Homemade Chicken Stock

I love, love, love FOOD!  I love to cook from scratch.  And, believe it or not, cooking from scratch and doing it all homemade is easy, AND inexpensive.  Which leads me to our recipe for today – Homemade Chicken Stock!

I know, I know – chicken stock from the store is cheap.  Why make something from scratch, when it’s so cheap at the store?  I dunno – I guess that I can’t see that something sitting on the shelf for who-knows-how-long is good for you.  Everything you make yourself at home is better!  You know exactly what goes in it.  And it’s EASY!  Chicken stock can be used in almost any recipe that calls for water – and it adds so much more flavor. 

To make your chicken stock, you can use a variety of cuts of chicken.  Thighs are great – quarters are even better because when they go on sale, they go ON SALE!  Here in lovely Allen, you can get ten pounds for $3.90.  You can even use  whole fryer, if they’re on a super-sale.

Grab your chicken and throw it in a great, big pot.  Cut an onion into a few chunks, along with a couple of carrots, celery and two or three garlic cloves.  In my opinion, the more garlic, the better!  Add salt and pepper to your liking.  Then, add enough water until it’s about an inch from the top of the pot.  Cover up the pot.  You’ll want bring it all to a rolling boil, then turn it down a bit so it’s simmering nicely.  Keep it cookin’ for about an hour to an hour and a half.  You’ll know that it’s ready when the chicken is floating on the top.

Turn off the heat, and let it all cool down a bit.  Next, take the chicken out, and set it aside.  Take the meat off the bones when it’s cool enough to touch.  Remove the veggies, and toss them in the trash.  My dad likes to keep them for chicken soup, but I don’t really like veggies that have been turned to freaking mush.  Grab the pot, and put it in the fridge overnight.  This way, all of the chicken fat will rise to the top and solidify.  The next morning, you’ll spoon all of the fat off the top, and chuck it in the trash. 

Take the lovely broth that’s in the bowl and run it through a strainer.  Pour the broth into smaller containers, and put them in the freezer.  It’s fabulous.  You can use this for all kinds of awesome recipes.  Gravy, stuffing, any kind of sauce that calls for milk or white wine.  Chicken soup.  Duh!  Mashed potatoes, shrimp scampi.  The possibilities are endless!!

But, what to do with the chicken?  That’s the best part!  OMG, there are sooooo many things you can do with the chicken.  Such as…

• Chicken noodle soup (duh!)
• Chicken and dumplings
• Chicken enchiladas, tacos, fajitas
• Chicken pot pie
• Chicken Divan
• Chicken Salad
• Chicken Chili

You can use this chicken for any recipe that calls for pre-cooked chicken. 

This is my absolute favorite cooking method – it’s so versatile, handy, homemade and CHEAP!  I just love it to pieces.

What is Child Support?

Child support must be for manicures, pedicures, trips to the spa, vacations to Jamaica, right?  At least, that’s what my ex-husband must think.  Because if really believed that his child support payment is used toward the care and feeding of his son, he would gladly pay it when he’s supposed to, right?  He would realize that the payment is his share of food, clothing, shelter, and medical costs that any child has a right to have. 

I actually have a piece of paper from the Court, and it’s signed by a judge!  It’s pretty official.  I’m pretty sure that my ex-husband was ordered by the Court to pay a certain amount in Child Support every month.  If I were ordered by the Court to do something, I think I would do it.  That’s called a “legal obligation.”

But, let’s forget about the legal obligation.  There is also a “moral obligation.”  This man has a child – he should want to do what is best for this child, right?  That’s what I think.  That’s what makes sense to me.  It’s what I want, and I’m the boy’s mother.  Wouldn’t his father want the same thing?

Hmmmmm….apparently not!

So, what is a single mom to do, when it comes to Child Support?

Don’t count on it. 

As a single mom, it is sooooooo important that I learn how to pay my bills based on MY INCOME.  I used to count Child Support as part of my income, but I quickly learned that I shouldn’t do that.  We’re in June, now, and I haven’t seen a dime since January. 

Yes, I know there are avenues that I can take.  Garnishing, liens, etc.  He’s self-employed, and doesn’t own anything.  So, I wait.  I pay my bills from my income, and if Child Support payments should happen to come in, they’re gravy.  They go into my savings account. 

I think it’s wise for most single moms to do the same.  I’ve learned that you just can’t count on Child Support.