I seriously miss cooking.

I haven't had much access to a kitchen since hopping around Australia, so I actually look forward to getting to do it again.

Not to say that I am actually any GOOD at it, but it is definitely something I enjoy doing.

You wouldn't think it, though, considering that when I AM cooking it is usually accompanied by me mumbling like a mad woman and sweating like a whore in church while I attempt to put things together in a way that will result in something SOMEWHAT appetizing with what I have on hand.
Occasionally you'll hear the unmistakable sound of some kind of mishap followed by fervent swearing and a:

"It's fine... I'm fine."

I would say that about 90% of the time I leave the kitchen with something that at least passes as food.

The other 10%... we don't talk about. We throw that in the yard and pretend it never happened.

"What's for dinner?"

"Disappointment and apathy. Also, cereal."

I do, however, have some recipes up my sleeve that sometimes impresses. In fact, I was once told that I make Spanikopita like "an old Greek woman" BY an old Greek woman. That is a compliment (and personally altered recipe) that I hold close to my heart and will defend to my death.

Sorry, I won't give that one up. But I will give you the recipes for my favourite soups! I've spent a long time tweaking them while on a pretty tight budget and the end result was a very quiet meal. (Usually when you hear nothing but spoons, that is a good sign!)

But, I will give you one of my other favorites! It is cheap, somewhat fast, and will literally feed an army. If you don't want leftovers, you might want to half the recipe.

It is definitely a southern comfort food!

There are a lot of recipes out there for it, but this one is mine! It came to be while I was wandering around the kitchen and raiding the cabinets to see what we had around that I could make into a meal.

It doesn't look like much, but goddamn, it is tasty.

Stitchy's Chicken 'N' Dumplin's

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You will need:

• Large stock pot
• 5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup/ 1 can milk
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup/ 1 can milk
• 2 tablespoons chicken bullion (I use the Spanish knorr brand, this is also an optional ingredient)
• 1 tablespoon condensed creme de leche milk (also optional)
• Cracked black pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1 can of peas (or mixed veggies if you want more of a chicken pot pie feel)
• 2 cans of biscuits (you can also use drop biscuits)

Fill a large stock pot about half way with water to cover thawed chicken breasts.

Boil until chicken is fully cooked, making sure to skim the rendered fat out of the water as it cooks and discard. (Or save for roux bases/gravy.)

Remove chicken and turn down heat. Shred or chunk chicken to your preference and return to the pot.

Add soups, milk, peas, and turn to medium high heat, stirring occasionally until soups blend. At this point you can taste and season as needed (and decide if you wish to add bullion or condensed milk).

I usually let the soup cook right below boiling for about 2 hours so everything marries.

Cut biscuits into very small pieces or prepare your drop batter.

At this point, get your soup to boiling before adding the dumplings. (If the soup is too thin, you can mix all purpose flour or cornstarch with a small amount of water into a paste and add to the center of the boiling pot, stirring until desired thickness is acquired, but the biscuits WILL add some thickness to the soup)

Add all the biscuit pieces, stirring to make room, and cover the pot. Allow it to cook on boil for about another 5-7 minutes or until dumplings are firm.

Serve up, and enjoy the silence of the ensuing food coma!

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If you try it, let me know what you think!

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gif credit to Giphy!