Cheap Chicken

I am a fan of chicken. Not chickens, as in the animals--but chicken, as in the meat. It is oh, so tastey and can be prepared in many delicious ways. Chicken alfredo . . . chicken enchiladas . . . chicken cordon bleu . . . grilled chicken breasts . . .  . . . Shake and Bake . . . the list joyously goes on and on!

One of the toughest things that I had to deal with after moving to the Boston area was the increase in the price of food. Where I was from, boneless chicken breasts were easily found at under $2.00/pound. Here, the closest grocery store was selling their boneless chicken breasts at $5.00/pound! I almost fainted in the aisle!

I grumbled my way away from the outrageously priced poultry and sought out other stores with more moderate chicken prices. The only other place I found was an Asian market which was selling their boneless chicken breasts at the low, low price of $2.49/pound. The sad thing was that I couldn't be sure if it was safe to eat or not. Using the cleanliness of the store and the visual quality of the packaging of the meat, I decided it would be in my best interest to pass.

I had resigned to the fact that I might never be able to each meat in this expensive town. A few days after I allowed myself to sink to this pit of despair, I saw a grocery ad. Boneless chicken breasts for $1.99/pound?! I rearranged my schedule and went to the store as soon as I possibly could and bought 13 pounds of that discounted goodness. I would have gotten more if I didn't share a freezer with four other grown men. 13 pounds should last me a few weeks. I will have to use it sparingly and keep my eye on those ads with an unfailing hope that meat will once again fit into my meager, graduate student budget.

But for now, I will rejoice. I bought Hot N Spicy Shake and Bake the other day and I know how to use it.