that there are many chefs out there that use gas ummm like who is that guy? OH ya Bobby Flay. I think he has a few cook books on grilling...just a few mind you, and they are on GAS. Get over it (insert more mumbling here)!

We grabbed our doomed chicken and I headed for the beer isle like a woman on a mission, well I was a woman on a mission, so whatever, you know what I mean. "Where the heck are you going now?" was the response I got from Kevin. I explained to him that I needed to find a beer. His answer to that was that we already had beer at home. Well, technically we did, but I was not about to cook my chicken with Miller Lite (sorry to the Miller people but ewwwww). So as Kevin stood, tapping his foot, I scoured the beer isle. You would think I was looking for a priceless jewel, but in my mind it was a very important part of the recipe. I finally decided on a hefeweizen. I didn't want to buy a 12 pack since I only needed one so I spotted the single bottles and grabbed one. Then Kevin pointed out to me that the beer was in a bottle. DUH I knew that. I told him my plan was to use one of the empty Miller Lite cans and pour the hefeweizen in it. See I am always thinking. 

Once we got home I jumped online to check out some ideas on how to properly cook a chicken with a beer can up its butt. You can not believe how many recipes you can find for these things! Kevin wandered into the office and asked what I was doing. I showed him all of the ideas I had found. Again, Mr BBQ purest..."That is silly, you just put the beer can in its....and put it on the grill. *sigh* Does he know nothing about me? I laughed. "Since when have you EVER known me to do anything, cooking wise at least, the simple easy way?" he shook his head and walked out of the room.

There were so many ideas, most of which called for some ingredients I didn't have or required overnight marinating. So I knew aside from using their instructions on how to cook the bird, I was going to have use my imagination and go with it.

I got my little bird out and cleaned him all up. Patted him dry and seasoned him liberally with coarse salt, cracked black pepper, and poultry seasoning. Making sure to get into all his little nooks and crannies. Then, after Kevin finished his beer, I washed out the beer can and filled it about half way up with whole garlic cloves. I thought about adding some lemons too, but the hefeweizen has a citrus taste to it so I was hoping that might infuse a bit into the bird during the cooking process. I filled the can to about the 2/3 full mark and got my chicken. After a quick apology to the bird, I slid it down onto the beer can until it's little legs formed a "tripod" with the beer can. I tucked his little wings behind his back to keep them from drying out while it cooked. I started laughing, for some reason he reminded me of a square dancer. Do-se-do and around you go. Ya, I know, I am weird. See what poor Kevin has to put up with.

Meanwhile Kevin preheated one side of the BBQ to medium heat. I carefully carried my little friend outside and we placed him on the grill gently positioning the can with his legs to balance him well.

Then just closed the lid and let him cook. He was approx a 5 pound bird so we cooked him about 1 1/2 hours. But I am sure just like oven times vary so will this. Start checking around an hour depending on the size of your bird.

And TADAAAA what a gorgeous bird! The skin was crispy, the meat was juicy, WOW I am getting hungry just looking at it. Hmmmm I think we will do an Asian version this weekend!

Beer in the Rear Chicken

Ingredients

1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds

coarse salt

cracked black pepper

poultry seasoning

8 to 10 whole garlic cloves

1 can of beer, your choice of brand

Preheat grill on one side to medium.

Wash chicken thoroughly and pat dry with paper towel. Liberally season the bird with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.

Pour the beer into a glass and place the garlic cloves into the empty beer can. Fill the can with beer until it is about 2/3 full. Use a can opener to punch a couple holes in the side of the can just below the rim to allow for steam to escape.

Carefully lower chicken onto the beer can until you can stand the bird in a "tripod" stance. Place the chicken on the other side of the grill away from the heated side. Close the lid. Cook chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cook to an internal temp of 165 or the juices run clear.

ENJOY!!

Bobbi

Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

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