What to do with that cooked chicken

Yesterday I cooked a chicken straight from the farm. I was undecided what I was going to do with the chicken but knew it was going to involve more than one project. I let the chicken cool overnight in the refrigerator still in the pot I cooked it in. I have found this process allows me to get the best tasting stock. For those of you who do not know, we buy all our meat from a local ranch, Livestock First Ranch. Taylor is the most humble and genuine person I have ever met. I feel good buying my meat from him. Check out his website http://livestockfirstranch.squarespace.com/ You can catch Taylor at the Coppell Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Back to this chicken. Sarah Beth is not a fan of chicken and dumplings, however myself and all my friends are. Sarah Beth wanted chicken soup and made her request as she ran out the door to catch the school bus. So the solution was to divide the chicken and stock into two pots; one for chicken soup and one for chicken and dumplings. Sarah and I had picked up fresh corn, celery, carrots, mushrooms and turmeric from the Coppell Farmers Market. If you are local to the DFW area, you should really check out this farmers market. You can find them here: http://www.coppellfarmersmarket.org/ Both are on the stove cooking as I write this. I have made homemade egg noodles and biscuits for the dumplings. They are sitting patiently by waiting to be dumped into this wonderful smelling stock.

Now you may be thinking this whole project seems like it has taken hours upon hours of my time. However, Sarah and I decided to time the actual steps to making these two great meals. My actual time including prep time was less than 30 minutes. I did not include the time the pots actually sit on the stove since I am able to turn it down low and complete many other tasks. Not a lot of time to devote to making a fresh home cooked meal for your family. My costs? $4.50 for the soup and $4.90 for the chicken and dumplings. Both will serve 6-8 people. You won't find that kind of deal at McDonald's. The most important benefit of this wonderful meal is not only am I feeding my family a healthy meal but my house smells so good right now that the neighbor dogs are lined up outside waiting for scraps. I too can't wait for dinner. Now what to cook for dessert. Any ideas? Post them below.