Chicken and Dumplings...

Now I didn't grow up in the south, so I didn't grow up with turnip greens and chicken and dumplings. But I do love cracker barrels chicken and dumplings and these are really close to theirs.
(Excuse the poor picture quality)
I had a small migraine starting up and I had invited Shell over for dinner so I thought something comforting and easy, Chicken and dumplings and dump cake is what I came up with. DH had made cinnamon ice cream earlier so that was good on the dump cake. Anyway I made the dumplings into heart shapes with cutters for fun. Cracker barrel just makes them into strips. *I posted an updated Chicken and Dumpling's recipe that tastes does better to us here.

Chicken and Dumpling's2 cartons of low sodium chicken broth
3 chicken breasts
5 carrots- three left whole the others sliced into rounds
1 medium onion chopped
5 celery stalks- 3 left whole, two chopped
~1 TBS whole black peppercorns
2 whole cloves garlic crushed
chopped parsley

Dumpling's
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
4 TBS vegetable oil
poultry seasoning


Put the whole black peppercorns, two cloves of crushed garlic in a tea bag or coffee filter, tie it up and put it in a stock pot along with the chicken, whole carrots, whole celery and two cartons of broth. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat and let it simmer for an hour. Take the chicken out and cut it up into bite sized pieces- after about 15 minutes. Set aside. Discard tea bag, whole celery and whole carrots (although I leave the whole carrots for Piglet to eat)

Mix ingredients for dumplings but don't over mix. One a very well floured surface, roll half the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into strips (or use heart cookie cutters). Repeat with remaining dough.
Bring stock up to a boil, add chopped carrot, onion,and celery.  Drop dumplings into stock. They will float to the top. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken. Serve with parsley.