My Story
A Chicken in Every Pot!

At least once a week (usually on a Sunday when I have the time) I will roast a chicken, as I can easily find them on sale. In my part of the country (the Midwest) , I pay about $5.00 for a 4-5 pound roasting hen, usually less with coupons or a store super-special. I have a family of three, but on Sunday I am usually feeding six counting a divorced brother and two nephews...whom I love dearly, and are always welcome!

That chicken feeds us for at least 2 more meals (for the remaining three of us).

Chicken and Tomotoes photo from Shutterstock

1. The Roasted Chicken: I serve corn, peas or carrots and baked potatoes and some homemade bread. The kids like the drumsticks or a thigh, and the adults take a small portion of breast meat. Whatever is left over is taken off the bone, and the skin and bones are boiled with an onion and whatever other veggies I have to make a stock. There is an amazing amount of meat on a chicken once you get the hang of finding it all. Don't be shy...pick those bones clean!
   
   
2. The Soup: This stock becomes chicken noodle soup, with a little of the meat chopped and added. I add carrots, celery, salt and pepper, a little garlic and lots of egg noodles! Serve with crusty bread and it is a satisfying meal.
   
   
3. The Leftovers: The meat that did not go into the soup is chopped and added to a casserole, or made into chicken salad for lunches ("stretched" with chopped celery and a chopped apple and raisins or nuts), or I add it to your basic macaroni salad if it's hot, and we don't want a heavy meal.

See? That one little chicken goes a L-O-N-G way! My nephews always compliment me by saying I am the best cook in the family! Little do they know that I am really the cheapest!

Note: I do not feed my family red meat, for health and moral reasons. A chicken is a treat for them, as we usually eat vegetarian fare, not because we are fanatics, but because it's cheaper and healthier to eat less meat. I do most of the cooking, so what I say goes...in the kitchen anyway! I thought this would help those that do eat a meat-based diet get more for their money.

My Story is a regular feature of The Dollar Stretcher. If you have information that can help others save time or money please send it to gary@stretcher.com with "My Story" as the subject.

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