Chicken 'n' Dumplings (Gluten free!)

'Nothing like warm comfort food on a winter day — that won't make you feel bad, later. It took me several tries, but I finally figured out how to make the dumplings with rice flour (my earlier versions were, shall we say, "sturdy").

Measures are approximate (I used a little less for the amount of broth I had). Makes two servings.


2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cooked chicken
3/4 cup white rice flour
1 level tsp baking soda
1 level tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk


Bring broth and chicken to boil in a pot (large saucepan) over medium heat. Mix rice flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add milk and stir with a fork. Add a little more flour or a little more milk, if needed, to get a thick dough (hint: let it stand for a minute and it will thicken). Using the fork and a spoon, drop spoonfuls of dough into the boiling broth. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir, turning all the dumplings over once. Cover and simmer again for 15-20 minutes, until dumplings are done all the way through. (You might have to test one. Careful, it's hot.) Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Here's a great way to finish up those late tomatoes — fried green tomatoes!

• Just slice 'em up and throw them in a paper bag with some cornmeal. 
• Pour just enough oil to cover the bottom of the frying pan, and let it come to a low sizzle (on my glass-top stove, that's a 5 setting for starters and I have to move it back to 3 as I cook). 
• Close the bag and shake it up. Place each slice in the oil and let them get golden brown, turning them once to get the other side. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

(And here's where I shake up the recipe with an idea from a fancy-schmancy restaurant in Thomasville)

•  While they're still hot, put a small slice of aged cheese (like parmesan) on each tomato slice, and a dab (about a teaspoon) of italian sauce on top of that. You don't want to pour sauce all over because it'll drown out the other good flavours. 

Ta-Da! Sorry, I was getting hungry and forgot to take a picture of the final product. Trust me, it was yummy!

Bounty

I've been blessed with a bounty of vegetables this summer.

I kind of cheated; I joined a farm co-op.

I had to invest up front, something we seem reluctant to do when on a tight budget. Now I go pick up a bag of produce every Tuesday. For a busy single (who left the country right after the second bag), fresh, healthy food is a rare pleasure. But it's been a challenge getting it all cooked before it goes bad.

So far, so very good. If I have to run out of town, I share a few things with my sister or cousin. The rare nights I'm home, I've been trying new recipes. I've even got a few bags put up in the freezer!

Pulling the Plug

Last week I finally did it — I cancelled my home internet.

I've been thinking about it for a while. I haven't had cable TV in years. I have internet at the bookshop, but the home internet has become my entertainment; mostly social networking and watching movies on Netflix. I occasionally blog and freelance, too.

As the budget kept getting tighter I thought, what else can I cut? In June I cancelled Netflix. With extra part-time jobs that month, I was too busy to miss it.

Two things pushed me over the edge. First, I joined Pinterest. I liked it. It's a fun diversion with lots of pretty pictures, a little like playing a mindless video game while interacting with online friends. But it's a time-sink, the wormhole of attention deficit. One night I'd planned to clean house during the few free hours I had all week. Next thing I know, it's after bed-time and I'm still on the computer.

Second, I read in this post by Joshua Fields Millburn that he cancelled his home internet. Lightbulb moment — Joshua's a professional blogger, and he has no internet at home. Do you know what that means? That means he has a quitting time. I don't have a quitting time.

So I "pulled the plug." It cost the equivalent of one month's bill to keep my e-mail service for the whole year, and a frustrating, 40-minute phone call. I'm hoping for more productive or peaceful evenings, and come next month, there will be one less bill to pay.

Here we go!

Hi from Gwen!

Hi!  This is Gwen, the "most experienced" (translation:  "oldest") of the sisters and cousins who make up the Farmer's Granddaughters. Just making a short post to see how all of this works.  Hope you will enjoy reading what we have to share!