Friday, August 7, 2020

Evelyn’s DIY ‘Mary Garden’ Follow-up 2


Hello, Darlings

A glorious Friday to you all.

Today I put the remaining artificial grass down and added a clear plastic mat for protection against electric shock; in this case Florida’s lightning. To all of this, I placed the patio table and the two black metal rockers I bought in 2017. There are still a few things that need to be done; however much of it is cosmetic. I also moved Mother Mary among the roses at the center of the garden to showcase her more.

Before I straighten out the mat and add the umbrella and other plants


Well, this is all for now. Stay safe, and

Chow Darlings.

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Evelyn’s DIY ‘Mary Garden’ Follow-up


Hello, Darlings

It has been a while since my last article. Today is a follow up on my progress in creating my Mary Garden. Let me tell you, this DIY project is my most ambitious to date.  From the video below, you see, although not finish, it was in the article, Jetta among the Saints, that I introduced my plans to create the garden with the limited space in the backyard.

 

Back then I thought that the area was more shaded because of the three oak trees there. However, I have watched the rising and setting of the sun, as well as the change in directions in that area, and I have discovered that more sunlight comes in there than I first thought. This is a plus and it means depending on the season I can do more creative planting. 

 

As I stated above this project is still a work in progress and I am looking to this fall and winter creative additions.

 

In this concrete portion of the yard, I added a couple of mats of artificial grass since there is no grass. It’s a nice touch and I like the quality of the mats because they look like real grass. I can also vacuum them. Oh yeah! Oh yeah!

 

Click to enlarge photos.

Here is Mother Mary. One day this week, I will plant these flowers around her, and the same goes for Saint Frances of Assisi on the opposite side.

Stanley helped me with the mulch and we made this raised bed out of a pair of damaged side rails of a queen-size bed.  ‘Waste not want not’. Recycling is good. Nevertheless, this is where I will plant my collard, mustard, and turnip greens this year. 

Over here is my standing raised bed where I have already planted some “all-weather lettuce”. It is  a wild lettuce with a slightly earthy flavor. They can also be added to greens for cooking. The same is true of Romaine lettuce.

 These are the areas I still need to finish, but is for another day, as today I am poop.

     The rear

The unfinished rear of the house.

Check out my video. below. There is one blooper. In it, I called Saint Francis, Saint Joseph. Common mistake since Saint Joseph is Mary's husband. Saint Frances is the patron saint animals and the founder of the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis, and the Custody of the Holy Land. 

Well, this is the end of my follow-up. I hope you find it of interest.

Until next time,

Chow Darlings.

Friday, June 26, 2020

Evelyn’s Air Fried Whole Roast Chicken with a Twist


Hello, Darlings

In these trying times of worldwide COVID-19, unemployment, civil unrest, broken promises, confused and mixed messages, we all need something to lighten our spirits. And although I am retired and generally a stay at home housewife these days, I too feel the oppression of all that is happening here and around the world. However, to relieve some of the stress of what is happening, I am finding added joy in working on my websites, gardening, DIY projects, and cooking. 
 
This being said below is my recipe for roasting a whole chicken upright in a Big Boss air fryer.  Time-wise is about equal roasting in an oven, but minus the oven heat that fills the house, and since our Florida days have topped 100 degrees in some areas, the less heat in the house the better. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe and find the cooking method useful, and as a bonus, I have added the recipe for my special chicken rub.


Description: This is a recipe for a Big Boss Air Fryer in which the extender is used and takes up to an hour to bake. 

                                                      Ingredients
Generic Photo
One 4-6 Lb Whole Fryer Chicken
¼ cup olive oil, melted margarine or butter
Salt
My Chicken Rub

Directions
  1. Preheat Big Boss air fryer to 460°.
  2. Rinse chicken in and out, then pat dry
  3. Using oil, margarine, or butter spread all over chicken inside and out.
  4. Spread a generous amount of  My Chicken Rub over the outside and inside of the chicken
  5. Sprinkle salt on the inside and outside of the chicken
  6. Place chicken upside down on an upright poultry rack
  7. Add a little more of the My Chicken Rub over the areas touched when placing the chicken on the upright poultry rack.
  8. Place racked chicken in the Big Boss air fryer
  9. After baking for 20 to 30-minutes, remove chicken from Big Boss and reverse it on the poultry rack so that it is breast side up. The amount of baking time depends on the size of the chicken.
  10.  Return racked chicken to Big Boss, replace extender.
  11. Checking frequently, bake for the remaining 20 to 30-minutes or until no blood runs and the chicken is juicy. Skin will be crispy but can be moistened with a little butter.
  12. Let chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before removing from upright poultry rack. To remove the rack twist it to one side or the other and pull it out.
  13. Cut chicken in half or quarters 
  14. Serve with the main dish.

My Chicken Rub

Measure out the following ingredients as listed in a small airtight jar. Shake well. You can also double or triple the amount for additional and future use in a larger jar.

  • 3 tablespoons Za'atar Powder

  • 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

  • 1 teaspoon butcher-grade black pepper

  The photo above is generic. I am using it now because the chicken I roasted using this method was so good that we ate it before I thought of writing down the recipe.  I will replace the one above with one of my own after I roast another chicken. In addition, if you want to try roasting the chicken without rotating it be my quest. I just like roasting chicken breast down first and then turning it upright.

Until next time,

Chow Darlings and stay well out there.

Widescreen Online Review

 LA CRÉATION DE MOI!