Sister Living With Us

Sister living with us

Written by Fermin Washington

My sister just moved in with us. I don’t know what I was thinking offering my house to her. At the time, it seemed like the nice thing to do. She had just graduated college and didn’t want to move back in with my parents. I thought it would only be for a couple of months at the most. It will be a year next month and she is still here. How do you kick your own sister out? I know my husband is irritated at me and he has every right to be. I should have given her a time limit and I should kick her out, but I just can’t. Last week, I told her she needed to at least start contributing to the expenses. If she could take care of the gas bill, that would at least make my husband happy for a little. I told her to check out the different New York Energy Rates and have the bill changed over to her name. She needs to learn responsibility and I hope this will teach her something.

Chicken and Dumplings

Tonight, I was in the grocery store picking up food to make another meal on my list of things to cook. As I was picking up items from my list, my wife called me. She has been sick for a few days. She informed me that she wanted some chicken and dumplings. Since this was on my list of things to cook, I decided to make what was requested of me. I used some techniques that I've picked up over the last few months since starting this blog, to try to make a better flavor. I made this in my dutch oven that my wonderful wife got me for my birthday. This is what I created:

Chicken and Dumplings

1 large broiler-fryer chicken , cut up

2 celery ribs , sliced

4 carrots , peeled and sliced

1 medium onion , diced

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

salt
pepper
garlic powder

1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
water

Dumplings
2/3 cup milk
2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix

• Cut up the whole chicken. Learn how here. Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Season pieces with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Brown chicken in batches. Learn how here. Remove all chicken pieces from dutch oven and set aside. Deglaze the bottom with white wine and chicken broth.
• Add chicken, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, chicken bouillon to dutch oven. Add enough water until chicken is covered.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is done.
• Remove the chicken from dutch oven. Strain liquid into another large pan. DO NOT DISCARD the vegetables that you strained. Let stock cool in refrigerator until fat rises to the top. Skim as much fat as you can and discard. Remove chicken meat from bones and set aside.
• After fat is skimmed, return stock to dutch oven and bring to a boil.
• While stock is heating, mix the 2 cups Bisquick and 2/3 cup milk.
• Drop spoonfuls of dumpling mix into boiling stock and cook for 10 minutes.
• Carefully add chicken and vegetables back to stock.
• Lower heat, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy!

I've never really been a big fan of Chicken and Dumplings. Now I am. My wife has declared this to be her favorite thing that I have cooked. The smells that filled my apartment while this was cooking made our mouths water. The flavors were incredible and well worth the time and effort put into this dish.