Tree and People Food

This weekend we headed to Northern Colorado to Roosevelt National Forest to hunt for the perfect Christmas tree.

Every year the Forest Service opens up certain areas for people to cut their own trees to help thin out the overgrowth.

We brought our snowshoes to negotiate the three feet of snow in the area. I don't think it could have felt more festive for the holidays.

We worked up a wicked appetite in the cold wading through the snow to find our tree and then lugging it out of the woods. I think we got a great one.

The boys have had residual hunger since the weekend. Tonight they were begging for dinner to be done. I made oven fried chicken, green beans and a whole wheat baguette. There was nothing left.

Oven-Fried Chicken

by Ina Garten

from the Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 chickens (3 pounds each), cut in 8 serving pieces
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil or vegetable shortening

Directions

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece thoroughly with the flour mixture. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed stockpot to a depth of 1-inch and heat to 360 degrees F on a thermometer.

Working in batches, carefully place several pieces of chicken in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven). Don't crowd the pieces. Remove the chicken from the oil and place each piece on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan. Allow the oil to return to 360 degrees F before frying the next batch. When all the chicken is fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve hot.

The Rocky Mountain Region Forest Service had a really useful mixture for keeping your Christmas tree moist to minimize fire risk:

Tips for Helping Your Tree Stay Moist Longer

When you get home, re-cut the end of the tree by 1 inch and let it stand in a bucket of the "Christmas Tree Life Extending Formula" (recipe below) until you’re ready to bring it indoors. Fill the tree stand reservoir twice a day (morning and evening) with the remaining mixture.

Fire Minimizing Mixture

2 gallons of hot water

2 cups of corn syrup

2 ounces of liquid bleach

2 pinches of epsom salts

1/2 teaspoon borax

1 teaspoon chelated iron (available at garden shops)

Find out exactly why this mixture works.