I went in Country Mart on Thursday. Mainly for lottery, but I also checked their hot case for something quick to feed Farmer H for supper. I was in luck! Not at the lottery machine. But at the hot case. I found a package of chicken leg/thighs. It was like a rotisserie chicken, but only the leg/thighs. Smelled delicious. Thus began my dilemma.
"Huh. That's an awkward package. I'll have to carry it in by itself. Can't leave it while I take the rest. The dogs will get it. AND the juices might spill in T-Hoe's rear. But I really want that chicken..."
The package was a long black plastic tray, with a clear top snapped on it. Unlike the deep plastic tray that encases a rotisserie chicken, with handles to carry it, this was just the flat tray. About 18 inches long. Holding four leg/thighs, sitting in their own juices.
The checker greeted me, asking how I was.
"I'm just wondering if I can get this chicken home without spilling the juices. The container is kind of awkward."
I was setting one of my 12-packs of Shasta Diet Cola on the counter when I heard the young checker exclaim, "OH NO!"
For the second time in two days, I cringed at hearing "OH NO!"
When I looked up, I saw that the checker had somehow dumped the juices out of the chicken package, onto the clear window of her scanner. Surely she wasn't not-genius enough to flip it over to scan the sticker on the top! I'm pretty sure they have a hand-held instrument to use for such things.
Anyhoo... Checker apologized, and went to get some paper towels to clean up the chicken juice. It was cooked chicken juice. So she wasn't spreading salmonella. She slid my chicken package sideways into a plastic bag. Again saying she was sorry.
"That's okay. It's less juice for me to spill on the way home."
If I was smart, which often I am not, I would have poured out the remaining juices on the parking lot before stuffing that chicken into T-Hoe's rear. Lucky for me, Farmer H was home, and came out to carry it in while I got the other couple bags of stuff.
When I looked at the chicken container after Farmer H had taken out his portion, I saw a crack in the clear plastic top. Not only on the edge where it's supposed to snap to the black plastic tray, but across the top as well. Not sure if that was there all along, if the Checker had done it, or if Farmer H was too rough getting out his chicken.
Surely that checker has handled enough chicken containers to know how to ring them up. Besides, I had JUST WARNED HER about all the fluids in there.
6 comments:
At least you got the chicken home safely and you can both enjoy the eating of it. There's a name for those chiken thigh/leg pieces but I can't remember it right now. I used to buy them to roast so everyone could have a drumstick back when there were six of us at the table.
River,
I think they're called chicken leg quarters. I had the last one last night. Farmer H was grilling hot dogs (he loves them), and I said he could have the whole pack, eating some and taking some for lunches at his SUS2. Since he was at the grill, I asked him to put BBQ sauce on that piece of chicken. He set it away from the heat, and it turned out great with the sauce.
Here they are called Chicken Maryland for some unknown reason.
River,
That is unusual. I have never heard of Chicken Maryland.
Even being geography-challenged, I know we have a state of Maryland on the east coast. Also, the U.S. Naval Academy is located there, in Annapolis. Not sure why I know that. The salutatorian of my high school class (you know, behind MEEEE the VALEDICTORIAN) went to West Point. But that's Army, not Navy, and in New York state, not Maryland. It's a big deal to be accepted into those schools. Besides fantastic grades and extracurricular activities, you need the recommendation of a U.S. Senator.
Which has nothing to do with chicken pieces!
Sometimes it is impossible to get things in the house without them spilling!
Kathy,
Funny how the store can put the soaking mat thingies under hamburger and other raw meats, yet can't use them under a rotisserie chicken or chicken pieces!
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