Homemade Chicken Stock and stuff

It's been a hectic week and I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted!  We had a corporate visit at work and you probably can imagine or you actually know what you have to do to get ready!  But enough of that, let me catch you up on whats been going on.

The venison chili took second at the cook-off!  Much better than when I entered a black bean and turkey chili at Michael's office, we took next to last place (and there were 15 entries that time).  By the time I got to the oyster roast there was none left so I guess it was okay.  First place went to a pumpkin chili, sounds interesting!  I ate more than my fill of oysters...but wish I had eaten more!

There has been tons of cooking going on here from baked stuffed shells to a vegan chocolate cake with icing (I promise I will absolutely post both the recipes) filled with blackberry and black currant preserves.   So much for the diet!

Tonight we are supplying the snacks for after church.  There is a Saturday night service at 6 at our church, very casual, kids are encouraged to attend and make as much noise as kids make and it is lay led.  What that means is that a member of the congregation not only does the readings but also gives the homily after the gospel is read.  It is so different from the formal service on Sunday with the organist and the choir and is a wonderful way to end the week.  Afterwards we all get together and have some snacks, wine and just catch up with one another.  Tonight we are bringing curried egg salad sandwiches, chicken salad wraps (with green onions, apples and grapes in the salad) black bean salsa and madeleines with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.  Thankfully I got off work at 12 so I can finish up making everything and still have plenty of time to goof off!

Yesterday I made chicken stock.  If you have never made stock, it is actually ridiculously easy!  I hold onto the chicken carcass when ever we have a whole chicken and use that!  Here's the recipe...

Homemade Chicken Stock

1 chicken carcass
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
8 cups of water (or so)

Put everything into a large stock pot, bring to a boil, turn to medium low and let cook for a few hours (mine usually goes for 3 to 4 hours).  Pour through a strainer and there you go, you have stock.  I put mine in zip lock bags with about cups in each.

Time For The Church Chicks!

Last night was my ladies church group get together. I of course waited until the last minute to decide what to bring.  I do not know why I cannot make a decision this easy!  I will be looking at recipes, eating at other peoples houses or watching a show on TV and will think "I need to bring that to the next church chicks!". The time comes that we have another get together and bam, idea gone!

So there I was at work yesterday in a panic, what could I bring?  Now, World Market is filled with yummy goodness.  I could take the easy way out and just bring a bottle of wine, goodness knows there is enough of that and all the reds are on sale!  For some reason though, I just cannot bring myself to do something that simple.  It feels like cheating somehow.  When I first went, my friend Jan brought me and she said "We all bring something special that we make very well and than we put it on our best dish".  I have lived by this since then.  I suspect that may be where the problem comes in, I need to wow everyone.  My solution came very simply though.  I had a customer that was looking for Madeline cookies.  I have been curious about them since we started carrying them, they just looked so interesting.  This nice lady told me they taste like little pound cakes and are absolutely delicious.  An idea was born!  So here is what I did...

Madeline Strawberry Cakes
1 pkg Madelines cut in half the long way
1 small container whipping cream
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Strawberry's cleaned and sliced

Whip the cream until soft peaks appear (about 5 minutes) add the sugar and the vanilla, mix until blended.  Do not over whip the cream or you can have something that looks close to butter (been there done that).  Put a dollop of whipped cream on each one (you can be fairly generous with this), place a strawberry on top.  Repeat with all the Madelines placing them on a pretty dish as you go along. 

I took these and put them in the freezer for about a half an hour before I left just to make sure the cream was firm and it wouldn't droop all over everything by the time we would be eating dessert.

It could not have been easier, I had more than enough for the 30 ladies that were there last night and they were a big hit.  Best of all it was cheap!  The Madelines were 3.99 for a package of 16, which makes 32 little desserts.  The cream was 1.70 and I have no idea how much the strawberries were as I had bought them on my last shopping trip.  I probably used about 10 strawberries all told.  The entire thing cost me maybe 7.00 which is not inexpensive but still not a budget breaker!