Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Suited Up ~ One Roasted Chicken


Okay, Mama Pea said she wanted "picture proof."  

Here it is:


I'm not moving very fast in all the get-up either, but it is keeping me warm and well covered.  I just have to be careful when walking.  Hubby's old carharrt is a bit long for me (oddly).  I had a problem with steaming up my sunglasses, but that morning sun was piercing my eyeballs yesterday.  I am thankful for it (sunshine), so no complaints. I wear Hubby's hat over the face mask in colder weather too.


Want to know how far one roasted chicken stretched for us?

Normally, one home raised, roasted chicken lasts about two days around here.  However, with Son gone (and oldest Daughter gone more often), we have more leftovers.


Meal 1:  Roasted Chicken, Potatoes and Carrots

Meal 2:  Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Meal 3:  Potato and Chicken Breakfast Hash

Meal 4:  Chicken Noodle Soup

 Meal 5:  Mashed Potato and Carrot Breakfast Patties



The patties could be jazzed up with some peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers, onions....anything really.  I simply mashed the cooked potatoes and carrots together and fried them in non-gmo oil.  A little salt and pepper can make anything tasty too.  Most of those meals listed included greens and other sides too.

After I wrote everything down that we made, I was quite surprised at how far one chicken had stretched.  The recap was nice to see.

It makes you wonder if the pioneers ever got tired of beans and salt pork (and eggs)?  I bet they didn't.  I bet they were glad to get a meal.   



We are to warm up today (25°F), so we'll be restocking our wood supply.  It's a bit low today....only 67 days until spring.

12 comments:

Kim said...

67 days and counting! I love left overs and make do meals.

Mama Pea said...

But you cheated with that scarf for style and color! (Hee-hee.) I really need to locate some coveralls that will fit me. Hubby wears them all the time and couldn't survive without them. But I'm long in the torso and short in the legs so it's hard to find a good fit.

We can make one chicken go even farther than you do . . . but remember there are only the two of us! :o] We tend to use meat more for flavoring dishes and that sure does help economically.

P.S. I want to come eat at your house. Your food pictures always appeal to me. Yum!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Kim, I always like to see what you are baking and cooking at your house.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, I laughed at your scarf comment. I actually crocheted it many years ago, but have not crocheted my own had. I keep borrowing one of Hubby's hats. Thanks for the comments on my food photos. The carrot and potato patties were a last minute idea, but very good.

Carolyn said...

Wow. I guess we're a bunch of porkers....we're lucky to get three meals out of a chicken dinner. Roasted chicken dinner Day 1, Chicken salad Day 2 (but for both lunch & supper) and Chicken soup Day 3. Although Rhiannon does tend to eat like a 13 year old boy when it comes to chicken.
Luckily the worst of our cold snap is gone and I just have to don the "normal" winter jacket and gloves now. Still don't like it though.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Carolyn, many of the girls here don't eat much meat (unless it's homemade sloppy joes, ha ha). We are about to get some snow, so I hope it warms up even more.

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

You look so ready for whatever is coming your way!
SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!
all those chicken meals sound delish, too.
I have stretched a chicken like that, I agree with MamaPea-- a little flavor is all you need really.
If I make too much, the Honey gets sick of left overs. So a little bit goes further (?) or at least gets eaten not wasted.

Sandra said...

That's quite a few meals from one chicken :)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Pat, I laughed at the thought of a snowball fight. I haven't done that in years.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sandra, I've made shredded chicken sandwiches too (without crackers). Yum.

RB said...

Was looking at that picture all dressed up toting water, and was thinking about the time I got all that on, I'd have to go to the bathroom. LOL

Did good stretching that chicken. I bet the pioneers were good at stretching meat and reusing leftovers too. Have been doing A bit of that myself.

We had a roast beef and mashed tatties with fresh mushroom gravy for dinner last Wednesday night cause I didn't work. Thursday night I worked, so we just had ham sandwiches for dinner. Friday, I shredded the leftover beef added it to the leftover mushroom gravy, added some steamed potato and carrot chunks and a cup of small peas, and called it "stew". I got called into work again Saturday, so Sunday, I added sour cream to the "stew," renamed it "stroganoff" and served it over broad egg noodles. Tonight I took the leftover "stroganoff", loaded it into biscuit cups (biscuits mashed flat and pressed into the bottom and sides of muffin tin) baked it off, topped it with a bit of cheese and am calling it "beef pot pie". There's still a little left, and I'm thinking we'll have that over rice. Yum!!!

And during all this, we whined cause in the beginning, I could've made our favorite dish if I'd thought of it, which is frizzled beef with creamed gravy over biscuits, where you shred the leftover beef, toss it in salt and pepper, and fry it up in butter until extra crispy. Then make sawmill gravy (butter, flour, milk, salt & pepper) in a separate pan, put the frizzled beef over a biscuit, top with gravy, and yum!!! But ya have to do all that before you make stew out of it, and I didn't think of it soon enough. Maybe next time.

I'm still thinking we stretched that cow pretty far without tiring of it. Could even have saved part of the shredded beef in the beginning, warmed it up in some tomato sauce and poured it over cooked macaroni which we call Slumgullion. Good stuff!!!

God bless.

RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, I love your ideas you used for the beef. Those are some really good ideas. Thanks.