Monica: Queen of the Roaster

Mark, Suzie, Monica and Jason doing what we do best: Drinking and

eating on a cruise during a hurricane. Good times.

My little sister is not happy with me.

“Why haven’t you written about ME on your blog, Suzie?”

(Silence)

(Mumbling)

I got nothin.’

The pressure, Monica, the pressure!

So, yeah. I totally shoulda, coulda, woulda written about my little sis and her majorly delish roasted chicken when I finally, FINALLY made one this summer after watching “Julie and Julia” with Aunt Lorraine.

I told Mark the roasted chicken was so in honor of Monica and Julia and all things chickeny and roasted, but I did not write about it, dear readers. Nor, did I or Husband shoot any photos. Truth is I was anticipating a major fail.

But……

The chicken rocked.

As Monica says, “Roast chicken is a no-brainer.”

So true, Mon. So true.

Monica thinks it's funny how so many people fear roasting. She will tell you straight up that roasting your dinner makes life a lot easier and the world a better place. Well, maybe I exaggerate. But if you have kiddies in your realm, Monica encourages you to totally roast away.

Last spring, after her baby Jackson was birthed and joined the fam, Mark and I made our annual spring visit to see Monica, husband Jason and baby Jackson, aka Team Kemp, who live outside D.C. After Mark headed back to work, I mean home, I stayed on for some sisterly bonding.

My mission for the week was to cook and clean and fold laundry and be a goddess aunt and sister. (I may have also played a lot of Guitar Hero, sunbathed at the pool, read a novel or two and watched vintage footage of “General Hospital” on YouTube while drinking red wine with my brother-in-law. Isn’t that what Mary Poppins would do?)

One night, Monica rocked out her roasted chicken and gave me a fabulous tutorial. She’s a good teach! She’s also your go-to-gal if you need to organize your closet, your shoes, your life, or if you need input on a fabulous ensemble, or if you must know how to analyze data relating to politics and television. Monica has previously worked as a mac daddy political survey guru. Now, she works for Nielson Media, which is fitting because girlfriend lurves to watch her TV.

We are known to talk on a daily basis about riveting topics such as: celebrity gossip, really good sales, what we’re wearing, work, going out, cooking, and much more.

So, check out Monica’s Amazing Roast Chicken. And just so you know, Monica is a fellow goddess in the kitchen. I will be sharing many more of her recipes and tidbits!

And seriously, Monica, we need some good current pics of us.

Monica’s Roast Chicken
1 whole chicken (3.5 to 4 lbs.)
2 lemons
3-4 sprigs of rosemary
Salt and pepper
1 white onion
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse chicken and pat dry inside and out.

Place chicken in pan breast side up.

Season inside cavity with salt and pepper.

Dice up a white onion and scatter it throughout the pan.

Drizzle olive oil and juice from two lemons on the chicken and onions.

Place squeezed lemon halves and rosemary sprigs inside the chicken cavity.

Cover and place in oven.

Remove cover after 30-45 minutes.

Roast for a total of 90 minutes.

Let rest for 5 minutes or so before slicing and serving. Serve with your favorite potatoes, stuffing and vegetables. And don't forget a salad!