Two parents, three kids, and 40 pounds of chicken

I like chicken.  I like it fried, seared, bar-b-qued, roasted, and baked.  I like it in salads and casseroles, and in dips and bakes.  I don't eat red meat so you get the picture...my family of five eats a lot of chicken.  So when Stacie Haight Connerty of The Divine Miss Mommy told me about Zaycon Foods and their offer of 40lbs of fresh skinless chicken breasts for area bloggers I couldn't reply "Yes!" fast enough!  And, I'm so glad I did!

I picked up a box full of 40 lbs of top-quality chicken the first week in August.  You could tell by looking at it that it was fresh, and even though it was one of the hottest days of the year, it smelled fresh ,too.  And, it tasted so good!  It reminded me of growing up in Wisconsin and eating corn on the cob that was picked within a few hours of putting it on the grill.  You can just taste freshness.

Zaycon Foods is a direct farm to consumer private company founded to bring quality meat and other products direct to consumers at a wholesale rate.  Their chicken is hormone-free, never frozen, and really, really fresh.  (In fact, the Zaycon representative told me my box of chicken was clucking around a pen three days earlier.  He said most grocery stores stock chicken parts that are 15 days old.)  By selling only by the case and to a large group at once, they are able to harness a collective buying power and keep the costs low (about $1.45/lb).  Here's some more information on why Zaycon Foods is so unique:

1) COMBINED          BUYING      POWER	2) DIRECT            FARM-TO-            CONSUMER	3) SOLD BY      THE CASE	4) SELECT      PRODUCTS	5) SALES EVENT      MODEL
We combine the buying power of many families together, enabling us to negotiate huge savings on food purchases for your family	We bring products direct from the farm / processor (or as nearly as direct as possible). The products are as fresh as if you had your own farm, but without all the chores	We sell food products only by the case. No extra costs for handling. And no more empty shelves in your pantry	We sell only what we eat ourselves—high quality, healthy food. Our focus is on a select number of commonly consumed food items such as fresh meats like chicken, beef, turkey, pork and fish	Our unique sales event approach turns traditional food purchasing on its ear. Convenient, quick, organized—about 2 minutes and you never even need to get out of your car

So, you ask, would did I do with 40lbs of chicken?  I was wondering what I would do with it but it actually was super easy.  I happen to have two neighbors who were very pregnant so I shared some chicken with them to help them prepare some casseroles to freeze for later.  And the rest of the chicken my husband (thank goodness for him) cut it up and put it in several individual freezer bags for later.  I used one bag the next day and made the easiest chicken slow cooker recipe ever (see post) and am saving the rest for when the mood hits me.  I love being able to skip the chicken section in Publix!

Zaycon Foods would like to be able to offer their discounted but amazingly good food in Atlanta but they need more interest.  If this sounds at all interesting to you, then register on their website to get more information about possible Atlanta sales events.  In the referral box, please put Mamalicious Maria.

 Cluck, cluck...enjoy!!

Disclosure:  I received 40lbs of chicken breasts from Zaycon Foods in exchange for a review.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are true, accurate, and my own.