My BEST secret yet--and it's not even a secret.

Chicken Stock.

Where did I get this idea from? My mother-in-law.
How did I get the best recipe? Her book, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Chicken stock holds magical powers. It calms the tummy, relieves the head ache, suppresses menstrual cramps, warms cold hands and toes, and everything else.

Ever wonder why those books are called "'Chicken Soup' for the Soul." ? That is because chicken stock (or broth; it is the same thing) in chicken soup is healing. Healing, I say!

If you haven't bought her book, you should. I plan to when there's some extra cash flowing in...
We need to be healthy, live longer, and pass that health on to our children. This book is a great guide for that. It is exciting to know what to do to keep your family healthy and happy!

Picture from http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/02/transcript-of-sally-fallon-morell-interview-how-the-weston-a-price-foundation-began.html

One smell of home is chicken stock. It is vital to a healthy life. So enjoy the recipe, all credit given to Sally and her book people. Stock and broth are interchangeable, just so you know. Stock is used for commercial, big batches. We use broth for a more homey-sounding word. But my husband thinks broth is too close to the sound bra so we just say stock. Doesn't matter.

Picture from: http://mykitchenpot.com/tag/sally-fallon/page/2/

That's right. Chicken feet. Save the chicken feet! Gross, right? Well, I have my husband cut up all the bones and put the meat in. All I have to do is cut up a few vegetables and fill a stockpot with water and vinegar. Check out the recipe below.

Homemade Chicken Stock

7 Ingredients:

Note: You cannot skimp on these ingredients. Sure, you can make do with what you have and do your best. But the best chicken stock with the most health benefits and best taste will come by using these exact ingredients and following these exact directions. Trust me. I've done it plenty of time other ways. Not as good.

1 whole free-range chicken or 2-3 lbs of bony chicken parts (necks, backs, breastbones and wings.)
gizzards from one chicken (this one's optional)
feet from the chicken (this one's optional. But really--use them.)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 TB vinegar
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2-3 organic carrots, roughly chopped
3-4 sticks organic celery, roughly chopped
1 bunch parsley

Directions:

Chicken: Have your husband cut up the bones and break the chicken into pieces. (Sorry vegans.) Or do it yourself if you're brave enough. I'm not.
Put the chicken and chopped veggies (except parsley) in a large stock pot filled with the water. 
Let it stand for 30 min - 1 hr. This does good things.
Bring it to a boil. Remove risen scum.
Lower heat to simmer.
Cover. Simmer 6-24 hours.
Add parsley 10 minutes before you are done letting it simmer.
Remove chicken pieces and veggies. You can save these for other recipes. 
Strain stock with cheesecloth or strainer into a large bowl.
Leave in fridge until fat congeals at the top--usually overnight.
Skim off fat and discard. Keep in fridge or freezer.
It is now ready to be warmed up, sipped, and added to other recipes.

Picture from: http://www.girlichef.com/2010/07/making-beef-stock-bone-broth.html
Reserve it in ice cube trays and add it to favorite soups and dishes. I use it to boil my rice and quinoa. It is ever so useful and makes you feel like a good homemaker. Because you are. Especially when you make this. : )

ENOUGH MSG in our foods. I'm tired of MSG. Most chicken stocks, broths, and cream of chicken whatevers have MSG in them. Well, now you can make this on your own and it's infinity times better than what the store can sell you. Take that MSG.


Note: Don't simmer for less than 6 hours. It is best when left simmering overnight. The house smells yummy when you wake up in the morning, and the stock is richer in vitamin/mineral content. Plus it's a more attractive color and will gel better if you used the right kind of chicken. 

Fastest easy dinner ever!

My husband works. So do I. So planning and making fancy meals is difficult when there's just not enough time. The fastest way I've found to make dinner quickly is to use the BBQ grill. I make marinades for chicken and they soak overnight. Then I ask my hubby to take 15 min & grill.

So what if he's super busy and can't grill? I've found a treasure. An easy, quick chicken recipe!
I got the idea from pinterest which led me to this site:
http://www.daydreamkitchen.com/2012/08/baked-garlic-brown-sugar-chicken/

But of course, with all things, I made it my own. My very own. So here's what I did:

Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves. Boneless, skinless. 
6 TB butter
8 TB brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced or smashed

Directions:

Heat oven to 500 degrees.
Butter a small 8x8 dish.
Sauteé garlic in butter until garlic is tender.
Remove from heat.
Add brown sugar. Stir until combined.
Place chicken in pan.
Pour sugar mixture over chicken. Cover thoroughly.
Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 450 degrees.
Turn chicken over.
Bake 10 more minutes. Adjust time to elevation and preference.

Rice

Ingredients:

1 C water
1 C coconut milk
1 TB coconut oil
1 C uncooked jasmine rice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a pot.
Bring to a boil. Boil 20 minutes.
Remove form heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Fluff with fork or stir with spoon.

Arrange on plate with veggies of your choice. I like to pile the chicken over the rice. Celery goes well with this dish. Seriously, it took me about 25 minutes. Wonders. Next time I'll try and make it a little spicy.!

 Beading

One of many. Cream and gold. 
Gold clasps, crazy lace center stone.  

Each bracelet takes about an hour to make. There are so many beads to choose from and so many patterns to invent. Coordinating all the colors and  shapes is part of the fun. I'm hoping to post pictures of more and to find some place to sell them. 

 Pearly, sea-shelly blues and greens.

Vintage pearls with blue-green accents.

Teal, copper, and pearls. Funky combination with skull shell.

Two favorites: crystal blue theme.

Another view. The clasps are gorgeous.

Favorite colors.

Royal crown crystals. Beautiful! Great look for winter, summer, and spring.








And More greens and blues clusters.

AT a different angle. You can see the variety of colors, shapes, sizes, clasps, center stones and beads. Gorgeous.



















Last But not least, the skeleton shell teal, gold and copper with pearly hints.

Penne al Salmone
The best restaurant in this small town is Luca's Ristorante Italiano. And the best dish to order there? Penne al Salmone. Well, it's also the most expensive dish on the menu. 

So how to combat that? Research the recipe and get as close as you can to it. And I did! It's better the first day.

What's in it? Well, I had to translate from Italian recipes and then use as much of my Spanish knowledge to understand the Italian.


This is delicious and so much more affordable than you will find at restaurants. Recipe below.

Penne al Salmone

Description: Smoked salmon penne pasta in a cream sauce with smoked cherry tomatoes and capers.

Prep time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 pkg Penne pasta
2/3 c. smoked salmon
1 c. cream -eyeball it
1/2 c. onion, minced
1/2 stick butter
3 garlic cloves, sliced into thirds
1 bunch cherry tomatoes
1/4 c. salmon cream -- you can leave it out if you don't have it. 
2 TB water
2 TB capers
fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
This recipe is super easy to eyeball. Don't overdo on the salmon, but be generous. Go all out with the tomatoes. Plum tomatoes or other small garden tomatoes work well. Soak them in salmon juice or salmon cream if possible before serving, or smoke them with the salmon.


Brown onion in butter and water. When the water has almost completely evaporated, add the salmon. Let simmer. Pour in noodles. Add cream, cherry tomatoes and capers. Let thicken for a few minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot.

Slice some good bread and enjoy!