80 lbs of chicken - 9 ways

Fresh chicken breasts are only $1.69 / lb! Use promo code WAYBACK. Valid until 11:59pm PST 8/9/17.
 Sign up for Zaycon Fresh to get your unbelievably fresh meat!  

Often I am asked how do I save money for my family. Our food budget is something that I rarely skimp on because I think it's one of the best investments we can make for ourselves. However, there are a ton of ways to be able to save money without skimping on quality.

I learned about Zaycon Fresh a few years ago and am a believer! We order chicken breast, chicken fritters, pork tenderloins, wild Alaskan Salmon and a few other meat products. The chicken breast comes fresh and straight from the farmer, so it ends up being a lot fresher than what you buy at the grocery store. For example, my last case of Zaycon Fresh chicken breast had a bar code with a time stamp for the butcher date that was 3 days prior to my receiving it. I recently went to my local grocery store to see what their time frame is - and their chicken was 15 days old and also had 3% water injected. It's really not much of a discussion on which chicken I prefer to buy!

What is Zaycon Fresh? It's super easy. You sign up, enter in your zip code and it will populate "events" near you. Each event will bring fresh or frozen meets to an agreed upon place and time. You place your order for what you'd like and then on the day of the event you bring your order slip and they put your case of bulk meats in the trunk of your car for you. You don't even have to get out of the car! Throughout the year they will offer different products; such as delicious bacon, fresh ground beef, fresh chicken breasts, frozen breaded chicken fritters (I like to make this), select steaks, even turkey and ham! Our all time favorite is their salmon. They are constantly adding more.

When you sign up, they'll send you non-spammy newsletters letting you know what they're adding, great recipe ideas and you can refer friends to get credit for your next purchase. Truly, I haven't bought meat any other way for a long time now.

Ok but then the question comes up with what do I do with 40 lbs of fresh chicken breast? Friends, let me show you what I did for this last order, which I am using to prepare for Baby Boy due this summer.

First, when I receive my chicken I cut it down to different sizes to help spread the meat a little further. Each lobe of chicken breast becomes a cut of breast, a tender and I slice the breast to an even thickness and save the top portion as a "cheek," which is great as Chicken Parmesan Cutlets.  For our family of 2 adults and 2 small kids I package a dinner meal either as 2 breasts, 5 tenders or 6 cutlets. I also use a Foodsaver instead of freezer bags. For each of the recipes below I used 1/4 c of marinade per "dinner package." Some of the recipes are larger than others so adjust the ratios as you need. 

Without further adieu, here are my most recently used recipes:
Brown Sugar Balsamic Chicken

I used about 1/4 c of marinade per 2 breasts.

Lemon Garlic
Chicken TacosUsing a grinder attachment, grind your chicken breasts
taco seasoning recipe

Chicken Enchiladas
1 large can of enchilada sauce
directions: boil your chicken breasts, shred them either with forks or with the paddle attachment on your kitchen aid, pour the sauce in! Freeze the meat as is or prep into enchiladas and freeze individually.

Tangy Teriyaki:
2T of grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
makes enough for 2 breasts

"Hawaiian Style"  / Moana1 can of sliced pineapple
2 cups of orange juice
4T ketchup
4T soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2T of grated fresh ginger
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c Balsamic Vinegar 

Tangy BBQ

1/2 c Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce

4T ketchup 

2Tbrown sugar

4T balsamic vinegar

1 cup chicken stock

Lime Sweet Thai Chili1 c stock
1 bottle sweet thai chili sauce

1/4 c lime juice

Spiced Rub with Apple Cider Vinegar2t paprika
1t chili powder
1t cumin
1t thyme
1t salt
1t garlic powder
1t pepper
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Mix all of the ingredients, pour over 12 chicken breasts and rub it in. It should be a loose paste.

Ready to save some moolah? Sign up here! 

Chicken Recipe Round Up!

Ladies, I love me some chicken. It's the main meat that I cook with! Here's a round up of Pierogie Mama chicken recipes that you can find here on the blog. Thanks to Foster Farms for sponsoring this post - where you can find so many more delicious chicken recipes!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

 Apple Cider Chicken

Lime Cilantro Chicken Tacos

CopyCat Wendy's Crispy Chicken Caesar Wraps

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets with Lazy Girl Gnocchi

Do you have a favorite? Leave a comment!

Blackberry Limoncello Lemonade

Don't forget to check out this month's Pierogie Mama sponsor -
shedding some light on one of the biggest early parenting challenges we all face!

______

So...I have roughly 5 acres of blackberries.

When we moved to our new home in April we knew we had a big job ahead of us in clearing out the overgrown blackberry bushes. My husband quickly convinced me that we need a tractor to mow all of this and I'm really glad I listened to him. I usually do, he has good ideas, even though it's tough to admit sometimes!

We've mowed strategically and have a few areas around the house that are providing prolific amounts of blackberries. I'm talking about easily picking over a pound of blackberries each day. The kids have been happy eating them plain for now, but I'm starting to become creative with the uses. That's where Blackberry Limoncello Lemonade came from.

Serves: 4
You'll need:
2 cups of washed blackberries (reserve a berry per serving for garnish)
1 cup of sugar
2 lemons, juiced (reserve a thin slice of lemon per glass for garnish)
Limoncello
5 cups of cold water
ice cubes

*Omit Limoncello for a virgin drink, increase recipe to the juice of 3 lemons.
*My tall glasses hold 2 cups of liquid, and I used one shot of Limoncello per glass for a light alcoholic drink or two for a stronger drink.

Directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan heat the blackberries and sugar until boiling. Using a spatula start to mash the berries to help release their juice. Remove from heat and allow to cool. I pour it into a shallow dish and place in the freezer for a few minutes to speed up the cooling process.
2. In a large pitcher mix the lemon juice, water and blackberry mixture.
3. Prepare each glass by filling with ice cubes, pouring the Limoncello over the ice and filling with the blackberry lemonade. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a blackberry.

Pin it here

Toddler Approved Snack Mix

Summer is officially here and my family is super excited because we bought a camper! My husband and I grew up camping in tents, but we have been bit by the GLAMping bug and have found just how much easier camping is when you have everything contained in one spot.

We've already been out a couple times in the last month and the girls have been watching me each week as I methodically prepare the camper for the next upcoming adventure. Setting aside clean clothes for the weekend, filling the fridge and pantry with our meals and most importantly - the snacks.

The other day Ruby (my two year old) says "Mama, I help you?" and I thought to myself about how can I involve the kids in prepping for our camping trips. So I sent them upstairs and instructed them to set out two sets of clothes for camping and to fill their backpacks with books and a few toys to play with.

When they were done we started to prepare their snack mix for the weekend. It's really to veg-out and pull out all the junk food when you're camping, but why when good nutrition is so easy to prepare ahead of time? Involving the girls in their meal planning helps them get a sense of what is a good choice for snacking and we also get to work on skills like measuring, scooping, pouring, shaking and ingredient identification.

Ingredients:
Gerber Lil' Beanies (original or white cheddar broccoli)
1/2 cup of cashew halves
1/2 cup of dried blueberries
1/2 cup of dried sweetened cherries or cranberries
1 cup of lightly salted popcorn














And into the camper is goes, ready for this weekend's adventure!

I could not have made up this natural beauty if I tried. Camping at Panoramic Point off Baker Lake in the Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest. #pierogiemamaGLamps #bakerlake #mountshuksan #northcascades #mountbakersnoqualmienationalforest #pnwisbest

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Jun 5, 2016 at 12:07pm PDT

...Not before a taste test first, mom!

My appreciation for this snack mix is because it is chock full of protein from navy beans, thanks to the Lil' Beanies and cashews with a mixture of sweet from the berries and salty from the popcorn and nuts. The non-messy crunch factor is also a big deal! Knowing that Gerber now offers non-gmo kid snacks  makes this an easy choice.

What kind of snack mix do you prep for your kids?
Gerber Lil' Beanies are an easy way to add crunchy, yummy protein into any kid snack! 
You can find them in the kids snack section at Walmart. 

Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe

Having backyard chickens, I can go through feast and famine with eggs. Some weeks my family can't get enough of them and the girls can barely keep up production and other times they are popping those eggs out like clockwork but the fam is kind of over it. So what do I do with all those egg-stra eggs?

One of my favorites is a serious good old fashioned pound cake. This cake is dense, it reminds me of the Polish babka cakes that I get to enjoy every once in a while. It's perfect for pairing with an evening cup of tea with your bestie. Or, pretty much any other time of day.

My favorite part is the massive amount of eggs that it takes up! Because my eggs are from my own chickens who get to free range - meaning they go out into my yard and eat up bugs and weeds - the egg yolks are an intensely glorious orange and are packed full of protein. The natural color of those yolks makes this cake a deep yellow without having to use any food dye. This cake is legit!

I also adapted this recipe to use doTERRA lemon essential oil. This reciepe doesn't require you use to lemon essential oil; in fact you don't have to use lemon at all, but I like the depth of flavor that it adds. If using essential oils isn't for you, substitute the oil for the zest of one lemon in the icing.

Pound cake:
Ingredients:
1 lb of sugar (3 1/2  cups)
1 lb of butter, softened (4 sticks)
1 lb of flour (4 cups)
1 lb of eggs (10 eggs)
4 drops of doTERRA lemon essential oil
1 1/2 t almond extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl cream your 4 sticks of softened butter with 3 1/2 cups of sugar, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
3. Add one egg at a time to your butter mix. Mix well and scrape down the sides often.
4. In 3 stages, add the 4 cups flour to your mixture.
5. Finally, add the 4 drops of doTERRA lemon essential oil and 1 1/2 teaspooons of almond extract.
6. Pour into a pre-greased 10 inch bundt pan.
7. Bake for 60 minutes, cover with tin foil and bake for a final 30 minutes.
8. Invert and allow to cool completely.
9. Glaze it! Recipe below.

Glaze recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c powered sugar
3T heavy cream
1 T light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 drops doTERRA lemon essential oil

Directions:
With a high speed mixer, blend all of the ingredients together. It should be fairly thick. Pour over your cake and allow to set.

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Nov 4, 2015 at 9:13pm PST

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

Every 4 months, 80 lbs of chicken breast waits on my kitchen island. I spend a whole day, sometimes with
my mother in law, sometimes by myself, processing all that meat into packages of unseasoned, marinated, shredded or ground meat. I have over 50 meals started, and it costs me $135. 

I order a lot of my family's meat through Zaycon Fresh. The chicken breast comes fresh and straight from the farmer, so it ends up being a lot fresher than what you buy at the grocery store. For example, my last case of Zaycon Fresh chicken breast had a bar code with a time stamp for the butcher date that was 3 days prior to my receiving it. I recently went to my local grocery store to see what their time frame is - and their chicken was 15 days old and also had 3% water injected. It's really not much of a discussion on which chicken I prefer to buy!

So today I want to share with you one of the ways that I meal prep when I am processing all of this meat. When I prep the breasts to freeze I cut them into 3 separate ways (after trimming the fat off) - a tenderloin, a breast and a cutlet. A cutlet is made by laying the breast down on a cutting board and cutting through the middle of the breast, horizontally.

I like to make my cutlets really small; they are really more like a chicken coin than a true cutlet.  It's about the size of your palm. Cutting that small bit off a breast makes the breast thickness more uniform so that it cooks easily and the "coins" are really tender. They are perfect for Chicken Parmesan Cutlets!

For the breading:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 tablespoon of paprika 
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 c of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

This will bread about 16 small chicken "coin" cutlets. 2-3 cutlets per adult is a standard serving. The remainder can be frozen between sheets of parchment paper and bagged in freezer bags once fully frozen.

Instructions:

1. Prepare three small mixing bowls. Fill one bowl with 3/4 cup flour, fill the second bowl with 1 1/2 cups of Panko, 1 T paprika, 1 T mustard powder, salt & pepper, and the third bowl with the beaten eggs. Set the 1/2 c of freshly grated Parmesan aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Dip each chicken cutlet first into the flour, then into the beaten eggs and then into the Panko mixture.
*If you are prepping for a future meal, skip the baking portion and read the instructions at the end.*

3. Place onto a greased broiling pan or cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 425 degrees F and bake for 15-25 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked. Flip half way through.

5. Remove from the oven and give each cutlet a good sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
6. Voila! I love to serve mine with my lazy girl gnocchi (using left over mashed potatoes!!) and spaghetti sauce. 

**If you are going to freeze these, after step 2 place them in between two squares of parchment paper and freeze them on a cookie sheet. After they are frozen, store them in a freezer safe ziplock bag.**

Get started on saving your family money but not compromise the quality of your meat! Zaycon Fresh is where it's at. Sign up here! Also - check out my favorite Zaycon Fresh product - Wild Alaskan Salmon - and how I love to prepare it!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links help keep this blog going and using them is at no cost to you! All images, opinions and the recipe are my own. 

2015 Wrap Up

Hi everyone! I am checking in at the midway point of my trip to Germany. If you've been following along on instagram, you've seen a ton of posts on some of the awesome sights that we have visited. By the way, you don't need to have an instagram account to see the pictures, so do go on and check them out!

Whether you've been following along with me for the last *almost* 4 years or have jumped in just recently, fret not - in the new year I'll be sure to "re-introduce" myself as it's been a long time since I've really done it officially. A lot changes when you start a blog in the month before you expect your first child, when 4 years later you find yourself with two daughters that are pre-school and toddler age. And a blog that has grown and maintained over that whole time and all you really needed was somewhere to write out your thoughts in a somewhat coherent manner! Anyways, I digress. Back to 2015.

Here's a round up of my 9 most popular posts of 2015 from Instagram -

1. I finally made Monte Cristo waffles. So good, but fair warning - the raspberry preserves are not easy (read: impossible) to clean off your waffle iron. Lesson learned. 2. Though I've been a babywearing mama from the beginning with Penny, just a few months ago I dove into the world of woven wraps. My dear friend That Mama Gretchen and I took a mama's night out and took MommyCon Seattle by storm. I fell in love with Cassiope Wovens and was positive that one way or another, I would be leaving MommyCon with a wrap. I took a chance, entered in Cassiope Woven's giveaway and I was the extremely lucky winner of a limited edition MommyCon exclusive wrap. Woo hoo! That's what you heard if you were at the announcement of the giveaway - I wooped with careless abandon. So here you see my Ruby and I in our first wrap job. 3. Here is an old fashioned, no calories spared pound cake made from no less than 10 eggs from my own chickens. I started keeping a small flock of backyard chickens right before Ruby's birth in 2014 and have been so in love with the delicious eggs these girls provide. This photo reminds me that not only should I make this again, and that I need to share this recipe with you, but also that I should at some point make a post about how my flock of 5 increased to a flock of 9 over the summer. Ooops. 4.  2015 was a year of a ton of work travel for my husband, and one time while he was out of town I treated myself to an avocado mask after I *thought* the girls were asleep. I heard Penny call for me, so I came up to comfort her. I forgot about the mask and she FREAKED out. She had no idea who I was, and I had to convince her that I am mama and not some random person. 5. This is the view from Zugspitze, the tallest peak in Germany. More pictures are on instagram, but I do promise you that I will give you the full details once we come home.  6. I have so much love for my husband, but there is very little more that tugs on my heart strings than when I see him wear our girls. One of our family traditions (which has been a tradition from his family of origin) is visiting family bible camp in the Okanagan mountains in British Columbia. This picture is from family camp this year while agate hunting.  7. Cloth diaper reviews & giveaways are still going strong on the blog! 8. Another babywearing daddy shot! 9. Sharing recipes is another favorite on the blog, and this past summer I shared my ever favorite summer recipe - lime cilantro chicken tacos.

And finally, if you need any more reading beyond what I've shared above, here's a few of my favorite blog posts this year too.

• Love salmon? I do too. Here's two ways that I absolutely love to cook it. 
• Visiting zoos and aquariums is kind of my thing. We did quite a bit of travel in 2015 and I absolutely loved the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. 
• Babywearing takes me everywhere - even the pool!
• I got a little crafty this year and did a bit of a Pinterest copy. Do you have a child in your life that loves model cars? This model car photo frame is so easy!
• With a team of friends, I sewed over 160 cloth menstrual pads for girls in developing countries. 
• On that same thread - why are cloth menstrual pads awesome?

Thanks for sticking along with me this year!

Don't miss out on the chance to win $20 PayPal from me as a New Year gift!

Guest Post: Cranana Muffin Recipe

The Pierogie Mama and her family are off on a fabulous visit to Germany! Don't worry, we'll check in on the blog every once in a while and keep up on Instagram and Facebook too! And in the meantime, you'll get the chance to read a ton of posts written by some of my favorite people. 

See you in the New Year. Don't miss out on this chance to win $20 Paypal too!

Everybody has their favorite pre-holiday breakfast pastry. From scones to breads, croissants to donuts – a baker’s arsenal has a limitless number of options!

Oh, and the flavors?!?! Blueberry, apple, pumpkin, chocolate, Bavarian cream, strawberry rhubarb – my mouth is just watering thinking of all the delicious combinations! Don’t even get me started on how adding “spiced” in front of any of these just opens up a whole new door to Flavortown!

When coming up with a home run recipe, my personal favorite must encompass all the best parts of the holidays. In a single bite I have got to experience sweetness and tanginess. While also getting a little bit of spice. Oh and there always has to be just a pinch of salt.

I think that I may have found perfection in my latest endeavor – the Cranana Muffin!

This wondrous creation is not your typical muffin. Made with fresh cranberries and ripe bananas, the flavors burst in your mouth with every bite. The smell wafting from your oven will bring your children to the table, and your neighbors to the door. Beautiful bright red berries and gooey yellow banana bits call your name as you unwrap this oh so yummy treat.    

Cranana Muffin Recipe

1 bag fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4-5 VERY ripe bananas (this is important)

- Preheat oven to 350°
- Simmer water berries and 1/4 cups sugar for 3 to 6 minutes. Drain.
- Cream butter and remaining sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Combined dry ingredients in separate bowl.
- Mash bananas and add to dry ingredients with wet mixture.
- Gently mix in cranberries.
- Fill muffin cups just below cup line.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes
- Make sure to cool before serving.

This made 22 muffins for me, but I think next time I'll fill them fuller and should expect about 20 or so. They were really good split in half with a little butter.

Don't miss Stacie's other guest post on the blog - a simple grazing breakfast line up!

NonProfit DBA by day, wife/mom/baker all the other hours - Stacie is a Washington State native, DC transplant, and lover of all things creative. Owner and head decorator of Enticing Icing Cupcakes, this mommy baker enjoys sharing her secrets to a sweet life. Check out more of her work at www.enticingicingcupcakes.com

Guest Post: K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Silly) Breakfast

It’s Christmas morning and all your family will shortly be descending on your house for the annual holiday dinner. Trouble is, it’s morning, and you don’t want to make a mess before “the mess” by preparing a huge breakfast for your kids.

Well, have I got the answer for you… The Grazing Breakfast!

Ok, so this isn’t a new concept. That’s being said, it’s one that is fairly easy to pull together, can provide an option for even your pickiest of eaters, and leaves you with very little clean up!

My go to options are all self-serve (unless you have very little ones, who will require a little assistance), and can be mixed and matched for a ‘somewhat’ healthy meal. This is also a great idea if you have drop-ins – or like my family, those grandparents who make the rounds, but don’t give you the head ups as to where you fall on the timeline.

The Line Up:

Hard Boiled Eggs –  The day before Christmas I throw a pot of water on the stove and cook up a dozen eggs. These bad boys keep for up to a week in the fridge, so even if they aren’t all eaten, you have grab and go breakfast for a few days.

Fresh Cut Fruit –  This is a staple at our house for the holidays. If you are anything like me, between the cookies, cakes, fudge, and whatever else appears at the office or around the house at this time or year, by Christmas morning you are craving something fresh and naturally sweetened. To make things easy on yourself, most grocery stores sell precut fruit. Or to make things easy on your wallet, buy a few easy to prepare fruits – like apples, bananas, and strawberries – and do the cutting yourself.

Deli Meats (and Cheese) - Did you know that you can ask the deli counter to cut your meats to a crazy thickness? This was a marvelous discovery I made one day when I wanted to serve ham with breakfast, but didn’t want to buy one of those half hams. Although the price per pound may be a little more than the prepackaged meats, this is a great option to create some bite size meat and cheese options that you normally expect to see as passed hors d'oeuvres.

Monkey Bread –                        

A special (and oh so simple) treat that will have guests and your children saying "WOW!" and coming back for seconds and thirds. Best yet, it's so easy to make, you'll be asking yourself why you hadn't done it before.

Monkey Bread Recipe (Adapted from the Betty Crocker Recipe)

2/3 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 cans buttermilk biscuits (I prefer Pillsbury, and they sell a four pack in most stores)

12 tablespoons butter

1 cup well packed brown sugar

- Preheat oven to 350°

- Prepare bunt pan by spraying VERY well with cooking spray – it is very important to coat this well as you do not want any of the gooey goodness to stick!

- Place cinnamon and sugar into a gallon bag and shake until well mixed

- Remove biscuits from packaging and cut into quarters – I find it easiest to take 4-5 at a time, laid on their side, and then cut.

-  Add biscuits to the bag of cinnamon-sugar and shake to your hearts content – this is a great task for a child.

-  Evenly place the well coated dough bites into the pan, and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top

- Over medium-high heat, bring butter and brown sugar to boiling in a medium size saucepan – this mixture will be extremely hot and is a burning hazard, but please have the kids out of the room for this one.

-  Allow to boil for 1 minute - stirring constantly – then pour over biscuit quarters

- Using oven mitts, place in oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes

- Let stand for 5 minutes before turning upside down onto a plate

Best served warm!

Don't miss Stacie's other delicious recipe on the blog - Cranana Muffins!

NonProfit DBA by day, wife/mom/baker all the other hours - Stacie is a Washington State native, DC transplant, and lover of all things creative. Owner and head decorator of Enticing Icing Cupcakes, this mommy baker enjoys sharing her secrets to a sweet life. Check out more of her work at www.enticingicingcupcakes.com.

Lime Cilantro Chicken Tacos

Thanks Foster Farms for sponsoring today's post! 

Quality meat is important to me, so I am excited to share this recipe using delicious organic chicken.

Summertime has hit and I've moved the majority of my cooking from the stove to the grill. We don't have AC so the inside temperatures get into the low 90's and there's no way that I'm turning on the stove to cook! Thankfully we have a decent grill on our back porch and my goal for creating a backyard oasis is in full swing, so dinners in the backyard are where you'll find us 6 out 7 evenings!

Today I'm going to share one of my time honored recipes with you - one that I started tooling around with when I was first married and now I've got it down pat. It's a combination of my two favorite dinner flavors - lime and cilantro!

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh chicken breasts (I used Foster Farms Simply Raised, read below why)
• 1/2 cup of lime juice
• 2 T cumin
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• one fresh avocado
• one bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 10-15 corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Combine the 1/2 cup of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in bowl. Add the fresh Foster Farms chicken to the juice and allow it to marinade for 30 min to overnight. 

2. I like to prepare mine on the grill, but you can also pan fry if you prefer. Cook until the juices run clear. 

3. Chop the chicken into small bite size pieces and set aside in a serving bowl.
4. Slice the avocado, wash and chop the cilantro and set aside in serving bowls.

5. Warm up the corn tortillas, nobody likes stiff tortillas! (Here's how)

6. Serve up! 

If you've followed along on The Pierogie Mama for a while, you'll know that I keep a small flock of backyard chickens for eggs. I've always been intentional about the food that I source for my family - but it's very a fine balance between cost, quality and sustainability. I try to eat seasonally and limit our greater world impact by buying in bulk. It's not easy and it doesn't always work out that way, but I know that doing my best is better than nothing! Having been a chicken mama for over a year, I've gotten a much better appreciation for these animals and am very mindful to teach my daughters that the eggs on their plate for breakfast didn't magically appear from thin air; and neither do any of the other ingredients that we are blessed to share at our table. My thought process isn't unique; in a recent study 85% of Millennial parents indicated that their criteria for buying meat and poultry has changed over the last several years, 42% cited having a child as the primary reason.  When I buy any kind of meat I prioritize on buying organic or antibiotic free. I also want to rest assured that the animal was treated with respect during it's life and prepared for my table with dignity. That's why I chose Foster Farms Simply Raised for this meal. Simply Raised poultry never has any antibiotics, the chickens are fed an entirely vegetarian diet and are American Humane Certified. When the time of butcher comes, the meat is minimally processed without any additives, preservatives, steroids or hormones. It's also good to know that Simply Raised Foster Farms chickens are locally grown in the Pacific Northwest, so I'm not having to pay for transport time between the farm and the grocery store where I buy it. When it comes to store bought affordable chicken, you can't beat Foster Farms!

Leave a comment below telling me what kind of side you'd choose to go along with these tacos - I'm always drawing a blank! And let me know if you've also tried Foster Farms chicken.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Foster Farms. All opinions expressed were my own.

Salmon: 2 ways

Unless you are, or are friends with, a fisherman, good salmon is really hard to find. Especially outside of the Pacific Northwest. I count myself as very fortunate as sometimes being the very blessed recipient of a friend's end of the day catch. There are so very few things better in this world than salmon caught that day. But most of us don't ever get that.

In my humble opinion a very close second to fresh caught salmon, and light years beyond what you'll find at the store, is Zaycon Fresh's Wild Sockey Salmon filets. I've ordered 3 cases (25 lbs each) in the last year. This allows me to cook salmon almost weekly and on a budget!

"Wild" seafood is also somewhat of a hot topic right now. I'm always researching my food to make

sure that I am, at the very least, aware of what is the quality of the food I purchase. The price of Zaycon Fresh's salmon can't be beat, and I was initially a little wary about it. I bought my first case,
fell in love with my first filet and started to do a little bit of digging on it. Was it really what it's advertised to be? I contacted the fishery, using the clearly marked label on my case that I received, and was able to track down where my salmon had been caught and when. Isn't that pretty awesome that in this day and age we can find that information?

What is Zaycon Fresh? It's super easy. You sign up, enter in your zip code and it will populate "events" near you. Each event will bring fresh or frozen meets to an agreed upon place and time. You place your order for what you'd like and then on the day of the event you bring your order slip and they put your case of bulk meats in the trunk of your car for you. You don't even have to get out of the car! Throughout the year they will offer different products; such as delicious bacon, fresh ground beef, fresh chicken breasts, frozen breaded chicken fritters (I like to make this), select steaks, even turkey and ham around the holidays! They are constantly adding more.

When you sign up, they'll send you non-spammy newsletters letting you know what they're adding, great recipe ideas and you can refer friends to get credit for your next purchase. Truly, I haven't bought meat any other way for a long time now.

And now, on to my two favorite ways to prepare salmon these days. YUM! When you thaw a filet, cut it in half and reserve one half for the second recipe below. Now you can have salmon twice in one week!

Honey Lemon Baked Salmon

This is my favorite go-to. It's easy, I have all of the ingredients on hand and it goes with most sides.

• Half a salmon filet, thawed.
• 3T cup of honey
• 1T minced garlic
• 1T lemon pepper seasoning
• juice from 1/4 of a fresh lemon

1. Warm the honey briefly in the microwave (about 10 seconds should be enough). Mix in garlic, lemon pepper and lemon juice. 

2. Line a baking dish with tin foil. Place the fish, skin down, in the baking dish. Pour the honey mixture over top. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes, up to 24 hours in the fridge. Prior to baking, spoon the marinate back over top of the salmon again.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Bake the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork, about 8 minutes. Most recommend about 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness. 

Thai Inspired Salmon

This recipe is adapted from ifood real. I went out on a limb and thought that spicey salmon might be tasty. We gave it a shot for my birthday dinner and it was a hit. The marinade is great for chicken too!

• Half a salmon filet, thawed
• 1/2 cup Thai sauce, recipe below

To prepare Thai sauce:

• 1/2 cup maple syrup (the real kind, if you can get it)
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (I use Sun Luck brand)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Mix all of the ingredients until combined. Add to a small saucepan and cook until boiling. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before pouring onto fresh meat. Refrigerate leftovers.

To prepare the salmon:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of the cooled Thai sauce over the uncooked salmon. Allow to marinate for at least two hours. 

2. Before cooking, coat the meat again with the marinade sauce.

3. Broil or grill until the meat flakes easily with a fork. My favorite is to grill it!

Honorable mention: Cilantro Salmon burgers by Alaska from Scratch. Oh lawd, it's changed my opinion on burgers.

So are you ready to order some salmon?  If you're interested in learning more about how to determine if your salmon is truly wild, sustainably caught and basically not messing around, here are some resources:

• http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/groups/salmon?q=salmon&type=sockeye
• http://www.thehealthyeatingguide.com/farm-raised-salmon-vs-wild-caught-salmon/

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Signing up for a Zaycon Fresh account is free, but you'll be amazed at the quality of all the different kinds of meats and products you can find through them. If you loved this post and want to learn more about Zaycon Fresh - feel free to sign up using my referral code. I'll get a tiny kickback and you'll get a ton of delicious meat to stock your freezer!

Catch the Moment: Week 13

A picture a day, for one year.

 Our local craft store brings in bunnies for the kids to take pictures with for Easter. All proceeds to to the Behind the Badge Foundation too! How awesome. They had about a dozen bunnies to choose from, and all were so sweet and docile. Penny wanted the "small baby bunny with pink eyes."

 The big girl got her face painted for the first time. A year ago, there was no way she was letting a stranger touch her face. I am so proud of her bravery. And she is so stinkin cute!

 Penny and daddy made Frozen Easter Eggs. Frozen as in the movie, not literally frozen.

 I snagged an awesome deal of 40 pounds for $18 of Golden Delicious apples, straight from the grower. Wow! Well, this meant a week of apple inspired meals.. but I am not complaining! Here's two: Crockpot Applesauce and Polish Apple Pancakes.

 I sneak my snacks in the kitchen when I think the kids aren't paying attention. This time I was discovered. I ended up being nice and sharing my goat cheese, fig-orange jam and poppyseed crackers with this pitiful face.

 My parents separated and divorced over the course of my teens. I don't have many stories that tell about their love, but on the morning of my 16th birthday I visited my dad and he told me one of the sweetest stories I've ever heard. After my birth my dad picked a gorgeous bunch of lilacs for my mom to fill her room with their beautiful fragrance. On that day, he decided that he would do the same for me when I turned 16. Last year my husband planted a lilac bush in our front yard for my Mother's Day gift too.

Another counter top treat discovered. This was our third apple treat of the week, Polish Apple Cake (jablecznik). My mom makes it the best, but she was nice enough to freeze some dough for another time and left it in my freezer. This week I've been missing her and it was a perfect pick me up. My version doesn't really stand up to hers, but it was a good shot.

Catch the moment archives

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Polish Apple Pancakes

Taste has such a connection with memory, don't you think? These pancakes bring back so many memories, but my favorite is of visiting my paternal babcia in Poland and her cooking these delights for my dad and I on the night that we arrived. I was about ten years old; tired, grumpy and overwhelmed. We were ushered in, sat at a plain and simple table in her small apartment's kitchen, and she continued to fry these babies up.

They are called "racuchy" (rah-tsoo-hiy) or "placki z jablkami" (pancakes with apples / "plah-ts-key z yab-kahm-eh").

These days I pull it out on those evenings where "breakfast for dinner" is on the menu again or if I have extra apples that should get used. They're like a mix between a pancake, fritters, dutch baby, beignet and a donut. There's just no one way to describe them! But they are super easy to make, use readily available ingredients and are so tasty. Even though they are essentially deep fried, they don't come out greasy.

You'll need:
2-3 apples (peeled, cored and sliced thinly)
2 cups of flour
1 egg
1 cup of milk
1 tsp sugar
vegetable oil
powdered sugar

You'll do:
1. Mix together the 2 cups of flour, egg, 1 cup of milk and 1 tsp of sugar to make the batter. It'll be similar to the consistency of pancake batter. Fold in the apple slices.
2. In a frying pan, pour enough vegetable oil to fill the pan about 1/4 of the way up. Heat it to hot.
3. Ladle drops of batter with 2-3 apple slices into the oil. You don't need a lot of batter, just enough to stick the apple pieces together.
4. Cook until the bottom is lightly golden, then flip. It should take less than 2 minutes total.
5. Place onto a paper towel lined platter. Blot up any excess oil with another paper towel.
6. To serve, give it a good dusting of powdered sugar.

Pasta Alfredo with Ham and Asparagus

This has been one of my favorite dinners to serve lately! My sister in law made a similar dish for us a few months ago and since then I've been totally craving it.

You'll need:
1 lb of your favorite dried pasta. Trotolle is my favorite for this dish!
2 cups of diced ham
1 bundle of asparagus
1/2 stick of butter
2 cups of heavy cream
1 cup of freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Wash the asparagus and cut off the woody ends. Cut the remainder of the stalk into 2" sections.
2. Boil the pasta according to the directions. In the last 2 minutes, toss the asparagus into the pot and allow it to blanche with the pasta. Strain the pasta and asparagus when the pasta is al dente. Give it a quick rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.

3. While boiling the pasta, give your diced ham a quick pan fry to give it a caramelized finish.

4. Heat a pan and gently melt the 1/2 stick of butter. Don't heat it enough to separate the butter, just for it to be slightly melted.
5. On medium heat, slowly pour in 2 cups of heavy cream and continually stir until the cream starts to barely bubble. Add the Parmesan cheese and continue to stir as it thickens. Keep control of the heat; if it gets too hot the butter will separate and you'll get a greasy versus creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Once the sauce reaches the process consistency, turn off the pan and combine all of your ingredients.

Buon appetito!

Best of 2014! The Pierogie Mama's most popular posts

Here's a round up of the top posts from the blog this year!

Raspberry Creamsicle Popsicle Recipe

Sbarro Copycat Baked Ziti Recipe

Buttons Diapers Review

Boba Mini Review

Honorable mention.. Ruby's birth story! My baby is almost 10 months and I can't believe what a year it's been.