The Silent "I"

Granny's Chicken & Dumplings Recipe: DailyBuzz Moms 9x9

2012-01-24T10:31:44-08:00

Granny's Chicken and Dumplings

Growing up in Ohio, Sunday dinner meant one thing to me: Granny's Chicken & Dumplings, a warm and hearty stew made of the simplest ingredients of flour, chicken, salt and pepper. A staple in the Midwest and South, chicken and dumplings is about as comforting as a comfort food can get. It seems to be something born of hard times, when only the bare necessities were on-hand to make a meal for a crowd.

As a child, I watched my grandmother roll out dumpling and make quick work of cutting out dumplings into little bite-sized squares. Her knife skills would put even the Top Chef Masters to shame. I often helped knead the dough, standing on a chair to put my whole body into the process of shaping and rolling the dough into a ball, then using a rolling pin to flatten it out. Granny coached me through it, making sure my dumplings were not too lumpy or too thick. Making dumplings was better than play-doh for keeping little hands busy.

Granny didn't use a recipe, so for the longest time I had only a vague idea of how to make chicken and dumplings. My mother showed me how to make it, using the "eyeball it and throw things in until it tastes right" method. My brother Mike is a chef, and he coached me through turning it into a real recipe a few years ago. The recipe that follows is an approximation of what you need to make Chicken & Dumplings, just like Granny used to make. The original recipe only uses salt and pepper for seasoning. I've added some chicken stock base and herbs for extra flavor.

Ingredients

For Stock:

12 c water

3 bone-in chicken breasts

2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

2-3 leaves of fresh sage (optional)

1 packet Knorr Homestyle Condensed Chicken Stock (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

For Dumplings:

6 c + 1 c Gold Medal Self-Rising Flour

1 c water

1 t dried sage (optional)

1 t dried thyme (optional)

1 T salt

1 T black pepper

1. Make the Chicken Stock and Cook the Chicken

In a large stock pot, combine chicken breasts, thyme, sage, condensed stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken breasts and allow them to cool. Allow stock to continue to simmer to reduce.

2. Make the Dumplings

While the chicken is cooking, make the dumplings. In a large bowl, whisk together 6 cups of flour and the dried herbs. It is important that you use Self-Rising Flour so that your dumplings will be fluffy. Gold Medal is the brand we have always used.

Add water to the dry ingredients, and stir until the mixture starts to stick together. Mix with your hands, and add water as needed to form a ball. The dough should be about the size of a football. Work the dough until it forms a ball, but do not overwork it.

Flour a work surface to roll out the dough on. Cut the dough in half, and roll it out on the floured surface, until it is about 1/8 inch thick all the way through. The thinner the dumplings, the faster they will cook through.

Trim off the ragged edges to form a large rectangle, then cut the flattened dough into 1 inch squares. Place on a place to transfer to the stock. Repeat this with the second half of the dough.

3. Cook the Dumplings

Skim the stock for excess fat and remove the herbs from the pot. Place the dumplings in the pot one at a time. They will be crowded. Turn up the heat to medium, and bring to a boil. The dumplings will rise to the top and plump up, like they are trying to escape from the pot. When this happens, reduce the heat to low and cook for about an hour. Stir occasionally, making sure the dumplings don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Shred the Chicken

While the dumplings are cooking, remove skin from the chicken breasts and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside. Discard the bones & skin.

Note: my grandmother used a whole, cut-up fryer for this, and didn't shred the chicken, but allowed the pieces to stay intact. You can do this to save time.

5. Add Chicken

Add the shredded chicken to the pot, cover, and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes on low heat. If you like a creamier consistency, whisk together 1/2 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl. Add to the stock to thicken it. Cook until dumplings are tender, not chewy, and cooked through.

Variations

The basic recipe might be bland or unexciting to some palates, so you can always add your own touches: Mike adds a little Cayenne pepper to give it an extra kick; my Aunt Betty (always a radical) adds an egg to the dough to make it yellow. You can add some peas, carrots, celery or other vegetables to give it a fiber boost. My mom adds kimchi whenever she eats dumplings, for a little Korean flair. Serve with a salad and cornbread for an excellent, hearty meal.

If you don't have time to make everything from scratch, you can use ready-made chicken broth, any kind of cooked chicken, and canned biscuits rolled out for the dumplings. I've used some variation on these ingredients from time to time, and it all tastes pretty good.

I still miss the way Granny made it, and no matter how many times I've made it myself, it's just not the same. I think the secret ingredient that Granny always added was a little bit of love.

The Bachelor Commentary: A Review of the 1/9/12 Episode in Tweets

2012-01-10T16:47:08-08:00

On Monday nights, my Twitter stream is filled with snarky commentary on ABC's The Bachelor. I probably wouldn't watch the show without these folks. This is a sample of those tweets, using Storify, in case you missed it.

Saguaro National Park: Beauty Takes on Many Forms

2012-01-09T17:04:48-08:00

When planning our December roadtrip, a stop at the Saguaro National Park was an absolute must-see for my husband Frank. Frank loves cacti of all shapes and varieties. He has kept a cactus collection for more than twenty years through moves from California to Texas and back, with only a few casualties along the way. He loves cactus so much that Alex and I teased him throughout the trip by pointing at every wilted, dried out cactus we encountered and saying, "Hey, Dad, look! A cactus! Don't you want to take a picture of it?"

We thought it was hilarious. Frank just rolled his eyes, and endured.

We arrived in Tucson too late in the day to catch the sunset light, so we had to defer Frank's version of cactus nirvana until the following day. He was quite insistent that we had go to Saguaro National Park and see the giant Saguaros. He managed to roust us up early so we could get there and still have time to drive to our next stop in New Mexico before sunset (or so we hoped). Alex and I were just along for the ride, so we went along with it.

We arrived at the park around 9 am, and stopped in the Visitor's Center on the way in, to secure a map and find out what route we should take. The road in is a giant circular loop through the desert, with vista points and parking at various trailheads. We didn't have time to hike much, even though the weather was clear and not too hot for hiking.

I have to admit, cactus don't really thrill me that much. I do, however, like birds, and after seeing the American White Pelicans at the Salton Sea, I decided it was time to learn a little more about them on the trip. We stopped off at the visitor's center on our way in, and I decided to buy a copy of a bird field guide. I asked one of the park rangers which book he would recommend, and he pointed out the Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America. He told me that this was the best one for identifying birds in the field, and that he led the bird walks in the park. He pointed out a few birds we might see or to keep our eyes out for on our trip around the park.

The road around the park was paved, and wound around stunning desert vistas, with dramatic mountain backdrops. I always think of the desert as brown and flat, but in this part of Arizona is more rugged, with hills and valleys and green brush around. One of the vistas labeled, aptly enough, "Riparian View" had a small stream trickling down the hillside. I have to say that this portion of the desert was really lovely

When most American think of the west, visions of Saguaro cactus likely come to mind first: those tall, spiny green ghosts in a permanent "stick 'em up" position, poised along some lonely trail like guardians of the desert. In movies, from John Ford westerns to the opening scenes of Twilight, Saguaro cactus have come to represent face of the American West. Growing up in Ohio, I thought these cactus were all over the western United States, and was disappointed that they didn't grow in Texas when I actually moved there. In fact, Saguaro's only grow in parts of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico, and in a small area of Baja and California.

Saguaros take a long time to grow, and according to information in the park, it can take up to 8 years for a new Saguaro to grow 1-2 inches in the first years of life. A single arm can take up to 75 years to grow. It is believed that some are more than 200 years old, and weigh up to 6 tons and 50 feet tall.

Throughout the park, we encountered thousands of Saguaros and their spiny relatives, like the Cholla or "leaping" cactus. Frank explained that these cactus get their name from how they seem to leap onto animals, birds, and people to spread. Chollas have very fine, long needles that are somewhat hard to see, so you might not know you have gotten too close until you find a little hitchhiker attached to your pants or your shoes.

Frank ended up with one on his shoe without even knowing it until he looked down. He flicked it off, but later realized that there was something itchy on his foot. He took off his socks to find a Cholla needle had penetrated his shoes and thick socks. The needles didn't even look long or sharp enough to do that. If you're hiking in the desert, be forewarned about the tricky Cholla.

The only other type of cactus I actually recognized or knew anything about were the flat, green prickly pears. My mom has a prickly pear cactus in her garden in Ohio, and we have some in our cactus collection in California. These hardy survivors seem to be able to grow just about anywhere.

On one of our stops along the road, I finally got to see some birds. There was one noisy little creature that kept flitting about, not staying still for long. I was able to use the Kaufman guide to determine that this was a Verdin, based its yellow head and red markings on the wing. Verdin are tiny songbirds that live primarily in the Southwest, according to Kaufman and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Trying to figure it out was a like solving a mystery, and kind of thrilling. I can see why people keep life lists and go on birding expeditions now.

All in all, I really enjoyed our visit to the Saguaro National Park. I can understand why Frank loves the desert and cactus in particular. Without him, I would probably know nothing about it. The Saguaro National Park has a vast, wild beauty all its own, unlike anything you will likely find in any other state. It is well worth a trip to Tucson to experience this unforgettable place.

Country Inns & Suites: Home Suite Home

2012-01-04T23:17:03-08:00

Ever hear of Country Inns & Suites? I hadn't until about a year ago, when they generously offered us a voucher to stay in one of their fine establishments. We were not able to take them up on the offer until our Christmas roadtrip to Austin, and I was pleasantly surprised by the accomodations they offer at reasonable prices. We enjoyed a complimentary overnight stay at the downtown location in Tucson, Arizona, during our long journey through the desert.

Like many of the better highway hotel chains, they offer free Wifi in the rooms, complimentary breakfast, and a pool. What sets Country Inns and Suites apart are the little things, like complimentary cookies and bottled water on arrival, a full hot breakfast (not just microwaved sandwiches and cold cereal, but bacon, eggs, the whole works), and a homey, charming decor. We found the staff to be friendly and efficient, as well as knowledgeable about the area.

On our December roadtrip, we left the Salton Sea Recreation Area and headed east on I-8 through the dusty California border towns toward Tucson. We were hoping to be in Saguaro National Park before sundown. Unfortunately, we arrived too late for the park. I dubbed this our "Too Late Tour," since it seemed like we always arrived at our destinations just after the sunset so we couldn't see anything. Frank said that he planned a perfect itinerary for summer, or anytime the sun stays up a little past 5:00 pm.

Anyway, we arrived in Tucson after dark and couldn't get to the Saguaro National Park on time, so we went straight to the Country Inns & Suites. We were welcomed with freshly baked sugar cookies in the lobby, a homey fireplace, and some bottles of water, which were great after a long, dry drive through the desert. The front desk staff was extremely friendly and answered all of our questions. There were some kids running around the lobby, and the hotel seemed to be extremely family-friendly.

Our room was nicely furnished and large enough for the three of us. The furnishings and decor were nicer and more traditional than some that we encountered later on our trip at similar hotels. It seems that the latest trend in hotel decor is blinding florescent lighting and migraine-inducing neon green bedding with fuschia accents and large black and white photos of doorknobs and exposed pipes in the hallway. I was happy to find the room to be comfortable and not over-done, with more muted colors and soft lighting. During our trip, we used Marriott and Hilton loyalty program points to stay at Fairfield Inn and Hampton Inn in different locations along the way. We liked Country Inns the best for food quality, service, and general ambience, although the three were pretty similar in locations, space, and pricing.

The hotel itself does not have an on-site restaurant, but there is a nearby Italian/Pizza restaurant called Bianchi's that delivers to the hotel. We decided to stay in and enjoyed a pizza, salad and pasta dishes that were delicious. The following morning, we were happy to find that the breakfast was not the usual yogurt and cold cereal, but a full array of bacon, eggs, waffles, pastries, and other goodies. We fueled up and hit the road.

Our only complaint about this experience was that the pool was outdoors and it was a little too chilly to try it out at night. This is probably not much of a problem in Tucson for most of the year. There was a 24-hour exercise room available, so I guess we could have set our energetic son on a treadmill to burn off some steam if needed.

All three of us enjoyed our brief stay at the Country Inns & Suites, and we would definitely go back and try out another location on a future roadtrip. Thanks to Country Inns & Suites and Carlson Hotels for giving us the opportunity to try it out! Alex can't wait to go back.

Disclosure: I received a voucher for a free night at Country Inns & Suites, but no other incentive to write this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Country Inns & Suites or Carlton Hotels

Visiting the Salton Sea

2011-12-30T07:22:12-08:00

Driving through the desert in Southern California is a study in contradictions. We drove from the opulent resorts of Palm Springs to the abandoned buildings and forgotten towns of Imperial County, where the unemployment rate is the highest in the state. The desert landscape is dotted with date palms, scrub, and not much else. When my son looked up from his video game player long enough, he looked up and said, "Hey, mom, is that the ocean?"

I was looking in the opposite direction and replied, "We're pretty far from the ocean." Then, I saw it: the calm, blue waters of the Salton Sea, looming on the horizon like a mirage in the desert.

The Salton Sea is on of the world's largest inland seas and one of the lowest spots on earth (-227 feet below sea level). The sea existed in ancient times, but dried up until 1905 when high spring flooding on the Colorado River crashed the canal gates leading into the developing Imperial Valley. For the next 18 months the Colorado River rushed into the dry seabed, creating the current 35 mile long,15 mile wide inland sea. The sea is saltier than the Pacific Ocean, but not as salty as the Great Salt Lake, and the increasing salinity over time has lead to changes in the ecosystem. The only fish that can be caught there are tilapia, but hundreds of gorgeous waterbirds make their homes and migratory stops along the shores of the Salton Sea.

About 14 miles of the shoreline is used for human recreation (boating, kayaking, fishing, and camping), but due to state budget cuts, most of these services are dwindling. There is a State Recreation Area near Mecca, California, and that is where we stopped for a visit.

We drove through a thicket of palm trees to the park entrance, where a friendly park attendant named Nick took our $5 entrance fee and gave us a sticker to put on the car. We drove to the lot by the Visitor's Center, which was closed when we arrived. There was one other family in the parking lot at the time, and a lone fisherman out on a jetty casting a line out to the sea. We decided to explore the beach a little, and could see hundreds of gulls and large white birds that looked like swans floating by in pairs.

Walking up to the beach at the Salton Sea is like walking through a fish apocalypse, with thousands of dead fish strewn across the sand, some looking as though they were cast out in schools along the beach. Some have pieces missing, as though they were a partially-eaten bird's lunch. It is a disquieting, eerie sight.

The group of birds floating slowly by on the water had fluffy, snow-white feathers, elegant necks and long yellow beaks, but I knew they weren't swans. Frank thought they were pelicans, but I didn't see any diving for fish the way I had seen other pelicans behave. We later found out that these were American White Pelicans and 30% of their remaining population live in the Salton Sea area. They float along and hunt for fish in groups, circling their prey and forcing the fish into tight groups before sticking their heads in and feasting. They don't dive for fish like brown pelicans, and have a much daintier way about them.

I watched the White Pelicans and the gulls by the shore for quite a while, trying not to step on the dead fish carcasses along the salt-encrusted seashore. It was a beautiful, serene sight, despite the creepy fishpocalypse. It reminded me that we need to preserve the habitats and homes of these creatures who share our planet. I thought of the lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner that I learned in high school, many years ago:

He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all."

-Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I hope that something can be done to preserve the Salton Sea recreation areas, "for both man and bird and beast."