Preheat oven to 350F. Remove and discard any visible fat from roaster cavity. Remove giblets. Rub roaster inside and out with lemon; brush oil evenly over skin.
In small bowl, combine thyme, black pepper, salt, red pepper, and garlic. Rub some of mixture into cavity of roaster; stuff with celery, onion and parsley. Skewer or tie cavity closed and fold back wings. Rub remaining herb and spice mixture evenly into skin of roaster, covering entire surface.
Place chicken in roasting pan. Roast 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours (depending on weight)or until juices run clear with no hint of pink when thigh is pierced. Baste occasionally with pan drippings.
To serve, remove celery, onion and parsley from cavity of roaster; discard. Skim fat from pan drippings and discard; reserve pan juices. Slice roaster and serve with pan juices. Nutrition Figures per Serving Calories 478. Protein 49 grams. Fat 29 grams. Carbohydrate 3 grams. Sodium 473. Cholesterol 153
Chapter Four$Chicken For Children
This chapter is going to be about cooking for and by kids, but I got the idea for it when I was thinking about something entirely different. I was idly wondering, "When is Frank the absolute happiest and most content?" Part of me instantly wanted to answer, "When working, of course." I believe that for him business is pleasure. If it's a busy time, he'll happily get along for weeks at a time on four hours sleep and work the rest except for meals. When it gets really busy, I've seen him get by on two hours$and still relish the work.
But there are certainly other things he enjoys. He's an avid baseball fan and the best Father's Day gift I think he ever got was tickets to go to one of the Oriole games with his son Jim and grandson Ryan. He also loves dancing (his nickname years ago used to be "twinkle toes").
Still, I think the time that he looks the most relaxed and content and generally pleased with life is when the four children and twelve grandchildren are here. They're scattered from Maine to Virginia, so we don't get them often, but when we do, it's an occasion. And it's one when I want to have food that I can count on the kids' liking.
Here are some of the principles of cooking for young children that I've learned from the Perdue home economists and from Cooperative Extension. I'm guessing that if you have kids, you know their preferences pretty well, but if you're entertaining other kids, these tips may come in handy.
_Finger foods such as chicken nuggets are always a hit. I keep a carton or two on hand for a never-fail snack food for kids$or grown-ups.