Easy Chicken Stock

3 pounds bony chicken parts (necks, backs, and wings)

3 quarts cold water

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 ribs celery, including any leaves, cut into chunks

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

5-6 sprigs of parsley

1 Bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch of dried thyme

4 white peppercorns

2 teaspoons salt

          Put all ingredients in a small stock pot. Bring to a boil. Skim off any scum. Lower the heat to a simmer, and partially cover pot. Cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.

         Remove stock from heat and strain into another pan. Cool slightly. Can be kept in same pan or divided into smaller containers. Store in the refrigerator. When the stock is ready to use, skim off congealed fat. 

TIM'S NOTES: The original recipe calls for bony chicken parts, but any bone in chicken parts will also do. You can leave the skin on. The fat is skimmed off later.  I used a 3 pound whole chicken. Make sure to rinse chicken parts before putting in the pot. After I strained the stock into another pan, I placed the pot in the sink with some cold water, stirring occasionally, to help bring the temperature down quickly. You might have to change the water a couple of times, or you can even add ice to the water to speed up the cooling process.  The faster you can bring the temperature of the stock down, the better. When it was coolish, I divided the stock into two smaller containers before putting it in the refrigerator. This will also help the cooling process. The next day, I was able to skim off the congealed fat. I was expecting this to boil down some, but I probably ended up with 10-11 cups of stock. You can also use any colored peppercorns you may have on hand, rather than just white. I had black. If you do use chicken parts with meat, the meat will be spent, having given all of its flavor to the stock. You can just toss the meat out. I like to be frugal, so I saved the meat, and I might try to jazz it up to make a sandwich spread.

 Grandma's Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup soured milk

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted shortening

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

          Soak oatmeal in sour milk 1 hour; add egg and beat well. Add sugar and mix. Add cooled shortening. Add flour sifted with salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. Bake in greased muffin pans in hot oven (400°) 15-20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins. 

TIM'S NOTES:  To make soured milk, add 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measuring cup. Add enough milk to make one cup. Let sit 15 minutes. I think you can make these muffins with any kind of milk, soured or not. I made them with almond milk one time, and I didn't sour it. You might even try buttermilk in place of the sour milk if you have it. 

          I did not use melted shortening, but liquid shortening (canola oil). I also added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients before I sifted them. I also only made 10 muffins. I don't know about your oven, but 15-20 minutes is a long time to bake muffins (especially 12 small muffins!). 15 minutes worked fine for 10 slightly larger muffins. I also topped them with turbinado sugar before baking. The muffins have a very tender crumb and fall apart easily. They are not sturdy enough to support jelly or jam.

I made this gluten free by using King Arthur's Gluten Free Measure-for-Measure Flour, and they could be made vegan by using vegan egg product, and a plant-based milk like almond milk, et al.

Joni's Brownies

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

1cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

          Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter. Sift flour and other dry ingredients. Mix eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl. Stir in chopped nuts by hand if using. Bake in an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

                                                  Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies 

Mix in this order:

1 cup liquid shortening

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped nuts

2 packages or 14 ounces chocolate chips

2 cups old fashioned oats

          Drop by spoonful on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Tim's notes: Use whatever kind of nuts you want, but half pecans and half walnuts is a nice combo. To make the recipe gluten free, use your favorite gluten free baking mix. The nuts and oats provide extra support. I never did understand the 2 packages or 14ounces chocolate chips. Two packages would be too many. If you can buy chocolate chips in bulk, then buy about 14ounces. Otherwise one package and a little bit more since they come in 12 ounce packages. When you get down to adding the nuts, chocolate chips, and oats, you will have to mix by hand. The dough is quite stiff.

 Gluten Free Chocolate Coconut Cake

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large eggs

Large-flake coconut, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch square pan.

Stir together the coconut flour and baking powder, mixing to combine; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with the cocoa, stirring until well blended. Whisk the sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs into the butter cocoa mixture. Add the coconut flour and baking powder, whisking until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with coconut flakes, if using. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Bake the loaf or cake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean; 35-45 minutes for the loaf pan, 30-35 minutes for the square pan. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely. The cake is the easiest to slice when completely cool.  This cake will rise to 2/3 of the height of the loaf pan, giving it a moist dense texture.

Master Pizza Crust

(Makes dough for 2 pizzas. Measurements for half recipe in parenthesis)

(2 1/2 cups + 6 Tablespoons) 5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups all purpose flour  

(3/4 teaspoon) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

1 package fast acting or dry yeast

(1 cup) 2 cups water

(2 Tablespoons) olive oil or vegetable oil

          In a large bowl combine 2 cups (1 cup) flour, salt, and yeast. In a small saucepan, heat water and olive oil to 125 to 130 degrees. (Do not boil. Water should be hot, but still comfortable to the touch so as to not kill the yeast). Add to dry ingredients. Beat two minutes with electric mixer at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat two minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. With spoon, stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough (1 1/2 cups for half recipe). Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. (This is where you will use the other 6 Tablespoons of flour for the half recipe.)

          Cover; let rest 10 minutes (20 minutes for active dry yeast). Divide in half (if making double recipe). Shape and bake. Freeze remaining half.

To freeze pizza dough: Wrap air tight in double thickness of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months.  Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Use as directed.

To make pizza: Roll out dough to fit size of pan. I usually use a 10 x 15 inch baking sheet. Transfer dough to greased pan. Build up edges slightly.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread tomato sauce or pizza sauce over hot crust. Sprinkle meat (cooked, if meat like sausage, hamburger, etc.) vegetables,  and cheese atop.  Return to the 425 degree oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly.

Tim's Notes: For regular or half recipe use one package of yeast. This recipe is not gluten free as of yet.

 Grandma Ethel's Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons sour milk*

3 bananas, mashed

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

* To make sour milk: Add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice plus enough milk to make one cup.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour one large loaf pan

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and beat well. Add sour milk and beat well. Add mashed bananas.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to the batter. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Makes one loaf.

Tim's Notes: This was one of my grandmother's favorite recipes. She used to have a couple of loaves of this bread in her freezer at all times and gave it away for holidays and birthdays. Is it sacrilege that I also like to add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans? I think this makes it ever so much better! I think Grandma Ethel would be all for that.

To toast pecans, place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully! I bake about 3 minutes, shake and bake 2 minutes more if needed.  Let cool and chop if needed. I buy pecan pieces because they are cheaper and need less chopping.

Banana ripeness should be to taste.  My grandma liked them when the skins were black.  Indeed, many recipes suggest this.  The riper he banana, the better. I prefer the bananas when they have spots, and the spots are just beginning to touch.

At this time, I have not been successful in translating this recipe to gluten free. Please feel free to experiment! I will eventually figure it out but haven't spent a lot of time working on it at the moment.