How to Spatchcock a Chicken

Being able to grill your chicken on the inside has to be one of the best ways to ensure that your chicken is safe to eat. I hope that it goes without saying that in addition you need to know where your chicken has come from (and I don;t mean which Supermarket) and also to ensure that it is washed thoroughly before preparation.
The way I grill my chicken most of the time is spatchcocked for this very reason but I have to say that in addition it also tastes great and I can get my skin really crispy, just the way my family like it.
So where's the problem? Probably you don't know how to spatchcock a chicken, right? Well don't worry, I'm going to describe how it's done.
In terms of equipment you need shears and a sharp boning knife. If you haven't got shears then you can get away with a sharp knife, it'll have to be bigger than your boning knife and you'll have to take extra care to keep your fingers out of the way.
The first step is to remove the backbone and if using the shears it's quite easy to cut it out, just put the chicken breast side down on a board and use the shears to cut down one side of the back bone and then the other. If using a sharp knife sit the bird on it neck and then use the knife to saw from tail to neck again down either side of the backbone. The bones either side of the backbone are quite brittle so it's not a major affair but you will need to use a bit of force so this is definitely the time to care of your fingers and keep them well out of the way.
When you've cut the backbone out don't throw it away. Take a look and you'll probably find the liver still attached. You can scoop it out and collect a few more for chicken liver pate or if you're not into that then at least grill it and then make some stock.
Back to the spatchcocking (if that's a verb) and the next job is to remove what's commonly referred to as the breastbone. It is actually called the keel bone for reasons that will become apparent when you remove it. To be fair you don't actually have to remove it, many folks will just suggest that you use the palm of your hand to flatten the chicken but I like to remove it so that the chicken sits flatter on the grill and it also makes it so much easier to quarter when cooked. In my view the easiest and best way to serve barbecue chicken.
Open the chicken out so that its neck is at the top of your board and at the top end of the keel bone is a piece of white cartilage about the size of a dime. Use your knife to make an incision through this and picking up the chicken in both hands, use your fingers on the underside of the chicken (skin side) to push up and the keel bone should pop out. Don't worry if it doesn't come immediately, you can always use your boning knife to cut around it and give it a helping hand. When it does come out, take a look at the shape and how it resembles the keel of a boat.
That's it. You now know how to spatchcock chicken and it's now time to turn it into barbecue grilled chicken. Forty minutes usually does the job and I generally go for about forty five to fifty grilling the inside of the chicken for the first half hour and then flipping it over to grill the skin side for the remaining time until the skin is golden and crispy.

The Ritual of High School Baseball

Can you close your eyes and feel it? The smell of newly cut grass is in the air. The sounds of balls hitting soft leather echoes against the dings of metal bats. The sun is warm again and all things are pointing to the new season of high school baseball. Prep baseball is all about ritual and it's a rite of spring passage in America as much as Easter and leaves coming back. That's why we all love it.
Who doesn't love the tradition of high school baseball. Let's face it...it probably reaches back further into our childhood than any other sport. Prep football probably doesn't get a foothold until middle school and basketball usually starts about the same time. It takes forever to really get dribbling down. But little league baseball is a fixture in most towns going back to age 4 or 5 for most kids. That's where it all starts. You've got the uniforms and the baseball caps mirroring the pro teams. There's the chatter and the dugouts. Let's not forget the ring pops after the game. Come on...that's what a 5 year old is really playing for. Ahh....ring pops. So we all have a deep imprint of baseball in our minds stretching back to Kindergarden. That's part of what makes high school prep baseball so cool...it's the culmination of years of running, pitching, batting, and and just tossing the ball with friends and dads. Years. And it shows in the skills category.
Baseball is really one of the true skill sports. You can't just walk onto a baseball team like you might be able to do in football if you have raw athletic talent. It takes years to get down the skills needed to do well in high school baseball. There's no shortcut. Those hours at the batting cages are starting to bear fruit and that's half the fun at watching games at this level. You can see the talent on the field now. The pitching has become fierce. The batting has kept pace in a ever-increasing battle against pitching. It's war! Let's not forget the defense prowess now. Amazing catches and diving saves. That's what we're really there to watch. It's an increasingly technical execution of some pretty significant athletic skill...especially considering that the tacticians are ages 14-18.
All sports is about the unexpected. That's what the fans are waiting for. Prep baseball takes this to a whole other level. Each pitch is a potential explosion...literally. It's like a giant black jack table where the you have 20 and the dealer's showing an ace every time. You have no idea which way it's going to go but someone's going to leave crying. Baseball players don't cry but you know what we mean. When that bat connects and the crack rings out across the field, there's a rush of adrenaline to all watching (and playing). We're all just waiting for the next pop in baseball. We're all high school baseball adrenaline junkies.
So next time Spring times rolls around, take a second to check out the local team at the diamond. It really is America's favorite pastime for a reason. It's just a great way to pass time.

All Aboard! “Viva La Diva” Sails From YoVille To Sardinia

YoVille Decorator YoDiva finished working on a brand new room. In the picture after the link, you can see the control room of huge cruising ship. We’re heading to Sardinia YoTown!
YoDiva has so many other creations. Read an interview with her  or continue reading for a bigger picture.

Ultra Modern Furniture Now In YoVille Stores

The luxury month continues in YoVille with more fancy items. Head to the Furniture Store and grab the latest items of the ultra modern theme. According to Zynga, these items were made with  “the young, successful professional” in mind.  City lovers will enjoy the the penthouse windows with the city view. It’s a concrete jungle out there!
All pictures and prices are after the link. Enjoy.

Free “Yacht In Bottles” Washing Up All Over YoVille

Get your free toy yacht today! While in game, you will get a pop up that will ask you to share some yachts with your friends. Accept and a message will be published on your Facebook feed for your friends to grab some. You can get your own yacht in bottle by accepting it from posts your friends publish on your facebook feed.
Like the, yacht in bottles are not just tiny items to put on a table. They are big bottles that are placed on the ground.
Pictures are after the link. Thank you Angie for the tip.