Cookie Jar: Spooky Pinwheel Cookies

It's almost Halloween!  Yippee!  I love Halloween!  I love the idea that candy will be marked down with a deep discount as soon as Halloween is over.  I can buy my fill of Twix and Three Musketeers!  That's the best part about Halloween.

One tradition we have in Hale o Kikukat is baking cookies during fall intersession.  That didn't happen this year because the Ds and I both took trips during intersession.  Luckily, the Ds stayed with me for the weekend after intersession (Mr. Dependable told me he had to work golf in Kona) so we were able to do our Halloween cookie baking.

D2 wanted to make Hoot Owl Cookies (she has been asking about this for a while), but I didn't think there would be enough for the kids to "help" if we did the owls.  Inspired by Pinterest, I wanted to try making pinwheel cookies.  After checking out a bunch of recipes, I settled on the dough for one of my trusty sugar cookie recipes and just changed the procedure to make the spirals.

If you prefer soft cookies, you can make the rope shorter than 12" before coiling.  But if you are like me and prefer a crunchier cookie, its very important to hold to the 12" length before beginning the coil.  A bunch of the spiral cookie pictures on Pinterest feature thicker cookies.  They look neater than the ones we made, but I'm guessing they weren't crunchy.  Any leftover dough (or if you get tired of rolling the dough into ropes) can be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters.  You can find the procedure and baking times for the cut-out cookies here.

Turned out only D2 helped me with the cookie baking.  D1 recused herself and spent the time in her room.  I'm thinking that was a blessing in disguise.  D2 loves making and decorating cookies, while D1, being a taskmaster, just wants to get things done.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Spooky Pinwheel Cookies

     1/2 c butter, softened
     1/2 c sugar
     1 egg
     1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
     2 c flour
     2 tsp baking powder
     food coloring:  yellow, orange, black
     non-pareils

Combine flour and baking powder.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and extract and mix well.  Add dry ingredients.  Divide dough into 3 parts.  Tint each part a different color.  Shape colored dough into a flat brick and chill for 30 minutes.  Divide each color of dough into 24 pieces.  Shape each piece into a cylinder 1" long.  Place 2 cylinders of dough next to each other.  Add 3rd cylinder on top.  Roll together to form a 2" cylinder.  Chill for 10 minutes.  Remove 1/4 of cylinders from refrigerator.  Roll into a rope 12" long.  Then twist from one end.  Coil cylinder, taking care to keep center flat.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Chill while preparing remainder of cookies.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Roll edges of cookies in non-pareils.  Bake for 19 minutes.  Place cookies on cooling rack to cool.

Belgian Waffles

This week was a killer week!  I swear I still have jet lag.  The Help thinks I'm crazy to think jet lag can persist for days.  I have not fully recovered from my trip.  I noticed that the students were actually better than teachers as far as not extending vacation.  There are still a few teachers who were still on vacation when school resumed.  Mercifully, this week was s short one for students, as the teachers had their union day on Friday.

I have "attended" every union day since I began teaching.  This will be our first union day in a while, as the union day was taken away from teachers when we had the furloughs.  The union days are pretty much the same.  But this year, being that the day happened so soon after my trip, I sat there and let my mind replay my trip.

I wanted to bring back a cooler of chilled seafood, but that didn't happen.  While strolling through Pike Place Market, I noticed that both City Fish and Pike Place Fish both pack airline-approved coolers guaranteed for 48 hours of freshness.  I wonder when I will break down and order something.  I don't think I ate enough seafood while there (Really, can this ever be possible?  One can never eat enough seafood).

I thought about buying a whole bunch of things.  I saw the cutest cat-art prints (Bad Kitties), but I didn't buy the print I desired because I didn't want the responsibility and worry of making sure it came home in good shape.  There were many stalls displaying beautiful fruit, but I didn't buy any, as I wasn't about to eat fruit in lieu of a meal while in Seattle.  I was intrigued by a chocolate pasta. . .meant to be a dessert pasta.

While I was thinking about food, it occurred to me that while I was away, I never once had a sit-down breakfast with all the trimmings.  Most of my breakfasts were some kind of grab-and-go pastry (Nielsen's potato, almond croissant, Top Pot doughnuts, some disgusting thing called kringler that tasted like the vile condiment).  Suddenly I felt shortchanged.  I remember having fabulous breakfasts when I was a student in Seattle.  Was I so preoccupied with other things that I couldn't take the time to have a sit-down breakfast?  I guess so.

Cafe Kaila Belgian waffle

I'm a bit taken aback because a sit-down breakfast is a luxury of vacation.  When I visit Honolulu, I make it a point to go to Cafe Kaila.  They make the best Belgian waffles.  I've tried Sweet Es and Yogurstory, but after having it at Cafe Kaila, the others pale by comparison.  The waffle at Cafe Kaila is light and crispy.  You can even get it topped with seasonal fruit.  The last time I was there, D1 got it as a "side" with bacon (looked like a pound of crispy bacon).

If you happen to be in Hilo (Tuesdays-Saturdays), stop in at Paul's Place.  Its across Agasa Furniture, near the Hilo Farmer's Market.  Paul's Place features a Belgian waffle which can totally hold its own against Cafe Kaila.  In spite of it being so awesome, I seldom order it because there are other things on the menu that I find irresistible.  The Help always orders it, and getting him to share a bite with me is like taking candy from a baby.

Since the Ds were with me this weekend, I decided to make up for what I missed in Seattle.  . . a good breakfast.  We made waffles! 

A few months ago, The Help upgraded my double Krups Belgian waffle maker to 4-banger by All-Clad.  It was taking too long to cook just 2 waffles at a time.  Since then, we've experimented with a bunch of different waffle batters.  Some required yeast for leavening, while others entailed separating the eggs.  One of the yeast batters produced a waffle which tasted like bread (not surprising).  Both The Help and I found that we preferred waffles made with batters where the eggs were separated.  We also liked a hint of lemon (over vanilla).  The Help and the Ds love to top their waffles with fruits, especially blueberries, but I prefer it unadulterated.

Have you had breakfast yet? 

 click on recipe title for printable recipe

 Belgian Waffles

     2 c flour
     3 tbsp sugar
     2 tsp baking powder
     1/2 tsp salt
     2 eggs, separated
     1 1/4 c milk
     1/3 c vegetable oil
     1/4 tsp lemon extract


In a medium size bowl, sift dry ingredients together.  Beat egg whites until stiff.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, beat egg yolks and milk.  Add egg mixture, vegetable oil, and lemon extract to dry ingredients.  Mix only until moistened.  Fold in egg whites.  Bake in Belgian waffle iron for 5 minutes.

Only from Hilo: Butt Laulau

Mauna Kea sunset

Whenever I travel, which is hardly ever, I am always glad to return home.  As most people know, I hate flying, and I hate everything about it. . .the getting to the airport, the checking in, the waiting, and the air time.  I HATE IT ALL!!!  I'm not sure about everyone else, but I've been on the plane with a shitload of idiots.  On my return flight, there was a guy who spent more time digging in the overhead bin instead of sitting in his seat.  Then there was the old lady who kept walking in the aisles (all while the plane was still loading) and screwing up other passengers, as she invariably stood in someone else's seat.  There was also a handful of people who tried to cram a carry-on roller suitcase into the overhead bin when it clearly wouldn't fit (or fits only one way and they spent 5 minutes trying to MAKE it fit the wrong way).  Some dude a few rows in front of me opened the overhead bin above him and left it open til someone else came by and closed it.  What a dumbass.  And don't even get me started on airplane food. . .

Anyway, Seattle/Victoria was fun, and I'm waiting for The Help to "process" the pics so I can get my grubby, seafood-smelling fingers on them.  I must've eaten at least 2 dozen oysters while there. . .raw, smoked, cooked.  I love oysters, and I can't imagine why I don't eat them more often at home.

The Ds return from their vacation this evening.  Mr. Dependable doesn't think much of public education, and to him, its not a big deal that his kids miss school.  He refused to pay the ransom to change their return flight.  His traveling partner, who at first seemed concerned about the kids missing the first day of school back from fall break, took the low road and didn't make a big deal out of it, especially since her child didn't go with them and, thus, wouldn't miss any school. 

Since returning home, The Help and I have been gorging on white rice and "local" food.  Neither of us had rice on the trip (no, I'm not counting paella and risotto), so we were both jonesing for it.  With just the two of us, its easy to pick up food, but with the imminent return of the Ds, I'm feeling like they will be grateful for some "local" food.

If you grew up in Hilo, you know that FF's Oven Ready Butt (brined/seasoned pork butt/shoulder) is TRUE Hilo food.  Its the moonyagi (omiyage) people from Hilo take to friends and relatives on neighbor islands.  It is also what other islanders bring home for family/friends when visiting Hilo.  Now, thanks to KTA, FF is not the only show in town for Oven Ready Butt.  Mountain Apple brand makes their own, and it is usually a little cheaper than FF.  I can't tell the difference in taste, so I buy whichever happens to be cheaper (on sale, FF is cheaper).

When I was away in college, I prepared Oven Ready Butt in the same fashion you'd prepare a corned beef brisket (or how I imagine you'd do it...I don't eat corned beef brisket myself).  Cook the chunk of meat in some water until its fairly soft, then add cabbage wedges and cook until done.  I think I've heard that called "boiled dinner".  I had no choice because back then, there was nowhere in Seattle to get fresh taro leaves.

Now that I live in Hilo, I prepare Oven Ready Butt my favorite way. . .a gigantic laulau which takes minimal effort to make.  The trickiest part is finding the taro leaves, but recently, that hasn't been very difficult.  I can usually find taro leaves at the supermarket (sold in 2 lb bags) or the farmer's market.  In fact, AJanice has some growing in her back yard.  I actually should plant some where the pool pump discharges because the weekly flooding (along with Hilo rain) makes it a good place for growing taro.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Oven-Ready Butt Laulau

     1 large piece Oven-Ready Butt

     2 lbs taro leaves, washed and larger veins shaved down

Wrap butt with taro leaves, completely encasing butt.  Wrap tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil, completely encasing taro leaves.  Place in crock pot/slow cooker.  Cook on low for 7 hours or more.  Remove from crock pot.  Carefully remove butt from foil.  Slice and serve.

On occasion, when I can't find a large piece of Oven-Ready Butt, I have bought 2 smaller pieces and wrapped them up.  I usually do the wrapping the night before and store it in the crock in the refrigerator overnight.  Then I just place the crock in the heating element before I leave for work.  This reheats well too, in spite of it not being very photogenic.

Back in the Emerald City: Bones, Bones, Bones

Its been over 20 years.  My, how you've changed!



There were no college buddies on my long flight across the Pacific.



There was no UGeo to greet me at the airport, to help me with my baggage, to take me to get something to eat.






And yet, in many ways, you've stayed the same.



The autumn air is still cool and brisk.



The air still has that odd smell. . .somewhere between the smell of industry and paper pulp.  Its hard to describe, but anyone who has lived in the Pacific Northwest knows what I'm talking about.



Starbuck's Coffee still rules.



And Pike Place Market is still THE place for fresh seafood.




Going down to the market to watch the salmon being thrown to the back at Pike Place Fish was, and still is, a sight to see. Anytime someone visited me in Seattle, it was de rigueur to go down there and watch the salmon "fly". 

As I've spoken of previously, to me, Seattle IS salmon.  There are very few things more delicious than hot, fresh, alder-smoked salmon.  Whether its made by UGeo or Ivar's, the aroma itself will transport you to a different world.  I don't think I could even attempt to recreate it at home.

Ahhhh. . .home. . .Hilo.  We buy fresh salmon from the supermarket (or receive Alaskan salmon from Kento), and we buy it by the piece, never whole.  Living in Seattle, UGeo would often buy the whole salmon.  He would do the filleting himself.  If I knew then what I know now, I would've asked him to give me the center bone.

The center bone, after the salmon has been filleted, is one of my most favorite parts (after the collars/kama, of course).  Some people cook the center bone in a shoyu/sugar sauce, but I love it fried.  It goes great with a cold brewski. . .rice optional!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Fried Salmon Bones

     1 lb salmon bones
     3/4 c flour
     1 1/2 tsp salt
     1 1/2 tbsp garlic salt
     1 1/2 tbsp lemon pepper

In a small ziploc bag, combine all ingredients except bones.  Rinse bone pieces and pat dry.  Using a cleaver and kitchen shears, cut bone pieces apart into 1 1/2" segments.  Shake each piece in flour mixture and pan fry in shallow oil til crispy.

And while I miss UGeo and think about him everyday, not all Seattle change is bad. . Seattle now has superb outlet shopping! I'm sure UGeo is proud of that.

Crock Pot Food: Beef Stew

Now that there is a definite nip in the air, I'm all psyched to cook hearty, cold weather food.  And there is nothing that screams "hearty" like beef stew.

Before I go on, let me get this off my chest:  I am not a huge fan of beef stew.  I am not kidding.   Yes, I grew up in Hawaii.  Yes, beef stew is served at practically every self-respecting "local" restaurant.  Yes, it was served in my house growing up.  Yet, I am not a big fan.

So why would someone who is clearly not a fan of beef stew be dedicating a precious weekly post to the unofficial most popular home-cooked meal in Hawaii?  Its because the majority of people I share my house with are huge fans.

My dislike for stew goes back years decades.  I remember my mom making it.  I remember my grandma going to the emergency room because she nearly sliced her index finger off while trying to cut out all the fat from pieces of stew meat.  I even remember my older cousin trying to force me to eat a bowl of it, indignantly telling me after the 3rd time I declined, "My mother made it."  I still didn't eat it.

The stew I grew up with was rather thin, and it didn't have much color.  The meat chunks tended to be large and fatty.  The vegetables were huge and it seemed to be more liquid that chunks.  Maybe that explains why stew seemed like it lasted forever, another demerit for stew.  We weren't poor, so it beats the crap outta me why my parents HAD to make a huge pot of stew every time.  Kikukat Mom did not make stew with any tomato base either.  It was "brown" or "natural", as Kikukat Dad once called it.  I can't remember what kind of stew my grandma made...main thing it didn't contain any finger bits! 

When I was living on my own in Honolulu (when I started working), I decided to have another go at stew.  I bought one of those packet mixes and followed the directions.  It was horrible...there was some spice in there that I found irritating.  I even tried some stew special at Zippy's.  It was nasty too.  I decided to avoid making/eating stew.  This worked out okay because Mr. Dependable didn't like stew either!

And then the Ds came along.  Having dinner at my parents' house, they both ate "stool soup" and would come home raving.  Ugh.  I was actually impressed at how fitting the term "stool soup" was for it because that's what I was thinking for years.  And one day, the unthinkable happened.  Someone bought me dinner from Cafe 100. . .and it was beef stew!!!  I can't remember the exact situation, but I was forced to eat it, and thats when things began to look a little brighter.

Cafe 100 beef stew has a tomato base.  Eating it, I realized that stew tastes pretty decent when eaten with a scoop of potato salad.  I also noticed that there were pieces of meat and vegetables enrobed in a hearty sauce (not thin and watery).  Turned out that the Ds weren't picky...they loved tomato-based stew too.

Since then, I've actually gone back to making and (sometimes) eating beef stew.  I've even made it for parties, as I've come to realize that some of my uncles love beef stew (one of them goes there weekly to get it).  I've made it in a pressure cooker for a quick meal (must have a fat separator), and most recently, I made it in the crock pot.  The crock pot method works best if you have enough forethought to make it a day before you plan to eat it.  Chilling the mixture before reheating the next day will allow you to remove the hardened fat.  The best part about crock pot stew is that the meat does not require browning prior to cooking.

My parents still make the same stew I grew up eating, and I still decline (politely) when they offer some to me.  But now, I make my own stew and offer it to them (and they always accept).  The Ds both boldly proclaim "grandma makes the best stew".  I suppose I should prepare myself for the day one of the Ds offers me some"natural" stew.  Blecchhhhh.

What kind of stew did you grow up eating?

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Crock Pot Beef Stew

     2 lbs beef stew meat
     1 large onion, diced
     1 c celery, sliced
     2 large carrots, cut in 1" chunks
     4 potatoes, cut in 1 1/2" chunks
     3 tbsp minute tapioca
     1 tbsp sugar
     2 1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp pepper
     1 can tomato soup combined with 2 c water

In a 5 quart crock pot, layer ingredients in the above order.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Refrigerate overnight.  Spoon off hardened fat.  Reheat on high for 2 hours, stirring after 20 minutes.

Way to go, Vikings!

First football victory (that I know of. . .and I will be the first to admit I don't know a whole lot about high school football) over the Kealakehe Waveriders!  The final score of this defensive brawl . . . 6-3.

And what great timing. . .Homecoming!

Feels Like Fall II: Apple Cheese Crisp

This is typical autumn scenery in Connecticut.

This past week I could really tell the weather was changing.  Its been getting dark earlier too.  I learned to love fall when I was in Seattle, and I fell in love all over again when I visited Connecticut.   I associate autumn with all sorts of feel-good things. . . halloween candy, football, pumpkin pie, apples, colored leaves, spiced cider.  If you are in Hilo, fall is also the time of the year for the Hawaii County Fair.  This is when Hiloans know it is guaranteed to rain.

There are no fall "colors" in Hawaii, but the stores are already full of halloween candy and supplies.  Kona Costco had a bunch of sweat-producing costumes.  Spookier still is the fact that Costco even had some Christmas things on display. . .wired ribbon, wrapping paper, lights, tags, and gift sets.  I went to Target this week, and I couldn't resist buying some fall-colored sprinkles (for cupcakes) and a few bags of "halloween candy", knowing full well the halloween candy wouldn't last past the end of the week.  I think they must put something in halloween candy to make it taste even better.  I swear the full size bar of Three Musketeers doesn't taste as good as a dozen of those mini ones eaten in one sitting.

One thing I have busied myself with has been football.  High school football.  The season seems a tad longer than it was last year, and being able to put forth a decent team makes the games very entertaining.  The Help has been doing some photo work for the coach.  He has taken some really cool action shots of the players.  I go to the game to cheer for my students and keep an eye on D1.  My favorite part is when the players gather at the end of the game to sing the alma mater.  Its always chicken skin.

This past weekend, I accompanied The Help to the game.  He thought it would be a good idea for me to accompany him onto the field and carry his other camera body.  I had a different idea.  I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to watch the game from a normal vantage point.  For those of you not familiar with Hilo, high school football home games of East Hawaii high schools are played at Wong Stadium, which is actually a baseball stadium.  This means that the football game is played in the outfield and part of the infield portions of the diamond.  Watching the game sucks because you are so far away.  Watching the game from a proper stadium was great, but I came home  soaking wet.  The sky opened up in the middle of the 4th quarter and didn't stop until after the game ended.  East Hawaii is one of the wettest areas in the entire state. . .why the heck is there no COVERED football stadium? 

While I was at the game, I realized that the weather really is beginning to cool down.  For the first time in months, I felt like eating something warm, like a big bowl of Portuguese Bean Soup.  My late friend Colleen made a great bowl of bean soup.  Its not exactly like the version The Help makes, but it is hearty and good.  I haven't eaten it in years, and thinking about Colleen and her life made me sad.  I worked with Colleen in the mid 90s.  She left the teaching profession and did a bunch of odd jobs.  I remember her with lots of fondness, and whenever she'd invite me and Mr. Dependable over for bean soup, she often made this kick ass apple crisp for dessert.

What set Colleen's apple crisp apart from all others was the addition of cheese in the topping.  Having bits of savory goodness just makes the sweet flavors burst even more.  Colleen took the time to cut in the butter with a pastry blender, but I'm lazy.  I found that the fastest way to make this dessert is to use a food processor.   Make the topping first and keep it chilled.  Use a 6 mm slicing disc to slice the apples.  I changed Colleen's recipe and used minute tapioca for part of the cornstarch.  I like the way tapioca thickens a filling. . .thanks for the tip, AJanice.  And whatever you do, do not be tempted to add a shortbread crust base to this dessert.  You will end up with a soggy bottom.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Apple Cheese Crisp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Topping:      2 c flour

                    2 c sugar

                    1 block + 2 tbsp butter

                    8 oz grated cheddar cheese

Combine flour and sugar.  Cut in butter to form a crumbly mixture.  Stir in grated cheese.  Refrigerate while preparing filling. 

Filling:        6-8 apples, peeled, cored & sliced ¼” thick

                   1 tbsp lemon juice

                   2 tsp cinnamon

                   ¼ c sugar

                   1 tbsp cornstarch

                   2 tbsp minute tapioca (may substitute and equal amount of cornstarch)

Combine all ingredients and arrange evenly in a greased 9 x 13” pan.  Sprinkle topping over apples.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.

If you prefer, the above filling can be substituted with 2 cans of sliced apples or apple pie filling.

On Thursday, we celebrated Kikukat Mom's birthday with a nice dinner at Imiloa Sky Garden.  I had been ono for crab, and I knew they boast crab legs in their buffet spread.  Of course I brought my own mayonnaise and Joyce Chen scissors.  I think Kikukat Dad was impressed with my forethought in planning.  He was amazed at how much easier it is to get the meat out of crab with kitchen shears.

Its rare when a crab dinner gets overshadowed, but I think thats just what happened last week.  On Monday, Kikukat Mom & Kikukat Dad (with D2 in tow) brought home their newly-adopted children from the Hawaii Island Humane Society in Keaau.  They actually went last Saturday, thinking they were going to adopt ONE kitten.  Somehow, they ended up with TWO.  FYI, two kittens can be adopted for the price of one, and senior citizens get an additional discount.  They thought they'd be able to bring the cuties home then, but they were told to return on Monday to get the boys (they were "fixed" on Monday).

Oreo and Mickey seem to be adjusting well to life in the Waiakea Uka manor.  After a few days of being confined to a safe area to establish litterbox norms, the boys are now exploring the house, climbing on furniture and napping on the sofa.  And should the Humane Society check up, the Ds can reassure them that Oreo and Mickey (aka Rider and Chris, respectively) are not being abused.  In fact, Kikukat Dad wants then to remain indoors until they are larger.  He said he doesn't want other cats to pick on them.  The only toxic element they have encountered thus far has been Kikukat Dad's everyday profanity.

On a disappointing note, I wrote my first disciplinary referral on a student last week.  He would not keep his mouth shut so I told him to stay after class.  When the bell rang, in spite of me and his skills trainer telling him to stay put, he bolted and said, "fuck you!  I don't need this fucking class!".  As he left, he slapped an old metal cabinet and pushed past other students in the hallway.  I wouldn't tolerate my own children speaking like that to me, and I'm certainly not going to tolerate it from him.  Needless to say, it was a rum & diet Coke weekend for me!

Toaster Oven Food: Roast Chicken Breasts

This week was a crazy week at work.  We had our Open House, and I got to meet a handful of parents.  I had a record turnout this year. . .4!  Not kidding.  I'm good with it because the 4 parents who showed came at different times so I got to spend some time with each of them, telling them how their child was doing in my class.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to speak to one of the parents because she was ready to come at me about why her son was failing his vocabulary tests.  She told me that he is the type where if he writes the definition, he can remember it.  Her jaw dropped when I told her he does that every other Monday.  I explained further that we do other activities between the definitions and the test so its not like I'm expecting them to just know these words.  So now its her turn to give me an excuse why he doesn't do well, since I obviously already do what she was going to suggest.

The other three parents who showed up were really nice, and they were pleased with things.  Of course, their kids are always polite and on-task.

Along with Open House, I had a student meeting and a football game this week.  The student meeting went well.  Its always nice to see former students who thank you for teaching them when they were in school.  This is also a back-handed slap, as it means you've been at it long enough to be teaching another generation.  The football game also went favorably.  Nice to see the boys doing well.  All their hard work is paying off.  Kudos to the head coach and assistant coaches for putting in all the time with the boys. 

Because Mr. Dependable went out of town this weekend, I had the Ds for the whole weekend, which meant all the chauffeuring.  D1 went to the movies on Friday evening.  On Saturday she had a class work session, cheer practice, and the football game. 

With Open House and all the preparation, the student meeting, work sessions, cheer practice and the football game, you would think my week was rather full.  Add on a scavenger hunt around town to locate bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, and you've entered into a whole different dimension.

Is there some kind of chicken shortage in Hilo?  I went to multiple supermarkets looking for bone-in, skin-on half-breasts, and in all my trouble, I managed to find just 1 regular-size package of organic ones.  That's it.  I don't understand it.  There were trays and trays of thighs (bone-in, boneless/skinless, organic, hormone-raised, etc.), which I detest (dark meat = blecchhhhhh).  I didn't want to buy wings because I just made those last week. 

I was disappointed, but I still needed to eat so I made a half recipe of roast chicken.  And yes, I did it in my trusty toaster oven.  Since I installed pv in late 2012, I've been trying to be conscious about electricity usage.  When I didn't have pv, I used electricity without even thinking about conservation.  True, I have some things which suck the lifeblood out of my electricity generation (fish pond, doggie pond, and auto kitty drinking fountain, etc.), but other than those necessities, I do try to conserve when I can.  Roast chicken is so versatile.  I love making chicken salad mix from the leftovers.  I've also added chopped chicken into a wild rice salad.  The possibilities are endless.  Please don't be tempted to skip the step of smearing the herb butter mixture under the skin.  It totally pumps up the flavor.  Because I have it in my garden, I usually use thyme, tarragon and rosemary for the herb butter mix.  And when I'm lucky enough to find bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves, I buy four because four fits nicely in my toaster oven pan.  Crap!  I should have looked for chicken in Costco!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Herb Roasted Chicken Breasts

     4 bone-in chicken breast halves
     3 tbsp butter, softened
     1/2 tsp salt + additional for sprinkling
     1/4 tsp pepper
     1 tbsp assorted herbs, minced
     1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine butter, salt, pepper, and herbs.  Set aside.  Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Spread herb butter over chicken and under the skin.  Place skin-side up in a shallow pan.  Sprinkle with salt and drizzle olive oil over chicken.  Roast for 25 minutes.  Flip chicken pieces over (skin-side down) and roast for 20 minutes.  Flip chicken pieces over again (skin-side up) and roast for 15 minutes.  Remove chicken to a serving platter.