It’s 5pm and you’re staring at the bowl of leftover chicken in the fridge wondering what in the world you are going to make for supper tonight. That roast chicken was darn good last night but you’re ready for something different.

I know that feeling.

In fact, it’s a common one since I don’t meal plan. At least not in the traditional way. So, I made a list of quick and easy main dishes to use up that leftover chicken! I am sharing 3 of those recipes today in the first of a 3 part series on using leftover chicken.


1. Chicken tacos
      This one is simple, roughly chop the leftover chicken, toss it         in the skillet along with a packet of taco seasoning(or see my favorite homemade taco seasoning recipe below!)
      and a TBSP or two of water and cook until hot. Set the seasoned chicken aside and add sliced onions and peppers
      to the skillet with a bit more taco seasoning and sauté until tender crisp. Serve on tortillas with a side of rice.
              *Here's my favorite homemade taco seasoning!*
                   -1 TBSP chili powder
                   -1/4 tsp garlic powder
                   -1/4 tsp onion powder
                   -1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
                   -1/4 tsp dried oregano
                   -1/2 tsp paprika
                   -1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
                   -1 tsp sea salt
                   -1 tsp black pepper
I like to double this recipe so I can use half now and have enough for the next time I want tacos too!
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Chicken Alfredo
I keep a jar of alfredo sauce on hand at all times so I can make this family favorite on a whim! While water is boiling for your favorite pasta (I like to vary the shapes I use to keep it interesting), chop veggies (red onion, snap peas, zucchini and carrots are some of my favs in this dish) and then sauté them in a pan with a bit of butter & garlic. Set veggies aside and add chicken to the skillet sprinkled with your favorite seasoning salt and sauté until warm. After draining your al dente pasta, combine pasta, chicken and veggies for a hearty nutritious supper! 

Shredded chicken sandwiches
This one is soooo easy! Simply grab a couple forks to shred that bowl of leftover chicken. Generously shake in your favorite seasoned salt and mix it up. I like Blue Ribbon Seasoning made in Logan, IA or Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Measure with your heart. Heat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove with a splash of water. Serve on buns with pickles and a side of steamed veggies like carrots or broccoli!

I hope these ideas make the supper 'witching hour' a bit easier! Follow along for parts 2 & 3. You won't want to miss my orange chicken recipe ;)

Enjoy!
Emily
P.S. if you haven't already, grab your free copy of my new cookbook, 1 Chicken, 3 Meals! The cookbook breaks down how to make THREE meals out of just one chicken and even covers how to make homemade chicken broth!

“Oh, you have working hands” she sighed with a tinge of disappointment.

Grandma held my hand as I was preparing to leave after a visit. Although just a freshman, soon to be sophomore, in college, my hands were rough and dirt stained. I was caught off guard, not by the state of my hands, but by the hint of disappointment, or perhaps simply weariness, in my grandma’s voice. 

I thought ‘but isn’t she proud of the work I do?’  At the time I was confused and maybe even a bit hurt. I was working my way through college after all. It was summertime and I was working at a local dairy as well as for my dad in his construction business and still putting in a few hours a week at a local grocery store as well. I was working for the next year’s tuition but also to gain experience in a field I very much wanted to dedicate my life to.

Grandma has been gone for 9 years now and I still find myself reflecting on this moment.

I know grandma was proud of me and the work I did (and still do) but after a few more years of life, and work and burnout and birth and death and sorrow and joy and rejuvenation, I think I’ve gained some perspective on that moment. I’m guessing that in that moment, my grandma wasn’t so much disappointed in me but was instead flashing through her own life and years of hard work and the accompanying exhaustion and joys and sorrows that she experienced and knew that much of the same lay ahead for me in my chosen agrarian life.
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I don’t regret my decisions. I love the physical work of the farm and I still get a thrill when I sit down to a meal that my family and I have grown, harvested, and prepared. I do understand grandma’s weariness now though in a way that I certainly didn’t at 19. 

Emily
#life reflections series no. 1

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“Oh, you have working hands” she sighed with a tinge of disappointment.
​
Grandma held my hand as I was preparing to leave after a visit. Although just a freshman, soon to be sophomore, in college, my hands were rough and dirt stained. I was caught off guard, not by the state of my hands, but by the hint of disappointment, or perhaps simply weariness, in my grandma’s voice. 

I thought ‘but isn’t she proud of the work I do?’  At the time I was confused and maybe even a bit hurt. I was working my way through college after all. It was summertime and I was working at a local dairy as well as for my dad in his construction business and still putting in a few hours a week at a local grocery store as well. I was working for the next year’s tuition but also to gain experience in a field I very much wanted to dedicate my life to.

Grandma has been gone for 9 years now and I still find myself reflecting on this moment.

I know grandma was proud of me and the work I did (and still do) but after a few more years of life, and work and burnout and birth and death and sorrow and joy and rejuvenation, I think I’ve gained some perspective on that moment. I’m guessing that in that moment, my grandma wasn’t so much disappointed in me but was instead flashing through her own life and years of hard work and the accompanying exhaustion and joys and sorrows that she experienced and knew that much of the same lay ahead for me in my chosen agrarian life.

I don’t regret my decisions. I love the physical work of the farm and I still get a thrill when I sit down to a meal that my family and I have grown, harvested, and prepared. I do understand grandma’s weariness now though in a way that I certainly didn’t at 19.

Emily

#life reflections series no. 1

Chicken is such a versatile protein but many people aren’t used to cooking a whole chicken and it can be a little intimidating at first. So I thought that today I would share some of my favorite ways to use a whole chicken!

When I cook a whole chicken I almost always do it one of two ways. I either cook it in the crockpot for 8 hours on low OR more recently, I have been spatchcocking my chickens. Spatchcocking requires that you be present during the whole cooking time because you are using the oven BUT it takes about 5 minutes of prep and then the next 45 minutes is hands off while the chicken roasts in the oven. I usually end up doing household chores or hanging with the kids. Both are things that I don't do nearly enough of so it's a good change of pace. 

Either way, I use the cooked chicken in all the same ways. Our first meal from a chicken is often chicken with seasonal veggies. Potatoes & carrots are a common side because they store so well and so I often have them on hand. If I crockpot the chicken, then I throw the carrots and potatoes in with the chicken or if I am spatchcocking then I roast the carrots and potatoes on a separate baking sheet.

After meal #1, I debone the chicken and put the remaining meat in the fridge in an airtight container. Don’t toss the bones! If I have time, after deboning, I put the bones in a stockpot along with herbs and whatever spare veggies I have on hand. Then I add water until it covers the bones and bring the pot to a simmer. If I don’t have time right away, then I store the bones in the fridge in an airtight container until the next day. I like to start the broth cooking when I start supper preparations and let it simmer until about an hour before bed when I strain it into a glass jar and let it cool a bit before putting it in the fridge. Use within 2-3 days or freeze for later use.

We often get asked: can we grow our Lawn to Lunch veggies in a raised bed? 

 Absolutely!

In fact, raised beds are great for growing veggies!

With Operation: Lawn to Lunch we try to make gardening as accessible as possible! In our ground prep video we detail how to take a 4x8 piece of your yard and turn it into a garden using a shovel and cardboard because this is a cheap and relatively easy way to create a garden. And most people have access to a shovel and cardboard. However, growing in a raised bed may be easier for many people. Recently, I have learned of some creative, reasonably priced ways to create a raised bed and I want to share those with you today!

Why grow in raised beds? Well, a raised bed can mean less bending over – and that’s reason enough all by itself ;) Also, with a raised bed you fill it with your choice of soil mix and raised beds tend to be less compacted, drain better and even warm up a bit earlier in the spring. Raised beds can also offer definition to your garden space, less weeds and just plain be pretty to look at!

You can spend as much or as little as you want to make a raised bed. You can make a raised bed yourself out of wood, metal sheets or cinder blocks. Or you can buy premade beds or raised bed kits! More recently, I have learned that you can buy fabric raised garden beds or you could even use a debris bag which can be found at home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot.

Things to keep in mind when building or buying a raised bed:

• Height: to decrease bending over and/or to be accessible to a wheelchair user, the recommended height is 30-33” from the ground to the top of the bed. However, your raised bed can be as little as 6-12 inches high and still be an effective growing space.
• The bed needs to be able to drain – if you use something with a solid bottom like a stock tank, you will need to drill holes in the bottom so excess water can drain out. *pro tip: if you are making or buying an elevated bed that sits on legs, you can line the bottom of the bed with landscaping fabric before filling it to allow water to drain while keeping the soil in place J
• Chemically treated or ‘green’ lumber can leach chemicals – we recommend untreated lumber even though it will have to be replaced more often OR Cedar as cedar is naturally rot resistant
• Soil in raised beds:
  • When I fill my raised beds I like to use ½ soil and ½ compost. You can also add vermiculite or a bit of sand to help with drainage if your soil tends toward clay like ours does. I have found a good compost to be enough to equal out even our clay soil though.
  • For a 8’x4’x12” raised bed, you will need 32 cu yards of soil/compost mix.

If you are filling a 33” tall raised bed you may want to consider using the Hugelkultur method which utilizes several layers including cardboard and sticks and logs in the bottom, plant material in the middle and soil/compost mix in the top of the bed. The bottom and middle layers then slowly compost over time. Hugelkultur has many benefits including saving on soil/compost when you initially fill the bed. You can read more about this process here: https://vegogarden.com/blogs/academy/how-to-fill-raised-garden-beds-and-save-money

One more thing to consider when growing in a raised bed is that they may require more water than an ‘in-ground’ garden. This is especially true of raised beds that sit on legs or stilts.

After that, growing in a raised bed is very similar to growing in the ground!

Let's get growing!
​
Emily & Nathan

P.S. to learn more about Operation: Lawn to Lunch or to get signed up head over to our Lawn to Lunch information page!

Lamb was not a common dish in my house growing up. In fact, it wasn't a dish at all. So I have had fun learning to cook and enjoy lamb over the last few years. 
At first, cooking lamb was intimidating. But only because I had heard over and over again that lamb was tricky to cook. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not. Lamb absolutely CAN be easy to cook. Yes, even a leg of lamb! To help you with your next Leg of Lamb (or perhaps your first ;) I am sharing my favorite recipe, Buttermilk Leg of Lamb

Having a garden that you can easily reach the middle of without having to enter the growing area, also means that your garden will have less (or no!) compaction. Compaction is one of the leading problems in home gardens. Compacted soil makes it harder for roots to grow and for water to soak into the soil. Did you know that the human foot applies the same amount of pressure to the soil as a tractor tire?! So every step we take in the garden has a significant impact!
 
Smaller gardens also mean the garden can oftentimes be placed closer to your house where you will see it every day.  Most of us are much more likely to tend to a garden that is in our regular line of sight. We are also much more likely to enjoy our gardens when we see them regularly.  
 
And finally, less empty space = less weeds to pull. And who wants to spend more time pulling weeds?! In addition to being smaller, square foot gardens are planted in such a way that the vegetable plants themselves quickly shade out those ornery weeds!

To register for an Operation: Lawn to Lunch Garden Kit including videos on key gardening topics, click here.

This is one of my most requested recipes. And that makes sense because honestly this is a super simple dish that packs a 1, 2 punch with both flavor and a it's packed full of veggies! I also love that this dish is super adaptable too. The recipe calls for ground pork but I have also used ground lamb as well as left over pork roast and leftover carnitas. So, without further ado ... 

Egg Roll in a Bowl
​Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons sriracha
1 egg
1 tablespoon sesame oil*
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
 
Brown pork. Add minced garlic and sautee until fragrant. Add the cabbage, carrots, soy sauce  & ginger. Sautee until cabbage & carrots are tender. Reduce heat to low. Make a well in the center of skillet and add the egg and scramble it. When egg is cooked thoroughly, stir in sriracha. Drizzle with sesame oil & sprinkle with green onions.

Yep, It's really that easy!
Enjoy!
Emily

Welcome! Today’s post is about the anxieties or mental roadblocks that might keep you from cooking a whole chicken and how to deal with those roadblocks. This post is co-authored by Vera Petersen. Vera is a License Mental Health Counselor from Exira, Iowa. She primarily works with clients who are experiencing anxiety, life transitions, and trauma. I reached out to Vera because this is such an important topic and I knew she would have great tips!
 
The idea for this post came about when I was talking with a valued friend and customer one day about the challenges or mental roadblocks that can come up when thinking about cooking a whole chicken. Or, honestly, any larger cut of meat. My friend admitted that although she loves our chickens once they are cooked, she has anxiety about cross contamination when cooking raw meat and also feels anxious about over cooking and possibly ‘ruining’ a WHOLE chicken. And that it’s hard to get over that ‘hump’ to actually start the cooking process.
And the thing is, I feel some of these anxieties at times myself and I’m sure a lot of other people do to. Soo, in addition to some of my own tips, I thought it would be really helpful to have professional input. And I am so very grateful that Vera agreed to contribute to this post!
 
To start, I think it helps to have a basic understanding of how to cook/handle raw meat and specifically a chicken. For a specific cooking method called ‘Spatchcocking’ check out my video: How to Spatchcock a Chicken

As with any cooking, it helps to prepare yourself and your kitchen before you even take the chicken out of the fridge. Vera says “When it comes to anxiety in the kitchen, a way to begin building trust with yourself would be to read a recipe through several times. It is also helpful to establish your “mise en place”, a French culinary term for preparing your pans, bowls, and ingredients ahead of time before you even start cooking. Knowing how your recipe works beforehand can help settle some anxiety and allow room to build trust with yourself.”
 
I would suggest making sure you have a clear counter space to work on, preferably close to the sink for easy hand washing. Before doing anything else, place your trash can next to your workspace so you can place the chicken packaging directly into the can after removing it from the chicken. It is also helpful to keep disinfecting wipes close by. Keep them open and ready to use! Because you are close to the sink, any utensils used can go directly in the sink when done with them. If you will be using any seasonings, pre-measure them into a bowl that can be easily washed so you don’t have to touch the containers with messy hands. This may feel awkward at first but after some practice, you will develop a routine that minimizes mess and therefore chances for cross contamination.
 
Vera shares that “Another way to build trust may include taking cooking classes. Community colleges often have non-credit classes for the public to take during an evening. Metropolitan Community College in Omaha often hosts specific classes about knife skills or cooking poultry. This classroom experience allows a space where you can feel safe to ask questions (because you will not be the only person with that question) and practice with the guidance of an experienced educator”
 
And “Possibly the scariest [but still effective]  way to build trust would be to learn to practice on your own. For this, work on using rationalization. Your dish most likely will not be perfect the first time and possibly not the second or third time either. Let go of the ideal perfect outcome as even the best chefs have had moments of overcooked or ruined chicken. It is a great learning experience!”
 
Finally, Vera adds “One of the biggest culprits of low self-confidence in the kitchen would be anxiety and it’s power to self-sabotage. Remind yourself, anticipatory anxiety can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, replace these negative thoughts with positive affirmations such as “I can learn from this”, “I am smart”, “I can do hard things”, or “I did the best I could.””
 
As for me, my last bit of advice is to familiarize yourself with different ways to check your chicken or other cuts of meat for ‘doneness’ as well as what ‘done’ means. There are cues such as smell, color of the skin and of course the old ‘when juices run clear’ and those are all valuable indicators, however these can be highly subjective and so I recommend using a meat thermometer. According to the USDA, Chicken is ‘done’ when the thickest part of the breast, and innermost part of the thigh and wing read 165F*. It’s worth noting that meat does NOT stop cooking the second you remove it from the oven. In fact, it will continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes. This means that even if you remove the chicken from the oven a degree or two shy of 165, the meat will finish cooking. And regardless of what temperature you remove the chicken from the oven, ‘tenting’ your chicken with tin foil and allowing it to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting will allow the juices to settle and leave you with a juicier/tastier chicken.
Like most things, you can get a whole spectrum of meat thermometers – all the way up to thermometers that stay in the bird in the oven and send a signal to your phone when it reaches a pre-determined temperature. Honestly, I use a very basic, no frills meat thermometer but it’s nice to know that there are more specific tools out there too!
 
I hope this article has given you some ideas to help quell kitchen related anxieties! I want this blog as a whole to be helpful to you and so if you have any questions or things you would like me to write about, reach out via email brunkofarm@gmail.com. I can’t guarantee I will have all the answers or be able to get to all the requests but I do want to make sure I write about topics (and offer products) that are interesting and relevant to my followers <3
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Thank you for reading and a huge thanks again to Vera for co-authoring this post. See Vera’s full bio below. We are lucky to have such a great mental health professional practicing in our small community!

​Emily + Vera

*There are a few poultry ‘doneness’ guidelines floating around out there and that can be confusing but this is the most current – see references below
 
https://www.thekitchn.com/the-right-internal-temperature-for-cooked-chicken-quick-kitchen-facts-216074
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2006/04/usda-165-degrees-magic-number-safe-poultry

To order whole or cut up chickens visit www.brunkofarm.com/chicken  
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