the basics : making bone broth

another easy and nourishing basic i make often, is bone broth. some may just call it chicken broth.  you're going to get tons of absorbable calcium and other vital minerals by having this on hand and incorporating it wherever possible.

any chicken bones will do.  they don't even have to be from a fancy free-range organic bird.  what i do is cook the bird, de-bone it and throw the carcass into a dutch oven with:

several carrots {don't bother pealing}

1 whole head of garlic cut in half

1 or 2 onions cut in half {leave the skin on-more nutrients}

enough water to cover

bring to a boil, skim off the foam {impurities} and then turn down heat to bring it all to a simmer. simmer for at least four hours. at about the 4th hour i pull out several of the bones and either break them or cut them open so that the marrow can more easily be incorporated.  this is where all those nourishing goodies are.  have you ever tasted the marrow by itself?  it tastes like chicken.

when the broth is done {you can simmer for up to 12 hours} let the concoction cool and then strain out the bones and veggies.  i use a simple steel mesh strainer right over the mason jar i plan to store the broth in.  make sure to label your jar and rotate your stock.

use this in place of water when cooking your soaked grains & beans {double whammy!} and of course in any soups.