Grease the slow cooker (6 quart size) well. Place the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and garlic into the slow cooker. Lay the chicken on top of the veggies and then sprinkle on the seasonings. Pour the broth over the top, set the heat to low, then place the lid on for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and everything is tender.
For the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the dumplings...the 1 cup all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and parsley. Then stir in the egg and buttermilk until just combined...do not overmix or the dumplings will be tough. Set this batter aside.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred it and stir it back into the slow cooker along with the corn. Taste and add whatever additional seasoning you think it needs. Then, make sure the heat is switched to high temperature for the next steps. Whisk together the 1/4 cup all purpose flour and cream until smooth, then whisk it into the slow cooker.
Drop the dumpling batter by small spoonfuls over the top of the slow cooker contents until it's all used up. Keep in mind that the dumplings will expand as they cook, so leave a bit of space between them. Place the lid back on and cook on high heat for an additional 35 minutes - 1 hour.
Once it's ready, the soup should have thickened and a toothpick inserted into the dumplings should come out clean. Once it's ready, serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
