After three and a half hours of treacherously climbing through NC mountain ranges the girls demanded a hearty dinner. We obliged. We stuffed an entire chicken in the oven.
A happy free range chicken that is. We filled it with 2 lemons, fresh bay leaves, rosemary, sage, and 3 cloves of garlic, unpeeled. We rubbed it all over with olive oil, salt, and pepper. We roasted it at 375F for 1 and 1/2 hours. Half way through we basted the bird with its juices and added more herbs and lemons to the pan.
My goodness! It was pure bliss. Lucy and Papa went for the legs, while the rest sliced off meat from the breast. When slicing became futile the forks came out and the bones were picked clean. Good eating. (To round it off we had made some mashed potatoes and carrots. But who cares. With a bird like that happiness ensues.)