By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
I take Raven with me in the truck a lot of the time and I have some toys for her to play with. One is a plush toy and the other is one side of a set of deer antlers. All my dogs love to chew on those and it is a good source of calcium for them. The antlers are harder than bone and do not split or crack. Momma Said, “Good for the pearly whites, harder than rocks.”
Well I knew it was going to happen sooner than later. I got out of the truck to go to the grocery store. It was dark I was so tired and wasn’t paying attention when I got back in the truck. You guessed it I hopped in and sat down right on that antler. It didn’t take me too long to hop back up. Momma Said, “Always look before you leap!!”
Raven has shed her baby fur and is starting to get sleek and glossy. It seems it happened overnight, one minute she looked like a downy duckling and the next she looks like a shiny mink. She made the big leap the other night and came running into the living room and right up in my chair she came. When she realizes she can jump into the couch as easily, Gracie will get no peace at all.
December is here and the holiday season is in full swing. I stayed home during Black Friday, can’t stand the rush and the crowds. Mt family is at a time in life when it is so hard to buy anything for them so I try to get everyone together and take them out for a really good meal. At least that way I know everyone will get what they want.
Chicken and Balsamic Baked Peaches
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ½ POUNDS chicken pieces bone-in, skin on, breasts, thighs or legs (4 to 8 pieces)
- olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ TEASPOON dried thyme
- 3 TABLESPOONS balsamic vinegar
- 3 TABLESPOON honey
- 2 shallots cut into thin wedges
- 2 peaches pitted and cut into 8 wedges
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 OUNCES baby arugula (about 8 cups)
- juice ½ lemon
- 2 OUNCES goat cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
- Rub the chicken pieces with olive oil and season all sides generously with salt and freshly ground pepper and dried thyme. Place them on a sheet pan and transfer the pan to the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, whisk the balsamic vinegar and honey together in a large bowl. Add the peaches and shallots and toss to coat.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and add the peach and shallot mixture to the chicken, spreading the peaches and shallots around the chicken pieces and pouring the liquid over the chicken. Tear up the rosemary and thyme sprigs and nestle them around the peaches. Return the sheet pan to the oven to bake for 15 minutes, tossing once about halfway through.
- After 15 minutes of baking at 375ºF, turn the oven setting to broil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes to crisp the skin on the chicken – watch carefully because it will brown easily. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Toss the arugula with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper and scatter it across a serving platter. Place the chicken pieces on the bed of arugula and spoon the peaches and shallots around. Crumble the goat cheese on top and drizzle the juices from the sheet pan over the chicken. Serve immediately.