This morning, while I was walking four miles with Leslie Sansone, in the big room, while dodging our big, sleeping dogs, lying on the floor, I decided to use up my leftover chicken, from last Saturday, and try for the very first time, to make chicken and dumplings. For backup, in case the dumplings didn't turn out good, I also decided to bake a pan of Jiffy Corn Muffins and warm up the delicious pot of nine different organic beans, that Kris and Jim gave to me, because Tony, Brandon and I love beans and cornbread.
When I was done walking I started preparing lunch and within fifteen minutes, the muffins were baking in the oven, the beans were warming up and the garlic chicken and broth were waiting for me to add the homemade dumplings, which I had no idea how to make. So I got on the Internet and started Googling Chicken & Dumpling recipes.
After spending about ten minutes checking out different recipes, I found one that claimed it was the fastest and easiest way to make chicken and dumplings, so I chose that one. The directions for making these dumplings required mixing flour, baking powder, salt, softened butter and milk and then stirring it with a fork for a couple of minutes, before pinching tablespoon-sized-balls off and dropping them into the simmering chicken pot.
While I was dropping these sticky, little dough balls into the pot, Brandon and Tony came inside The Cabin. "What are you doing?" Tony asked. "I thought you said that we were having beans and cornbread for lunch."
"We are for backup," I said. "I decided to use our leftover chicken and try to make chicken and dumplings. And Brandon, if the dumplings turn out bad, you do not have to eat them, because I am sure our dogs will love them."
"Yes, ma'am," Brandon said. "I love chicken and dumplings and I'm sure your dumplings will be delicious."
Time marched on for about twelve minutes to let my dumplings cook, then it was time for us to eat. When I removed the lid and looked into the chicken and dumpling pot, my dumplings had nearly tripled in size, so I grabbed three bowls and filled them with chicken and giant dumplings. "Brandon, remember that you do not have to eat this if it tastes bad. Tony! Lunch is ready."
When Tony came into the kitchen he looked at the steaming hot bowls filled with chicken and chunky dumplings. Then he said, "I think I'm gonna eat the beans and cornbread first."
I laughed at Tony's remark and said, "That's so you can tell me that you're already full, so you won't have to eat my chicken and dumplings." He and Brandon started laughing.
For the record, let's just say that today's lunch could have been better without Cousin Nancy's Chicken & Dumplings. When I took my first bite out of a gigantic, Texas-sized dumpling—it was totally tasteless. "Brandon, the dumplings suck," I said, after I swallowed a drink of water to help wash it down. Then I started laughing, as I watched Brandon nervously put a humongous dumpling into his mouth and try to chew it, and I wish you could have seen the look on his face, as he smiled at me and swallowed it.
"It's good, Nancy," Brandon lied. "I'll call Mom and get my mama to give you her chicken and dumpling recipe. It's really delicious." Then Tony walked back into the big room carrying his empty plate.
"Okay, now I'm ready to try your chicken and dumplings," Tony said, as he grabbed a spoon and placed it into his bowl of bold dumplings. Then he went back down the hallway to eat it, as Brandon and I chuckled about it.
"Brandon, I am going to give the chicken and dumplings to our dogs, because they love my cooking, but first I want to take a picture of the worst chicken and dumplings ever made." Then I took a round dish out of the dishwasher, which hasn't worked for over ten years, because that is where I store my extra pots and pans. Then I poured my latest recipe into the dish, along with Brandon's and my full bowls and took this picture. And please note: Those three large lumps that are about the size of a chicken breast are actually my dumplings.
Right after I took this picture, Tony walked into the big room, carrying a full bowl of my chicken and dumplings. "Sorry Nance, I like your chicken and dumplings, but I am really full." Brandon and I started laughing.
"We couldn't eat it either," I teased. "But it wasn't because we were full. I'm going to feed it to our dogs." Then I put all of our dogs outside and only let Roy come back inside. I filled up my bowl and put it on the floor, so Roy could enjoy eating it, but Roy hesitated to eat it, something he has never done before, which made Brandon and me laugh as we watched him. It took him about three minutes before Roy finally had licked the bowl clean. Then it was Mama's turn to come inside and she did the exact same thing as Roy did and by the time everyone had reluctantly eaten their bowl of Cousin Nancy's Chicken & Dumplings, they all wanted to go outside, because I guess they thought I was punishing them for something. Seriously, those dumplings were so bad that I bet if I had thrown them into the trash can and had purposefully left the lid off, Roy would not attempt to get them out of the trash.
Around 2:15, I checked my Nike+ Fuel band that I wear daily, and I had still not hit my daily goal, so I decided to walk another four miles with Leslie and when I had finished walking four more miles, I had surpassed my daily goal big time. Now I plan to start writing. And that is about it for today.
P.S. The litter of yellow Lab puppies will be coming next Saturday, not today as planned, because they are not totally weaned yet. And the good news is—they already have homes waiting for them.
Y'all have a great evening!
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