Classic Crème Brûleé

find my recipe here.

Mmm Mmm Good

So I’m trying to back up some files and delete some junk from my computer. Because she just ain’t acting right. Anyway, I came across some photos of my chicken and dumplings. Apparently--at some point-- I had decided to share my recipe with you….then didn’t! I found a post promising recipes, but NO recipe. Yes. I’m that blogger. Sorry. I’ll try to do better. So with no further ado:

Southern-Style Chicken and Dumplings

· 3 ½ to 4 lbs of bone-in chicken (your choice: whole, thighs, breasts, drumsticks…just use your favorite)
· 2 quarts water
· 1-2 stalks of celery
· 1 onion, quartered
· 1 ½ teaspoons salt
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· ¾ teaspoon salt
· 1/3 cup of shortening (I use Spectrum non-hydrogenated)
Place your chicken in a large pot (remember to remove the giblets if using a whole chicken). Add the celery, onion, and 1 ½ tsp. salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover. Let it cook for an hour or so…until the bird is falling-off-the-bone tender. Remove the chicken from the broth. Strain the broth to remove the veggies and the bones that have probably removed themselves from the chicken. Discard the bones and veggies; return broth to pot. Measure and set aside 2/3 cup of broth. You will need that to make the dumplings!
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, “pick” the meat from the bones. Yep, just take your hands and pull the meat off. Place the meat into the pot with the broth. Discard the rest of the bones.
Now it is time to make those dumplings! Combine the flour, baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender. (No pastry blender? Get yourself to the nearest….just kidding. Use a fork.) The mixture should be crumbly. Now here’s THE trick to perfect dumplings: (I can’t believe I’m sharing the secret that allows me to turn up my nose at most people’s dumplings…Yes, it is that important to a southern chick!) Check the temp. of your reserved broth. It needs to be VERY warm to HOT. Put in cool broth and your dumplings will not be melt-in-your-mouth delicious! You have been fairly warned. So add the hot broth to the flour mixture and blend until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-blend. Now turn your dough out onto a LIGHTLY floured surface. Knead lightly for about 30-40 seconds. Now roll out your dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut your dough into 1 x 2 inch strips. I use my pizza cutter. This isn’t rocket science so don’t worry if your strips aren’t perfect. See…

Bring your pot of broth and chicken back to a boil. Now as quickly as you can, drop the dumplings into the broth ONE AT A TIME. Cover your pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 servings (feel free to double…they are even better reheated!)
Enjoy,
Sammi

Tomatoes =Biscuits

Summertime and the living is easy….not really easy…but definitely better! Yes, summer brings its own busyness…gardens to tend…clothes to hang on the line…preserving the bounty…picnics and barbeques to attend. Summer is busy, but it is a good busy!

This morning I spied some fresh tomatoes sitting on the counter; which made me want a tomato biscuit. Not really on the diet…but these are the first tomatoes of the season…so….

Breakfast:

But first:

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup cultured buttermilk

 

Put flour in mixing bowl.

I use a non-hydrogenated shortening!

Use a pastry blender or fork to cut-in the shortening. It should have some pea size lumps when it is ready.

Add one cup of cultured buttermilk (I made my own using raw milk…learn how here.)Mix with a wooden spoon (or in true southern style..use your hands.) It may be slightly sticky, but that’s okay.

Flour your board, a tea towel, or just the clean counter.

Dump out your dough. Knead lightly a few times.

Using the heel of your floured palm, pat out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.Dip your biscuit cutter (or even a glass) in a little flour.

Start cutting out your biscuits, and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. (you don’t NEED the parchment, but it does make clean-up super easy)Take those scraps of dough and gently knead them together.And keep cutting.

You should have about 1 dozen biscuits. Place in an oven, preheated to 425 degrees F.

In about 12 short minutes, you will have these:

Yummy! You can brush the tops with butter. I highly recommend it!

Weekly Menu Planner-Printable

REAL Lemonade

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (10-12 lemons)
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 cups of water
In a 2-qt. pitcher, combine water and sugar; stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in lemon juice. Chill well and serve over ice. Garnish with thinly sliced lemon, if desired.

See….isn’t that easy? And yes….you can use a good quality bottled lemon juice, if you must.

Want to take it up a notch? Make some Frozen Lemonade.
 
Enjoy!

Facing Mud Season

Before moving to Upstate NY, I had read a magazine article about “mud season”. I remember thinking…"interesting, but we all deal with mud.” At the time that I read that article I had lived in North Carolina my entire 28+ years. I never imagined living anywhere else. It was HOME…truth be told, it still is. But I digress. A little over 8 years after reading about mud season, I was on my way to live in New York. We arrived on May 5th. I think we missed mud season that year. I can’t be sure as I was deep in a self-pity party and  in a trance of sorts…..let’s just say that I REALLY did not want to move out of the south.

Now I have experienced mud season first hand. It is a season tucked between winter and spring.  Winter fights hard to keep its grip, but eventually the flakes stop falling. The snow slowly melts away, and in its place….MUD. Lots and lots of mud. You walk quickly to try to prevent yourself from sinking into it. It coats the bottoms of your shoes and boots (not just the sole). It is in your car…on your sidewalk…smeared on your welcome mat…and across your entry rug….Yes, across your floors. There is much vacuuming, sweeping, mopping during mud season.

 

Despite all the extra work (and my floors never ALL being clean at the same time…or for very long), I am glad when the mud appears. Like the robins, it is a sign that spring IS coming. It is getting the better of Old Man Winter….flowers and new leaves will be appearing.

 

Not as quickly as this southern chick would like, but still, there is hope. So I bravely face mud season with broom and mop in hand!

 

Blessings,

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped (I pulse them in the food processor)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp. fresh orange zest
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add shortening and blend. (you can cut it in with a pastry blender or a fork, BUT I just used my mixer until the shortening was blended in…)
Add juice, orange zest, and egg.

Mix until dry and wet ingredients are just blended. Stir in the cranberries.

(Can’t believe I forgot to take a picture of the batter while it was still in the bowl!) Spoon into papered or greased muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer your pan to a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and place on cooling rack. If you have the patience you can let them cool for a few minutes. But personally, I like to break one open and spread some butter on it immediately!

YUMMY! I made the mistake of NOT doubling the recipe and they didn’t last one day. I had two for breakfast…then that afternoon I had one with my tea. The other 9? Boy Wonder ate them all before lunch!!! He’s a hard working farm boy….so I let him get away with it!
Enjoy!!!