basic ol' chicken and dumplings

chicken and dumplings, a southern staple, but not so much in this house. i do make them once in awhile, but for us(really me) they are one of those foods that you can wait months in between having'em again. i do think i make pretty good ones, pretty simple, but full of flavor. i mean if my picky eleven year old daughter will eat a entire bowl, then they must be okay. i do make my own dumplings which it the best part, right? they are so simple and you do not have to make them perfectly, trust me 'cause i sure don't. anywho, here is what i do. enjoy.

beth's basic chicken and dumplings

first, we are white meat folks, no dark for us, at all. ick. you can use whatever you prefer. i buy a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and put in a dutch oven. i cover the chicken with about two quarts of fresh water and bring to a boil. i add in four chicken bouillon cubes, two bay leaves, 1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning and lots of freshly ground black pepper. i boil till the chicken is done and remove from the pot to cool. meanwhile, i strain the broth into another bowl and sit aside. don't bother to wash your dutch oven, just leave it on the stove. you will be back.

the dumplings, i mix two cups of self-rising flour with a 1/4 cup of cold vegetable shortening in a large bowl. i either use my fingers or a pastry blender to cut in the shortening till it about the size of peas. i then pour in about 3/4 cup of my chicken broth to make a dough. blend it till it pulls away from the sides of your bowl. plop onto your floured table or counter and knead two or three times till it comes together. with your floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about an 1/8 inch and cut into strips. i used my pizza cutter. i also cut the strips into halves or thirds to make them smaller. it really doesn't matter if your strips are varying sizes, they will all taste the same.

now back to your dutch oven, over med high heat, melt 3 tbsp butter. stir in a 1/4 self-rising flour, cook two to three minutes. now add back in your chicken stock and bring to a boil. once boiling, add your dumplings. turn your heat to low, cover and simmer for fifteen minutes. stir a few times while cooking to make sure they don't stick together. they will puff up, so don't be scared.

while the dumplings cook, cut up your chicken however you like it, shredded, cubes, strips, chunks, whatever. add these to your cooked dumplings along with 1/2 cup milk or fat free half and half and lots more of freshly ground black pepper. simmer till warmed through. enjoy.


p.s.-if you feel like you don't have enough stock, just throw in a can. i keep extra in my cupboards. also, when you add the chicken you can always jazz it up with some peas, corn, or carrots. that's yummy, too.

candy can joe-joe's, now the winners!! yep, i decided to make it two.

mrcarpetc1 where are yooooooooooou? i can not contact you. i will give you one week, then pick another. come out, come out where ever you are!!!

random.org's site is down for maintenance so the hubster gave me two numbers-#22 spacemonkey1138 and #14 mrcarpetc1. Congratulations!! Now, to get a hold of ya......

do you know this cookie? if not, you might soon because i am going to be giving a few boxes away. these are a seasonal cookie sold by trader joe's and they are addicting! picture an oreo and its dreamy, creamy filling spiked with real peppermint and tiny bits of candy cane. ho,ho, ho this is good stuff folks. i bought my first, but not last, box of the year today. travis and i couldn't wait and promptly ripped into them right in front of the cookie display. keep your figgy pudding and give us candy cane joe-joe's.

i'm sorry, were we suppose to pay for these?

who wants sugar laden, highly addictive cookies? just leave me comment telling me that you do and i will randomly pick someone sunday to kick start their habit with a box or two. u.s. only. enjoy.

p-dub's chilies rellenos and white lily biscuits

i didn't like either one so much. the pioneer woman's chilies rellenos were watery and pretty flat tasting. i don't know if it was due to operator error or what. i do know that i won't make that particular recipe again. i still love ya ree!


now on to the biscuits, which were one step from being ellie may style hockey pucks. this is the recipe on the white lily self-rising flour bag. if it wasn't for the slab of butter i plastered on one, it would have gotten stuck in my throat on the way down. oh, pay no mind to the unevenness, it was just because i patted the dough rather than rolled it with a pin. i would not make these again, either. easy, yes, but dry and blah.

hopefully, i can make something decent this week.

too easy chocolate cake

nothing much to say about this cake other than go make it, now. it is quick, easy, moist, chocolatey and nary an egg involved. enjoy.

too easy chocolate cake!


1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup cold water

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt with a whisk until well blended. Pour the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and cold water (all at once) on top of the dry ingredients. Stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended together but do not over-mix. Mix and pour in ungreased 8" pan, bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

i also whipped a cup of whipping cream with about a two tsp of powdered sugar and a half tsp of real almond extract to plop on top.



sorry, for such a short post. i am sick. i was hoping this cake was cure for the common cold, but alas it is not.

easy and tasty broccoli cheese soup

i won't keep ya, but a second. i have sick and cranky four year old to deal with myself. i just wanted to share this tasty broccoli cheese soup that we had for dinner last night. this was a big hit in my house, with the exception of the sick and cranky four year old who is currently living off ginger ale. make some for your bunch tonight. enjoy.

beth's broccoli cheese soup

1 bag of frozen broccoli cuts
1 stick of butter
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk( i use fat free half and half sometimes)
1 cup grated cheese, your choice, i like sharp
2 cans of chicken broth(about 4 cups, if using homemade)
small block of velveeta, cubed for easier melting
salt and pepper

cook your broccoli cuts, i zap them in the microwave till done, then either mash them up a bit with a fork or pulse a few times in your food processor. sit aside. melt the sick of butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions. cook until tender, 4 minutes or so, then stir in the flour, it will be like a thick paste, cook a few minutes more to cook out the raw flour taste. now slowly add the milk stirring constantly(i like a whisk for this) till mostly incorporated. throw in the cheese, keep stirring till smooth. okay, slowly blend in the chicken broth into your sauce. add your velveeta cubes and continue to stir. it might take awhile, so you can walk away and come back. just don't have you heat too high as to possible scorch the bottom. once your velveeta is mostly melted, add the broccoli. stir well, turn to low and let it simmer about 15 minutes. salt and pepper to taste.

we ate it with saltines(it is a sick house staple) last night, but i usually do those yummy little garlic cheddar drop biscuits.

oh btw, i used a white sharp vermont cheddar last night, so my soup turned out a little less orange than usual. guess what's for lunch? plus ginger ale.

oh, i feel like i am falling for fall..the winner!!

thanks to random.org, the winner is #8!!


fall is my favorite season, next to lunch. wait, that is not right. jeeze, how silly, lunch always comes first. anyway, i love fall and it is finally beginning to look and feel like fall in these here parts. i love the cool weather, pretty colors, and smells that fall brings. i also love all of the cooking, baking and eating. it seems like fall makes it acceptable or okay for the impending overindulging that looms around the corner with thanksgiving and christmas. the sugar rush of halloween doesn't count. to celebrate i am having a little contest, nothing big or fancy. i don't have a "pioneer woman" budget, so don't go looking for a kitchen aid mixer or nothing. i just wanted to share with you a little fall care package that includes the cute little sprinkles and cupcake set posted, along with a few other surprises.

let's say you have till saturday midnight to answer my question and i will post the winner sunday, sometime. make sure you leave me a way to contact you and i need to limit it to the u.s. only(due to food products).

now the question, do you like cranberry sauce? (personally, i could easily eat an entire can of the jellied stuff, dang tasty in my book) have fun. enjoy.


aren't they cute?


i love the little pumpkin picks....

pizza! pizza!

no quite what you are thinking. this is not a post on pizza, well, it is sorta. i am posting asking my few blogstalkers to please go vote at caroline's blog. this is her science project. you simply pick one, cheese or pepperoni pizza as your pizza of choice. she is trying to determine which is more popular. it would be great if you can leave a comment for her telling her where you live. thank you!

long live middle school!!!