DinDin

Today was certainly the UTMOST EPITOME of the phrase “slaving over a hot stove”. First, I made “Whole Wheat Zucchini Herb Bread” dough in the bread machine, then I took it out of the machine to form a loaf, and found that it had fallen upon opening the lid. BUMMER. So I grabbed at it and finally got all that super sticky (not enough flour in that recipe) mess out and onto a WELL floured surface for further incorporation of flour in order for this pain in the butt loaf to work out. Instead of my usual loaf on the cookie sheet routine, I was forced to use a glass loaf pan, and you know what? I lived through it-and so did the loaf! YAY.

I set that loaf to rise while I put a batch of cupcakes in the oven. When the cupcakes were out and cooling, I put the wheat loaf in to rise for a while in the warm oven. I was so careful not to shout or jump because I was sure it would just fall and break my heart. I finally baked it and found that it worked out. Phew. What a pain in the butt!

I put a sourdough loaf in the bread machine to form dough while I took a defrosted “fryer” chicken and stripped it of bones, skin fat and dignity and then made tenders out of the breasts and thighs. Of course, I was forced to leave the wings and drumsticks in tact. I’m not a miracle worker… I dredged them in an egg and milk mixture and then into a mix of parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and French fried onions. Those baked in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, I put the neck and back pieces of the chicken, into water with salt, dehydrated carrots and onions and basil and let that boil and then simmer most of the day.

 By this time, my sourdough was ready for forming and rising, so I made good use of the warm kitchen and it rose beautifully. I cut up a bunch of red potatoes to boil while the chicken cooked and the bread rose. The potatoes received melted butter and parsley upon completion. With a bit of garlic salt, after being plated.

The chicken came out of the oven a few minutes before the potatoes were done and then the bread went right into the oven to cook for 35 minutes, while we ate dinner.

After dinner, I took the bread out of the oven and the oven was finally given a rest! Poor thing was working all day. On it’s feet! (well, I was on my feet and by this time my dogs were BARKING!).

Before I washed up all the dishes, I discarded the neck and back bone of the chicken I had set to make stock. I took a quart sized jar with a funnel and held a strainer over that. I poured the stock through the strainer right down the funnel and into the jar. No mess. No stress. It was simply magical! I washed up the dishes and got off my sore feet!

You know what I love? (and actually I knew I loved this, which is mostly why I loved that book Cleaving, by Julie Powell) I love pulling the skin and bones from chicken. I love working with raw chicken. Some people cant do it. I just really enjoy it. Weird, huh? I love making something clumpy into something smooth.