A few weeks ago I was visiting my next door neighbor and the conversation turned to food. I was telling her that I was making stock with the chicken bones from a roast chicken. She said that she had always wanted to do this, knew it was a easy thing to do, but had never actually done it. So I gave her the simple instructions on how to go about making the stock. Whenever I roast a turkey, chicken, or even beef with bones, I always save the bones to create a yummy, healthy stock. Whatever we don't use right away I freeze in quart containers to have on hand to make sauces, soups, or even to eat as is when someone is not feeling well. This stock is so much healthier and more delicious than what you buy in the store, TRY IT!

In a large stock pot place the chicken, turkey, or beef bones. If you don't have a stock pot, use the largest you have and then after it has cooked and all the vegetables and bones have been removed you can add some boiling water to the pot to dilute it a bit.

Wash and/or peel:
2-3 carrots, depending on size, chopped in 2-3 pieces each
4 cloves garlic
2 large onions, quartered
4 stalks celery, chopped in 2-3 pieces each
1 parsnip (optional, but a very good addition to the flavor of the stock)
1 bunch parsley, stems and all

Add:
1 tbsp salt-more or less depending on taste and size of pot you are using
4-5 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns

After adding all the ingredients to the pot, fill the pot with water up to 2 inches from the rim of the pot. Cover pot, place on burner and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil and turn to simmer. Simmer stock for about 3-4 hours. Use a slotted spoon to remove some of the bones and vegetables and then pour through a strainer into another large vessel or through a sieve into storage containers. Transfer to quart containers, let cool, and freeze or use to make soup, sauce or gravy.