Roasted Chicken #1 - Thyme, Sage, Dill Weed, Salt/Pepper

A few months ago, I decided to make some changes in what I purchased for groceries. Whole chickens became a part of our grocery list. I had always steered clear of them. I really do not like touching chicken. I always feel contaminated after treating the raw chicken. I especially felt this way about rinsing the chicken. A recent study though about either chicken or turkey said it's better not to rinse them, so that was a plus for me. This month, I plan on making 3 whole chickens, and I plan on getting 2-3 meals out of each.

I've used a variety of spices for seasoning them, but I haven't really kept track until now. For tonight's chicken I used olive oil for the fat on top of the bird, and then I put a good amount of salt and pepper on it. I chose 3 main seasonings - Sage, Thyme, and Dill Weed. It turned out to be an amazing combination!

For my gravy, I have made some recent changes, that I really enjoy. I take whatever drippings come off the the chicken, put them in a small sauce pan, and turn up the temperature. Add 1/2 a stick of salted butter, let the juices come to a boil but not too hard. Take about 1/4 cup flour, and mix in about a cup of lukewarm water. Whisk this thoroughly in a mug or bowl, and add quickly to boiling chicken broth/butter. Continue whisking until smooth, and turn temperature down to low. This can be used as a cream of chicken soup or as a gravy. If you want it to be more of a cream of chicken soup, you may want to use milk rather than water with the flour.