Okay, so we’ve made our chicken, we have this carcass and giblets sitting there and a kitchen to clean. You’re wondering what the hell Michelle has gotten you into right? Fear not, here we go. Meal #2 is a nice hearty soup and you’re gonna make it from scratch! No stock, no bullion cubes, none of that pre made crap! Know why? Because YOU CAN COOK and you don’t need that stuff!

Get your Crock pot out, and add some water, salt, thyme a few carrots broken in half (no need to peel them because they are just to make stock), one onion cut into chunks (not small chopped, big chunks), take that package of giblets and open it up, throw those parts in the water (ewww, yeah I know, just do it). Now take your chicken carcass (bones, skeleton, guts.. what ever you wish to call it) and place that in the crock pot. Cover with water. Now if you have some white wine you wish to add, go for it. I use just water. Put your crock pot on low, clean your kitchen, enjoy your night and go to bed.

If you don’t have a crock pot, you will do everything I just mentioned in the morning. You won’t be able to leave it and forget it. You will have to watch it, and cook it for a few hours, but these are still the basics.

When morning rolls around you are going to take your cloves of garlic and drizzle them with olive oil in a small oven safe dish, cover with foil and bake in 400°F oven for 40 minutes or until soft.

While your garlic is roasting, get out your colander and a large pot (okay this step is a bit of a pain, but its worth while). Take your pot holders, and strain your stock into the large pot through the colander. Place the colander with all of the bones and veggies in the sink. Pour stock back into the crock pot and continue on low.

Dice onions, slice carrots and toss into your stock. Saute baby bellas in a bit of oilve oil until golden, then toss that into your stock. Take last night’s chicken left overs and toss those into your stock, and add 2 cups of quinoa.

Grab your roasted garlic from the oven and mash it with a fork. Scrape that into your stock. Add 1 package frozen chopped spinach.  ADD SALT (remember you are not using bullion cubes or store bought broth, so you have to season your stock. don’t be afraid of the salt). Add more Thyme, and some pepper. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

NOW….. that colindar of bones in your sink…you have two choices here. You can either toss it all and call it a day, or you can pick out the meat that was left on those bones and add it to your soup. I pick the meat. I have a family of 6 and a little bit goes a long way. So waste not want not is my motto. I let that cool down, then I pick pick pick, and toss toss toss. Lots of bones and skin that goes in the trash, but there is a  lot of meat as well.

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There are so many people who are completely intimidated by the thought of cooking a meal. You don’t have to buy everything pre-made.  There is a certain amount of pride that comes with owning my kitchen. My children are now starting to get their hands into cooking and I love it. I don’t want them to feel that everything needs to come from a box or a can. And at the same time, the occasional frozen veg, budget friendly indulgence isn’t going to kill us.

In my opinion, home made is always better on the palate than store bought. I can bend and twist it to my every whim. Doctor it up here and there. And as you saw above, I don’t follow recipes. I am a toss this, throw that kinda gal. But my meals are tasty and they are healthy.

YOU can do this too! I know you can! I hope you give it a try. If you are scared of the kitchen, let cooking a great meal be one of your goals. Once you do it, you won’t quit!

Love your kitchen and it will love you back.

Michelle