Recipe For Roasted Organic Duck!

Before meeting my husband, I have never experienced cooking a duck from the farm. My husband's parents have live chickens and ducks that they occasionally cut for us. I must say, I was pretty skeptic of cutting the duck and cooking it straight from the farm. Plus, I did not know if I would like the taste because I had tasted duck before and I was not so accepting of it. However this recipe is very good! It is my mother-in-law's recipe and I would like to share it with you. Live chickens and ducks from the farm typically take much longer to cook than store-bought poultry. Plus, you can cook the whole duck with all its "features" (which means liver, heart, neck, etc.) if you so desire.

You will need:

• A whole organic duck, cut into pieces. My mother-in-law cuts mine with her special knife and then I have a sharp knife to cut them even smaller when I want to cook them. It is not easy to cut through the bones, so make sure you have a sharp but sturdy knife. (Make sure to rinse very well!)
• 3-4 tablespoons of oil
• 1/2 to 1 cup warm water.
• Vegetables: about 2 carrots, 1/2 of one onion, and 1 large red pepper cut into medium-sized chunks.
• Seasonings: 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 cup chopped dill weed, 1/4cup chopped parsley, one bay leaf, and 2-3 cloves of freshly chopped garlic.
• About 4-6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into triangular pieces.

Directions:

1. In a large pan with the 3-4 tablespoons of oil, fry the duck on both sides on medium heat. Fry until it is to desired brownness. Add the water (depending on how big the duck is or how much you use of the duck, the water amount varies, make sure to put enough so you can just barely cover the duck)
2. Add your cut up vegetables and seasonings to the duck. Cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° And arrange the potatoes on a glass baking dish. Pour the duck mixture on top of the potatoes and let it cook in the oven for another 1-2 hours, uncovered until crisp. (A whole farm duck will most likely take 1 1/2 hours, a duck with the insides dumped takes 1 hour, and a store-bought duck will probably take 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

Very simple, yet delicious. Enjoy!

Helpful Home Secrets

I remember reading about these remedies and I would like to share what I have saved and written down. Plus there are some of my own that I think are helpful.

1. Got ink stains? Try milk! The basic milk can help to remove the absorbed stain.

2. Another shocking use of milk: dipping curtains in the liquid will make them look like new.

3. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag!

4. Toothpaste has a lot of uses; wash crayon stains off the wall, remove pimples, deflog goggles, clean sneakers and CDs, and my favorite, rinse your hands with toothpaste after handling garlic or onion to remove that awful smell that you get for the whole day! Polish your diamonds to make them shine! Patch up holes in the wall made from nails.

5. Coca Cola might not be so good to drink but it has powerful strength for cleaning! Shine gold and silver by placing it in a cup with coke overnight. It works with coins too! Unscrew a rotting bolt with a coke-soaked cloth. Clean burnt pans by letting them soak for a little. Cleaning the toilet or tile from those hard stains can also help!

 6. Add vinegar and sugar in warm water to prolong the life of flowers in a vase!

7. To remove burnt food from pans, add a little soap and water and boil on stove top for a little while.

8. If you over-salt a dish, add a potato to absorb the salt.

9. Lavender keeps insects away and looks very pretty at an outdoor party or wedding!

10. Keep ants away by drawing with chalk. They will not pass a chalk line!

11. You want to see if an egg is fresh, immerse it in water. If it sink then it is fresh.

12. Add sugar when boiling corn to bring out natural sweetness.

13. Place a small cup of baking soda in the fridge to help with odors.

Anyone have any other helpful home secrets? Please share!