St. Jimithy's Commentaries

"The dream" is hard to live.  In a lot of ways I am living it.  I have free time.  I'm genuinely spending time wondering what I should do with time I could while away on the internet.  Currently dominating the list are learning a language (re-learning if I choose Spanish), practicing some woodworking with my chisels, and of course spending 30 mins, or so, educating you good people.  (If learning about my thoughts counts as education vs. corruption)

Fall has been coming to Ithaca hot and heavy, as anachronistic as that sounds.  Lot of fall activities has happened like brewing mead, looking at leaves, mulching the yard, etc., etc.  Fall also means the Annual Great Cooking of the Soups.  An event so named because I make a lot of soup in the fall, and in the winter.  Its probably worth noting that these are the longest consecutive seasons where I live so it can probably be nailed to the fact that I like soup.

On a recently blustery day, I gazed on a lightly stocked pantry and fridge.  There weren't any leftovers and I had just gotten home at 8PM so speed was of the essence.  Inspiration struck in the form of a chicken leg that had been in the freezer for God knows how long because we haven't had chicken in months.  Chicken Soup and Dumplings were just what the Doctor ordered, (no PhD yet, but give her a couple of years.)

Freezer Chicken and Dumplings For When Its Fucking Freezing
Serves 2-ish

Soup
2 cups Chicken Stock  
1/4 cup Cream or Milk
1 frozen Leg of Chicken
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
1 tsp Paprika
1 tbsp Worcester Sauce
1 tsp Parsley

Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tbsp Shortening
1/2 cup Milk

Ok this is a quicky, fry up the Onion, Carrot, and thawed shredded Chicken.  Give them about 10 minutes in butter and they're good.  Now pour in the Chicken Stock, Milk, Paprika, and Worcester Sauce.  Hold that where it is.

For the dumplings get all the dry stuff in a bowl and mix it up, then add the Shortening.  Work that in with your fingers.  Rub the Shortening into the Flour between your fingers, the mix should take on a slightly pebbly texture.  Pour the Milk and mix it together it'll take pretty quickly.

With the soup bubbling lightly add the Dumpling dough in little balls, about the size of a Ping Pong ball.  Cook for 15 minutes, serve.