Wednesday, March 05, 2008

A Different Chicken Dinner

Did you know that you can, on a whim on the way home from work, stop by the local grocery store and purchase a whole (dead) chicken for about $5.00? And that chicken can be ALREADY CUT UP, cooked in 10 minutes in the pressure cooker and eaten in the same evening? Wow. It seems the height of luxury and convenience. Isn’t this a crazy country we live in, or what?

I’m only half-kidding here, people. Every chicken we have cooked and eaten in the past few years has either come from an elaborate farm co-op order/delivery process or from chickens we raised and butchered ourselves. They were delicious and clean, and I feel good about supporting small agriculture or our own efforts. But it doesn’t happen all in one evening.

I’ve been told I should be eating more protein for my (and baby’s) health. So, yesterday, I availed myself of the modern American food distribution system and simply purchased a fresh, already-cleaned and cut-up chicken. Albiet, a “natural” Amish raised chicken that was on sale at the “regular grocery store.” I hear tell that other people do this all the time. I don’t expect that I will do it all the time, myself, but it was an interesting exercise in seeing how “other people” live.

Sometimes we make life hard for ourselves with our “different” and idealistic practices. But where do you draw the line between health, convenience and supporting your larger ideals?

1 comment:

Deb said...

I am still getting used to the idea that I have to cut up a chicken. A chicken I have paid someone else to kill for me. And, I have to thaw out that whole chicken a few days in advance of when I plan to cook it. I have spent too many years in the convenience of the boneless chicken breast. That has to stop.

I think we have bought a few of those "natural Amish raised" chickens in the past. They have been pretty good.