It seems I've really focused on chicken the past few weeks. Although this hasn't been intentional, when I think about it, the high price of meat, especially beef, may have something to do with it. I ran into Maceys yesterday to grab a few last minute items before their Case Lot Sale ended, and as I passed the meat department, I couldn't help but notice people solemnly studying the cuts of beef trying to figure out what to get for dinner. No one seemed to be putting anything in their carts--ground beef included. Even pork, that old inexpensive standby, has raised quite a bit in the past year. All the more reason to make weekly meat choices based on what's on sale, then put another package or two away in the freezer for later.
Yesterday I had the interesting experience of receiving a letter from a sister in our stake, Kathleen Sneddon, who is currently serving with her husband as a missionary in the African Congo, helping President Bryce and Sister Karol Cook. She wanted to know if I could send her a recipe for Slow Cooker Italian Chicken (she had left her own recipe at home) so she could make it for a gathering of Senior Missionaries plus construction workers assigned to train locals with a goal to start the Kinshasa Temple. One of the main ingredients of this recipe is a packet of Italian Seasoning Mix, which, not surprisingly, is unavailable to her there. I was fascinated by her report of the difficulty--and expense--of buying the food she needs in that location. Here is an excerpt from her email, used with her permission, which I thought everyone would find interesting:
"Kinshasa DRCongo is located on the Congo River; however, there are serious and dangerous rapids in the river between us and the coast. Hence no boat travel to Kinshasa. Everything we have comes either by truck (about 100 miles) or airplane. There is no fresh milk but packaged from either France or Belgium, as are all dairy products. Occasionally we can find butter lettuce on an early Saturday morning which would have arrived via the passenger plane from Brussels Friday night. We have learned if we find something we like, to buy it! We may not see it for many months. Recently I discovered I was low on baking powder and hunted all over town for it. As for food cost, I read your “Savings for Sisters” and almost cry at the prices. A couple quick examples: I frequently pay a dollar for a single carrot, potato or apple. A very small bag of onions will cost $4 dollars. I would like to add celery to some soups and stews, and while it is hard to find, when I do I hate to pay the price of $10 or more for a small scrawny bunch. Milk nearly $4.00 a liter (a liter is approximately a quart). If we want to eat, we get to the point where we don’t think of prices."
I don't know about you, but her letter really made me feel grateful that for the present at least, we can feed our families so cheaply and with such ease.
I went on the Internet to find ideas for how Sister Sneddon could mix up her own Italian Seasoning Mix so she could recreate, as closely as possible, the Italian Chicken for the missionaries. The recipe for this easy dish is below, and in the Tip of the Week below that, you will find my version of the seasoning mix, which I tested yesterday before I sent it to her. Although the flavor of the finished dish came pretty close, I must admit I still somewhat prefer the store-bought version. However, making your own seasoning mixes is much more economical (Good Seasons Mix is $1.79 a packet) and it's handy to know how to make your own and avoid running to the store. In general, the less we have to rely on processed and packaged food, the greater the overall health benefits to our family, not to mention having that nice feeling of confidence in our own self-sufficiency!
Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
4 - 6 Boneless Chicken Breasts cut into chunks
½ lb Fresh Mushrooms (optional)
1 Can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (or 2 Tablespoons of homemade mix)
1 cup Sour Cream
Cut chicken breasts into chunks and place in crock pot. 
On top of chicken spoon 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Cook for about 5 hours (start on high for first hour, then change to low). Or if you’re not going to be home, you can cook on low for about 5 or 6 hours. During the last hour, you can throw in some fresh (or canned) mushrooms if desired.
This is what it looks like when it's finished. Don't worry--it hasn't been stirred yet. When ready to serve, add 1 cup sour cream and stir all together for the first time.
Now that's better! Serve over any kind of Pasta.
Note: You can also leave the breasts whole if you want--you don't have to cut it up and serve over pasta.
*You can also double the soup and Italian dressing for this if you want extra sauce in proportion to the amount of meat. In that case, you also need to add some more sour cream.
** Don't forget to see my Tip of the Week in the post directly below this one to learn how to make your own Seasoning Mixes, including the Italian Dressing Seasoning used in this recipe.
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