Bird is the word

When I bought the whole chicken in question at the farmer's market this week I didn't think much of it. However, as the chicken was staring me in the face when I was considering what to do with it I felt intimidated. I always find something fast and delicious to make with chicken legs, breast, or thighs, but now that I had to deal with the whole thing I suddenly felt scared and overwhelmed. What saved me was remembering watching some time ago Barefoot Contessa prepare a whole chicken and making it look extremely easy. The recipe was for lemon and garlic roast chicken and can be found here. So I started laboring by cleaning out the chicken, salting and peppering its inside as well as filling it with a head of garlic (cut in half) and a lemon (quartered). I did not have any fresh herbs (fresh thyme is what Ina Gartner uses) so I just resorted to sprinkling some dried thyme inside instead. I brushed the outside with melted butter, dusted it with a little salt and pepper, and threw the bird in the oven for 80 minutes not at 425 degrees as the original recipe requires but instead at 375. (Somehow I think my oven is always hotter that the temperature displayed on the dial. Should I call it oven on crack??) 

Here are some before and after pictures.

I don't think Ina Gartner would want her name associate with the first image. But, at the sight of the second I imagine her saying "Who's that chick? Hook me up!!".

That's all.