Lunch Time Geometry Lesson.

Cutting a sandwich on the diagonal yields 2 triangles. And really, there couldn't be a better segue for today's lunch-themed, geometric find.

Insulated lunch bag, from Julie Meyer.

Simple, Yet Effective Design.

Contrary to popular belief, creating a minimalist aesthetic can be difficult. Add eco-friendly to the mix and you've got quite the challenge. And now you know why I love these coasters:

Birch wood coasters, from Virtual Design Lab.

Civil Consumption.

If you're drinking beer from a boot, you're probably pretty sloshed. However, if you're drinking beer from this vintage beer mug, from Blue Rose Retro, you're at least feigning civility...even if you are, in fact, wasted.

Vintage Oktoberfest beer mug, from Blue Rose Retro.

Turquoise Touchdowns For The Kitchen.

Whether you're making dinner or simply watching football from the kitchen, these bright finds will likely increase your cooking and/or viewing pleasure:

Vintage melmac cups, from Artful Vintage.

"Kitchen" hook board, from Bluebird Heaven.

Vintage bowl notecards, from Piink Design Studio.

Kitchen magnets, from A Second Life.

Colorful Friday Favorites.

Feather art, from Sky Parlor.

Custom fit bathing suit, from Pierogi Picnic.

Vintage Moscow 1980 Olympic pencils, from Soviet Vintage. 

Vintage Enamelware saucepans, from Niftic.

Vintage folding ruler, from Jet Set Vintage.

A Dash Of Color.

Upcycled spice rack, from Planet Love Vintage.

Color Study: Turquoise.

Vintage book, from Fish Legs.

Felted acorns, from Sewn Natural.

Paint chip bunting, from Natasha Early.

Ceramic plate, from Dahlhaus.

Original collage, from Catwalk.

P-Push It Real Good.

Vintage salt and pepper shakers, from Tom Laurus.

Vintage Kitchen Finds Under $25.

Fondue forks, from The Vintage Apartment.

Enamel sauce pans, from The Wishing Wardrobe.

Refrigerator magnet, from Vintage Woods.

Plastic egg cup set, from Mister True.

Griffith's milk glass spice jar set, from Suesuegonzalas.

Are you a fan of retro, vintage awesomeness? If so, tweet us your favorite vintage Etsy finds @blackbirdtees. We love discovering new, er um, old things!

Part of our week-long "A Vintage Life" series. More vintage goodies all week!

And Eat It Too.

Strawberry summer cake (photo from the "Pasty Studio" blog).

This cake looks absolutely delicious! In fact, drool is slowly trickling down our chins as we browse the "Pastry Studio" blog. Pastries, tarts, cakes, cookies, confections...oh my! And recipes to boot!

Perhaps what we love most about this particular recipe, is the attention to details--a "smidgen" of semolina (for texture), homemade ricotta (for the cream) and olive oil (to moisten the cake), to name a few.

So grab yourself a paper towel, wipe the drool off your face and pay a visit to the "Pastry Studio". Be sure to check out the recipe, here, too!

Dad's Best Friend.

Hand-painted plate, from Jimbob Art.

Part of our week long "Gifts For Dad" series. More fatherly finds all this week!

Slow-Roasted Perfection.

This is pretty much all you'll need. And the chicken, of course.

We've been teasing you all week--but now, the moment has finally arrived. Today, we reveal our super secret, slow-roasted chicken recipe!

First off, here's what you'll need to actually prepare the chicken:

*4-6 lb. whole chicken.
*A roasting pan. We prefer this one.
*Canola/olive oil spray.
*Kosher salt.
*Pepper.
*Olive oil (optional).
*Spices (optional). This method uses dried spices: rosemary, marjoram, thyme.

And here's what you'll need to clean yourself (and the chicken):

*Hand soap (preferably with a push-top)
*Trash can/compost bin (keep this close)
*3 or 4 paper towels.

Give your chicken a nice, little rinse--inside and out.

Step 1. The Prep.

Get everything you'll need within arm's reach. Start by spraying the bottom of your roasting pan with the canola spray. This typically makes cleanup a bit easier. Next, remove the chicken from the packaging, discard the innards, and rinse your chicken--inside and out. Pat chicken dry with the paper towels. Place chicken in roasting pan, breast side up. Wash your hands. Preheat your oven to 300 F.

Let spices (and a slow-cooking oven) do all the work.

Step 2. The Spices.

Now it's time for the fun part--the spices! Sprinkle your bird with the kosher salt. Your goal here is to cover as much of the bird's surface area as you can. It may seem like a lot of salt, but remember, it's a lot of meat--so it needs to be flavored. Crack some pepper in the same manner. And if you're using spices, sprinkle of bit of each all over the bird. The best part? If your extra spices miss the bird and end up in the pan, you're simply adding more flavor to the natural juices (more on that later). Oh yeah, one last thing, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the chicken. Put the lid on and pop that bird in the oven.

Step 3. Wait.

Watch a movie, read a book and mentally prepare yourself for an amazing dining experience. As a general rule, cooking time is about 20 minutes per pound. My oven isn't that reliable, so for me, a 5 lb. chicken takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes at 300 F. Chances are, your oven is a bit more modern--if so, you may want to sneak a peek at the 2-hour mark.

Step 4. Salivate.

You've waited and waited...and by now, you're most likely detecting an amazing smell throughout your home. That means it's time to get that bird out! Remove from the oven, pop off the lid and allow the bird to cool for 15-20 minutes. To check for doneness, give a tug on one of the legs. After 2 hours of slow-cooking, the leg/thigh should feel like it's about to fall off (if it hasn't already). And if you're impatient (like me), go ahead and rip the wings off and snack on them. Yummy!

Need we say more?

Step 5. Enjoy.

Once your chicken has rested a bit, transfer to a serving plate. You may want to recruit a friend to help you accomplish this task. Generally speaking, the chicken is usually so moist and tender that the legs, thighs and wings may just slide off. This is a good thing. Plate your tender pieces of slow-roasted chicken and enjoy to the fullest!

Ah, the juices...

But wait! What to do with all of those leftover juices? Well, if you're planning to eat right away, you can spoon some of the juice over the chicken--it'll make it that much yummier! Trust me though, you'll want to save the rest. So pour the remaining juices in to a plastic container and stick in the fridge.

By the next day, the fat will have risen to the top and solidified. The lower level of juicy goodness will look something like chicken stock jello. Sounds gross, but it's delicious. Use it to saute greens, asparagus, broccoli or even add it to some warm pasta. Yum!

And there you have it...slow-roasted perfection! We hope you've enjoyed our "Bon Appetit" series. And remember, cooking (and eating) should be an enjoyable experience. Have fun, experiment and most importantly, use those spices! Have a great weekend!

Sneak Preview: Roasting A Chicken.

The view from above.

Tomorrow, we're revealing our top secret chicken roasting method--but only because everyone should experience the deliciousness of a slow-roasted chicken. Are your taste buds ready for this?

Looking for a good roasting pan? This is my (surprisingly inexpensive, yet highly effective) weapon of choice: "18" Roasting Pan, from Mainstays".

Spice It Up.

Vintage spice jar set, from Red Pop Shop.

When you're looking for a flavor boost, a dash of spice just may be the answer. Sure, salt and pepper are the go to guys. But have you ever tried cayenne pepper in an omelette? What about cinnamon or nutmeg in a curry? How about a little caraway seed with your sausage? Wait, you haven't tried any of those?! Hmm, I'm thinking your taste buds may need some pampering.

Roasting: A Sneak Preview.

18" Roasting pan, from Mainstays--my weapon of choice.

Roasting a chicken is incredibly easy. It's also incredibly economical. And the best part? It's delicious!

This Friday, we'll share our secret chicken roasting recipe. Trust me, you won't want to miss this one...

To The Brims.

Vintage melmac mugs, from Peculiar Momma.

Motivation To Clean Your Plate.

Hand-painted, vintage plates, from Betty Raspberry.

A Few Of Our Favorite Decor-ations.

Feather vase, from Brooklyn Rehab.

Modern mobile, from Marco Mahler.

Magnetic spice rack, from Salt City Spice.

Pink picture frame, from Emma Shirley.

We love to decorate our apartment. In fact, I can envision a spot for each of these fabulous items (as I'm sure many of you can too!). Of course, we're partial to feathers, geometric shapes, spices and a dab of pretty pastels--but if we listed all of our favorite home decor items, we'd be here all day!

Part of our week long "Featherette Favorites" series. And since this week was a bit shortened (due to my bicycle crash), this will be a two-week special. So stay tuned next week for more of our faves!

Theme Of The Week: Featherette Favorites.

My favorite food is homemade macaroni and cheese. It forever reminds me of the summer picnics I used to frequent, back in Virginia (think June, sweltering 95° heat and you get the gist). True, I hated the hot weather,  but I loved the food: fried chicken, greens, casseroles, and of course, macaroni and cheese. Yum!

Alton Brown's baked mac and cheese, recipe here.

 















This week, we'll be spotlighting a few of our handmade / vintage favorites--favorites that take us down memory lane, spark innovation / creativity, or simply make us smile. We'll also share a few more of our favorite foods and recipes too.

Got a favorite food or recipe? Let us know in the comment section below.

Quench.

Dala horse screen printed glassware, set of 4, from Vital.

Part of our week long "A Handmade Home" series. See more screen printed goodies in Vital's Etsy shop.