Get Real, Dude

Allison loves chicken. She will eat either chicken or a cheeseburger or polk-a-dot (pepperoni) pizza every day of her life. That’s all the variety she would need. Welcome to the life of a 7-year-old!

I love for her to eat chicken. Just chicken. Chicken that was raised on a farm and not injected with hormones and antibiotics. Just regular old yummy chicken. I get those farm chickens when I can from our food co-op. You can too by visiting this website: NE Food Coop. They deliver to different places throughout Omaha and the food, produce and other homemade goodies are fantastic. If you don’t live in our area – I bet you can find one where you live. Or you probably have those big, outdoor food markets that I would love! When I can’t buy this farm fresh local chicken, I buy Just Bare Chicken at Target.

I don’t want her to have any of the paste in the picture below...ever. This is called Mechanically Separated Poultry (MSP). It’s the paste they make out of the meat, tendons and other connective tissue that are separated from the bones by being pressed through a high-pressure sieve. It’s so gross. According to Snopes.com, they claim they don’t “routinely” put any disinfectant in it. They claim there are no bones or guts in it. They claim it’s healthy for human consumption. I’m sure we’ve all eaten it before in nuggets, chicken patties and/or hotdogs. Join me in rejecting this as food – don’t buy it. Tell companies why you’re not buying it. According to Snopes.com, McDonald’s hasn’t used this MSP in its chicken nuggets since 2003 but it’s used other places and in frozen chicken patties and dinners. Allison would eat it.  Not if I know about it.

In my humble opinion, chicken carcasses are only to be boiled to make broths for soups, then thrown in the garbage. Period. End of story.

Instead of wondering what’s in her processed chicken product, I make these drumsticks and she loves them. They’re so easy. I put the juice from half of an orange in a ¼ cup of melted butter. Then, I dunk the drumsticks in it and place them on a greased cookie sheet. I salt and pepper them because she likes them “spicy.” She’s so funny. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes. When they’re done, cover with foil for 10 minutes while they finish cooking but remain moist.

These are moist and flavorful and reheat well for her for a couple of days…or they’re great eaten cold on a picnic or packed with you in the car so you don’t have to stop at a drive thru! Pair with fruit and chips or something else crunchy like veggie straws. Enjoy!