I popped a Perdue Oven Stuffer into the oven tonight. Nothing says “oh, look, a home-cooked meal” like the aroma of roast chicken. I brush mine with a bit of olive oil and then sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Since I hate to waste a hot oven, the green beans I planned as a side got roasted. I’ve never done that before, and I can tell you I’ll be doing it again. They were delicious. Just rinse, toss with a small amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, toss, and lay them out on a cookie sheet. Since the chicken was resting at this point, I kicked the oven temp up to 400, and roasted the green beans for about 10 or 12 minutes.

Rice salad: Cooked basmati rice (nothing added during cooking), dried cranberries, dried apricots (cut in thirds), a handful of fresh parsley, a half-cup of toasted pecans (halved). Dress lightly with a lemon vinaigrette.

Good dinner.