Chicken and Dumplings: A Cold Weather Classic

Ok, so the cat just took about an hour long nap on my lap (only ended by the fact that I absolutely HAD to go to the bathroom), and now I'm exhausted.  Sitting on the couch for too long in the afternoon just kills me.  It's not that it's not relaxing, it's just that if I sit there too long, my body seems to shut down for the rest of the day.  Bleh.  She was adorable though!  And I'd still be sitting there right now if my bladder hadn't been bursting.  To me, there is just this unspoken rule that if your cat comes to lay with/on you, you don't move until the cat has vacated her spot.  That's just how it works.  You sit there, legs asleep, overheated, bored to death, moving as little as humanly possible until she decides to move.  That's just the rule.  Lol.  (FYI, I know I sound ridiculous.)

Anyway, today I figured I would share a recipe!  Since it's (probably) cold where ever you are right now, this meal is perfect!  I absolutely love chicken and dumplings.  Any time we eat at Cracker Barrel, it is positively the hardest decision in the world to choose between their chicken and dumplings or a breakfast meal.  Talk about tough!

This recipe is very similar to Cracker Barrel's version.  The dumplings are flat, but delicious, and the dish is interspersed with shredded chicken.  (In my humble opinion, this meal would be even better if you just left out the chicken all together, but I know we need some protein to balance it out.) 

Also, just FYI, I made half of the recipe below for just Thomas and I, and we had about 2 servings of leftovers too.

Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from: Buns in My Oven
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium chicken breasts (depends on how much chicken you want in it)
• 6 cups chicken broth (I used boiling water and chicken bouillon cubes.)
• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken, then let cool and shred.  (I just boil it because it will get seasoned when you add everything together, but you can cook it anyway you'd like.) 
2. While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the dumplings.  Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Cut in the butter using a fork or a pastry blender until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
4.  Slowly stir in the milk.  Do not over mix!  (The original said you might not need the whole cup, but I found that I did and my dough was still a little dry.  Next time, I would probably use a little more than a cup.)
5. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.  It doesn't have to be perfect.
6. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into small sections (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches square).  Lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet to dry for about 30 minutes.
7. Bring the 6 cups of broth to a simmer in a large pan.
8. Add the dumplings one by one so that they don't stick together.
9. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring often to make sure all of the dumplings cook evenly.
10. Add the shredded chicken to the dumplings.  Continue cooking for about 20 minutes.  The mixture will thicken up quite a bit.
11. Salt and pepper to taste and serve!

I hope you enjoy this lovely cold-weather meal!  Yummy yummy!

A Few Collected Updates {Wednesday Wins}

Well, since I haven't blogged any Wednesday Wins in a while, here are a few from the past week or so...

Puzzle 2 (barely fit on the table)

I finished puzzle #2 and am on to #3.  This third one is an ENORMOUS, 2,000 piece puzzle that I got last Christmas (?), and it is so big, I can't put it together on my weaving/craft table.  It only fits on the kitchen table.  Which is why I've never succeeded in putting in completely together before.  I started working on it when I first got it, but we got really tired of perpetually eating on tv trays before I could get anywhere close to finishing it.  So this time, I'm trying to put it together in sections on my craft table, then when it's close to being finished, I will transfer it to the kitchen table for the final touches.  We'll see if that plan actually works or not. 

We started up trivia again tonight after a two week break for the holidays.  We did terrible, but it's still fun.  Better luck next week I guess!

I got a JoAnn's gift card for Christmas, and today I used it to buy some fabric for another maxi skirt.  The fabric is a bold coral and black stripe, so I'm excited to see how it turns out.  I'm not so sure how the challenges stripes present will mesh with my compulsive impatience while sewing!  Yikes!

I made creme brulee variation number 3 (banana) a few days ago, and it was also a major success!  I will definitely have to share those recipes soon.  I used my new donut pan for the first time also.  Another good recipe I'll have to blog.  I also have a dinner recipe ready to go.  I just have to get with the program and actually post these things on the blog.  (I have yet to get a photo of any of the creme brulees yet... They usually get devoured the second they are ready to eat.)

A recent blessing was Beth Moore's book sale on Amazon.  In the past few days, she had a ton of ebooks for sale for free and for $.99!!!  So, needless to say, I downloaded at least ten of her books and only spent a few dollars!  I'm currently using "Praying God's Word Day by Day" as a sort of prayer devotional each day.  I have been trying to incorporate more scripture into my prayer life, so it's really nice to have a guide to help with that!  Loving it!  I can't wait to get started on some of her other books too!  You should definitely check it out, but I'm also not sure how long these books will be on sale, so hurry!

My kitty cat has become really cuddly lately, and I am soaking it up!  She will even fall asleep on me while I'm sitting on my stool working on the puzzles.  She has been initiating the cuddles at least once a day to take a nap on my lap!  And it's so stinkin' adorable!!!!!  I could post about 900 pictures of her, but I will spare you!  You're welcome.

What day is it?  HUMP DAY!  Lol.

Crazy Cat {Sunday Fun Day}

Hey all!

So, I really wanted to post this yesterday for Sunday Fun Day, but it took me forever to research the source of this gif and figure out how to post it here.  After much research, I still don't know the original source, but you can click here for the site I got it from.

So, I saw this on the internets several weeks ago, and it still makes me laugh out loud every time I see it!  Seriously, we were sitting in Menchie's eating ice cream a few nights ago, and Thomas brought it up.  I was laughing so hard I could barely keep from spitting my ice cream out!  I'm still laughing while writing this post.  I don't know why I this is so hilarious to me, but it is.  I hope you enjoy just a little bit!

Back from a Break

Well!  I ended up taking a much longer break for the holidays than I expected.  But life doesn't always go according to plan, does it?!  So here are some updates from the past two weeks!

The reason I ended up taking a longer break was because I got a super nasty cold the weekend before Christmas.  So in addition to feeling awful, I also had to finish getting ready for the in-laws' visit and Christmas!  Yuck!  Thank goodness Thomas was wonderful and helped me clean the house.

So then the sickness continued through Christmas, and I'm still not totally back to normal.  I have a lingering, awful cough.  But, I am so much better than last week!

We had a great visit with Thomas' parents.  Christmas was wonderful.  Since this was our first Christmas at our own house, it was so wonderful to get to set our own schedule and spend the day relaxing!  Thomas and I got to wake up and open our gifts to each other on Christmas morning, then his parents came over and we opened more gifts with them and a great day relaxing!

We, of course, watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special.  Oh, it was sad to say goodbye to Matt Smith, but we are interested to see what the future holds for the show.  Lolo and I were super tired by then, so we cuddled on the couch and grabbed cat naps during the commercials.

Thomas got me a Doctor Who puzzle for Christmas, and I've already completed it and torn it apart.  My parents also got us a puzzle (a much bigger, harder one), and I'm working on that one now.

My parents also got me an adorable scarf hanger for Christmas, so I've already got it hung up in the closet so it's a little bit on display!

Another Christmas gift I got was a creme brulee torch and ramekins.  (Creme brulee is one dessert that Thomas will order without fail at a restaurant that serves it.)  So, I've already made two different kinds, and we are loving it!  Thomas has already decided that creme brulee will be his birthday dessert in February!  Lol!

We spent our New Year's Eve at home, eating pizza and having a movie marathon.  We're old people at heart, so we didn't even make it to midnight.  But who cares!  On New Year's Day, we went out for some delicious bagels for breakfast and spent the morning out, playing with our new outdoor Christmas toys!

Today feels like the first day I've been able to sit down and recap the holidays.  I absolutely loved the change in pace for the past week, but it's also nice to be back to normal!  I'll definitely be making more creme brulee soon, so I can't wait to share a few recipes!

I {Heart} Italian Food

Italian food is by far my favorite!  I would pretty much eat pasta every day of my life if I could.  My mom has always fixed some great Italian meals growing up.  But, by far, stuffed shells is my favorite meal that my mom has ever fixed.

These stuffed shells and meatballs were, with only a few exceptions, the dishes I requested every time my mom asked me for dinner preferences.  We've eaten this for almost every one of my birthday dinners that I've had at home.  I love it so much!  To me, this meal is perfect.  Just perfect.

It makes a TON of shells and meatballs, so I usually half each recipe.  But this time I made the full batches for a dinner party and still had plenty to freeze for later!  Both the shells and meatballs freeze wonderfully so that you can save some for a super easy meal later.  For the shells, I highly recommend flash freezing them seam side up on a parchment lined cookie sheet before putting them into a freezer bag to store.  They're much more likely to stick together, lose their shape, and cause problems when thawing if you just freeze them right in a bag.

Stuffed Shells
From: My mom (yet again!)
Makes: about 3 dozen shells

Ingredients:
16 ounces jumbo shells (give or take, you're always going to have some break while boiling)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil shells as directed on the package; drain.
3. Mix all other ingredients, except sauce, in a large bowl.
4. Stuff filling into shells and place seam-side down in a greased baking dish.
5. (Freeze shells at this point if you want to save them for later.)
6. Spoon sauce generously over shells.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.
8. If desired, sprinkle with more mozzarella cheese and return to oven for 1-2 minutes to melt cheese.

Meatballs
From: My mom
Makes: about 4 dozen

Ingredients: 
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
1/2 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 to 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine eggs, milk, onion, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add enough breadcrumbs to make a ball.
3. Add meat and mix well.  Beware, the best way to do this is with your hands, but they will get really, really cold!
4. Roll into 1 inch balls.
5. Place in a skillet and brown slowly, stirring often.
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. (Freeze at this point if saving.)
8. Place in a greased baking dish and cover with sauce.
9. Heat in the oven while the stuffed shells are cooking.

Like I said, this meal is divine!  It's perfect with a fresh, green salad and some homemade bread.  Woohoo!  I'm having leftovers for lunch again today, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Through a Different Lens

We all have those days.  The days where, even though moments before we felt the breeze blowing through our hair at the top of the highest mountain peak, we suddenly seem to have sunk to the lowest, darkest, coldest valley of our lives.  Where we can still see the sun shining on the mountain tops, but no matter our efforts, we just can't seem to get back there.  We try; we kick and scream; we claw; we cry; but we're stuck in the valley with no way out thinking there isn't one; there never will be.

Monday, I was truly having a good day.  Writing about good things tends to cheer me up, so the list of little lovelies that could have gone on much longer than it did made me start to feel the sun on my face and wind in my hair.  But then, yesterday, nothing seemed to go right.  I couldn't find any little lovelies to bolster me against the small, menacing problems of the day.  It's as simple as Christmas shopping; I only had/have a few things to finish up and every single one of them fell through.  And so the valley mentality kicked in.  I felt the weight and the shadows of the peaks I cannot get to darkening my spirit.  And all around me, all I could see was the darkness of unmet expectations.

We all have them.  Those small (or big) obstacles in our lives that make the grass look perpetually greener on the other side.  Maybe you thought that by now, you'd have a house and a couple of dogs.  Maybe you thought that your financial struggles would be a thing of the past.  Maybe you thought that you'd both have careers you enjoyed.  Maybe you thought that, finally, your own grass would be looking pretty green.

But it's not.  The expectations you had for your life, though seemingly not out of reach, have not come to fruition.  And at this point, when you pile up all the things in your life that just didn't pan out the way you thought, there really seems to be no way out of this dark and depressing valley.

But that's when you need to stop and look at your life through a different lens.

As hard as it may seem, you have to think about all of the other things that didn't go the way you'd thought they would.  The things that worked out as you'd never dared to hope.  That you never thought that God would actually show you your husband in high school... but it happened.  That life-long, completely (you thought) unattainable dream of living near the beach... that has come true.  That sweet little creature that wormed her way into your heart causing you to pack up and move just to keep her.  That happiness you feel when you and your husband say the exact same thing at the exact same time and you both just know that what you have is right.

And then I think, well, maybe this valley isn't so bad.  I've still got the salt-smelling wind, the sun, and the waves to keep me company.  Maybe the mountains have beauty, but the valleys theirs too.

So maybe, if your valley is looking a little dark and hopeless, you need to try looking through a different lens.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Alright!  I made it with the recipe today!  I know, just barely, but it still counts.

Here's a great winter recipe from my mother!  Wonderfully, it was actually a little cool outside when I made this last Thursday!

I have gotten several compliments on how good this is.  I think that's because it's a creamier soup.  By no means watery.  It's nice and thick and delicious!

Here are a few of the things I love about this recipe.  It's so quick and easy!  It doesn't take any weird ingredients; I usually have everything in the house needed to make it.  You can also add some veggies if you like things like carrots, onion, or celery in your soup.   You could even use all whole foods to make it if you wanted by making your own cream of chicken soup, noodles, etc.  It's just so easy!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup
From: My Mom
Servings: 6-8ish depending on how big of a bowl you serve out
Note: The soup pictured was actually made with shredded turkey, so that's why it looks pink.

Ingredients:
1 quart water
3 1/4 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup sour cream
Parsley

Directions:

1. Bring water and bouillon to a boil in a large sauce pan.
2. Add noodles, and cook for 10 minutes.  Do not drain.
3. Add soup and chicken; stir and heat through.
4. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream.
5. Sprinkle with parsley.  Salt and pepper to taste.

That's it!  You have a great dinner on the table.  I know it's simple, but I also just love serving this with cool buttered bread.  The contrast of the cool bread and butter with the hot soup is so yummy!  Enjoy!