My life motto should really be “I try.”
You guys, I try so hard. I really do. But so often it just doesn’t quite work out.
Case in point: last night’s dinner.
I had it all planned out.
Having done take out several nights this week, I committed to making a nice home made meal. I searched Pinterest and found the perfect fall recipe.
Cranberry Orange Zest Chicken.
I gathered all the required ingredients. And was thrilled to realize I already had chicken breasts in the freezer!
I chopped.
I minced.
I zested.
I marinated and I baked.
And then I waited for the savory smells of autumn to fill my house.
“Mom, it stinks in here,” my daughter stated, matter-of-factly as she walked into the kitchen. “What are you making??”
Sadly, I had to agree with her. The kitchen definitely did not smell like an autumn bouquet. It smelled off. Unpleasant. Not quite right.
I peaked in the oven. It looked like an autumn bounty. The chicken was browning, the cranberries deepening in color.
It was beautiful.
So, I tried to ignore the smell.
It became impossible.
Maybe I did something wrong with the marinade? Too much garlic? Too much zest?
No, I followed the recipe exactly. I was sure of it. Besides, it was the chicken that smelled off.
Could the chicken be bad? I had pulled it out of the freezer after all. Maybe it was a few months past it’s prime???
I dug thru the trash to find the package.
You guys!!! The sell by date was 9/9/2015!!! ???
Oh. My. Word!! I had just cooked three year old chicken!!!
Yep, a beautiful autumn bouquet of potentially toxic chicken!!!
Chicken with a side of food poisoning, anyone???
I dumped my hard work into the trash and headed to the store to find a dinner we could eat without having to visit the ER after. As I drove I lamented my wasted ingredients and all the time spent mincing and zesting.
But I have to say, more than anything I thanked God for the gross smell of too old chicken!!! 😉
I try y’all.
I really, really try!
My takeaway? (besides I really need to clean out the freezer!): Sometimes God gives us little hints….a feeling, a doubt, an uneasiness that something is not quite right (even though it might look really good on the surface). Let’s trust that nagging doubt, that divine warning. It may just save our lives (or at least our digestive health! 😉 )
Much love,
Jen
