Monthly Archives: October 2009
Potpourri – The Aroma of Fall Fills the House
I love to enter a space that is filled with the spicy aroma of Fall. This aroma conjures memories of happy family times. It is a distinctive combination of citrus, apple, cloves and cinnamon. One thing I do each year to create this warm aroma is make my own Potpourri.
Home Brewed Potpourri
The way I accomplish this on any day of the week is simple. Each time I peel an apple, orange, peach or mango, I chunk the cores, peels and leftovers into my Potpourri Mix bag in the freezer.
When we are home for the evening, I grab a handful of my Potpourri Mix and throw it in a sauce pan, cover it with water and put it to a low simmer on the stove.
To the mixture I add half a stick of cinnamon, a dash of cloves (if you have whole cloves – drop a few into the pot) and nutmeg. You can even use last year’s Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Leave it simmering all evening and enjoy. Occasionally, check the pot to make sure there is enough water to keep it from burning.
Let this aroma fill your home and heart with incredible scented memories.
Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken:
4 or 5 legs and thighs with skins on OR a whole cut up chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Water to cover the chicken
2 -3 boxes of low sodium Chicken Broth
Dumplings:
4 tbsp water
4 eggs
Flour – all purpose
2 tsp salt
Directions:
Fill a large soup pan half full of water. Start to boil and add salt and pepper. Add chicken. If chicken is not covered with water, add some more water to cover the chicken. Allow to boil until chicken is done. Remove chicken from broth. Set broth aside. Skim some of the fat off the top of the broth and discard the fat.
Debone the chicken. Throw away the skin and bones – unless, you have a lucky dog at your house. Add the chicken back to the broth in the pan. Add the additional boxed broth to the pan. This just makes it so you can make more dumplings.
Beat eggs with water very well. Add flour and salt to egg mixture until sticky, yet forms a ball. Then, add flour until not so sticky.
Start with 2 cup of flour. You made need more. You want a ball of dough that is not sticky. When you are making it you will know.
Roll out dough as thin or thick as you like. I like them fairly thin. Cut and add to boiling broth. Stir and add some more. Stir and add some more
Cook for 10 minutes more. Then, serve and enjoy. They taste just like Mom’s.
