Never let a good chicken go to waste.

I hate wasting food. You would think I had come from a place where food was scarce and I was seldom fed, but that is not the case. I think my desire to use every ounce of food I purchase comes from a few different places.

The first reason I have such a need to be a crazed food saver is because I like to buy good food. I like fresh fruits, veggies, and meat from the small time ranchers and farmers that have to charge more. This means that my grocery budget does not go as far as it would if I was buying cheap meats and canned veggies. This requires that I work a little harder to get what I need with the budget that I have set.

Another reason for me to cry every time that I throw some food away is my mom. She has taught me for as long as I can remember that we should always try to help others and that we give not because we have tons to give, but because we know what it is to do without. So, when I toss a bowl of leftover spaghetti out, I just wasted something that could have been a meal for a person who otherwise wont have one. That is something that is hard for me to deal with.

Now, since we have established that I am just a few jars away from being a food hoarder, lets move on to my chicken. The breasts that I buy are very thick and I can make two servings out of just one of them. I butterfly them completely apart before freezing/cooking them. I usually buy a few packages at a time and do it all at once. These pieces also have a little fat on them, and there are always parts that I cut off, simply because it is too thin to keep on the breast where it would burn before the rest of the it was cooked all the way.

This led to me tossing out all these small pieces. I had to find else to do with them besides send them to the garbage. I decided to make chicken broth. I just boil all the little random pieces that didn't qualify for freezer status until I have a pan of delicious healthy chicken stock/broth. You can season this if you would like or even boil some onions in with the chicken, I like to keep it plain so that I can use it for almost anything. Next, strain the broth away from the chicken using a strainer with very small holes. You can also use a cheese cloth or paper towel, but sometimes that can keep some of the thicker juices from making it into the stored broth.

I then pour it into an ice tray to freeze in individual cubes. After they are frozen I remove them from the tray and jar them up for freezer storage!

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE....
You didn't think I was going to let that boiled chicken go to waste did you? I place the chicken in the fridge until it has cooled off, chop it up in small pieces, add some greek yogurt, green onion, celery and spices. Throw it all onto a bed of spinach leaves or into a wrap for a nice light lunch!

These are my "spare" chicken pieces right out of the pan. They will soon be a delicious chicken salad!