Wonderful Wednesday!!! (Chicken and Dumplings)

What a wonderful day I have had..  I love my days off,  but they go by so fast,  so much faster than days that I have to work..  :)  My Chihuahua Dylan is slowly improving with the vitamin/aspirin/homemade food/snack regime that I have her on.. she has gained strength back and I am very happy about that.. she means so very much to me...
So at work we have an open top dumpster for things that we can't put in the compactor..  the Planogram team are re-setting Infant hardlines(furniture, diapers, food, formula, diapers, etc) with all the new product this week and have been putting the old displays in the opentop out back..  Monday night someone came and stole all this infant furniture that isn't meant to be used for babies.. so please please please,  if something seems to good to be true,  price wise,  don't buy it.. your baby isn't worth saving a few bucks on furniture.. all of the displays have a label sewn into them that says for display only,  because they are not built to safety specs...
I have been craving Chicken and Dumplings for a while now and finally decided to make them today since I had the time,  and my method takes a few hours..  I like making them like my sweet Mama used to make them..  I miss her... doesn't seem like she has been gone for over 12 years..  and that 20 years ago she was diagnosed with Cancer..  you blink and time passes you by..  I am learning again to slow down and enjoy what God has given me.. What He has given the girls and I.. He has been so good to us..  :)
It's funny how words from another can affect you..  for 23 years I heard a lot of negative things directed towards me..  mean, nasty, negative words..  those words messed with my brain,  they messed up how I am wired.. I feel like if I am not constantly moving, doing something productive then I am worthless..  I know that it isn't true,  but 23 years is a long time..  and I am trying to rewire my brain to believe that a little down time in my life is in fact good for me..  and it is taking time,  I didn't get this way over night,  and I am not going undo everything over night either..  took me a while to figure that one out.. 

Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole chicken, rinsed out and patted dry
water
salt and pepper
garlic powder
paprika
Garlic and Herb Mrs Dash

In a large Stock place cleaned chicken,  cover with cold water and add seasonings.. cover with a lid and bring to a boil,  reduce heat and simmer over medium low heat for about 2 to 3 hours,  remove chicken and strain the broth into a large bowl..

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced

put olive oil in the bottom of the stock pot.. heat and add onion, carrots and cook for 5 minutes,  add the garlic and mushrooms..  cook another 2 minutes.. add the broth back to the pan, remove the chicken from the bones and shred,  add to the broth,  heat over a medium heat..

2 1/2 c self rising flour
1 1/2 stick butter, softened
milk

Put the flour into a bowl and cut the butter in with a fork.. add milk until a soft dough forms..  turn out onto a floured surface and knead a couple times,  roll out flat and cut into 1 inch ribbons,  cut the ribbons crosswise into 1 inch pieces..  Bring the broth to a boil and drop the cut dough in pushing down until all the dough is in the broth,  reduce the heat and simmer half covered for about half an hour until the dumplings are cooked through..  Serve with a green leafy salad..