Easy stock

Making stock is quite easy; all you need is all the leftover stuff (bones, skin, bits of meat) from making (and eating) a roast chicken (or just a piece of chicken on the bone), a bone-in steak, short ribs, or a ham. You can make a small quantity if you only have a little left over, or make a larger amount. The point is to let nothing go to waste! Bone broth is a fantastic source of calcium and many other minerals in the form of electrolytes which are easy to absorb. Here is how I do it:

Easy Stock:
Place leftover bones & skin from roast chicken, short ribs, or whatever in a large pot; OR you can buy about 3 lbs. of soup bones and use them for this. Cover with water and add 1-2 tbsp. of vinegar (or just a splash if you are only making a few cups of stock - this is essential as it will help draw the minerals out of the bone, marrow, and cartilage and into the broth). Bring to a boil and skim off the foam. Turn down to low heat and simmer for 6 hours or more. Add sea salt to taste. Remove the bones and strain the liquid into leftover plastic containers like this. Label and freeze each container. When you're ready, you can simply remove a container from the freezer and use it in a recipe! It thaws quickly in a hot pot. Of course, if you have veggies and fresh herbs on hand, as well as a little more time, it adds even greater nutritional benefit and delicious flavoring to include celery, carrots, onions, and fresh thyme while simmering the bones.

Today I made about 2-3 cups of broth from the leg bones of last night's roast chicken. I made a super-speedy version by covering the bones with water and a splash of vinegar, then simmering for about an hour; I added sea salt for the final touch, then strained out the bones and skin and enjoyed a little with Oliver. This afternoon I gave Ollie part of the neck from the roast chicken, which I read the other day in Real Food for Mother and Baby makes a good teething toy/treat for babies! This sounds pretty barbaric, but Oliver took to it very naturally. It's great for babies, pets, and anyone in general to gnaw on bones because they are such a good source of minerals. Of course, it's always best to make sure the bones are from an animal that was raised responsibly and happily on a clean, sustainable farm.