Chicken and Dumplings

3 lbs meaty chicken pieces - breasts and thighs
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped*
2 dried bay leaves*
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp coarse salt (table salt works fine, too)
4 sprigs of parsley*
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper

Dumplings:
1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB butter/margerine
1/2 c milk

Place chicken, carrots, onion, celery, and spices in a dutch oven or large pot. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until tender, about an hour. Remove chicken and let rest until cold enough to handle. Remove bay leaves from broth and discard. Skim fat from broth. Skin and bone chicken, leaving meat in large chunks**. Heat broth to a steady boil.

For dumplings, combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Stir in milk to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonful into broth. Add chicken. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting lid. Serve.
*I don't always have these seasonsings on hand. The meal is delicious even if I leave them out.

**I use chicken that is already boned and skin and I cut it into manageable pieces while still raw, so I remove this entire chicken step.