Some Chicken Stuff

I am going to be the first to admit that this blog has gotten really, really boring lately! I just can't seem to come up with anything creative to write about...SO, until my creativity gets some life back, I will do some boring posts! haha...doesn't it just make you want to run to check my blog!?!

I thought I'd just share a couple things I like to do with chicken around here. Since I spent time doing that today, I took a couple pictures and thought I'd create a boring post.

Since we've been trying to cut back on our grocery bills, I have been always trying to find ways that I can do things from "scratch" to save a few pennies. One thing I read was that you save quite a bit by cutting up a whole chicken rather than getting the packages of meat that are already cut up for you. So, I started buying whole chickens and doing just that. Then I decided to take the carcass and make my oen chicken broth. It is so easy and tastes good and I'm assuming is probably healthier too...who knows! I won't make any claim on that last statement.

So today, I needed shredded chicken meat for a couple different recipes so I decided to start the broth off with whole chickens (plus a few onions, celery, carrots and bay leaves) in the pot. After the chickens cooked for awhile, I pulled them out, pulled all the meat off, put the carcass back in the pots, added water and let it simmer for a couple hours. It made some really good stuff! I let it cool off and then skim off the fat that floats to the top.

 So, with two chickens in two different pots, I got several of these large jars and a few small ones. I just put lids on them and freeze them. When I need one I just thaw it out in the fridge or in the microwave.

And then to finish off this super boring post, is a favorite chicken salad recipe...snore! ha ha. hopefully not! I used the meat from one of the chickens I cooked but you can also start with a rotisserie chicken.

 A bunch of the good things that go in this salad.

 Using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise makes this much healthier!

 It turned out yummy!

 And we ate it with some homemade naan.

Here's the recipe for anyone who wants to try it.

Chicken Salad with Yogurt-Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup EVOO

1 clove of garlic (minced)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 TB white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of Greek yogurt

Small handfull of each: dill, parsley and chives (finely chopped)

Few dashes of hot sauce

Mix together the above ingredients to make the dressing

1 rotisserie chicken shredded or diced (or 1 lb cooked chicken)

1 small red bell pepper

1 small red onion, chopped

1/3 English (seedless) cucumber, chopped

2 ribs celery thingly sliced on angle

2 plum tomatos seeded and diced

flatbreads, warmed

Mix it all together in a bowl and serve.

I didn't use the cucumber because we don't like cucumber but I'm sure if you do, it would add a nice crunch and flavor. I used more tomatos because I love tomatos. I also used some orange pepper too.

Have a great day!