I spent more than ten years as a vegetarian. During that time, I learned quite a bit about common agricultural practices, and I was not thrilled. Pigs unable to lie down in their stalls, chickens stacked 5 cages high, animals that never see sunshine or grass. I can’t support that.
I’ll eat meat, but I don’t want to eat that meat.
A couple years ago, we discovered a local family who raises chickens and sells their extra eggs. We were giddy to find them; they even gave us a tour of the animals, enclosures, and feeding methods. We left knowing exactly how the birds spent their days, and we were pleased with their treatment.
We bought eggs from this family until they stopped selling eggs. (That part is still a mystery to me. They still have all their chickens, but they don’t sell eggs any more.)
We no longer buy their eggs, but this family set the standard for my family’s food supply.
I’m happy to say that NatureRaised Foods meets it. They work with dedicated family farmers who raise only cage-free chickens with no antibiotics, no added hormones, and no steroids. The chickens eat a 100% vegetarian diet, including no animal protein and no bakery by-products, and their treatment is certified by the USDA Process Verified Program, Global Animal Partnership, and American Humane Association.
Are you asking what happens if the chickens get sick and require antibiotics? I was. They do receive veterinary care including antibiotics if needed, but those chickens are removed from NatureRaised Foods’ growing program.
I have confidence in NatureRaised Farms® brand chicken, and I’m feel confident serving it to my kids.
Who won’t eat the recipe that follows, but that’s besides the point. We scrape the sauce off of Grace’s and make her eat a few bites of the chicken underneath.
Despite her pickiness, this Easy Swiss Cheese Chicken has become one of our (I mean, Joe’s and mine) favorite recipes because it has a rich sauce and lots of flavor. It also reheats perfectly for lunch the next day.
There’s not much to the preparation, and that makes this a great weeknight recipe.
Joe throws it together when he gets home from work, lets it bake while he plays with the girls or waters the garden, and then we eat.
It’s easy but tastes like it took all day.
A free cookbook? Yes, please!
Get 10 of my favorite Instant Pot recipes in my free cookbook, Instant Pot Made Easy! Click the button below to download. If for some reason, the button doesn’t work for you, leave a comment below, and I’ll email it to you.
NatureRaised Farms® chicken is available in well-known grocers throughout the US including Super Target, Wal-Mart, Publix, Food City, HEB, and Marsh. You can find it in both the fresh and frozen sections of the meat department.
Thank you NatureRaised Foods and Technorati for being sponsors of this article. All opinions expressed here are my own.
© 2013 – 2020, Tara Ziegmont. All rights reserved.
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