So last night was fun.
This is going to sound pretty strange to some, but I have a very real fear of raw chicken. It is probably more of a paranoia. I am down right TERRIFIED of raw chicken. When I cook it, I have to use a knife and fork to remove it from its package, straight into the boiling water, or frying pan. Then I use plastic grocery bags to pick up the slime covered packaging when I throw it away. It is ridiculous, I know. But, I can’t help it. I really can’t.
Yesterday I removed a large package of chicken breasts from the freezer so I could use it later. The package was too big to defrost in the microwave, so I put it on the kitchen counter so it would thaw throughout the day.
That was that. I didn’t really think about it again…
Till 11:00 freaking p.m. when I was sitting in bed about to go to sleep!
Crap!
I ran out to the kitchen to put the now thawed chicken in the fridge. When I picked it up, I was alarmed to find that it was completely wet. When the ice had thawed it left water all over the counter and plastic packaging.
Gross.
But at least it was water right? I could handle water. I started walking over to the fridge. I put the chicken in my other hand so I could open the fridge when I felt a cold goop slide down my fingers. I stopped mid step and froze.
It took me about 5 minutes to muster up the courage to look at my hand.
I finally looked down. Pink… sticky… gooey… nasty… gross… germ filled… chicken breast juice covered my fingers.
Then I saw the floor.
I had left a thick trail of juice from the counter to the fridge.
The fact that it was on my fingers was bad enough, but covering my KITCHEN! I walked on this floor every day, my daughter CRAWLED all over this floor, I cooked on the counter, I practically spend half my day in this room! WHY OH WHY OH WHY!!
I composed myself and began the long and heart wrenching process of cleaning up the toxic slime. I put the dripping package of chicken in a garbage bag so it couldn’t drip anymore and put it in the fridge to deal with in the morning. Then I wiped up all the nasty juice with paper towels. It took me a whole roll to clean it up if that gives you any idea of how much juice was in my kitchen. I then washed my hands 3 times and sprayed all the affected areas with bleach… then I used another roll of paper towels to wipe that up. I then washed my hands another 3 times.
It was 12:30 am by now.
Feeling like I was covered in bacteria, I stood in the kitchen and contemplated life.
I was still alive, I was not showing signs of acute salmonella, I was breathing, and the kitchen looked pretty clean.
“I think I will survive this,” I thought to myself.
When I woke this morning I cleaned the whole kitchen again, and mopped the floor with bleach again, and I am feeling pretty safe finally.
Oh sweet paranoia, what would we do without it.
For some people its spiders. For me, its raw chicken.
I am the SAME way when it comes to raw chicken! Thankfully I have found the joys of using disposable food prep gloves for all my raw meat prepping. BUT I still have to wash my hands several times (even when wearing gloves) and bleach every surface that could have possibly gotten some kind of yucky juice stuff on it. Hehehehe!
My older sister has one horrible chicken story that I witnessed first hand. She couldn't figure out why her freezer stunk so bad. She called my mother to come over and help her find the problem. After going through the entire freezer cleaning it out – finding nothing. They moved on to the fridge. Last thing they checked was the bottom drawers. From one of them came the horrific smell and sight of a decomposing-almost-liquidfied whole chicken. YUCK! I think we were all gagging at the sight and smell of it! I promised myself that very day that I would NEVER put any kind of meat in a drawer to be forgotten.
Cheers! =)
Okay… I just about died when I read your sisters story! How absolutely horrifying! I feel SO bad for her haha! I wouldn't wish that on anyone! I have had old Tupperware in my fridge that I forgot about… but never meat. THANKFULLY! Now I am going to be extra vigilant to make sure that never happens to me. I got a kick out of that story, made me feel better about mine! Thanks for sharing!! And the gloves idea is perfect, I think I am going to go get some for myself 🙂 Great tip!
I have been through this before, funny enough but I've gotten over it now…. Unfortunately, I had to learn to deal for my Mr. because he LOVES chicken. I couldn't stand the sight of raw meat either! Now, it's a different story … I can pretty much skin a chicken! Wait till you try raw meat or lamb – good luck and great post!
I am impressed you have conquered this fear! I hope one day I will be able too as well! I hope I never have to skin a chicken! Or… at least if I ever do that I will be brave enough to do it! Haha! Thank you for your comment, it gives me hope that I can get over my fear of raw meat!