Singer, author, and New Holland resident Shelleen Weaver runs a thrifty kitchen. "I see a recipe, and I don't have an ingredient, so I think of what I can use instead," said Shelleen, who turns to items she bought on sale, harvested from her garden, or purchased at roadside stands to fill the bill. But being thrifty does not keep Shelleen from being an adventurous cook.

"My cooking is a cross between two motivations - how do I use this up and move it out of the freezer?' and 'How do I make it healthy?'" noted Shelleen, who added that during COVID-19 restrictions the motivation to use items already in her freezers took over. "I have a ton of freezers," said Shelleen, who admitted to at least five filled with everything from flour to a case of chicken drumsticks to items from the trees and vines behind the house she shares with her husband, Tom, and their three children. "We have apples, pears, grapes, blackberries, figs, pawpaws, and persimmons," said Shelleen.

During my visit, Shelleen served Coconut Fried Chicken, using a chicken she said rated an 8 out of 10 on her healthy chicken spectrum, which is based on whether the chicken has had organic feed, well water, no antibiotics, and plenty of exercise. "I prefer a chicken that has run around," said Shelleen, who noted that the recipe also calls for unsweetened coconut flakes, eggs, salt, and a variety of nuts. "Here are some ground almonds I had in my freezer. Pecans would be great, or you can throw in sesame seeds," she shared, adding that she fries the coated chicken in plenty of coconut oil until it is "nice and toasty." Find the full recipe for Shelleen's coconut fried chicken with this article at townlively.com/coconut-fried-chicken.

Along with the chicken, Shelleen served a healthy romaine salad, a side of peaches, and a moist chocolate sugar-free cookie made with okra that she said has no carbohydrates. "The flour is one part almond, one part coconut, and one part ground flax," she said.

Shelleen's journey to cooking with free-range chicken and carb-free ingredients began several years ago. "I wanted to cook healthier, so it became my practice that every time I went to a health food store, I would find one ingredient I knew nothing about and try to make something from it," said Shelleen, who recalled bringing home coconut flour with a plan to make muffins. "I called a 1-800 number on the back of the coconut flour, and they said, 'Don't make your muffins. They will be like bricks.'" Instead, they recommended a book, "Cooking with Coconut Flour" by Bruce Fife, which has become a staple of her kitchen.

Shelleen is also known for her Amish delight fruit salad, so named because of its popularity in the Plain community. The recipe is available to those who register at http://www.shelleenweaver.com.

Coconut Fried Chicken

By Shelleen Weaver

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut flakes (unsweetened/unsulfured)

1/2 cup ground flax seed

2 to 3 teaspoons Goya Adobo seasoning

2 eggs

Approximately 1/2 cup coconut oil

1 package chicken tenders

Note: This is a great recipe for using up any nuts or seeds sitting around. For example, 1/2 cup ground pecans or almonds can be added.

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine coconut flakes, ground flax seed (up to 1/2 cup of nuts or seeds - optional), and Goya Adobo spice.

In a small bowl, scramble the eggs.

Melt a generous amount of coconut oil on the griddle on low to medium heat.