chicken & dumplings

When I was a kid I was lucky enough to live in the same town as both sets of my grandparents. I didn't know this was such a luxury until I went to college and made friends with kids who lived hours away from their extended families. It was hard for me to grasp the concept that they only saw their grandparents once or twice a year... if that. As a child, I practically lived with my maternal grandparents when my parents were working. Mom dropped me off on her way to work, she and Dad would come over for lunch, and then she would come back by and get me when work was over.

Another thing I was lucky enough to have.. Grandmothers who knew how to cook! My Mommaw Johnson would make lunch for us every day of the week. And she would really cook! None of the instant microwaving stuff that I attempt at my house. She made yeast rolls every day, cooked veggies that came out of the garden in the back yard, she fried and baked deserts ... I had no idea how good I had it!

One of my favorite things growing up was my Mommaw's chicken & dumplings. I remember asking her to make those those all the time. The best thing about having dumplings was that I got to help Mommaw roll out the dough on the kitchen table and slice it into little squares. Well, I mostly did the rolling and Mommaw did the slicing so that I wouldn't "cut my little fingers".

It's been almost four years since my Mommaw Johnson passed away and even longer than that since I had her dumplings. But I can still remember what the dumplings tasted like and how the flower smelled while we were rolling out the dough. Isn't it funny how things stick with you? Mom and I never got around to asking Mommaw for her dumpling recipe. I've been looking online but I can't find one that looks just right. I guess I just need give it a try and experiment a little on my own. If anyone out there has any good recipes please feel free to share!

Poppaw, Mommaw, Me, Dad and Mom circa 1983.