A Fuller Day: {CHICKEN} It's what's for dinner! How to cook a perfect roasted chicken.

I love a perfectly roasted chicken. And in the dead of winter with snow and ice and wind chill, it tastes even better. I am longing for the days that we can throw some chicken on the grill...until then a roasted chicken will do just fine.
Let's cut right to the chase. This is my recipe for awesome roasted chicken. It is perfect for cooks of all skill levels-as long as you can read. The best part, is that your house will smell amazing while its cooking, and it comes out looking so amazing, YOU will look like a rock star chef. Happy roasting!

Awesome Roasted Chicken
Cook time: Approximately 1.5-2 hours
Preheat oven: 425 degrees

Ingredients:
1 or 2 roaster chickens (I like to buy the best quality chickens I can find-ideally on sale, and stock up-a good recipe starts with good ingredients)
chicken broth (if you don't have any, water can be substituted)
A piece of twine or string.
(For butter rub)
1 stick butter
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp rosemary
3 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
2-3 tsp salt
1-2 tsp pepper
(to stuff in chicken)
1 lemon
1 small onion
1 head of garlic

Cooking Instructions:
*To start, if you are using 2 chickens, you can simply split the ingredients across the 2 birds, you don't need to double the recipe unless you are using huge chickens! However, most roaster chickens are not that big. I like to make 2, so that we can eat one, and have one for left overs.

1. Remove the giblet bag-if there is one in your chicken. Pat dry. This will help the rub to stick to the bird. So don't leave it wet with chicken juices or moisture.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and place bird in roasting pan with sides.
3. Soften 1 stick of butter, until just soft. Do not melt all the way. Add all the of the spices (for butter rub) into the bowl of butter and mix together with a spoon until blended. Set aside.
*You may substitute half a cup of coconut oil melted for the butter-to make the rub, or just drizzle olive oil onto the chicken and add the spices as a dry rub, if you cannot have butter for dietary or allergy reasons.
4. Slice the lemon and onion in half (peel outer layer of onion off). Slice garlic bulb in half horizontally-do not peel. Stuff the lemon, onion, and garlic into the chicken(s). Tie drum sticks together with twine/string. Tuck the wings under.
5. Rub down chickens with buttered herb mixture. I like to wear a plastic bag on my hand, because who really wants to touch chicken? Once your chicken is fully buttered up, sprinkle a little more salt and pepper over the top, and add 1/4c-1/2c chicken broth (or water if you have none).

6. Roast your chicken in the middle of the oven uncovered for 40 minutes at 425 degrees F. Then turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Cook for approximately another hour. Check to see if your chicken is done. The juices should run clear, there should be no pink inside, and the internal temp should be at 165 degrees if you are using a meat thermometer. If you feel your chicken needs more time, give it another 20 minutes. This might be necessary if you are cooking more than one chicken at a time. (A general rule of thumb for cooking a whole chicken, that is defrosted, is 20 minutes of cooking per pound.)