Sounds tasty, huh? Not! But wait until you hear the story.

For 30 odd years hubby drove an 18-wheeler and always enjoyed tooting the air horn when kids along the route or in passing cars on the freeway gave him the famous arm pump. The glee and pure joy on their faces never failed to warm his heart.

One year he received a hideous life-sized replica of a plucked chicken; head and feet intact. His own face lit up as he decided it would become his new traveling companion. Now when he got the arm pump, he pulled on the air horn and then held the chicken up near the window by the neck.

Despite varying reactions it was evident that he created a multitude of smiles, including his own. That poor chicken had over a million miles on it by the time Bob retired.

When our three grandsons were quite young, they loved lunch at Grandmam’s house. The most requested recipe at the time was chicken noodle soup. Loving this fall weather, I am thinking of soups myself.

Middle grandson Robbie especially loved the soup and requested it every time he came through the door. One day I decided to ‘borrow’ Grandpa’s rubber chicken for a trick.

When they arrived, Robbie marched straight into the kitchen to check on when the soup would be ready. I had two pots on the stove. One had the simmering soup we all loved, aroma wafting throughout the house. The other one was filled with water . . . and the “borrowed” chicken.

He returned to the kitchen several times to harass the cook regarding the progress. Not really. He was always a joyful child. Anyway, I told him that I had to check it to see if the chicken was done because we didn’t want tough, “rubbery” chicken in our soup.

He stood back and watched as I grabbed the tongs, removed the lid from one of the pots and reached in to check for tenderness. I latched on the chicken by the neck and asked, “Does this look done to you?” as I held it high, dripping wet to display.

Shock, awe, amazement and serious doubt were all exhibited on his face. The rest of us didn’t quite hear his audible response because we were belly laughing so hard.

Once I assured him that was NOT the chicken we were having for lunch, he settled down and got ready to dive in as I ladled the real stuff into bowls.

Here is my famous recipe if you wish to try it sans rubber chickens:

Grandmam’s Rubber Chicken Soup

Take one leftover chicken carcass (from a roasted chicken is best), put in a pot and add enough water to cover it.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-45 minutes. Remove the carcass and let cool. Strain the broth and add:

• 1 large onion, chopped;

• 2 stalks celery, chopped;

• 1 tablespoon chicken base or bouillon;

• 2 cloves garlic, minced;

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped;

• 8 ounces fine egg noodles; and

• Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove all bones and skin from the cooked carcass and discard. Coarsely chop the meat and add just before serving.

* Fresh chicken or rotisserie roasted works well too.

Many years prior to the arrival of grandchildren, I bought a whole chicken each week and make three meals for the four of us from it. At that time I referred to it as Rubber Chicken because I stretched it so far.

For the first meal I used the breast and drumsticks to make Sunday Chicken. Season as desired (we like garlic powder, lemon pepper or celery salt) and place skin-side up on a baking sheet. Scrub potatoes to bake along with it. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour. Add a veggie and a quick salad and you have an impressive and very delicious meal with little preparation time.

I cooked the wings and thighs and deboned them for any of a wide variety of chicken casseroles, enchiladas, etc. and then the back, neck, and wing tips were used for soup or German Potato Noodles. Prepare as for the soup recipe but use wide noodles and two large potatoes, peeled and cubed. Don’t use as much liquid so that it produces a thicker dish. You can eliminate the celery and carrots if you wish.

Necessity is the mother of invention. As we struggled to make ends meet during certain times in our lives, it is good to become creative. Preparing tasty yet filling dishes gives us a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Our family did without many things, especially during the lean years, but we never went hungry so don’t be timid about stretching meals. I am blessed and highly favored and so are you.

— A coal miner’s daughter born in Appalachia and schooled in Michigan, she currently lives in rural Athens. Hill describes herself as a cook and cookbook author, jack of all trades and master of none, a Christian wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She shares her home with her husband, Bob, and their spoiled-beyond-belief dog, Molly.