Chicken and Dumplings

My family loves when I make this comforting meal. 
It is perfect for cool Fall evenings. 
We usually eat all of the dumplings and I'm left with only broth and chicken. I leave it in the pot and reheat it the next day to serve over mashed potatoes. 

Chicken and Dumplings

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, quartered
1 chicken
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavored
8 cups water
1 shredded carrot (optional)
1 cup frozen peas (optional)

1 tablespoon butter



In a 5 quart Dutch oven, lightly saute onion. Add whole chicken (breast side up) and let bottom brown a couple minutes. Season and add water. Bring to boil then turn heat down to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. 
Remove chicken and onion. Taste broth to see if it needs salt, pepper or more Better Than Bouillon. 
When chicken is cool enough to handle, pick meat off of bones. I usually add half of the meat back to the broth and save the rest for chicken salad. Add 1 tablespoon butter to broth.
Bring broth and meat to boil and add peas and carrot if desired. 
Meanwhile, make dumpling batter. Drop spoonfuls into boiling broth. 
Turn heat down to medium low and cover. Don't lift lid for 15 minutes. 
*Watch to make sure it doesn't boil over.
I've let that happen more than once! 


dumplings

1 3/4 cups flour (2 cups for more dense dumplings)
1/2 cup corn meal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups half n half

Whisk together dry ingredients then mix together with the wet.

In the photo below, I used 2 cups of flour in the dumplings. All of the other photos are dumplings made with 1 3/4 cups flour. Both amounts are good!

The batter in the photo above had only 1 3/4 cups of flour.

Puppy Chow

This simple and tasty snack doesn't last long at our house. I enjoy it cold from the refrigerator with raisins and pretzels mixed in the bowl. The crunchy, salty pretzels mixed with the sweetness of the raisins and squares is a perfect combo!
Don't mix in the pretzels and raisins until serving.

Puppy Chow

12 oz. box of Crispix ~or 12 cups Rice or Corn Chex (or mixture of both)

1 stick of butter

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups chocolate chips ~ I like a mix of milk and semi sweet

2-3 cups powdered sugar
pretzels and raisins (optional)

In microwave, melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate for about 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times until chips are smooth.

Pour cereal in a large bowl and pour melted mixture over the cereal.

Stir until well coated. Put half the mixture into a gallon size Ziploc bag and pour about a cup or so of powdered sugar in bag and shake until cereal is covered. May need to add a little more powdered sugar. Pour out onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Do the same with the rest of the mixture. Allow to cool and dry on wax paper then place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator.

Scalloped Tomatoes

My mom has always made this on the stove top and doesn't add the toast to the top. She calls it breaded tomatoes. I like to bake mine.

Scalloped Tomatoes

slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut up (2 pounds), or one 28-oz. can tomatoes, cut up

1 cup shredded zucchini (optional)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced green pepper (optional)

2 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

black pepper to taste

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

5 slices bread, toasted 

2 T grated parmesan cheese ( good with or without)

In a medium sauce pan combine tomatoes, zucchini, green pepper and onion. Simmer about 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Combine flour, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup water and add to tomatoes. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir in butter until melted.

Taste to see if it needs more salt or sugar.

Cut or tear 3 slices of the toast, stir into tomato mixture. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cut the remaining 2 pieces of toast into 8 triangles and arrange down center of tomato mixture, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Monster Cookies

These stay nice and chewy. I prefer the mini chips and mini candies for this one.
My husband made the cookies in the photos and they were delicious! thanks honey! 
Next time, when I make them, I'm going to add some chopped peanuts to part of the batter. 

Monster Cookies


1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon light Karo syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
4 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini M n Ms (plus extra to sprinkle on top if desired)

Preheat oven to 350. 
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
Add vanilla, syrup, salt and baking soda and peanut butter and mix until combined.
Mix in the oats until combined.
Using a wooden spoon, fold in the mini chocolate chips and mini M n Ms so they don't get crushed. 
Using a large scoop, drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet (6 cookies on a 13x18 half sheet). Sprinkle a few M n Ms on top to make them more colorful.
Bake for 12 minutes. Leave on pan for a couple minutes then move to a rack to cool.
Makes about 27 big cookies.

Banana Nut Muffins

These are even more moist the next day. Store in an air tight container.

Banana Nut Muffins

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I use 1/4 cup whole wheat flour for part of the flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 teaspoons spiced rum (optional-add if you have some!)

1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)

Topping

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

cinnamon to taste (a couple pinches)

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup nuts, chopped (I like walnuts)

Grease muffin tins well, including top of pan. Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Mix bananas, sugar, egg, melted butter, vanilla, rum (optional) and chia seeds (optional).

Stir into dry mixture just until moistened.

Fill muffin tins with batter.

For the topping, combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.

Using a pastry cutter and/or fingers, cut in cold butter until crumbly.

Sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to rack to cool.