While I was cooking chicken stock for a meal marathon I recalled an experience I had during a freezing rain storm. I had just moved to a new location and did not know my new neighbors. I was on my own for several days and braved the elements; I vividly remember how helpless I felt.

I have been taking notes on how I schedule cooking meals in advance, and decided to include, How to make a care package to give to someone when they are sick. Later that day, my neighbor called and told me that she had been sick for several days. Right then I had the perfect candidate to give the care package to; it is amazing how that works sometimes.

I cook from scratch and will often plan a cooking marathon so that when there are busy days or when I do not feel like cooking most of the cooking is already done.

This project is not only something fun to do with children when the weather is cold and rainy, but also your children will learn how to cook from scratch; a valuable skill to have. Furthermore, the experience of family unity will come through and a memory will be built for ages to come forever connecting good food with fun, family, and health. Lastly, the act of giving this care package to your neighbor will build relationships beyond the home and perhaps even build community in your neighborhood; yet another lesson our children will profit from greatly.

I will share how I plan a food marathon to help reduce the cost of food, cooking times, food spoilage, and how to make a care package from the stocks and broth. Follow through and lets make stock, broth, and soup to help a friend or neighbor get well and discover the pleasures of doing so.

Step 1: Gift Contents

After I cooked the chicken broth, I made a get well package for my neighbor and I delivered it to her door. She appreciated the gift and told me that she "would immediately drink a cup of broth and go to bed".

Box contents: Some of these items can be home-made to make it healthier.

Home-made organic chicken "bone broth"or chicken broth (the bone broth is better because of the nutrients that are released from the bones during the cooking process.

Ricola cough drops

Herbal tea

Saltine crackers

Lemon, lime, honey, dried citrus for the tea, spring water is recommended for health benefits, and (garlic for ear aches, a natural remedy).

Vick's, jojoba oil lip balm, Kleenex, eucalyptus oil, drinking straw, and battery operated candle.

A home-made rice bag with a pretty cover to wash when needed. I attached a poem to it.

Rice bag

I also included a hand-made get well card, that I embroidered, with a poem that was typed and I pinned it to the hankie card.

I included a word puzzle and an ink pen; I found at the dollar store, it was so appropriate for this gift.

The next day, I made some potato and leek soup and dropped it off for her to try.

Step 2: A Neighbor Calls

Two days later my neighbor called and mentioned that she had purchased two organic chickens and wanted to know how to cook them. I offered to help her and she accepted.

In the following steps we will be making chicken stock, leek and potato soup and bone broth. My neighbor only wanted to make this about once a month or every other month. She decided to make chicken stock, bone broth, and potato and leek soup for her marathon. So we planned it accordingly.

Step 3: Planning Scheduling Preparations Freezing Drying Methods

I cooked 2 food marathons within two days of each other. Most of These notes were written as I was working on marathon "1".

The list below is everything I made for marathon (1) except I did not note drying the extra food scraps, to give you an idea how much food I prepared and how I planned the process. After giving it some thought I decided to compare the two marathons using different circumstances.

The only difference between marathon (1) and marathon (2) is for marathon (2), we made chicken stock, bone broth, and potato leek soup and did not dry any food scraps from cutting the vegetables or make bone meal. I also had a helper working in a larger more efficient kitchen. I used a food dryer for marathon (1 )but we did not use it for marathon (2). The time comparison might be an interest to you when you schedule a marathon; from two different perspectives and facilities.

All the instructions on one page might make it easier for you to write a plan for a marathon, modifying the instructions for your kitchen and cooking needs.This list will help you set up the work station and ingredients the night before the marathon to get an early start. I will be repeating a lot of these notes as I write this tutorial and hope it won't confuse you. This page sums up everything I will be sharing in the next few steps but the steps will be broken down.

I estimated how long it would take to cook 2 whole chickens; reserving the stock for soups and sauces, cook the bones in the crock pot for broth and for cold remedies, make a large pot of potato leek soup (which is fairly simple), as well as drying the food scraps in my food dehydrator to use to flavor future soup stocks. I also estimated clean up time. I estimated 10 hours. I refrigerated the stock until the next day, when I placed the stock into bags and froze them. I did not note the time it took but lets say 30 minutes max.

I wrote a list of all the food ingredients as well as tools and utensils that will be used.

Ingredients for marathon 2 chicken stock:

1 Whole organic chicken ( it is best to use a stewing hen or baking chicken that is organic but I could not find one in my area). Older hens have more nutrients that benefit the cold.

Filtered water (optional, most Naturopathic physicians recommend filtered water) amount depends on how much stock you will be making. We used about 24-26 total cups for 2 batches of stock and broth; I did not measure.

1-2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (regular vinegar will work but Apple cider is healthier in my opinion). The acid in the vinegar will pull the important nutrients from the chicken bones; that are known to be beneficial for health and for colds and flu.

1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil " We used Olive oil and butter to sear the chicken"

Bay leaf, salt, and fresh ground pepper or peppercorns in a bouquet garni bag. I do not add a lot of seasonings because the stock and broth will be used for soups, sauces, and cold remedies.

Utensils for chicken stock:

Stock pot and skillet optional, strainer, bowls, soup ladle, paper towels, and freezer containers with lids or freezer bags,and colander,and containers.

Ingredients for bone broth:

You may save all of your chicken bones from baked, boiled, or fried chicken and freeze them and later make a more concentrated bone broth for medicinal broths. Adding wings, necks, and backs will provide extra collagen for nutritional benefits. I have not found these in cut up chicken, in my because; I lean to the organic when I make something to use for its medicinal benefits. I usually use my crock pot for making a cold and flu remedy while I make the soups on the stove the same day. The yield is not as much as you would get from an x large stock pot but for a family of two or less; I think it is enough to freeze and last through the winter months.

Chicken bones with a little meat scraps still attached for colds and flu ( I usually mention to my husband that I need to save the bones for bone broth and ask him to remove the meat with a knife before eating the chicken so I can freeze them.

Filtered or spring water Sea salt optional

1-2 Tablespoons Apple cider vinegar to pull nutrients from the chicken bones.

After giving it some thought; For my next batch, I will be adding quartered Onions and whole peeled garlic cloves; (to add flavor and vitamin C) and test; if it will boost the nutritional benefits of the broth for a cold.

Utensils for bone broth:

Crock pot or stock pot, strainer, bowls, soup ladle, and freezer containers with lids or freezer bags.

Ingredients for Potato Leek Soup:

8 Cups chicken stock or more if you would prefer a soupier stock

6 Leeks cleaned and chopped with some of the greens

1 Sweet onion cut in large chunks

4 Mashed garlic cloves

6 or 8 Yellow Yukon potatoes we made a thicker broth using 8: use less if you prefer a soupier mix.

2 Tablespoons full fat butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Small container full fat whipping cream

Fresh or dried chives chopped for garnish

Pre-cooked bacon bits for garnish if desired This is delish with the dish.

Sea salt to taste, and white or black freshly ground pepper or pepper corns using a bouquet garni bag.

1 Bay leaf

Utensils for potato leek soup:

Immersion blender, food processor or Vita mix, stock pot with lid, or crock pot, cutlery, cutting board, colander, stock pot with lid, large wooden spoon,ladle, potato peeler, containers with lids preferably glass, and a strainer.

I placed everything I needed, "that did not require refrigeration" on the counter the night before, and arranged the refrigerated ingredients together so I could get an early start.

The next day I organized the work stationin the order that I might be using them. I added water and vinegar to the stock pot and the crock pot.

I heated a skillet and added the butter and olive oil.

I patted the chicken with paper towels and rubbed some olive oil over it and browned the skin.

I placed the browned chicken into the stock pot with the vinegar water to soak for 30 minutes before cooking it.

I set up the cutting board and utensils, and bowls next to the crock pot for chopping the onions and de-boning the chicken.

While the chicken was soaking; I began to prepare the ingredients for the soup by washing the leeks and chopping them. This is a time consuming process because dirt is usually between each layer of leek and the leeks need to be carefully trimmed at the ends to allow each leek to be removed separately.

After 30 minutes of the chicken soaking in the vinegar water; I added salt and a bay leaf to the stock and I turned the heat up to medium high, until the water began to boil. I skimmed the foam from the top. In the beginning you might need to keep a close eye on the broth so the foam won't boil over. I boiled the mixture for several minutes and then lowered the heat to simmer, for the remaining cooking time.

The minimum cooking time for two small organic chickens is about 1 1/2 hours. I will cook mine longer the next time so the chicken will fall off the bones giving me more yield.

When planning the marathon keep in mind, that much of the cooking time requires little attention allowing you to work on cleaning the counters, washing the dishes and putting them away, and preparing the produce for the soup.

After the chicken is cooked, the chicken is removed and placed into a bowl and the broth is poured into a colander that is inserted into a bowl to remove any small chicken pieces.

The broth is cooled a little before placing it into the refrigerator in a covered container until it will be bagged, labeled and frozen.

For the potato leek soup; the produce has been washed, potatoes peeled, onion quartered, leeks chopped, and garlic mashed so everything will be ready to add to the pot shortly after the chicken stock is strained and 8-10 cups poured back into the stock pot. The cut up produce and seasonings are added to the soup pot according to the recipe.

If using my potato leek recipe, the leeks, garlic, and potatoes can be lightly sauteed in olive oil for more flavor (optional) and then added to the stock along with the pan drippings.

The stock pot is heated on high until the soup mixture boils for several minutes and any foam will be removed. The heat is then reduced to simmer; until the leeks and potatoes are soft and tender, about 30 minutes.

About 15 minutes before the soup is done; room temperature cream will be slowly added to the soup mixture while stirring to combine.

The potato leek soup will be placed in a blender to make a creamy puree and then re-heated if it will be prepared for a meal, or it may be bagged, labeled, and frozen.

The soup will then be cooled, until the soup can be poured into storage containers with lids and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.This is optional.

The chicken is then de-boned; separating the light from the dark meat and the bones are placed into the crock pot vinegar mixture to soak for 30 minutes on high heat. If using a stock pot, do not heat the chicken until it soaks in the vinegar water for 30 minutes. It takes much longer for a crock pot to reach a high temperature so I do not wait for the chicken to soak before heating the crock pot.

After the crock pot comes to a boil for several minutes reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 hours for another batch of chicken broth, or cold remedy broth. It can be cooked for 24 hours for bone broth for pets and bone meal for the garden. The flavor of the broth changes after 12 hours. In my opinion it does not taste as good but it has more nutritional value. I did not care much for the flavor of the broth after 12 hours, but will drink the broth for a cold and tolerate the mild after taste.

After the chicken has been de-boned it should be placed into storage containers with lids and placed into the refrigerator or freezer to use at a later time.

The broth can be placed into glass jars with a tight lid and frozen until use. Please remember to allow a 1 inch head space to give the broth room to expand during the freezing process. A different option would be to freeze the broth using freezer bags. Place the bags (flat) on a level surface in the freezer and use as needed.

Step 4: Author's Notes: After Making Two of These Marathons

You can use one pot to do all the functions for cooking the chicken but if you do, please remember not add the vinegar and filtered water to the pot before you cook the chicken or you will need to pour the water into a container and save it until the chicken is browned. I prefer browning the chicken in a cast iron skillet and do not mind washing another dish. You may need to remove the chicken to loosen the residue in the bottom of the pan with water and then place the chicken back into the pot and allow it to soak for 20 minutes in the vinegar water solution that is in the pot.

While the chicken is cooking you can be finishing up prepping the contents of the potato leek soup, cleaning the counter-tops, wash the dishes and put them away. It is much easier to work with a clean work space and counter top. You might need to re-arrange the freezer items to make room for the chicken stock and soup.

I think a person could go ahead and add the onion, garlic, and leeks to the stock about 20 minutes before the final cooking time; but I would not do this the first time you make it. You can make that decision based on the knowledge you have after you make it. I suppose it would depend if the flavors would compliment the types of recipes you will be making; "using the pre-cooked or frozen stock". This method would certainly reduce a step as well as the time involved. It may be possible to add whole yellow Yukon potatoes depending again; on what the stock will be used for and only adding them at the end of the cooking time. I have not tried this method but I will the next time I make it and see what happens.

There are two advantages I see in doing this. One it will reduce the cooking time of the potato leek soup and two you would have a stock that is more vitamin C enriched. It will still be necessary to remove the whole chicken, potatoes, leeks, and onions and place the vegetables into a bowl and the chicken into a separate bowl to be de-boned. Eight cups of stock will be reserved to make the potato leek soup and the rest will be bagged and frozen for future use.

Step 5: Marathon 2 Ingredients and Utensils

Here are all the tools and ingredients that we used for this marathon, making a total of 24 cups between the chicken stock, potato leek soup, and a smaller batch of bone broth cooked in a crock pot. Please decide what you will be making and adjust the list accordingly. Get an early start the night before your marathon by reading the instructions in the title: Planning Scheduling Preparations Freezing Drying Methods and set up your work station.

There is a difference between bone broth and chicken stock. Bone broth is made using just the chicken bones and chicken stock is made using the whole chicken or chicken pieces. The ingredients for Marathon (2) are the same as marathon (1). You will not need a food dryer unless you decide to use one. I will not be using the left over bones for dog treats, because we did not make them for marathon (2). We did however, use the bones but did not blend the bones and dry them for bone meal.

The first stock mixture will be used for soups and sauces and the second batch cooked in a crock pot ( or pot of your choice) will be used for bone broth for colds and flu because it has a lot more collagen and nutritional ingredients that benefit the cold.

From this point to the end of the cooking and preserving process, I will only be referring to marathon (2) instructions and will have a helper using her modernized kitchen, with dishwasher, large stove top, and nice large counter space.

Ingredients for marathon 2 chicken stock:

1 Whole organic chicken ( it is best to use a stewing hen or baking chicken that is organic but I could not find one in my area). Older hens have more nutrients that benefit the cold.

Filtered water (optional, most Naturopathic physicians recommend filtered water) amount depends on how much stock you will be making. We used about 24-26 total cups for 2 batches of stock and broth; I did not measure.

1-2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (regular vinegar will work but Apple cider is healthier in my opinion). The acid in the vinegar will pull the important nutrients from the chicken bones; that are known to be beneficial for health and for colds and flu.

1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil " We used Olive oil and butter to sear the chicken"

Bay leaf, salt, and fresh ground pepper or peppercorns in a bouquet garni bag. I do not add a lot of seasonings because the stock and broth will be used for soups, sauces, and cold remedies.

Utensils for chicken stock:
Crock pot or stock pot or both,skillet optional, strainer, bowls, soup ladle, paper towels, and freezer containers with lids or freezer bags.

Ingredients for bone broth:

Chicken bones with a little meat scraps still attached for colds and flu ( I usually mention to my husband that I need to save the bones for bone broth and ask him to remove the meat with a knife before eating the chicken so I can freeze them.

Filtered or spring water

Sea saltoptional

1-2 Tablespoons Apple cider vinegar to pull nutrients from the chicken bones.

After giving it some thought; For my next batch, I will be adding quartered Onions and whole peeled garlic cloves; (to add flavor and vitamin C) and test; if it will boost the nutritional benefits of the broth for a cold. The cooking and straining process will be the same if adding these to your broth as I describe later when making the bone broth, unless you decide to process the bones for bone meal. Please note: I will not be sharing that process in this instructable.

Utensils for bone broth:

Crock pot or stock pot or both, strainer, bowls, soup ladle, and freezer containers with lids or freezer bags.

Ingredients for Potato Leek Soup:

8 Cups chicken stock or more if you would prefer a soupier stock

6 Leeks cleaned and chopped with some of the greens

1 Sweet onion cut in large chunks

4 Mashed garlic cloves

6 or 8 Yellow Yukon potatoes we made a thicker broth using 8: use less if you prefer a soupier mix.

2 Tablespoons full fat butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Small container full fat whipping cream, fresh or dried chives chopped for garnish

Pre-cooked bacon bits for garnish if desired. This is delish with the dish.

Sea salt to taste, and white or black freshly ground pepper or pepper corns using a bouquet garni bag.

1 Bay leaf

Utensils for potato leek soup:

Immersion blender, food processor or Vita mix, and or crock pot, cutlery, cutting board, colander, stock pot with lid, large wooden spoon,ladle, potato peeler, containers with lids (preferably glass), and a strainer.

Step 6: Brown the Chicken

Method:

Dry the chicken with paper towels and oil the chicken.

Salt and pepper the chicken to taste.

Add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil and butter to a large pot or skillet and turn the heat up.

Place a wooden spoon into the oil to check the heat. If bubbles are beginning to form around the edge of the spoon, place the chicken into the hot pan and brown the breast, back, and the sides best you can.

While chicken is browning: We are not cooking the chicken all the way through, just browning the outside. We were multi tasking during this marathon, working on things that we could for the leek and potato soup, while we were waiting on something else or for the meat to brown. It was her job to keep an eye on the pot and cut the vegetables and peel the potatoes because she was closer to the pot. I washed the produce and dishes and helped her when I was finished.

Cut the onions and potatoes into large chunks, mash garlic, cut the leeks with some of the green tops and set aside, along with the bay leaf to be added to the pot later. If you wish to use a bouquet garni bag save the leek tops and wrap the herbs in them and tie it with bakers twine. Check on the chicken if you haven't already and brown the other side.

Step 7: Cooking the Chicken Stock

Method:

You can use one pot to do all the functions for cooking the chicken but if you do, please remember not add the vinegar and filtered water to the pot before you cook the chicken or you will need to pour the water into a container and save it until the chicken is browned. I prefer browning the chicken in a cast iron skillet and do not mind washing another dish. You may need to remove the chicken to loosen the residue in the bottom of the pan with water and then place the chicken back into the stock pot and allow it to soak for 20 minutes in a vinegar water solution that is added to the pot. While the chicken is cooking you can be finishing up prepping the contents of the potato leek soup, cleaning the counter-tops, wash the dishes and put them away. It is much easier to work with a clean work space and counter top. You might need to re-arrange the freezer items to make room for the chicken stock and soup.

Remove the browned chicken from the pan and place the chicken into the stock pot with the vinegar and water.
Add some of the stock pot water to the pan to help remove some of the drippings and add the pan drippings to the stock pot for flavoring.
Add a bay leaf to the pot if desired. I used a bouquet garni bag and added pepper corns instead of ground pepper and the bay leaf to the bag; but it is not required to do so.
Cook the chicken in the stock pot on high until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer until the meat begins to separate from the bone slightly. I estimate a minimum of 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the cooked chicken and bouquet garni bag if using one and place the chicken into a large bowl so the meat can be removed from the carcass.
Place the chicken stock into a covered containerreserving 6-8 cups of the stock for the potato leek soup, which we make after starting the bone broth in the crock-pot. Chill the covered chicken stock until later when you bag, label, and freeze it.
What you decide to do next is important to consider. You can begin making the potato leek soup or begin making the bone broth. The soup has a twenty minute cooking time frame. The bone broth has a 12 hour time frame. We decided to go ahead and make the bone broth first and then start the potato leek soup. She decided that she would freeze the chicken stock, bone broth and any leftover potato leek soup as well as the chicken, the next day by herself because she already knew how to do that. It was getting into the early evening hours and she wanted my help making the soup, stock, and broth.
I have included in the next few steps; all of the process even though I did not help my friend bag and freeze the soup, stock, and broth.

Step 8: Removing the Meat From the Bones and Make Bone Broth

Method: Adding onions and garlic to the broth could increase its medicinal benefits.

Remove the browned chicken from the carcass and place the browned chicken pieces into a covered container to make a recipe at a later time.

Place the bones, skins, and small chunks of chicken into a crock-pot that has been filled with water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. The vinegar will help extract the collagen from the bones which is beneficial for the immune system.

Set the temperature on the crock-pot to high. When the broth begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 hours.

Strain the broth to remove the bones.

Place the semi cooled broth in the refrigerator until the broth is completely cool.

After the broth is cold, skim off the solid fat leaving the gel part of the broth which is very very nutritious because of the collagen and minerals that are in it.

Bag the broth or place it in freezer containers or glass containers if you have space in your freezer remembering to leave a one inch head space to allow for expansion.

Label the containers with the date and contents. I label the bone broth containers "colds and flu" with the date.

If using freezer bags, lay the bags flat on a level surface to freeze and use as needed.

We will make the potato leek soup next.

Step 9: Potato Leek Soup

Method: You should already have the leeks diced, onion quartered, garlic mashed, and potatoes washed, peeled and quartered. Six to eight cups of stock reserved and bacon bits cooked and diced.

Saute the garlic and leeks until soft if desired and then add a little stock to the pan and pour everything into the stock pot.

The stock should already be added to the stock pot as well as the bouquet garni bag if using or season with bay leaf, salt and white or black pepper to taste when the pot begins to simmer and add as needed toward the end of the cooking time. Remove foam in the early stages of cooking.

About five minutes before the potatoes are done remove some of the stock and place it into a small bowl, slowly add the whipping cream and re-add to the stock pot and cook for several more minutes on simmer.

Estimated cooking time 20-30 minutes.

After the potato leek soup has cooled, pour some into a blender and puree the soup. You will probably need to pour the warm soup into a bowl until all the soup mixture has been blended. Combine the soup back into the pot and re-heat until simmering.

Serve hot or cool long enough, to place in the refrigerator until it has an even temperature throughout. Then it may be bagged, labeled, and frozen.

Please note: We did not freeze the soup because we saved it for mealtime.

Step 10: Sunshiine's Final Thoughts

This instructable has been a very rewarding experience to see the chain reaction from sharing a food marathon.

While my neighbor and I were cooking our stock marathon; her daughter stopped by with a terrible head and neck ache. My neighbor gave her a hot cup of broth, microwaved the rice bag and had her lie on the couch for a while. Before long she was feeling better and went home. Several days later my neighbor made a care package for one of her friends and placed the broth and cold relieving products into a woven chicken basket; "which reminded me of an instructable I posted a few years ago" I made an origami chicken from fabric instead of paper. It would be a unique basket for this type of gift: Little red hen

I hope you consider making a stock and soup marathon. I estimate that twenty four cups of chicken stock is equivalent to 24 8 oz cans of Swanson's chicken stock. I do not know how much money is saved by making your own organic chicken stock but considering that groceries have increased a lot the past couple of years, I imagine it is well worth it to make your own, not to mention the health benefits. I have been doing this for many years. We figured it took about 7 hours to make the stock ,broth, and soup and to bag, label, and freeze them. It took me about 10 hours to make 24 cups, working alone, taking pictures and writing notes using a small work space.

I thank all of the contributors for making instructables a wonderful community.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a splendorous 2016~

sunshiine~

Introduction: Planning a Cooking Marathon