Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Speaking of Chicken...

Friday, May 8, 2009

Speaking of Chicken...

We had roast chicken last night for dinner. It was a chickeny chicken, the kind the Coop likes to sell, with some dark feather quills in it that I had to pull out and a lot of skin, and was just very intensely... a chicken. Or am I getting sensitized?

When I told my daughter we were having chicken for dinner, she gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth. "Mom! We can't eat chicken! Now that we have chicks we can never eat chicken!"

That's not exactly what I had in mind. Already it's seeming like my plans to possibly slaughter any chicken that turns out to be a rooster, are looking a little far-fetched. Here are some sample comments:

"Scrambles knows me. She totally likes me."

"I can't wait til the chicks learn their names!"

"I LOOOOVVVVE Sunset!"

"I love our chicks."

"I'll eat bacon. Bacon's good. But I'm not eating chicken.... I don't KNOW any pigs. Now I KNOW chickens. When are we having lamb again?"

There's a discussion on backyardchickens.com about psychologically preparing yourself for slaughtering your chickens. People who have whole flocks of meat birds are realizing it's hard to do. Some of them have slaughtered their chickens and then been unable to eat them.

I liked one method I heard about -- you take the chicken to one of the Chinese or Halal butchers. Ten minutes and $2.50 later you walk out with a bag of plucked chicken parts.

Sigh.

Anyway, I heard back from the hatchery. They're not sure but they're guessing Scrambles is an Easter Egger! I really hope she is! I was so wishing we'd gotten some Easter Eggers-- these are the mongrel breed of chickens that lay blue and green eggs.

Here's what's going on in the brooder.
We built the chicks a little palapa, and they love it.

The are so smart, they are learning to roost, and are really good, even wantonly enthusiastic, about scratching. They scratch the shit out of whatever in on the ground, spraying pine chips or feed every where.

2 comments:

R Lyden said...: Why didn't you donate a date with the chicks to the CPs Silent Auction. It seems that a date at your coop is the hottest ticket in town (especially if you serve roasted artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes).

Watch out for them foxes!; May 8, 2009 at 7:57 PM
Larissa said...: Awww, I should have!

But we're doing a free for all on the playdates. You guys should come over!; May 10, 2009 at 6:33 AM

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)