Such a hardship has befallen us. Or perhaps the hardship has only befallen Mrs. Hillbilly Mom. For some time now, the Gas Station Chicken Store has been without chicken! That was due to problems with the help not showing up to do the help they were being paid to do. Namely, to fry chicken and other gas station delicacies like Tater Babies and Corn Dogs and Burritos.
I took my fried chicken needs to Country Mart's deli. In doing so, I became a big fan (and I mean BIG fan) of their BBQ pork steaks, and chicken livers, and chicken tenders. Farmer H used to go there to eat a sit-down breakfast of biscuits and gravy. He liked to get a dinner for lunch, or have me pick one up when I was shopping there. A meat and two sides. He was partial to green beans and mashed potatoes. Or macaroni and cheese if they were out.
Anyhoo...on my limited shopping excursions these days, I plan to make dinner a meal from Country Mart's Deli. Farmer H had requested a BBQ pork steak. Imagine my shock when I bellied up to the deli (a proper belly-up, staying behind the purple tape line) and saw only THREE ITEMS in the deli case! That's right. THREE! With about 14 sections covered with their handled metal lids.
In fact, the deli guy came over and said, "Are you disappointed to see there's not more?"
I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and assumed he was not passing judgment on my ample rumpus. Only indirectly apologizing for the limited selection. After all, it was 12:52 p.m. Prime lunch-serving time.
"Yes. My husband asked for a pork steak."
"Well, this is all we're allowed to cook. We have to make sure we get rid of what we make."
I helped them out. I took six chicken tenders, and an 8-piece chicken. Farmer H will have to deal with it. Then tenders are my lunches, though. He'd better keep his mitt-burning* mitts off of them.
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*If you've read today's not-so-secret blog, you'll get that reference.
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Youd better guard those chicken tenders. Those would make a delicious snack for Farmer H, if they're left unattended.
ReplyDelete(And perhaps Farmer H thinks Juno burned your oven mitt. I remember her getting blamed for egg eating in the past.)
Sioux,
ReplyDeleteOh, I knew to hide the tenders! Still, he texted me from kitchen to lair: "Which chicken did you say I could have?"
Poor Juno! Always the scapedog!
I think the deli guy saw your shocked face, that's why he asked. It makes sense though to not over cook in these days of trial and tribulation. Nobody can afford to be wasting food.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite partial to green beans and mashed potatoes myself, especially when there is a chicken schnitzel also on the plate. Or a medium rare steak.
River,
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of green beans unless they're cooked until limp, with tasty bacon. I prefer potatoes in the green beans, too, rather than mashed. Farmer H also likes "mixed vegetables" with carrots and corn and green beans and peas. I won't eat that!
I don't mind the mixed vegetables, but only if they are fresh, NEVER the frozen or canned variety. Freezing makes the carrots soggy and the beans squeaky and canning makes anything in the can taste like the can.
ReplyDeleteI should clarify, I home freeze carrots and beans and they are fine, the problem is with the 'snap' freezing of bulk amounts, I think they use dry ice or something and it affects to texture and taste. Like freeze-dried instant coffee granules, which gives me bad headaches. I'll stick with the instant powder variety.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteWith many items, I rinse them several times to get the salty canned fluid off them! One thing we used to like was a big bag of frozen fruit chunks that we got at Sam's Club. It had grapes and peach slices and cherries and stuff. They seemed to have been frozen with a glaze of sugar water, maybe. Something that protected them from freezer burn.