Here's one, there are several other varieties out there. I think you can use seasonings of your choice, its the cooking method that makes it so good. David BEER CAN CHICKEN This odd recipe makes some of the most moist, succulent, flavorful barbecued chicken I've ever tasted. The secret: an open can of beer is inserted into the cavity of the bird, which is cooked upright on the grill. Besides being incredibly tender, the bird makes a great conversation piece. The recipe was inspired by the Bryce Boar Blazers, a barbecue team from Texas I met at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. The proper beverage? Beer, of course. 1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds) 3 tablespoons Memphis Rub* or your favorite dry barbecue rub 1 can (12 ounces) beer 1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the chicken. Remove the package of giblets, and set aside for another use. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the body and neck cavities, the rub another 1 tablespoon all over the skin of the bird. If you wish, rub another 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture between the flesh and the skin. Cover and refrigerate the chicken while you preheat the grill. 2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling** placing a drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; then, when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium. 3. Pop the tab on the beer can. Using a "church key" style can opener, make 6 or 7 holes in the top of the can. Pour out the top inch of beer, then spoon the remaining dry rub through the holes into the beer. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity down, insert the beer can into the cavity. 4. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on the coals. Oil the grill grate. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod, to support the bird. 5. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side and the remaining wood chips after 1 hour. 6. Using tongs, lift the bird to a cutting board or platter, holding the metal spatula underneath the beer can for support. (Have the board or platter right next to the bird to make the move shorter. Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand for 5 minutes before carving the meat off the upright carcass. (Toss the beer can out along with the carcass.) *Memphis Rub 1/4 cup paprika 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons accent (MSG; optional) 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder Combine all the ingredients in a jar, twist the lid on airtight, and shake to mix. Store away from heat or light for up to six months. Makes about 1/2 cup. Enough for 4 to 6 racks of ribs. ** Indirect grilling on a Charcoal Grill: To set up you grill for indirect grilling, light the coals. When they are blazing red, use tongs to transfer them to opposite sides of the grill, arranging them in two piles. Some grills have special half-moon-shaped baskets to hold the coals at the sides; others have wire fences that hook onto the bottom gate. Let the coals burn until they are covered with a thin layer of gray ash. Set the drip pan in the center of the grill, between the mounds of coals. Place the food on the grate over the drip pan, and cover the grill. YouÂll need to add about 10 to 12 fresh briquettes to each side after an hour of cooking. If you want to add a smoke flavor, add 1 to 2 cups of presoaked wood chips, or 2 to 4 chunks, to the coals just before you start to cook, and again whenever you replenish the coals. Serves 4 to 6. The Barbecue Bible Steven Raichlen Workman Publishing

Talk about late reporting...we got home at midnight last night from our 2 week road/fly trip. i.e. We drove to OKC then to Boulder and flew home from Denver. Needless to say, my friend David was a great host. He gave us the best guidance on dining opportunities in the Bricktown area of OKC. David recommended Nonna's and it turns out that it is a fabulous restaurant as you can see by David's pictures. We had a great lunch the following day, also at David's recommendation. This was our third get-together; he is charming, easy to be with, and a really cutie as those of you have met him can attest to. I count David as a dear friend. David gave us a head's up about the OKC Memorial. While I have seen it on TV and websites, it is such a sobering experience to see it in person. We went twice-once without David and again when David arrived. I would go again if I get back to OKC which should happen as we really enjoyed the city during our 3 day visit. He surprised me with a gift bag, the theme was BBQ. He got sneaky and checked with Sherry and Peppi and found out that I am venturing into grilling and BBQing. I can't wait to use David's gifts in my quest to be the Grill Lady like Peppi. He is giving me a leg up with the essential tools like: The BBQ Bible Beer Can Chicken Cooker Vegetable Grilling Pan *Maggie, I am excited to report that the Mustangs won the ASA Hall of Fame Championship!!! The team ended up playing 18 games in 9 days between OKC and DEN including the stress of flying TPA>OKC>DEN.

You certainly can do it in the oven! Probably won't burn the tips of his little legs off, either. lolol I always stuff a few bits of garlic and onion into the can and into the cavity before cooking it. Need a recipe? I swear by this one. I also have the little stands that hold a can upright. You can use apple juice if you don't want to use beer. Beer Butt Chicken 2 whole chickens, about 3 pounds each 1 T. paprika 2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 T. packed brown sugar 2 12 oz. cans beer 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, diced Trim chickens of any fat. Rinse inside and out, pat dry. In a small bowl, combine paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, black and cayenne peppers, garlic powder, and brown sugar, mix well. Rub about a teaspoon of the mixture on the inside of each chicken. Rub remaining mixture over the surface of the chickens. Open beers and pour off about half of the beer. Stuff the onion and garlic into the cans. Ease the chickens over the beer cans, feet down, until chickens are resting on the cans and their legs. The beer cans must remain upright at all times. Scatter a handful of soaked hickory chips over hot charcoal that has ashed over. Place chickens and beer cans on the grill over the fire. Close lid, leaving vents open. Grill for about 2 hours or until legs and wings wiggle easily, adding 6-8 briquettes to fire every 30 minutes. Obviously this is a grilling recipe, I cook at 325º in the oven for at least an hour, no wood chips. lol

This was my "cooking" day. By that I mean I microwaved some Stouffers dinners, let them cool and then pureed them. For this weeks meals, I will have lasagna and also fettucini with chicken and broccoli. My neighbor gave me four delicious peaches she bought at a roadside stand so I pureed them and a large can of drained pears. I didn't get around to making another big pot of oatmeal yet. So there's my meals for the week :-) And believe me, all of your meals sound a whole lot better. But, I will have company all next week so I WILL BE COOKING!