Subscriber feedback > A packed lunch is like a jigsaw puzzle…

Several months ago I wrote a weekly cooking letter about how making a packed lunch was like a jigsaw puzzle made up of 5 parts: drink + meal + veggie/fruit + sweet + salty. http://oneroastchicken.wordpress.com/2006/12/05/a-packed-lunch-is-like-a-jigsaw-puzzle/

My musings about making lunches and how to get yourself organized sparked a couple of great letters from One Roast Chicken subscribers.

Jennifer (Maple Ridge, BC) writes:

“I make lunch for Brendan every Monday and Wednesday night for preschool, so I love your 5-step jigsaw puzzle idea. I have to avoid nuts, so PB&J is unfortunately out, so I often struggle to find something that he will eat, and not the same thing each time. Cheese sticks are a common part of the puzzle for us… I like your suggestion to buy small milk containers rather than the juice boxes, although I usually give him a juice box (preferably with 25% less sugar) PLUS a sippy cup with milk in it. I’d love to see André take a sippy cup to work!

I usually make up a container of low-fat veggie dip (sometimes it goes well with chips, too J ) and I put some in a small plastic container along with the left-over cut-up veggies I served with dinner.

Philly makes light cream cheese dips like “Light Garden Vegetable” which is good as a sandwich spread instead of mayo (and surprisingly less fattening). That also takes care of the cheese part of a meat sandwich (one less step to worry about). Or sometimes I buy pre-sliced cheese at the deli counter when I’m buying lunch meats. I buy the big bags of sugar snap peas ($9.99 for a family pack, but I think it’s worth it), which is a very easy and healthy crunchy snack, with or without dip.

Now I’m going to go and see what to make for Brendan’s lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration!”

Irm (Victoria, BC) writes:

“I like your contemplations on lunch. I hesitate to mention, but think you might find it interesting to hear about making lunch for four different people each morning. One refuses to eat mayonnaise, will eat almost any kind of fruit or vegetable, but is picky about cookies (they’d better not be the least bit stale!); another loves loads of mayo but won’t eat liversausage, any kind of whole grain bread, or fruit that has gone the least bit brown or mushy; another likes mayo, but not with liversausage, is the only one who will eat fig newtons, and likes apples but not oranges; then there’s the one who likes sandwiches as long as they contain at least two condiments and three other toppings, but doesn’t fuss about much else. I won’t mention myself, although I do pack my own lunch, too.”

OK, what do you think?

Do you have any lunch tips you’d like to share with us? Any particular challenges? Need help? As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. Just post a comment or drop me a line You can always reach me at shelley@oneroastchicken.com.

Thanks and bon appetit!

Shelley MacDonald Beaulieu, Owner & Head Chef
www.oneroastchicken.com

Behind the scenes at One Roast Chicken > Search engine phrases

Behind the scenes at OneRoastChicken.com, I can track lots of cool things about my website and blog. For example, I can tell you that visitors arrive from all over the world (France, Hong Kong, India, Italy). And some people stay on the site for 30 seconds, while others wander around for 5-15 minutes.

Best of all, I can view the words people have entered into their search engine, before they arrived at my site. The frequency of a request lets me know that people really, really want to know something. After I analyze these search engine phrases, then it’s my job to make sure that the website (plus these weekly letters) answers the most commonly searched questions.

#1 SEARCH PHRASE > How long do you cook a roast chicken > How long do you roast a half-chicken?

I’ll assume that we’re talking about an entire chicken with skin and bones, or an entire half-chicken, because boneless meat would have a different answer. The time required to roast a chicken is dependent on two things: the temperature of your oven + how big the bird is. There’s a bit of math involved. Set your oven to 375°F (190°C, Gas mark 5), and then multiply the number of pounds by 20 to find out how many minutes to cook it for. If the weight of your chicken is measured in kilograms, then you multiply by 44 instead.

For example:

Chicken (pounds)	Multiply by	Number of mins to roast at 375°F
3 pounds	20	60 minutes
3½ pounds	20	70 minutes
4 pounds	20	80 minute

 

Chicken (kilograms)	Multiply by	Number of mins to roast at 375°F
1.3 kg	44	57 minutes
1.5 kg	44	66 minutes
1.7 kg	44	75 minutes

My last chicken was 1.46 kg x 44 minutes = 64 minutes. This math works every time.

#2 SEARCH PHRASE > Grocery store recipes roasted chicken > supermarket meals roast chicken > things to do with store bought roast chicken

It seems like lots of people are searching the internet asking this same question over and over. At my house, we can usually get three meals from one roast chicken: hot meat the first night, sandwiches the next day, and then chicken broth is made from the bones for a fabulous chicken noodle soup.

Leftover roast chicken is great in a simple quesadilla (flour tortilla + chunky salsa + grated cheese + chicken). I also used leftovers to make curried chicken at least once a week. Best of all, once you separate the meat from the bones, and shred it into little pieces, you can put the roast chicken into a plastic bag and pop it in the freezer. Later, when you’re craving a salad topped with roast chicken, or a quick homemade soup, you will have cooked meat on hand, ready and waiting.

In addition to the more useful search phrases above, I’ve recently had a few search topics that are more basic, and perhaps even a bit funny…

#3 > Are brown bananas OK to eat?

Yes. But personally I think they’re icky, and I prefer to make them into banana muffins.

#4 > Is it OK to eat frozen fruit?

Yes. You can use frozen fruit in a yummy fruit smoothies. I freeze blueberries in the summer in one-cup bags and then pull them out to make muffins and pancakes through the winter months.

#5 > Is there an expiry date on lasagne noodles?

I don’t think so … does dried pasta go bad?

#6 > Where is the expiry date for Corona beer?

How did this person end up at my site? And anyway, I wouldn’t let a beer expiry date keep me from drinking it – does beer go bad?

#7 > What can I do with ham that has gone bad?

(Can you imagine searching the internet for this?) There’s really only one suitable answer: THROW IT OUT!

 

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There are other search phrases that I’m keeping for future letters, such as “recipes to impress new girlfriend” and “homemade frozen tv dinner recipes.” Someone landed on my site after searching for “lonely lunches.” Yes, I’m definitely going to have to write about that.

As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. Just drop me a line
You can always reach me at shelley@oneroastchicken.com.

Thanks and bon appetit!

Shelley MacDonald Beaulieu, Owner & Head Chef
www.oneroastchicken.com

Questions (and answers) from One Roast Chicken subscribers

Here are a few of the questions (and answers) that have recently been sent to me at OneRoastChicken.com (they’re both from people named Mike, what kind of a coincidence is that?).

If you’d like to submit a question, just send me an email and get busy typing.

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Question (from Mike in Halifax, Nova Scotia):

On the subject of herbs and spices … (I don’t know which are which), I have five in my spaghetti sauce recipe: oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. I would normally buy them (dried) in little plastic bags at the grocery store but I think they are also available in a fresh state. Is this preferable?

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Answer: Thanks for the great question. On the subject of herbs and spices, according to science.enotes.com, “spices are aromatic (odorous) seasonings obtained from the bark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds, or stems of various plants and trees. Examples of spices are cloves, cumin, and black pepper. Herbs, on the other hand, usually come from the leafy part of a plant. Examples of herbs are oregano, basil, cilantro, and bay leaves” (source).

Fresh herbs are great when a recipe calls for rosemary or basil, both of which are completely different fresh-to-dried. Fresh basil would be great for your spaghetti sauce recipe, but not entirely necessary. I use dried basil for spaghetti sauce with great results. I save fresh basil for pasta that has only a few ingredients and when I need the basil flavour to really shine. Welcome to One Roast Chicken and thanks for writing.

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Question (from Mike in Orlando, Florida):

I think I make an OK spaghetti sauce, but I need a better one. When I make mine, I use three cans of plain sauce for every small can of tomato paste. So I might use 9 cans of sauce with 3 cans of paste. I sauté onions, and garlic. I broil country ribs, and sausages, and sometimes I buy frozen meatballs. I add basil. What I can’t figure out is when I should put the basil in… while it’s cooking for 3 hours, or 20 minutes before it’s done? My sauce is missing that certain taste that I can’t explain. Maybe you could help?

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Answer: Thanks for this request, I’d be happy to create a really great, simple, and tasty spaghetti sauce for the One Roast Chicken website, what a great idea! I’ll let you know when it’s ready … and I think you’re on the right track. Maybe canned sauce has too much salt and sugar, so we might be better off starting with whole canned tomatoes, and build up the spices from there… yummy, I can’t wait! I’ll keep you posted on the recipe research and thanks for the fabulous request

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OK, I can take a hint! I’ve added spaghetti sauce to the list of requested recipes. I will work on creating a foolproof, easy, step-by-step recipe, using only grocery store ingredients with lots of full-colour photography. And I’ll let you know how to freeze it AND reheat single servings. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

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As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. Drop me a line

You can always reach me at shelley@oneroastchicken.com.

Thanks and bon appetit!

Shelley MacDonald Beaulieu, Owner & Head Chef
http://www.oneroastchicken.com

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To view recipes for download, visit this link. Have you downloaded your meatloaf recipe yet? This complete recipe includes a complete meal for 4-6, as well as a separate mini-recipe for creating individual, single-serving, baby, mini meat loaves. Do you need to impress a boyfriend? Girlfriend? You need to download this Meatloaf with Spicy Ketchup recipe right now and get cooking!

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Subscribers write fan mail

OK, maybe I have the coolest job on the planet, or maybe I have the best subscribers from all over the planet. It’s probably both.

As One Roast Chicken continues to grow, our little food community is now completely international — with members in India, Denmark, South Africa, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada, the US, and the UK. And you’re all so generous with your feedback, encouragement, ideas, and questions… I thought I’d share a few of the more recent comments with you.

>> The idea of One Roast Chicken

Inie writes from Blind Bay, British Columbia: “Dear Shelley, I can’t believe how I look forward to opening the latest, new blog from you! Fun, interesting, VERY practical, and a definitely ‘new’ way of approaching the age old Q: ‘What to have for dinner?’ Keep ‘em coming!”

Lise writes from Abbotsford, BC: “I LOVE the idea of having a private cooking tutor.” >> Shelley responds: We’ll also have a cookbook of recipes, which you can download or have printed and shipped to you, just like the chicken recipe but times 15 recipes — Lasagne, fish, desserts, banana bread, all that stuff… Later I’d like to teach classes in person, travel to major cities, rent a kitchen in a high school, and hold cooking basics bootcamp for 20 interested souls … >> Lise replies, rather emphatically: SIGN ME UP FOR BOOTCAMP !

>> Cinnamon ice cream

DJ writes from Blind Bay, BC: “I am making your cinnamon ice cream for our Women’s Ministry meeting tomorrow night to go along with the apple pies [my grandson's] school makes and sells every fall. And speaking of ice cream, what about chopped peaches with some kind of peach brandy and nutmeg? OK, that is more talking about food than I have done in 10 years put together!” [The next day she writes]: “I don’t much care for ice cream unless it is chocolate and then only in a cone. But I made this to go with apple pies made by my grandson’s school. Served it to a group of women and it got high praise. Then yesterday I thought I should try it. And it is soooo good! And easy. It took me longer to find a bowl than it did to mix it. Then I just put it in a plastic container with a good lid and scooped it out from there…” [Later she writes again]: “OK, more on the ice cream. My grandsons raided my fridge last night and finished it off. The ice cream, not the fridge! They both (the picky eaters) declared the ice cream excellent, and plan on buying more ‘White’ ice cream to make their own.”

Inie (Blind Bay): “DJ sent me your website and the cinnamon ice cream. Sounds heavenly … One roast chicken at a time sounds like a blast, and I love the ‘I feel like I know you feeling’ when reading it. You obviously know your stuff and have a gift for ‘taste’ and presentation! All the best.”

>> Lasagne research in progress

Regan (via the blog) says: “I have been struggling over the years to make a good lasagne. Every time it comes out goopy and when put on the plate it looks more like noodle slop then lasagne. The frozen pre-made ones that I have tried aren’t much better. They don’t taste as good as home made lasagne and if over heated they end up with burnt edges and are all runny. I’d be most interested in hearing of a recipe that didn’t dirty every dish in my place and came out looking and tasting great. Please keep me posted on what you find works and doesn’t work. Have a great day.”

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I’ll share more feedback, letters, and questions with you in future updates. Hurry up and write me soon, so I can include your brilliance in my next “wowie, thank you, my subscribers are fabulous” letter!

As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. You can always reach me at shelley@oneroastchicken.com.

Thanks and bon appetit!

Shelley MacDonald Beaulieu, Owner & Head Chef
www.oneroastchicken.com