Bread Bowls and Chicken & Dumplings...

It is cold and rainy here today so I decided to make chicken & dumplings to warm the house up and give it a yummy smell.

And these recipes taste even better if you have raised the chickens that contributed the eggs and donated their lives to these dishes :)

(The nasty rooster that was harmed for today's food was warned on several occasions to stop attacking Maddy. Obviously he did not listen.)

Bread Bowls:

Ingredients-

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages of active dry yeast


• 2 1/2 cups warm water


• 1 tsp brown sugar


• 2 tsp salt


• 2 tbsp vegetable oil


• 3 cups all purpose flour


• 4 cups whole wheat flour


• 1 tsp cornmeal


• 1 egg white


• 1 tbsp water

Directions-

1. In a large bowl dissolve yeast and brown sugar in the warm water. Let stand until frothy (usually about 10 minutes).


2. Add salt, oil, and the 4 cups of whole wheat flour to the yeast mixture. Mix well. Add the all purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time mixing well.


3. When the dough is well mixed, place it on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it is smooth.


4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to lightly coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled (usually about 40 minutes).


5. Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces, kneading and forming into a ball shape. Place the loaves on a lightly greased cookie sheet that has been dusted with cormeal.


6. Allow to rise until doubled (~30 minutes).


7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make egg wash by beating the egg white with the tablespoon of water.


8. Brush each loaf with egg wash. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.


9. Remove from oven and brush remaining egg wash on each loaf. Return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until brown.


10. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. When you are ready to serve cut a 1/2 inch piece off the top, scoop out the insides, and fill with a hot soup.

Chicken & Dumplings:

Ingredients-

• 1 (2 to 3 lb) whole chicken


• 1 cup chopped carrots


• 1 cup chopped celery


• 1 cup chopped onion


• 2-5 cloves of garlic, chopped


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 2 cups all purpose flour


• 1 egg


• Any seasonings you would like

Directions-

1. In a large stockpot cover the chicken and vegetables with salter water and simmer until cooked all the way through.


2. When tender removed chicken from pot and cool. Once cool add pieces of chicken back to the broth.


3. To make dumplings: Sift 2 cups of flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth. Use a fork to mix well. Add a whole egg and continue to mix with fork.


4. Once totally mixed place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.


5. Seperate the dough into 4 or 5 parts and roll into a thin strip. Cut the strips into 2 inch pieces.


6. Bring chicken broth to a boil and drop dumplings in (be careful you do not want boiling broth to splash on you). Simmer 10-15 minutes and serve hot.