Friday, May 6, 2011

From the Coop to the Cooker

Thursday, April 5
(this chicken is cracking me up!  It looks really ticked off!)

Well today was the day.  I was looking at it with a mixture of feelings.  Apprehension, dread, and a bit of excitement.  Think I'm a little morbid?  Especially after the post of those fluffy little chicks?  Sorry, they didn't stay fluffy and cute.  God definitely has a well laid out plan.  The uglier and stickier they get the more anxious I am to make fried chicken.

Well, I'm the same lady that was {super} proud of herself for learning to just cut up whole chickens after moving to the Island.  Sure...sure...I bought whole chickens while living in the States, but only used them for roasting or my crock pot.  Any recipe requiring chicken parts was easily solved by grabbing a bag of frozen chicken.  {Deep dramatic sigh} Oh those wonderful American grocery stores.
So maybe I felt pride in being about to raise and process my own chickens.  Kinda like it was a big accomplishment for me.  I love learning new things.

Well let me tell you...it's not glamourous!

Prince rigged up a very humane way of "doing the deed".  He nailed an empty water container upside down on a tree.  He cut the bottom and top off.  I carried the chicken calmly to him and he turned them upside down in the plastic bottle.  He quickly pulled their head through the bottom and slit the throat.  It was quick and simple.  The chicken didn't "suffer" or struggle.  Still, I was glad Prince handled that part.....it was yicky.  Princess Alexis is definitely my stout-hearted of the bunch.  She watched but strongly stated, "that's asgusting (disgusting)!"
My job was the plucking.  I'd plucked chickens as a girl, but didn't remember it taking this long.  My girlies were very intrigued by the whole process and not traumatized by it in the least.  When I was cleaning out the inside of a chicken and explaining the different organs, I pointed out the heart.  Alexis asked, "Does God live in chicken's heart, too?"  I convinced the princesses to help pull out a few feathers, but again it was "asgusting".  They soon tired of the whole smelly process and went inside to play "house".
After talking to my Grandma, I was convinced to use the feet in making my broth.  That was as far as the feet made it.  No chicken foot soup in my kitchen!

Today was definitely a learning experience.  We are having yummy Cajun Gumbo, corn bread, and peach cobbler for supper tonight.

6 comments:

www.babyhomepages.net/tenlittleinions said...

Excellent! Now, your a real missionary. ;-) Your girls will likely remember this day. And, oh, how healthy.

Gail said...

WOW! I remember my grandmother doing this when I was little, but I never did it myself! I have cut up a whole chicken. That's a job most people don't know how to to. You are brave, girl!

Brittany said...

Definetly "asgusting"!

Jessi said...

Sounds yummy--the gumbo, cornbread, and peach cobbler, I mean. I just tried making a chicken and sausage gumbo the other day. It turned out pretty good, but could you send me your recipe for gumbo too? I would love to try it. My roux didn't burn!!! I was so happy, although I stirred that stuff for a good hour and a half. My arm felt like it was going to fall off! But the taste was worth it. Got any tips on making roux too? Is it supposed to take that long?

JudyZ said...

You GO, Girl! I have never raised chickens, but we've talked about it for 3 years now. This year we bough a chicken house, but... lo & behold, its still on the trailer that brought it home. Maybe one day soon we'll have some little chickies?! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Tinyla said...

I don't know if I could do it. Good job Maria!

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