So... How are you? How was your day?
That's what starts so many of our conversations. With David, Archer, Shelly, Eli, Nana. Ever since April, I talk to Nana almost every day, mostly on my way home from work. How was your day? Same as usual. Or, this unusual thing happened, a pumpkin showed up in the mail for me today, was it you? Same as usual, except today this (totally normal but interesting/annoying/upsetting/happy) thing happened. We talk for ten or twenty minutes, catch up, tell each other funny stuff, I love you, we'll talk tomorrow...
Our days are so mundane. Family Life, scrambling to eat dinner, run to Scouts, Piano Lesson, Special Event. And somehow it's all so the same, and also so special. Archer making his lunch for tomorrow while listening to music on his earbuds and the only part I can hear is Archer singing "Summer of 69" in the kitchen. With a few dance moves thrown in. Shelly curled in my lap cuddling up like a cat. Eli brushing his teeth. Eli telling me about the Scout meeting where the most important thing was the choice of snacks they had. Shelly still curled in my lap like a cat as I scratch her head. Archer telling me some funny thing that he saw online when chatting with friends who live on the other side of the globe. Tonight I sang the same bedtime song to Eli that I've sang to him almost every night for the last so many years. Doesn't he ever want a new song? At the end, I kiss his kissable cheeks and he kisses me, getting in the last kiss. Goodnight, I love you. It all repeats again tomorrow at 6 a.m. when I make sure Archer's out of bed and we start again. Have a good day, I love you.
I don't remember much of kindergarten, high school, all of that. Twenty, thirty years from now, what will I remember of this? I have flashes of those times long gone, I wonder what the flashes of memories will be in the future. But, I know this - I'm enjoying it now. When Archer was born, they said, cherish this time, it will go so fast. I blinked, and he's in high school. I'm trying to cherish it. The subdivision of box houses that currently resides in my living room (yes, several houses made of boxes have been built - in my living room), the strong friendships my kids are making (Archer has been friends with L for 10 years now!!!), all of these life things. When are they too old to crawl around on their knees everywhere they go, too old to pretend to be a puppy or a kitty, too old to any of it? I try not to let any of it slide away without noticing, without seeing it. I marvel at the wonderful family in front of me and try to enjoy every moment of it. This wonderful life.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Simple BBQ Chicken Sliders
Remember the thing about Freezer Experiments?
Total side note. I just looked up Freezer Experiment in my blog so I could link to the time that I explained what a Freezer Experiment is, and I discovered that I explained F.E. AND it was all related to BBQ SAUCE!!! Eight years ago!!! That makes this whole thing even crazier.
So, think Freezer Experiment. I had 3 pounds of chicken in my fridge and didn't know what to do with it. On my way home from work, I decided to make BBQ Chicken Sliders so I stopped at the store for BBQ sauce and rolls. I go to the BBQ section and then decide I could certainly make it at home, I didn't need to buy it. I picked up the rolls and headed home. I started cooking the chicken and decided to wing it with the sauce. "I think it has ketchup, plus brown sugar or something, maybe garlic?" I start dumping stuff into the pot. Mixing, heating it up, go to the other pan and turn over the chicken, come back to the sauce and stir some more. It tastes like ketchup. Maybe if I add... still ketchup... call in the BBQ expert... still tastes like ketchup, also it's too watery. Basically it's ketchup soup. Back to the store. Good thing we only live a mile away.
It could have been a disaster. Instead, it was a bunch of ketchup soup down the drain, and some really great chicken sandwiches.
Here we go.
3 lbs chicken breast, butterflied
2 bottles BBQ sauce
whatever seasonings you like (garlic, garlic salt, seasoned salt, pepper)
Instructions
1. Add a little olive oil into a skillet and cook the chicken on a low temperature, don't let it brown, add some seasonings if you'd like.
2. While chicken is cooking (this takes forever because you can't fit 3 lbs of chicken in your skillet all at the same time), DON'T use the Freezer Experiment Method, just use the Premade Storebought BBQ Sauce, put the sauce into a pot and start warming it up.
3. When chicken is done cooking, recruit any helpers you can to shred the chicken with forks. Or get some good music going and do it yourself, this takes forever.
4. Mix the chicken into the sauce, heat everything up, slice the rolls in half and go at it. Deliciousness!
5. Put half of the BBQ chicken into a freezer storage bag and freeze it, that's dinner for next time. Try not to eat all of the remaining chicken today.
Why we love it
Cause once we got past the "homemade sauce tastes like ketchup soup", there's pretty much no way to mess it up. And even though it took forever, it was worth it because half of it is in our freezer waiting for us to enjoy it without having to actually cook.
Total side note. I just looked up Freezer Experiment in my blog so I could link to the time that I explained what a Freezer Experiment is, and I discovered that I explained F.E. AND it was all related to BBQ SAUCE!!! Eight years ago!!! That makes this whole thing even crazier.
So, think Freezer Experiment. I had 3 pounds of chicken in my fridge and didn't know what to do with it. On my way home from work, I decided to make BBQ Chicken Sliders so I stopped at the store for BBQ sauce and rolls. I go to the BBQ section and then decide I could certainly make it at home, I didn't need to buy it. I picked up the rolls and headed home. I started cooking the chicken and decided to wing it with the sauce. "I think it has ketchup, plus brown sugar or something, maybe garlic?" I start dumping stuff into the pot. Mixing, heating it up, go to the other pan and turn over the chicken, come back to the sauce and stir some more. It tastes like ketchup. Maybe if I add... still ketchup... call in the BBQ expert... still tastes like ketchup, also it's too watery. Basically it's ketchup soup. Back to the store. Good thing we only live a mile away.
It could have been a disaster. Instead, it was a bunch of ketchup soup down the drain, and some really great chicken sandwiches.
Here we go.
Simple BBQ Chicken Sliders
Ingredients3 lbs chicken breast, butterflied
2 bottles BBQ sauce
whatever seasonings you like (garlic, garlic salt, seasoned salt, pepper)
Instructions
1. Add a little olive oil into a skillet and cook the chicken on a low temperature, don't let it brown, add some seasonings if you'd like.
2. While chicken is cooking (this takes forever because you can't fit 3 lbs of chicken in your skillet all at the same time), DON'T use the Freezer Experiment Method, just use the Premade Storebought BBQ Sauce, put the sauce into a pot and start warming it up.
3. When chicken is done cooking, recruit any helpers you can to shred the chicken with forks. Or get some good music going and do it yourself, this takes forever.
4. Mix the chicken into the sauce, heat everything up, slice the rolls in half and go at it. Deliciousness!
5. Put half of the BBQ chicken into a freezer storage bag and freeze it, that's dinner for next time. Try not to eat all of the remaining chicken today.
Why we love it
Cause once we got past the "homemade sauce tastes like ketchup soup", there's pretty much no way to mess it up. And even though it took forever, it was worth it because half of it is in our freezer waiting for us to enjoy it without having to actually cook.
(no pics today because we were too busy eating it to pause for pics!)
Deliciousest Beef Stew Ever
The other day at work, Ally was warming up her leftover beef stew from the night before. I commented on how great it smelled and she let me try just a tiny bit. And it was the deliciousest beef stew ever. Two nights later, I was making it. Not only is it the deliciousest, but also the easiest. So pretty much just the bestest.
1 lb stew beef (the kind that comes cut up in cubes)
1/4 stick butter
cubed potatoes and carrots (a couple pounds? a bunch?)
salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
4 cups beef stock
Instructions
1. In a large pot, melt the butter and brown the beef, add all the seasonings.
2. Once browned, add some beef stock - just a layer of stock, don't cover the meat. Put lid on the pot.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 for about two hours. After one hour, take out the pot and add the potatoes and carrots. Add a little more stock, if needed, to keep the ingredients moist but don't cover them with the stock.
4. After two hours, everything will be fully cooked. Add the rest of the beef stock, and warm up everything on the stove top if needed.
#1 Rule - Do NOT forget that you just took the pot out of the oven so the handles are super hot, also the lid will burn you so use the potholder!!! Ask me how easy it is to forget that this thing is SUPER hot...
Anyway, the beef gets so tender, and everything's so full of flavor, I loved it.
It's been a week or two since I made it and I can't remember who exactly liked it, who didn't try it or who wasn't even home for it, so I'm just giving it 4 stars. Because I liked it. Lots. And I can't wait to make it again!
Ally's Deliciousest Beef Stew
Ingredients1 lb stew beef (the kind that comes cut up in cubes)
1/4 stick butter
cubed potatoes and carrots (a couple pounds? a bunch?)
salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
4 cups beef stock
Instructions
1. In a large pot, melt the butter and brown the beef, add all the seasonings.
2. Once browned, add some beef stock - just a layer of stock, don't cover the meat. Put lid on the pot.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 for about two hours. After one hour, take out the pot and add the potatoes and carrots. Add a little more stock, if needed, to keep the ingredients moist but don't cover them with the stock.
4. After two hours, everything will be fully cooked. Add the rest of the beef stock, and warm up everything on the stove top if needed.
#1 Rule - Do NOT forget that you just took the pot out of the oven so the handles are super hot, also the lid will burn you so use the potholder!!! Ask me how easy it is to forget that this thing is SUPER hot...
Anyway, the beef gets so tender, and everything's so full of flavor, I loved it.
It's been a week or two since I made it and I can't remember who exactly liked it, who didn't try it or who wasn't even home for it, so I'm just giving it 4 stars. Because I liked it. Lots. And I can't wait to make it again!
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
The Great Freeze of 2019
Well. Winter has arrived. A weekend or two ago, I promised Eli that I'd take him sledding to enjoy the Big Snow that we'd just gotten. We went, loved flying down the hills and had so many laughs together, I loved it! Hiking up the hill, trying to hit each other on the way down, tipping over and rolling through the snow, coming home to hot chocolate, what's not to love?? (Timeline - Sledding on Jan 20. Two major snowfalls in the few days preceding that.)
Next - the cold. Wind Chill of 20 below and guess what? School was CANCELLED. Snow day! Actually, technically Freeze Day! Or whatever. They're off of school on Friday. (Timeline - Cold on Jan. 28) The kids stayed home, the parents went to work.
Did I mention - David left for CANADA on Thursday? (That's Jan. 27 for those of us keeping track.) Who goes NORTH in January? We're not fans of winter. And David went to Canada. Colder? It's practically the edge of the world. Anyway, we're at work, the kids are home loving the weather that cancelled school. The weather people predict snow and cold and we're Wisconsinites so we roll our eyes. We complain about how the grocery stores are mobbed by everyone who thinks they'll be snowed in for the next 2 weeks so they'd better stock up now.We participate in the mobbing by stopping at the store for "just a couple essentials."
On Sunday we heeded the call of the local homeless shelter that's asked for extra food and blankets due to the increased number of people needing shelter. As we got to the shelter we join a line of people going into the building, everyone carrying bags stuffed with food, blankets, hats and gloves. I look around amazed at our community's response to the call for help. We get inside and see one of the gentlemen who runs the shelter standing there with wide eyes and a look of awe of his face. He's dumbfounded at the response. He tells us to just pile our things "over there." In the pile of bags of food, bedding, everything they asked for.
I walked out hoping the kids saw how one family can help another. Or how a community can come together to do something wonderful when we join together. Or how we should recognize the blessings that we have in our lives and never take them for granted. We have a warm home with a furnace that works and a fridge and cupboards that are fully stocked with food. We are so blessed.
Sunday night the call came. No school Monday - Snow Day! Archer asked if I wanted him to clear off the driveway in the morning and I accepted the offer. They were saying 8-10 inches of snow was on the way and they weren't wrong. Monday morning (Jan. 28, in the timeline...) we were greeted with a driveway filled with snow. As I started getting ready for work, I heard the snowblower start, then quit. I heard it start and die again a couple more times. Last week it seemed to work just fine, but now? I finished getting ready for work. I went outside to find Archer shoveling the snow. He apologized but also told me he was only going to do half - the left half, the half that needed to be cleared for me to get the van out. We shoveled together, I called my boss to inform him that my street still hadn't been plowed and I didn't know when I'd be able to leave the house. There was a wall of 10 inches of snow at the end of my driveway. Archer called Bampa to ask for advice about the snowblower and through a series of questions, trying again, and more questions, we finally figured it out. The auger was frozen with ice surrounding it. The chute was blocked by a solid chunk of ice. It would have to be thawed out before we could use it again, and there was only colder weather in the future. And that was when the Story was revealed to me.
Archer finally told me. The last time it snowed (Jan. 18th-ish?) he had offered to clear off the driveway, and when I got home, it was BEAUTIFULLY cleared. Even the sidewalk. Even around the mailbox. Not a speck of snow out of place. I bragged to everyone what a great job he had done. I paid him a big fat $20 bill for his wonderful work. I was the proudest mom you've ever seen. And when it came time to snowblow the driveway again, it turns out the snowblower hadn't been cleared out from the last time. We stood in the garage trying to chip away at the ice with a stick, after we'd already shoveled the left half of the driveway together and the plow came and filled it all in again and we had shoveled more. And we were chipping away at the ice in the snowblower. And he finally couldn't take it anymore, and he confessed. He wasn't the one who had cleared the driveway last week, but he'd been told to take the money and not tell Mom anything about it. And he hadn't cleaned out the snowblower, or whatever. And when I heard this whole story all I could do was laugh. Only a perfect storm of record snowfall and record cold and someone doing a favor for someone else that turned into another kind of problem of frozen blocks of ice inside the equipment... Only then could this whole story have come out about Archer accepting payment for a job he didn't do and who would have even guessed? I laughed, and called Bampa to let him know the details of the kerfuffle and later called Shelly to tell her to take a hairdryer out to the garage to thaw out the snowblower. She said it took her an hour and a half. And now we're back in business
So where were we on the timeline? Tuesday, I guess, Jan. 28. It is going to be just as cold as it was on Friday, but school is now IN SESSION. I look at the forecast and see that at the time the kids will be getting off the buses, there will be a wind chill of 30 below. I make a decision that I've never done before. I keep ALL THREE kids home from school. I will not have them walking 2 or 3 blocks in weather that can cause frostbite in five minutes. So they stay home. I give them assignments and warnings and leave them to the warm cozies of home while classmates are off to school. As far as I can tell, none of them changed out of their jammies all day. When I got home and walked from the garage to the mailbox and back, my nose and fingers were already staring to hurt and I know I made the right decision to keep them home and order them, "DO NOT go outside today." No one talked about anything but the weather all day long at work. And this afternoon, I received a call from the school district. No school Wednesday. Wind chill will be 50-55 below zero tomorrow afternoon. The last time it was this cold in WI was 35 years ago, too long ago for even me (the old mom of the group) to remember it. I've never heard of weather this cold. (I looked it up. The last time it was this cold in WI was 1984. I definitely don't remember that.)
So I'm declaring it. This is The Major Freeze of 2019. Someday when I'm old and grey and rocking in my rocking chair, I'll be telling of The Great Freeze of 2019 when we had three major snowstorms in a week and four days of 50 below zero the very next week and it'll only be the very slightest of exaggerations. (We really did have three major snowfalls in seven days. Only one day of 50 below zero. So far.)
In the meantime, I'm waiting for the 41 degree heatwave they say is coming this weekend, hopefully that'll melt the mountain of snow in front of my front door so we can welcome a visitor or two again sometime soon.
P.S. Did I mention? This whole time, David has been in Halifax. When I look at the map, I feel like he's on the edge of the world. He's farther east even than Maine. I know it's irrational, but sometimes I have this weird feeling that he's going to fall off the edge of the earth. And it's warmer there, even though it's north of here. Twenty Three Degrees Fahrenheit. With the perspective of 55 below, 23 above feels like a luxury, practically beach weather. Just don't fall off the edge when you're visiting the beach in that balmy 23 degree weather that you've got over there, David. Come home soon, join us! I heard today that it's colder here than in Antarctica, and that's a once in a lifetime chance, to say you've been somewhere colder than Antarctica!
Next - the cold. Wind Chill of 20 below and guess what? School was CANCELLED. Snow day! Actually, technically Freeze Day! Or whatever. They're off of school on Friday. (Timeline - Cold on Jan. 28) The kids stayed home, the parents went to work.
Did I mention - David left for CANADA on Thursday? (That's Jan. 27 for those of us keeping track.) Who goes NORTH in January? We're not fans of winter. And David went to Canada. Colder? It's practically the edge of the world. Anyway, we're at work, the kids are home loving the weather that cancelled school. The weather people predict snow and cold and we're Wisconsinites so we roll our eyes. We complain about how the grocery stores are mobbed by everyone who thinks they'll be snowed in for the next 2 weeks so they'd better stock up now.We participate in the mobbing by stopping at the store for "just a couple essentials."
On Sunday we heeded the call of the local homeless shelter that's asked for extra food and blankets due to the increased number of people needing shelter. As we got to the shelter we join a line of people going into the building, everyone carrying bags stuffed with food, blankets, hats and gloves. I look around amazed at our community's response to the call for help. We get inside and see one of the gentlemen who runs the shelter standing there with wide eyes and a look of awe of his face. He's dumbfounded at the response. He tells us to just pile our things "over there." In the pile of bags of food, bedding, everything they asked for.
I walked out hoping the kids saw how one family can help another. Or how a community can come together to do something wonderful when we join together. Or how we should recognize the blessings that we have in our lives and never take them for granted. We have a warm home with a furnace that works and a fridge and cupboards that are fully stocked with food. We are so blessed.
Sunday night the call came. No school Monday - Snow Day! Archer asked if I wanted him to clear off the driveway in the morning and I accepted the offer. They were saying 8-10 inches of snow was on the way and they weren't wrong. Monday morning (Jan. 28, in the timeline...) we were greeted with a driveway filled with snow. As I started getting ready for work, I heard the snowblower start, then quit. I heard it start and die again a couple more times. Last week it seemed to work just fine, but now? I finished getting ready for work. I went outside to find Archer shoveling the snow. He apologized but also told me he was only going to do half - the left half, the half that needed to be cleared for me to get the van out. We shoveled together, I called my boss to inform him that my street still hadn't been plowed and I didn't know when I'd be able to leave the house. There was a wall of 10 inches of snow at the end of my driveway. Archer called Bampa to ask for advice about the snowblower and through a series of questions, trying again, and more questions, we finally figured it out. The auger was frozen with ice surrounding it. The chute was blocked by a solid chunk of ice. It would have to be thawed out before we could use it again, and there was only colder weather in the future. And that was when the Story was revealed to me.
Archer finally told me. The last time it snowed (Jan. 18th-ish?) he had offered to clear off the driveway, and when I got home, it was BEAUTIFULLY cleared. Even the sidewalk. Even around the mailbox. Not a speck of snow out of place. I bragged to everyone what a great job he had done. I paid him a big fat $20 bill for his wonderful work. I was the proudest mom you've ever seen. And when it came time to snowblow the driveway again, it turns out the snowblower hadn't been cleared out from the last time. We stood in the garage trying to chip away at the ice with a stick, after we'd already shoveled the left half of the driveway together and the plow came and filled it all in again and we had shoveled more. And we were chipping away at the ice in the snowblower. And he finally couldn't take it anymore, and he confessed. He wasn't the one who had cleared the driveway last week, but he'd been told to take the money and not tell Mom anything about it. And he hadn't cleaned out the snowblower, or whatever. And when I heard this whole story all I could do was laugh. Only a perfect storm of record snowfall and record cold and someone doing a favor for someone else that turned into another kind of problem of frozen blocks of ice inside the equipment... Only then could this whole story have come out about Archer accepting payment for a job he didn't do and who would have even guessed? I laughed, and called Bampa to let him know the details of the kerfuffle and later called Shelly to tell her to take a hairdryer out to the garage to thaw out the snowblower. She said it took her an hour and a half. And now we're back in business
So where were we on the timeline? Tuesday, I guess, Jan. 28. It is going to be just as cold as it was on Friday, but school is now IN SESSION. I look at the forecast and see that at the time the kids will be getting off the buses, there will be a wind chill of 30 below. I make a decision that I've never done before. I keep ALL THREE kids home from school. I will not have them walking 2 or 3 blocks in weather that can cause frostbite in five minutes. So they stay home. I give them assignments and warnings and leave them to the warm cozies of home while classmates are off to school. As far as I can tell, none of them changed out of their jammies all day. When I got home and walked from the garage to the mailbox and back, my nose and fingers were already staring to hurt and I know I made the right decision to keep them home and order them, "DO NOT go outside today." No one talked about anything but the weather all day long at work. And this afternoon, I received a call from the school district. No school Wednesday. Wind chill will be 50-55 below zero tomorrow afternoon. The last time it was this cold in WI was 35 years ago, too long ago for even me (the old mom of the group) to remember it. I've never heard of weather this cold. (I looked it up. The last time it was this cold in WI was 1984. I definitely don't remember that.)
So I'm declaring it. This is The Major Freeze of 2019. Someday when I'm old and grey and rocking in my rocking chair, I'll be telling of The Great Freeze of 2019 when we had three major snowstorms in a week and four days of 50 below zero the very next week and it'll only be the very slightest of exaggerations. (We really did have three major snowfalls in seven days. Only one day of 50 below zero. So far.)
In the meantime, I'm waiting for the 41 degree heatwave they say is coming this weekend, hopefully that'll melt the mountain of snow in front of my front door so we can welcome a visitor or two again sometime soon.
P.S. Did I mention? This whole time, David has been in Halifax. When I look at the map, I feel like he's on the edge of the world. He's farther east even than Maine. I know it's irrational, but sometimes I have this weird feeling that he's going to fall off the edge of the earth. And it's warmer there, even though it's north of here. Twenty Three Degrees Fahrenheit. With the perspective of 55 below, 23 above feels like a luxury, practically beach weather. Just don't fall off the edge when you're visiting the beach in that balmy 23 degree weather that you've got over there, David. Come home soon, join us! I heard today that it's colder here than in Antarctica, and that's a once in a lifetime chance, to say you've been somewhere colder than Antarctica!
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
No Recipe Fly by the Seat of Your Pants Chicken Noodle Soup
Not much time to chat, so here we go...
1. Find a sale on chicken and buy 3 pounds with no idea what you're going to do with it.
2. Come home.... What are we gonna do with all this chicken?
Start over!
Ok, here it is, for real.
about 1 lb chicken breast
salt and pepper and italian seasoning
carrots, celery, onions
frozen egg noodles or gnocchi or try something else, anything could work
chicken stock - 8 cups or 2 cartons
Instructions
1. Cook approximately 1 lb of chicken on the stove in a pot at a VERY low temperature (like, 3 out of 10). While it's cooking, dump some seasonings on it, like salt and pepper and Italian seasoning mix. Try to avoid the Pepper Incident where the stopper falls out of the bottom of the shaker and you accidentally dump about 1/4 cup of pepper onto the chicken.
2. Recruit some Kid or Husband to chop up the carrots, celery and onions. Throw out the onions when Husband pulls out the bag of onions and they're all fuzzy and blue. Skip the celery because you forgot you don't have any and who likes celery anyway? Stick to just the carrots, and try not to cringe while Kid is chopping and you're a paranoid Mom who's afraid someone's going to lose a fingertip.
3. Take the cooked chicken off the stove and shred with a fork while Kid dumps the carrots into the pot to start cooking, now the heat should be set to medium/high. Keep shredding the chicken. This feels like it takes forever. Keep cooking the carrots, till they're kinda soft.
4. Dump in the 2 cartons of chicken broth (8 cups) and turn up the pot to the hottest setting, dump in the chicken and bring the whole thing to a boil. Taste it a couple times, decide the Pepper Incident wasn't really so bad and it needs more pepper. Now. Dump in the frozen egg noodles. Now. Be really patient because they're supposed to simmer for 20 minutes and it's getting late and you just want to get everybody fed and off to bed but sit down and write a blog post about your recipe while you so very patiently wait for those noodles to cook and THEN.
Set the table, gather round, tell me about your day, eat some soup!
We enjoyed this with some toasted sliced baguettes, thanks David :)
Why we like it
Warm, soupy, comfortable, three of us liked it, one of us was ok with it and the last one of us was too full from snacks to give the soup a try.
PS While all of that other stuff is happening, put the other 2 pounds of chicken into the oven to cook for whatever you're gonna make tomorrow. Chicken Salad. Chicken Tacos. It's the Week of Chicken, people!
1. Find a sale on chicken and buy 3 pounds with no idea what you're going to do with it.
2. Come home.... What are we gonna do with all this chicken?
Start over!
Ok, here it is, for real.
No Recipe Fly by the Seat of Your Pants Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredientsabout 1 lb chicken breast
salt and pepper and italian seasoning
carrots, celery, onions
frozen egg noodles or gnocchi or try something else, anything could work
chicken stock - 8 cups or 2 cartons
Instructions
1. Cook approximately 1 lb of chicken on the stove in a pot at a VERY low temperature (like, 3 out of 10). While it's cooking, dump some seasonings on it, like salt and pepper and Italian seasoning mix. Try to avoid the Pepper Incident where the stopper falls out of the bottom of the shaker and you accidentally dump about 1/4 cup of pepper onto the chicken.
2. Recruit some Kid or Husband to chop up the carrots, celery and onions. Throw out the onions when Husband pulls out the bag of onions and they're all fuzzy and blue. Skip the celery because you forgot you don't have any and who likes celery anyway? Stick to just the carrots, and try not to cringe while Kid is chopping and you're a paranoid Mom who's afraid someone's going to lose a fingertip.
3. Take the cooked chicken off the stove and shred with a fork while Kid dumps the carrots into the pot to start cooking, now the heat should be set to medium/high. Keep shredding the chicken. This feels like it takes forever. Keep cooking the carrots, till they're kinda soft.
4. Dump in the 2 cartons of chicken broth (8 cups) and turn up the pot to the hottest setting, dump in the chicken and bring the whole thing to a boil. Taste it a couple times, decide the Pepper Incident wasn't really so bad and it needs more pepper. Now. Dump in the frozen egg noodles. Now. Be really patient because they're supposed to simmer for 20 minutes and it's getting late and you just want to get everybody fed and off to bed but sit down and write a blog post about your recipe while you so very patiently wait for those noodles to cook and THEN.
Set the table, gather round, tell me about your day, eat some soup!
We enjoyed this with some toasted sliced baguettes, thanks David :)
Why we like it
Warm, soupy, comfortable, three of us liked it, one of us was ok with it and the last one of us was too full from snacks to give the soup a try.
PS While all of that other stuff is happening, put the other 2 pounds of chicken into the oven to cook for whatever you're gonna make tomorrow. Chicken Salad. Chicken Tacos. It's the Week of Chicken, people!
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Parmesan Garlic Pasta
Recipe comes from here. And it's true - 20 minutes to bliss.
Ingredients
8 oz pasta (whatever the heck I have in the cupboard, bowtie, ziti, fuscilli?? dump it all in!)
10 Tbsp butter (frozen? fridge? room temp? again! dump it in!)
3 cloves garlic minced, or 1.5 tsp minced from the jar
1 tiny little bit crushed red pepper (when I made it with 1/2 tsp it was too spicy for the kids but perfect for me)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I used the grated stuff in the jar and it was GREAT GRATE but the fancy fresh stuff would have made it even better)
salt and pepper to taste (who doesn't love salt? but if you're sensitive to pepper, go easy...)
parsley if you wanna get fancy (nope. we're not fancy)
Instructions
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, in generously salted water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, put a small saucepan on low/medium heat and melt butter.
3. Add garlic and red pepper, brown the butter while constantly whisking the butter and mixing the pasta so it doesn't clump.
4. Remember the green beans in the fridge, quickly prep them and put in another pan with salted water to steam while the pasta cooks and the butter browns.
5. Once the pasta is done drain it, once the butter is browned but not burned, remove from heat, let the veggies finish cooking.
6. Mix the pasta, butter mixture, cheese, dole out into bowls and add beans on the side to whoever agrees to eat them.
This recipe was a WINNER. Flat out. Only 4 of the Fortier 5 were home tonight but we all loved it. Except the kids didn't take seconds because the red pepper made it too spicy for them. (Seriously people, it wasn't even THAT spicy!!)
This could be served alongside just about any veggie I can think of, and it would go great with chicken, pork chops, whatever. We'll DEFINITELY be having this one again!!
I'm giving it 5 of 5 because if David was home I know he would have loved it :)
Monday, August 6, 2018
Summer Vacation 2018
This summer has been filled with the most wonderful moments. I so often think about stopping to write a blog or take more pictures but more often I think - just treasure this moment right now. Yesterday we went to State Fair and a stranger complimented us on our kids' good behavior. Archer was carrying Eli, they pressed their cheeks together cuddling and loving as can be. Tonight all three of them were crawling around on the ground, animal noises and made-up noises and cuddles and a little bit of wrestling. Eli told me at supper he couldn't eat anymore because his stomach was sore from laughing so much. He laughed so hard that he cried!! I keep treasuring more and more of these moments, closing my eyes and picturing all of them having the time of their lives and I get to see it all. What a blessing. What sweet sweet moments. I cannot imagine how life could be any better than this.
So - quick recap.
Archer and I took a bus trip with his school to Washington DC in May. I met some of the kids he hangs out with, we spent SO MANY HOURS on a bus and never quite got enough sleep. I don't know about him, but I learned a lot. I hope our family can visit there someday. I'm glad I got to spend so much time with him. It was the opportunity of a lifetime for both of us, and I'll treasure it forever.
June. 8th grade graduation. (I may have shed a tear. I'll never be back to that school, he's a high schooler now! He's so much more mature than when he started 6th grade, etc. etc.) 5th grade transition. (I may have shed another tear. She's getting so grown up!) Last day of First Grade. (I loved Mrs. Powell! E has grown so much!) Many thoughts about transition and change and moving on/up.
Visit to Nana, dragged her around to all the antique shops we could find just for the fun of looking at old stuff. It was great spending the day with her and talking about times old and new.
Archer attended National Youth Leadership Training for Scouts. Sounds like it was lots of work and lots of fun, he came home with a few stories to share. We're still hearing the stories 2 months later. Also, maybe he'll be staff next year? Something to consider. It rained every day, they ended up in a cabin when their tents were all soaked. But he looked happy when we showed up on the last day, and I'm proud of him for completing it.
July. Our most laid back 4th in many years - no attempt to make it up to HC for a run, just hang out at home till we go to the lakefront to stake out our spot for the fireworks. And someone stole our spot!!! Wait! They moved! We got our spot! Mary and her family joined us for yet another great night at the fireworks. I almost forgot - before that we hung out at Rachel's house with her boys for a cookout (where David kindly grilled all the food while the girls sat around chatting (gossiping?)). That was enjoyable for all of us, except maybe David who looked awfully hot once the 20 pounds of chicken was all cooked.
David and Eli went to Day Camp where they had many wonderful Scout activities for 4 days. By the last day, Eli was seeming more and more run down and David took him home early. We worried that he had heat exhaustion but that night, both Archer and Shelly went to bed early. They had either contracted heat exhaustion from Eli, or all 3 of them were sick. I think there was a little sickness running through our house , and within 24 hours everyone was back to normal.
Archer went to Scout Camp with his Troop. He was kept busy working on merit badges and cooking dinner and whatever else Boy Scouts do at camp. They all came home exhausted and smelling like... well, actually, Boy Scouts don't smell that bad! Part of the Scout Law, a Scout is Clean!
Shelly was at Anokijig again this year. Photography, games and HORSES! Shelly read lots (borrowed a book from a friend she knew from last year, and read instead of slept during quiet time), read some more (hid inside her sleeping bag with a flashlight, why does that not surprise me?), hid some more inside her sleeping bag when a big storm rolled through camp one night... But the best part was the horses, she enjoyed it all.
Let's not forget Camp Snoopy, where Eli hung out while Archer and Shelly were at their camps. So much to do - fishing, kayaking, swim swim swim! Eli actually stayed at Camp Snoopy for most of the week while the older kids were away, so he had his own version of camp and being away from home. I don't think he missed home at all, the Camp Snoopy Counselors (Grandma and Grandpa) kept him WAY too busy to think about missing home.
More stuff
Kingfish Baseball game with F5
Walk with friends at the lakefront
Brewers Baseball game with work peeps
Pool party sleepover with friends
Pool party with Nana
Making windchimes with Shelly
Beach pizza picnic with the kids
There have been a few more days here and there for more Camp Snoopy (kids trying to escape via kayaks), fishing, lefse making, so much swimming, and I forget everything else.
And now I store up these moments in my heart. What a wonderful summer. Time with family, time for the kids to find adventure on their own, so much good. It's winding down and we're starting to think about school supplies and school schedules but we've got a couple more weeks to go. Let's enjoy all the days of summer to their very last minute and find joy in each and every one we come across.
So - quick recap.
Archer and I took a bus trip with his school to Washington DC in May. I met some of the kids he hangs out with, we spent SO MANY HOURS on a bus and never quite got enough sleep. I don't know about him, but I learned a lot. I hope our family can visit there someday. I'm glad I got to spend so much time with him. It was the opportunity of a lifetime for both of us, and I'll treasure it forever.
June. 8th grade graduation. (I may have shed a tear. I'll never be back to that school, he's a high schooler now! He's so much more mature than when he started 6th grade, etc. etc.) 5th grade transition. (I may have shed another tear. She's getting so grown up!) Last day of First Grade. (I loved Mrs. Powell! E has grown so much!) Many thoughts about transition and change and moving on/up.
Visit to Nana, dragged her around to all the antique shops we could find just for the fun of looking at old stuff. It was great spending the day with her and talking about times old and new.
Archer attended National Youth Leadership Training for Scouts. Sounds like it was lots of work and lots of fun, he came home with a few stories to share. We're still hearing the stories 2 months later. Also, maybe he'll be staff next year? Something to consider. It rained every day, they ended up in a cabin when their tents were all soaked. But he looked happy when we showed up on the last day, and I'm proud of him for completing it.
July. Our most laid back 4th in many years - no attempt to make it up to HC for a run, just hang out at home till we go to the lakefront to stake out our spot for the fireworks. And someone stole our spot!!! Wait! They moved! We got our spot! Mary and her family joined us for yet another great night at the fireworks. I almost forgot - before that we hung out at Rachel's house with her boys for a cookout (where David kindly grilled all the food while the girls sat around chatting (gossiping?)). That was enjoyable for all of us, except maybe David who looked awfully hot once the 20 pounds of chicken was all cooked.
David and Eli went to Day Camp where they had many wonderful Scout activities for 4 days. By the last day, Eli was seeming more and more run down and David took him home early. We worried that he had heat exhaustion but that night, both Archer and Shelly went to bed early. They had either contracted heat exhaustion from Eli, or all 3 of them were sick. I think there was a little sickness running through our house , and within 24 hours everyone was back to normal.
Archer went to Scout Camp with his Troop. He was kept busy working on merit badges and cooking dinner and whatever else Boy Scouts do at camp. They all came home exhausted and smelling like... well, actually, Boy Scouts don't smell that bad! Part of the Scout Law, a Scout is Clean!
Shelly was at Anokijig again this year. Photography, games and HORSES! Shelly read lots (borrowed a book from a friend she knew from last year, and read instead of slept during quiet time), read some more (hid inside her sleeping bag with a flashlight, why does that not surprise me?), hid some more inside her sleeping bag when a big storm rolled through camp one night... But the best part was the horses, she enjoyed it all.
Let's not forget Camp Snoopy, where Eli hung out while Archer and Shelly were at their camps. So much to do - fishing, kayaking, swim swim swim! Eli actually stayed at Camp Snoopy for most of the week while the older kids were away, so he had his own version of camp and being away from home. I don't think he missed home at all, the Camp Snoopy Counselors (Grandma and Grandpa) kept him WAY too busy to think about missing home.
More stuff
Kingfish Baseball game with F5
Walk with friends at the lakefront
Brewers Baseball game with work peeps
Pool party sleepover with friends
Pool party with Nana
Making windchimes with Shelly
Beach pizza picnic with the kids
There have been a few more days here and there for more Camp Snoopy (kids trying to escape via kayaks), fishing, lefse making, so much swimming, and I forget everything else.
And now I store up these moments in my heart. What a wonderful summer. Time with family, time for the kids to find adventure on their own, so much good. It's winding down and we're starting to think about school supplies and school schedules but we've got a couple more weeks to go. Let's enjoy all the days of summer to their very last minute and find joy in each and every one we come across.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Church Campout
A few weeks ago we crashed in the church for the weekend with the Boy Scouts. We learned Scout stuff and Exploding Kittens. What more could you ask for?
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