Friday, November 27, 2020

Hen Happenings

Yesterday dawned bright and early and I was happy to see the sun shine. I showered after lingering over coffee, having done most of the prep work for our tiny dinner the day before.

Things sort of went downhill from that point. I had accidentally caught a glimpse of my hair in the mirror a couple of days ago. Hair grows, you know, and mine was at that length that defies styling, no matter how much or many products you try to tame it with. It looked like my hair was a separate entity hovering just above my scalp. So, I cut it ...... again. I have been doing a fairly decent job of following the cut lines my stylist had cut. But that was almost a year ago. This time, I am afraid I went way off track. And not in a good way.

The only word I can think of is "choppy". My hair is baby fine (limp) and straight. As I toweled my head and got ready to dry it, the image of Moe from the Three Stooges popped into my head. Yes, it was that bad. But, we were not seeing anyone today, so ... I don't get too excited about my hair. It grows fast. It helps that I can laugh at myself.

I went into the kitchen to prepare the feast. I pulled my roasting hen from the from the fridge to get her all gussied up before plopping her in my iron dutch oven. I peeled away the wrapper and noticed that her skin looked odd. It was very thick and when I pulled it up, it stayed. I called HeWho for a second opinion and he agreed it looked "different" to him, as well. We both leaned close to sniff the bird. It smelled okay, so I proceeded to season her and stuff her cavity with a handful of fresh herbs and an orange. Into the oven she went on low heat. For five hours. I checked after the first three hours and really expected it to be falling off the bones. I kept the lid on and it should have been quite moist.

I was a little annoyed. The green bean casserole and the dressing and sweet potatoes were ready. The rolls were watching the progress and waiting to be toasted. Two pies sat on the counter and whipped cream was done. I shoved the hen back into the juices that were halfway up the side of the pot and waited some more.

At some point during all this activity my right foot started aching. I just changed shoes and went on with my chores. I just figured my feet were not quite ready for real shoes. I wear Dawgs all the time. I have about 7 colors and I love them. They have great arch supports and hug my feet just right. I slipped on the cranberry pair from my latest purchase .... it being Thanksgiving and all, I thought that was appropriate.

Finally I yanked the bird from the oven. I grabbed one leg and pulled it out of the pan. It was stiff and unyielding. I grabbed a knife and cut a small piece of breast meat off. It tasted like nothing. It was like chewing a rubber band. HeWho gave it a go and we both spit it out. Why did I not go with my first instinct and buy a turkey breast?

As we sat down to our vegetarian Thanksgiving meal, I realized that my toes were throbbing. I think this is the same foot I dropped something on this summer and am pretty sure I broke something in my foot near my toes. I figured it was just arthritis flaring up in those joints. Why not? This was just the day for it!

I sat down after our eating to facetime all the kids and told HeWho I did not intend to get up again until bedtime. He threatened to clean up the kitchen, which would have been fine with me. I had washed most everything as I cooked and there was not that much to clean up. That man is just full of empty threats!

I had a very restless night. My foot ached and would wake me from time to time. This morning it was so swollen I couldn't get my shoe on. My second and third toes look like fat sausages and the ball of my foot is puffy and swollen. HeWho wanted to whisk me away to the emergency room. I am having none of that. The only thing they can do that I am not already doing is an X-ray. The treatment is the same for a sprain or a break in that part of my foot. Ice, elevate and stay off of it. I have broken my left foot 4 times. I have crutches, braces and everything I need right here.

The side dishes were tasty and the pies were fine. The store took my chicken back and HeWho will be heated up leftovers to go with the rotisserie chicken he picked up when he returned the defective hen. Life is good, despite everything!


 

9 comments:

Val said...

OH MY GOSH! Now I want to know what kind of beast you REALLY baked! When I worked at the unemployment office, investigating claims when people had been fired or quit, I learned that a local grocery store made the employees soak old chicken in a BLEACH solution, so it wouldn't smell, and they could repackage it with a new date.

Sorry about your foot. Mine did the same thing today. I figure it's just arthritis, and I was on it too much with the two days of meal prep. I've never broken my foot. I DID wear my Crocs while cooking, though.

Joanne Noragon said...

I cooked a chicken like that, once. It turned out identical to yours. Sadly, I had been married just a short, short time, and my husband's best friend was over to dinner. It was he who said, after manfully chewing one bite, "Sometimes chickens are just bad", and we threw it away.

River said...

A rubbery hen? Perhaps you were sold the display model by mistake. At least the vegetables and pies were nice enough to make up for the loss of the hen, somewhat.
I hope your foot is feeling better by now.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

we all have days like that some of us have more of those days then one would expect shake it off andmove one

ellen abbott said...

wow! they took back a cooked bird? that must have been the oldest chicken on the farm.

Debby said...

It makes me wonder what on earth was wrong with that chicken! Yikes!

Leslie U. said...

The turkey is my least favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. I want my turkey the next day in a sandwich on toasted bread with mayo, salt and pepper. My niece and I prepared the entire meal this year for the folks, one of my nephews, my boyfriend and ourselves. Neither of my brothers or sister in laws were joining us this year. One set was up in Oregon and the other were getting over bugs that the didn't want to expose our 82 and 85 year old parents to.

We did a very causal meal served buffet style. Turkey, potatoes and gravy, dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce and rolls, all homemade except the rolls. Dessert was three pies, all homemade by me. I have been in charge of the pies ever since I moved out on my own many, many years ago!

Amanda said...

Most chicken in the US is "enhanced." The chicken producers inject it with water with salt and seasonings. (Since poultry is sold by weight, this increases the profits.) If a line worker injects too much of this salty fluid into the bird, it over-saturates the meat. This causes the meat to expel the enhancement fluid and the juices that are in the meat naturally, which is why the skin seemed thick and clung to the bird. Heat from cooking exaggerates the effect, which is why you had so much juice in the pot. All of this adds up to rubber chicken. It's not the grocery store's fault, it's the producer's.

Linda O'Connell said...

How did I miss this post? So they pawned off some rubbery chicken on you? And then they refunded? And there were others who bought bird from the same brood. I ate all last weekend until I was turkeyed-out. Pie, I am still doing. Sorry about your foot.