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| resting in the cold oven |
In order to retain the least amount of chicken fat, I have been draining the whole chickens in a colander. Today, a fly buzzed about, so I stuck the whole thing, resting on a plate, in the cold oven. It is colder inside than out. I may make chicken and dressing with this meat. The chickens will flip out over the skin. I will give the hens the bones and skin over four days. There are four full sandwich bags in the refrigerator.
Okay, I took the meat off the hen and am going to make chicken and dumplings. There were four cups of meat. Exbf was moaning over the phone when I told him I would cook it for Friday when he is here. He loves chicken and dumplings.
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| added six boneless, skinless breasts to hen broth |
The sage bottle had a flip lid, but no little sifter to shake, so I had to carefully pour from the large opening. That's why the sage is in lumps.
Another six breasts in the broth
broken bones, also.
If I had had water today, I would have made the cornbread for the dressing and other dishes. I am going to make soup especially for exbf: chicken, dehydrated vegetables, organic whole grain noodles. I might thicken the broth a bit. So I have the basis of three meals: chicken and dressing, chicken and dumplings, soup. Then, there is all the meat for salads and sandwiches. Plus, I have a turkey in this freezer and two more packages of the breasts for a total of twelve breasts.
This has been a long Sunday of cooking, too long. Cleaning the raw chicken from my hands and then the cooked chicken that is greasy is a chore. I know this chicken cooking marathon is not as great as the marathons udy with a J has going some days.
Your turn
Do you ever have marathon cooking sessions? Tell me about those. Do you like chicken and dumplings? The broken bones will make this a more healthful broth?
I do have marathon cookathons. Mostly a variety of curries (vegie for me) and meat/chicken ones for himself.
ReplyDeleteAnd the left overs go into the freezer for tasty/no hassel meals. A win.
EC,
DeleteI have not had curry anything in years. I need curry...lol. I need to put more meals in the freezer instead of frozen cooked chicken.
just cooking regular meals feels like a marathon to me!
ReplyDeletethe broth with bones is the latest fad in healthy circles, great for teeth, bones and gut health.
kylie,
DeleteI know what you mean. It was probably best I did not have water and try too much.
That is what I hear, so I thought I would get some of the healthful results.
I only broke 3 large bones, leaving the rest for the hens. The bones were soft enough for them to eat after so long in the crock pot.
I don't do cooking marathons. Call me whiney, but I'm not a fan of leftovers or re-heated meals, so I rather cook in real-time.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to make a homemade bone broth for ages! I'd read it can help with tummy issues. I need to remind the BF to save enough bones for me.
tlc,
DeleteMaybe when you have children, you will be up for leftovers. Sometimes, leftover are better the second time around rather than in real time. Did you know that most restaurants just heat some of the sides rather than prepare them each day?
What is bone broth? If you add an acid to your broth, like a tablespoon of vinegar it will leach out the calcium, etc to make your broth more nutritious. I've always made my broth like that.
ReplyDeleteBellen,
DeleteI keep hearing about breaking the bones so that the marrow will be in the broth. The bones were soft after cooking all night. I wonder if the calcium was leached from the bones. ???
I love chicken and dumplings. I haven't made it since I went gluten free, so I might have to work on a recipe for that...yum.
ReplyDeleteEvery weekend I cook a crock pot of chicken with some kind of sauce and a crock pot of beef with roasted veggies. I have two, so I do them at the same time. I also do a pot of rice in the rice cooker. Every few weeks I will cook and freeze ground beef crumbles. We have four adults in the home working different schedules and my son is in college.
These precooked items along with corn tortillas, canned chicken breast, canned tuna, canned fruit (like pineapple), home canned soups and fresh produce are almost all of our lunches and dinners. We all eat out a couple times a week and the rest come from these items.
When I got sick I had to keep working full time, I was still homeschooling and I needed a plan where I was not cooking multiple meals per day. This was my solution and it still works. The house isn't always clean, but there is always something to eat.
Breakfast options are fruit, oats, yogurt, eggs and occasionally bacon. I precook that in the oven. Works great!
Patti,
DeleteYour plan sounds delicious and workable. I found the second crock pot for $3 at a yard sale, so I could do two at one time. I would turn on the dehydrator instead of the rice cooker I don't have. For a while, I kept frozen pints of rice. I need to get back to that habit.
I can see how all this would work for people on different schedules. It certainly makes life easier! I think I want bacon and eggs for dinner tonight. I know it sounds like I never have a plan, but usually, I have items like you have to choose from. Yogurt is easier in a hurry than the eggs meal.
Okay, I think I need a rice cooker now...lol....it sounds appealing.
Go to the front door...I'm knocking...yum!
ReplyDeleteCherdo,
DeleteI thought that was the plumber! But, we can eat while he works.
Hey Linda,
ReplyDeleteYes, finally, I actually get here and comment. Humble apologies during what has been a most hectic time.
I know have the urge for some chicken. Yes, I've been known to go on cooking marathons. Very difficult to cook and run at the same time :)
Thanks for this, my kind friend.
Gary
Gary,
DeleteI have seen you have been busy. Then the dog was lonely. My neighbors left a dog to whine and cry for almost 48 hours until I called the police. I complained to the absent neighbor, and she told me to give the puppy away. It was sad, so I can see how you are busy.
Hint: Do not carry the crock pot with you next time! Plug it up and leave it at home! You can run faster and the food will cook.
Good luck with everything.
I always feel like cooking is a marathon around here. But then again, I can't stand to cook. Den on the other hand, loves nothing more.
ReplyDelete