Marmee's Chicken and Rice

1 small fryer chicken, about 3-4 lbs
2 cups rice, dry
Salt and pepper

Rinse chicken and remove all giblets. Place in large pot. Fill with water almost to top of pot. Make sure the cavity of the bird is filled with water. Add salt and pepper. Start with about 1/2 tsp of salt and add more if needed.
Bring pot to a boil, then turn down to a low boil for 25 minutes. Flip the bird over carefully and boil an additional 20 minutes.
Very carefully remove chicken from the pot, allowing groth to escapee the cavity. Set aside and let cool.
Defat the broth.  Place in a heat resistant bowl and use defatting cup. Then pour broth through strainer bac into the pot. Bring to a good boil.
Add rice. Cook 25 minutes, uncovered. Stir continually. Add water if it becomes too thick.
While the rice cooks, pull chicken off the bone and add back into the pot dring last five minutes of rice cooking time.

Marmee always serves this with cranberry sauce.

Stew Meat and Rice

This is a Marmee classic. It is just what it sounds like: stew meat and rice. And potatoes. It is definitely comfort food. These amounts were used to make dinner for two with leftovers. Marmee said she doubles it when cooking for the whole family.

1 lb of stew meat
1 large onion
4 large potatoes
1 cup dry rice
salt and pepper water

1. Rinse the meat and place in a large pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Add water to the pot about an inch over the meat.
3. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. While it is heating, dice up the onion and add to the pot.
4. Add about 1/2 tsp of salt. May want to add more later.
5. Add two beef bouillion cubes.
6. Let cook for 1 1/2 hours at a low boil.
7. While it is cooking, peel and cut up potatoes into about 1 inch cubes. Add after it has boiled for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Turn up the heat and continue to boil about 30 minutes to cook potatoes. You may need to add warm water if it starts to get too thick.
9.Start the rice in a separate pot when you add the potatoes.

Enjoy! It's so simple yet so tasty!

Corn Chowda? What do you think I am, a Yankee??

This recipe comes from one of two cookbooks that "Santa" brought me and Adam for Christmas 2006.  I guess Santa was watching when I found them in the store and showed them to Adam, telling him how cute they were...  Adam asked me to make this one especially.  I must admit, its pretty good.  (Though I haven't compared it with any recipes from my new Yankee cookbook yet.)

2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth

1 bag (16 oz) frozen corn kernels

3 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 rib celery, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

Place broth, corn, potatoes, bell pepper, onion, celery, salt, black pepper and coriander into slow cooker.  Cover; cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours.  Partially  mash soup mixture with potato masher to thicken.  Stir in cream; cook on HIGH, uncovered, until hot.  Adjust seasonings, if desired.  Garnish with bacon.

Hamburger Soup

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

15 ounces water

frozen lima beans

frozen corn

frozen green beans

frozen okra

chopped potatoes

any other veggies you might have lying around

Brown the beef and onion.  Drain.  Put in a large pot with tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and water.  Put on medium heat.  Add limas to tomato mixture.  Let simmer 10-15 minutes.  Add other frozen veggies.  Add potatoes last and let boil for 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.  This is the yummiest soup ever!

*You can also put this in the crock pot and just let it simmer all day!