Everyone I know is trying to stretch a dollar right now. So if you want to make your meals go further, here is one thing you can do with roasted chicken, after you have already cooked it and had it for dinner.
If there is anything left over, of course you can make chicken salad for a sandwich. That is a no brainer. However, when you've finished with that, there is one more thing you can do. Cook the carcass down for chicken soup.
You can do this either in a pot on the stove or on the crock-pot. Just place it in about a quart of water and let it cook down until it starts falling apart. Turn it off and cool it down. Usually I put it in the fridge. When I come back and look at it the next day, the fat is easy to skim off the top with a big spoon. ( If I were home and cooking all the time, I might save that in the freezer for another day ****'rendered chicken fat'***but I don't get to cook as much as I used to, so I do not save it.) This is the part where you have to get your hands in the cooked down chicken broth and get ALL the bones out of there. You can use latex gloves if you are real squeamish. Once you have discarded all the bones, you have your base for your chicken soup.
*In a soup pot or Dutch Oven, cook down one small finely chopped onion in a 1/2 tsp. of olive oil. About 8 minutes.
*Add two stalks of finely chopped celery, and 2 chopped carrots. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
*Add your chicken broth which should have lots of bits of chicken still left in it.
*Because I took most of the fat out of it, I usually add about 3 chicken bullion cubes at this point
*Cook on medium high until soup begin to bubble. Meanwhile, cook one cup of egg noodles and rinse. I like Ronzoni's wheat blend.
*Add chopped parsley to soup, salt and pepper to taste. You will not need much if you put in the bullion cubes. Add noodles. Turn down to low and simmer about 5 minutes.
That's it!
NOTES: Obviously if you are on a restricted salt diet you do not have to add the bullion cubes. Another way to give flavor and body is to add about 1/4 cup of cooking sherry after you have softened the veggies, and before you add the broth. Just let it simmer in there about 5 minutes before you add the broth. You can use any kind of noodle or pasta you want to, or not at all. This is just my favorite variation, and my boys even like it! Also, I have been known to save a step and just throw the dry pasta in the pot and cook it that way. A little starch never hurt anyone. But you will get less of that if you use the egg noodles. Also, some folks like to use homemade noodles, and if you are one of them, I say more power to you! That, however, is not me.
If there is anything left over, of course you can make chicken salad for a sandwich. That is a no brainer. However, when you've finished with that, there is one more thing you can do. Cook the carcass down for chicken soup.
You can do this either in a pot on the stove or on the crock-pot. Just place it in about a quart of water and let it cook down until it starts falling apart. Turn it off and cool it down. Usually I put it in the fridge. When I come back and look at it the next day, the fat is easy to skim off the top with a big spoon. ( If I were home and cooking all the time, I might save that in the freezer for another day ****'rendered chicken fat'***but I don't get to cook as much as I used to, so I do not save it.) This is the part where you have to get your hands in the cooked down chicken broth and get ALL the bones out of there. You can use latex gloves if you are real squeamish. Once you have discarded all the bones, you have your base for your chicken soup.
*In a soup pot or Dutch Oven, cook down one small finely chopped onion in a 1/2 tsp. of olive oil. About 8 minutes.
*Add two stalks of finely chopped celery, and 2 chopped carrots. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
*Add your chicken broth which should have lots of bits of chicken still left in it.
*Because I took most of the fat out of it, I usually add about 3 chicken bullion cubes at this point
*Cook on medium high until soup begin to bubble. Meanwhile, cook one cup of egg noodles and rinse. I like Ronzoni's wheat blend.
*Add chopped parsley to soup, salt and pepper to taste. You will not need much if you put in the bullion cubes. Add noodles. Turn down to low and simmer about 5 minutes.
That's it!
NOTES: Obviously if you are on a restricted salt diet you do not have to add the bullion cubes. Another way to give flavor and body is to add about 1/4 cup of cooking sherry after you have softened the veggies, and before you add the broth. Just let it simmer in there about 5 minutes before you add the broth. You can use any kind of noodle or pasta you want to, or not at all. This is just my favorite variation, and my boys even like it! Also, I have been known to save a step and just throw the dry pasta in the pot and cook it that way. A little starch never hurt anyone. But you will get less of that if you use the egg noodles. Also, some folks like to use homemade noodles, and if you are one of them, I say more power to you! That, however, is not me.
Crepe Myrtle
??? Old Fashioned Heirloom, bulb or rhizome, native. Any ideas? Pops up in one yard of a very old abandoned haunted looking house every year at this time. One even migrated to my yard this year, which is 4 acres away. 
