Spring, Yes Indeed!

The balmy weather of this weekend has proved that spring has arrived.
Here is more proof.

Love That Girl

I have a busy couple of weeks coming up so the other day I wrote myself a must do list (I am a list girl, always have been) Whilst sitting at the hairdressers I pulled the list out to read. I discovered there had been some ammedments by Ella.



Nothing like kids to keep you focussed on the important things in life.

MUST HAVE FUN!

Good Bones

Last year we discovered that Edward was allergic to dairy and salicylates. They have been tricky allergies to deal with, but after a year, I have wrapped my head around them. One of the many things he cannot eat is commercial stock. And so I have started making my own, something I have always thought complicated and messy. I always thought you had to use a whole, fresh chook and I considered it messy to get all that meat off and not sure what how to use it afterwards. I have since leant that a roasted chicken carcass can be used. We enjoy roast chook pretty often. The next day, I put the carcass in a pot with some salt, an onion, parsnip, celery (I use the leafy ends, and not the edible part) and fill with water. You could add herbs or a carrot, but I don't, for Eddie's sake. I simmer this for about four hours. Then I strain, refridgerate, bag (two cups lots into a ziplock bag) and freeze flat. It is so lovely to have homemade stock and so much easier than I thought.



What I have also dicovered this winter is the benefits of cooking with bones. When it comes to chicken I have always had a tendency to use the breast or thigh cuts, the easy and quick option. Lately though, I have been buying marylands. These are a cheaper cut with more meat than a drumstick and the lovely flavour from the bones. I don't own a slow cooker but have found that my oven set at 160' is just as good. The flavour from this cut of meat is just great.

I have also learnt that the old rememdy of chicken soup, gains it health giving properties from the bones. The components of them, slow cooked over hours are why chicken soup is beleived to be so therapuetic. When Kate was sick recently, I once again bought the marylands, and simmered them in a pot with some finely diced vegetables, lots of garlic and a couple of handfuls of basmati rice for about four hours. The rice completely dissintegrated and the chicken shredded right off the bones, which I fished out at the end. Delicious, even for those of us who weren't sick. I fed her a few spoon fulls every hour.

I can assure you that the beautiful flavours and the therapuetic benefits of cooking with bones are all well worth the effort.

Spring

Outside my window.