Homebody Creatures

It's amazing that we moved clear across the country in the last 18 months, yet have barely ventured from our doorstep since (I'm not counting visits back home to see friends and family). It's true - we have only gone on 1 real out-of-town adventure, and that was almost a year ago. Of course, in that year and a half we've had a baby, bought a house, and begun tackling the ever-growing list of things to do (ie. I finally finished making curtains for the nursery, and I'm super excited about how they turned out!).

I'd say that our lack of adventure is partly due to being busy with other things, and partly because Huntsville really has so much to offer that we don't need to go anywhere. But we're here in the South, and it's about time to start checking out our surroundings. So last weekend our trip to the Birmingham Zoo was a pretty big deal. Not to mention the fact that Addison seems to have an affinity to Zoo related books at the moment.

As part of our "Parents of Young Children" group at our church, we drove down to Birmingham with another family to check out the Zoo last Saturday. And since we've been having Summer in March this year, it was in the high 80s and very sunny. About as hot as I could stand while walking around on paved trails amidst the animals. And the weather brought out tons of people, of course. They were still streaming in when we were done for the day.

We had a great time - even Addison. It was a lot of fun to see her laugh and cry out each time she spotted an animal. And I learned a lot about perspective; zoo viewing areas seem to be designed for taller children and adults - down at her level (stroller level, that is), you mostly see fence posts. But thankfully the giraffes came pretty close, and some of the inside viewing windows were low enough for her to spot things. We managed to spend about 4 hours at the Zoo, which definitely exceeded my expectations. And we even left a few things for our next visit.

Now what kind of recipe could possibly relate to a post about the Zoo? How about a slightly exotic twist on a classic favorite that's easy to pack up for a picnic lunch?

Ginger Coconut Fried Chicken
3 Chicken breasts, sliced into 4 pieces each (you can also use thigh meat or anything else boneless)
1 Egg
1/2 Cup cream (or substitute another egg for no cream)
Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated (or use powdered version)
1/2 Cup shredded coconut
Oil for frying

1. Slice your chicken into pieces so they can be eaten with fingers.

2. Mix egg and cream together in pie dish or other somewhat flat container

3. Combine ginger, coconut, and approx 1 cup breadcrumbs. Put in another pie dish or flat container.

4. Dredge chicken pieces in breadcrumbs, then in egg, then again in breadcrumbs until fully coated. Set on plate to fry.

5. When oil is hot (you know it's ready when you stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and it sizzles and bubbles), lay chicken pieces in oil. Make sure pieces are not touching.

6. Fry until golden brown and then turn (only once). Once done, put on roasting pan and store in warm oven (200 degrees) until all are done. Enjoy!