Bone Broths

I've recently been reading about bone broth.  Throughout the centuries, when people would harvest an animal they didn't let any part of it go to waste.  Rather than discard the bones of the animal they would boil them to make a broth or stew base.
I remember my mom boiling turkey carcases for the broth, and the few times a year we have at turkey I have boiled the carcass.  But I've always done it for flavor.  The broth makes much yummier gravy than a mix or boullion.
Turns out there are health benefits to bone broth.  The bones release their minerals, making bone broths high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals. These minerals are also in forms easily absorbed by our bodies. Bone broths also contain naturally occurring glucosamine and chondroiton, which are thought to contribute to joint health. Bone broth also contains gelatin which is thought to help the digestive tract.

Bone broth is considered a nutrient dense food, though specific numbers aren't available as it depends on the amount of water used, the cooking time, acidity of the solution.

How to make bone broth:  You can use bones you've stripped of meat, or just toss a few chicken thighs into the crockpot.  It helps the minerals leach if you add a bit of apple cider vinegar, but they'll still leach without it.
After you've put the bones in the crockpot, cover with water, add vinegar (if desired) and cook overnight. I usually go sometime up to 24 hours.
It's the yummiest soup base you'll ever find and going back to boullion cubes will be a tough sell.
Enjoy!


Sources:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/the-benefits-of-bone-broth/ 
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/01/part-1-health-benefits-of-bone-broth-homemade-stock-beef-chicken-turkey-etc.html