In our efforts to save money and wanting to eat better I opted for the whole chicken at the grocery store, instead of boneless, skinless, over-priced chicken breast. This was not my first time to buy a whole chicken, I've done it before- I even screamed while preparing it (no really, just ask my kids!). I decided to give it another try and I actually handled it very well. In fact it wasn't gross at all! I think it is because I was viewing that chicken as nourishment for my family. I want to give my family the best whenever I can, and I felt like that whole chicken was a better choice than one that had already been "prepared"- so to speak. I don't think I will ever go back to the over-priced chicken again. Here is what I did with my chicken- it was easy, nourishing, and very budget friendly!
I placed my whole chicken in the crock pot and added lots of onion, garlic, and any other spices I had that I thought would be good, and salt and pepper. I added just a little water in the bottom of the pot. I set the crock pot on low and let it cook all day. Once the chicken was done it was literally falling off of the bone, making what I considered the "gross" part, not seem so gross! I chopped up my chicken and added it to a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup (chicken, carrots, salt, pepper, parsley, egg noodles, & water- cook until carrots are tender and noodles are done).
There you have it~ an easy, inexpensive way to bless your family with a nourishing meal! And I am proud to say that I'm officially over my fear of whole chickens! :0)
If you have a fear of whole chickens, I would like to encourage you to give it a try. Believe me, if I can do it, you can too! LOL!
Wishing you much success on your chicken journey!
~ Abby
I'm afraid of the whole chicken too! We stopped eating meat and all other animal and dairy products back in April (kind of a long story---but mostly because my husband is a cardiologist and he is convinced that a plant based diet is the most heart healthy, and also because my research on diet and breast cancer led me to the same conclusion--plant based will be the healthiest for all of us). But, one of my best friend's sons raise chickens each year to sell (she is now plant strong too--just eating their chickens once a week), and I bought 10 whole chickens from her sons this summer. They are huge! They look like turkeys! I haven't cooked one yet! I am afraid to, but she said like you to just put it in the crock pot all day or all night. So how will these 10 chicken fit into our plant based diet? We are calling ourselves plant strong--meaning that we will eat chicken or even maybe a grass fed roast occasionally, so I figured those 10 chickens will last me one year--if I can gather the courage to cook one! I have actually lost my taste for meat, but I will cook one soon!
ReplyDeleteWe eat very little processed foods--as little as possible. I still buy tortilla chips, and organic dry cereal, and vegan Clif bars......but I try to make everything I can from scratch, using the wheat that I grind and brown rice that I buy in bulk.
Thanks for the chicken recipe. I hope I can try it soon! :)
Thanks for you comment Roan! I have been reading your blog for awhile now & I really enjoy it! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one afraid of whole chickens! I haven't done a lot of research on meats & animal products. We have just cut back on meats for budget reasons! After cutting back on meats I can honestly say that I don't miss them. We are fairly new to "healthy" eating, but I have decided that we cannot turn back. I'm so tired of feeling sick & tired all of the time! Could you suggest a good resource for finding recipes & meal ideas that are plant based? Also, what does your family drink in place of milk? I can't stand the thoughts of going without cheese and butter either!
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