Ingredients:

4 squirrels (skinned and cleaned)
3 or 4 15 oz. cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 carrot, chopped & diced
1 stalk celery, chopped & diced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dumpling Ingredients:

One package Anne’s Frozen Dumplings

OR

1 package egg noodles

OR

Make your own using this recipe:

3 cups flour, double sifted
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
4 ½  Tbs. shortening
1 cup milk

Instructions:

Cook the squirrels, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, butter, with chicken broth and water (if needed to cover the squirrels) in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Remove the squirrels from the broth mixture. When cool enough to touch separate the meat from the bones. Transfer broth mixture to a large pot on the stove and bring to a low, gentle boil/simmer. Add the noodles and cook as directed on the package. Sometimes you will not use a whole package if your broth has cooked down. Use your best judgment in how much of the noodles to add. Once noodles have softened add the squirrel meat and enjoy!

If you don’t have a slow cooker then cook the squirrels with the ingredients noted above in a large pot on the stove. Bring the squirrels to a boil then reduce the heat and cook on low for about 1 ½ hours. Remove the squirrels from the broth mixture, let them cool, then separate meat from the bones. Bring the broth mixture back to a low, gentle boil/simmer.  Cook as directed above.

Dumpling Instructions:

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender (or a fork or your fingers – whatever you have available) until it looks like small peas.

Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, about ¼ cup of milk at a time. Stir the milk into the flour before adding more. Stir until a ball of dough forms (you may not need all the milk – use your judgment). Do not over-mix. Roll the dough out on a floured surface with a rolling pin until the dough is about ¼ inch. Cut the dough into rectangles that are about 1 inch by 3 inch in size. Set aside on wax paper for about 30 minutes to “firm up.” Add dumplings to recipe as noted above. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until dumplings are tender. Do not stir dumplings – you might gently tilt the pan to keep them from sticking but it is better to let the gentle boil keep them moving.