Motherhood, Guilt, and Chicken Nuggets

No one told me that motherhood was 20% guilt.  Oh no.  All I heard was, "You'll never know how you got along without them."  "Only when you have children will you understand the heart's capacity for love."  "They make life complete."  Baloney!  Lots of people have lives much more fulfilling than mine, I'm sure, without a kid to be had.  Mother Theresa?  Amelia Earhart?  Oprah?! See what I mean?

Secretly, those kid-pushers were trying to get others to join the no-more-alone-time-kiss-going-out to-fancy-restaurants-goodbye-Disney-is-your-new-dream-vacation-expendable-income-is-overrated club.  And I fell for it.  Make no mistake.  I didn't know I could love another human the way I love my daughter.  I wouldn't trade her for the world and I thank God every night for the chance to be her mother.  

One thing I could do without, however, is the guilt.  Is she getting enough exercise?  Is she watching too much television?  Am I raising a heathen?  Am I making sure she is socializing with her peers appropriately? Should her diet consist of more than mac-and-cheese and chicken nuggets?  Ah, hell.  Well, at least I can exert some control over the chicken nuggets.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

1 large grated carrot

1 small grated zucchini

Drain excess moisture by placing grated carrot & zuke in a colander and pressing with the back of a wooden soon, weight it down with a mixing bowl filled with rocks (kidding)--  use your imagination.  I used my potato ricer to squeeze out the extra moisture.  It worked great.

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) pulsed to a near paste in food processor

2 ts garlic powder

1/2 ts thyme

2 ts sugar

1 ts salt

1/2 ts pepper

combine above in large mixing bowl

Seasoned flour:

1 C flour 

2 ts salt

1 ts pepper

1 ts garlic powder

1/2 ts celery salt

Combine above in shallow container like a pie plate.

2 eggs whisked in a separate bowl (I hope you have a dishwasher).

Roll chicken mixture into small balls (1 1/2 inch diameter or so).

Dredge in flour.

Flatten into nugget shape.

Coat with egg.

Re-coat with flour.

Have oil heated in heavy skillet (about an inch of oil) to about 375° and fry nuggets for about 3-4 minutes a side.  I managed to get them done in two batches.  If you use a cast iron skillet, it will add iron to the food which is yet another way to diminish guilt.  Ha!

Let cooked nuggets cool on paper towel lined plate and serve.  Tah-dah!