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I eat more than my share of packaged/premade foods, but there are just some things that must be made from scratch. Over the fold is one of my favorites...
Chicken soup. Rich broth with chicken, parsnips, potatoes and carrots, and you know what? With a little bit of preparation on a day when I don't mind being near the kitchen, I can have this with almost no effort at all. And you can too :-).
The most intensive step is making the chicken stock. It's worth it to make your own... try this just once, and you will never go back to store-bought broth.
Next time you see chicken on sale - our local store sometimes gets as low as $0.69/lb - buy as much as you can easily transport home. I usually pick up between 15-20lbs at a time and make the stock in two or three large stockpots. I like either whole chickens or split breasts plus backs/wings/legs for richer flavor. If you have breast meat, cut it off and freeze it; it doesn't add a lot of flavor to the stock but is expensive to buy separately and can be used later for the soup or other purposes. Put everything else into the stock pot(s) and cover with water.
Bring to a boil, and skim off any greyish "scum" you see floating on top. Then let it all simmer for as long as you have time. We usually let it go for 4-5 hours, until the bones are all but disintegrated. This is what makes for a rich, luxurious stock. Next, strain it through a colander and taste it to decide if it is the strength you want for final use. We then put it into a container and refrigerate overnight, then the next day remove the layer of chicken fat and store it in a jar in the refrigerator to use when needed. We then bring the stock (which should be nicely congealed thanks to all that collagen!) to a boil and concentrate it down to a 2x or 3x concentration, ladle into clean jars, and freeze after they cool. This way we can make a huge batch at a time without filling the entire freezer!
To make soup we take a jar or two of stock, thaw it, and simply chop up whatever vegetables we want/have on hand, add chicken, and cook until it's done. That's all there is to it!
So - got any good from-scratch recipes or techniques? What's on your Packaged Varieties Need Not Apply list?
Here at Top comments we'll take your nominations fresh off the stove or out of the package, as long as you send them in! Let's see what we've got tonite...
From JanF:
In today's excellent Morning Feature by Caractucus, a discussion of Alan Greenspan and republican strategists elicited this superb analysis by Orinoco.
From carolita:
Cthulhu concisely -- and correctly -- explains the difference between the Taliban and rightwing extremists in the US in Jeff Huber's brilliant McChrystal's Myth.
From Pandoras Box:
Really excellent comment by WIds in CaseyAaronSmith's diary Feminism is The Most Destructive Force in Society. At first I thought "troll!" but was disabused of that immediately to discover a TRULY top comment! :p
From Dem in the Heart of Texas:
In Vann's diary about his role as the software developer of the Faceboook Polls application, wanderindiana started a thread by asking about media inquiry into the poll scandal. Following Vann's response, I indulged in a short rant about what passes for investigative journalism these days, and IreGyre wrote a fantastic reply that is a definite top comment. It's ideal to start reading from the initial question, but the top comment can also stand alone just fine!
From MinistryOfTruth
By ontheleftcoast in Yosef 52's diary today, a TOP COMMENT highlighting wingnut stupidity and fact denial at Sarah Failin's expense, the triple crown of Comment WIN!
From sardonyx:
dotalbon acknowledges the creditable work of the late William Safire, but points out a major blind spot.
poemless presents a paean to the Olympics.
Corporate Dog finds a basic limitation in the thinking abilities of Congressman Trent Franks. Beyond the fact that he's a Republican, that is.
Haningchadus14 has a vivid explanation for why so many people took so badly today's long-expected rejection of the Public Option by the Senate Finance Committee in Newsie8200's diary Let's FREAK OUT over news that is NOT breaking!!!
Former lurker and proud West Virginian JAWVMM joined Daily Kos and waited the requisite 24 hours in order to post this comment on bigotry in Hill Jill's Sunday diary, Some Background into Appalachian American's suspicion of Government.
Your Humble Diarist made a list of several comments to include, thought she was safe that way, then put off the diary until a bit too late. Then discovered that all three were nominated by others! Here.. have some more soup while I blush furiously!
Top Mojo is one of those times when using a prepared mix is best.. in this case the mojo-to-excel magic of cskendrick/sardonyx. I sprinkled it with a bit of powdered sugar and baked until golden brown and delicious!
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding tip jars, first comments and stuff:
1) Obama the Slacker by JekyllnHyde — 248
2) Yes by Vann — 179
3) Yes by Vann — 160
4) So freakin' wonderful! by 57andFemale — 150
5) OBAMA STOLE A CHINESE BABY... by DeanDemocrat — 135
6) Nope by Vann — 134
7) Oh my by Delilah — 131
8) You forgot the quotiation marks around by RFK Lives — 131
9) Bush sents BILLIONS overseas and KILLED by xxdr zombiexx — 114
10) My foot to Reid's ass, STAT by MinistryOfTruth — 109
11) My reply by miasmo — 108
12) Saw the Michael Moore movie last night . . . by nyceve — 104
13) I can't by Vann — 93
14) No comment by Vann — 90
15) one last follow up re the media by wanderindiana — 90
16) Please DO NOT call and scream at his staff! Call by Angie in WA State — 89
17) Hey by Vann — 86
18) How lucky for us... by JaxDem — 81
19) Uncalled for. by pico — 80
20) Foreign aid to countries who allow birth by nupstateny — 80
21) what does that say about the by Dem in the heart of Texas — 79
22) Within 2 votes... by stlkaper — 76
23) Well, jeez, Harry... by deliciae — 76
24) Last night by NLinStPaul — 74
25) also by wanderindiana — 74
26) Please think of the little fellow human beings! by Corporate Dog — 72
27) Keith is with his father who is very ill by KS 65 woman — 71
28) Reid still needs to put PO on the table by SemDem — 71
29) Love your last sentence, 57. by Shelley99 — 70
30) You seem to be pretty ignorant about by pico — 69
31) I think he's referring to the by Vita Brevis — 69
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions, aka the Tip Jar list :-):
1) Tip Jar by blackwaterdog — 655
2) Tip Jar by ChicagoSwan — 572
3) Tip Jar by Vann — 532
4) Tip Jar by The Bagof Health and Politics — 425
5) Tip Jar by Newsie8200 — 367
6) Tip Jar by Michael Moore — 345
7) Tip Jar by ProfJonathan — 314
8) Obama the Slacker by JekyllnHyde — 248
9) Tip Jar by Stephanie Taylor — 246
10) Tip Jar by Dem in the heart of Texas — 229
11) PLEASE, Senators? by buhdydharma — 226
12) Tip Jar by Jeff Huber — 222
13) Tip Jar by nyceve — 205
14) Yes by Vann — 179
15) Tip Jar by math4barack — 164
16) Yes by Vann — 160
17) Tip Jar by Jesselyn Radack — 154
18) So freakin' wonderful! by 57andFemale — 150
19) OBAMA STOLE A CHINESE BABY... by DeanDemocrat — 135
20) Nope by Vann — 134
21) Oh my by Delilah — 131
22) You forgot the quotiation marks around by RFK Lives — 131
23) Tip Jar by Hill Jill — 129
24) Tip Jar by TomP — 119
25) Bush sents BILLIONS overseas and KILLED by xxdr zombiexx — 114
26) My foot to Reid's ass, STAT by MinistryOfTruth — 109
27) My reply by miasmo — 108
28) Tip Jar by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 105
29) Saw the Michael Moore movie last night . . . by nyceve — 104
30) I can't by Vann — 93