Using What You Have on Hand

 

The other night I made The Pioneer Woman Sour Cream Noodle Bake for dinner. It actually is one of our favorites, but I ended up cooking too many egg noodles. Not wanting to be wasteful I googled what else I could make with egg noodles. 

I found a recipe on Yummly for Broccoli Chicken Casserole with Egg Noodles. As it turned out I had all the ingredients on hand. This was partly due to me cooking chicken breasts in the crockpot and then shredding them, and freezing them for later. 

I’ve found that a large pack of chicken breasts can make enough chicken for several meals. Usually each chicken breast is huge, and shreds easily after being cooked in the crockpot. I season the chicken with salt, pepper and Season All, and then add a little broth (chicken or veggie) to keep it moist. I cook on high for four hours, and shred it in the crockpot with two forks. Then I portion them into quart size freezer bags, and write the date with a Sharpie. This way I’m all set to quickly defrost them when needed. 

This recipe called for shredded chicken, cooked egg noodles( which I pulled out of the freezer, also),a can of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheddar, milk, onion powder, s & p, and some broccoli which I had in the freezer as well. Even though the broccoli was florets I go ahead and trim off the stalks. ( Those go to the chickens.)

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, and sprayed a square baking pan. I mixed the egg noodles, chicken, the can of soup and a half a can of milk, with about a quarter cup of sour cream. I sprinkled on the seasoning ( about a tsp of onion powder and the s& p to taste) I added the broccoli and covered the casserole with grated cheddar. 

I cooked it I for around twenty minutes until the cheese was melted. I must say this was absolutely delicious, and I will definitely be making it again. Besides that it looked really pretty coming out of the oven. 

If you try it let me know what you think.

Country Measurement

The other day I was watching all three of my grandsons. The oldest is usually in school, but was home because of the Christmas Break. 

We were talking and at some point he informed me, “Hey, Mimi I’m almost a sack of feed.”

I knew immediately what he was referring to since we have started buying both dog and chicken food in large amounts. 

I asked him if he knew how much that was, and without skipping a beat he said, “Fifty pounds.” Now I can’t tell you how close to that amount he actually weighs, but I do know that my Weight Watcher goal is just shy of three feed bags!

Podcast Heaven

 Well after almost ten years, and just shy of 200,000 miles we traded in the old Rav 4, and purchased a Highlander over the Christmas break. It wasn’t exactly planned, but at the same time we had been talking about replacing my car for a while. 

We considered getting another Rav 4 because I really did love my car, but once Chuck sat in the front seat we knew it was no longer a consideration. My 2013 model had a slim console, but the new model had an extremely wide console. Trying to fit a six foot tall man in the front seat resembled squeezing sardines into a can. There was no way he was going to fit comfortably.

So we turned our sights on the next size up, and test drove the Highlander. Now the size and comfort of the ride was so much nicer than our former vehicle, something that had been pointed out to me before by my daughter. I was instantly hooked. There was plenty of room for Chuck in the front seat, and this little beauty actually could seat seven with a third row. A perfect number for our family. 

Another plus for this vehicle was that it was a hybrid (not electric) with an impressive 36 mpg. However, the only drawback was the color, which to be honest would not have been my first choice. 

That being said, it had been discounted significantly to make room for more inventory, and with the right price, size and comfort the color seemed to matter less and less. Now each time I look at it I’m actually liking it more and more. It really has grown on me. 

Perhaps the most exciting part of this car is the Apple Car Play feature which syncs up easily with my phone. Now I am able to listen to my favorite podcasts while driving. Usually, I’m plugged into the news which over time can leave you pretty darn discouraged.

Yesterday while running errands in town I felt quite uplifted listening to some beginning of the year encouragement. I’m hoping that filling my mind with something a little more positive on a daily basis will help contribute to a great 2023. 

The Chicken Coop

You know the old adage, “Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Well at this point in our lives it really doesn’t matter? 

We ask questions like, “How many eggs did we get today?” or “Did Romeo (our rooster) attack Chuck again?”

Considering Romeo’s bad behavior he’s a pretty lucky rooster that despite having to hold him at bay with a fly swatter Chuck built him a chicken coop that in the chicken world rivals the Taj Mahal. 

Chuck spent the last two weeks building a chicken coop from “scratch.” And for you non-chicken folks scratch is something you feed a chicken. So there is a little play on words here. 

After watching several You Tube videos Chuck made a trip to the local lumberyard, McCoy’s, with a sketch in hand of the proposed coop. The manager who helped Chuck was very impressed with the detail included in his drawing. 

When Chuck returned home he got started on the project, only to find that he was missing a couple of needed boards. Little did he realize that he would be making a few more trips back to McCoy’s and Tractor Supply. You see Chuck was not relying on a pre-made blueprint, he was actually “winging” it a little bit. Did you get that? “Winging it, since they are chickens you know!

Now unlike the postman sadly Chuck was forced to quit building when we were hit with subpar temperatures. However, as soon as the temperature warmed up he got right back to work. Also, remember he was working around the holiday schedule. So that slowed him down a little. 

When he was finally ready to move the chickens into their new home, I couldn’t have been any more prouder of the amazing job he did. The chickens quality of life has certainly improved. They have a lot more room to roam, and a nice comfy place to lay their eggs, and roost for the night. 

The first two nights they were in their new home, we had to coax them up the ramp since they really weren’t quite sure what to do. However, last night when we went to check on them they were all tucked away safely for the night all on their own. These chickens are no “bird brains,” and we are very grateful for the eggs they provide for our family. 

We thank them quite often for the job they do. Now if we could only get that dang rooster to stop attacking Chuck!

2023

The start of a new year. I like beginnings. They are always so full of promise. I would like this year to be more creative. I feel like I’ve left that side of me behind, and it makes me sad. One of my Christmas gifts this year is a book entitled Conscious Creativity. I’m hoping that this book will serve as a catalyst for a more interesting year. 

I remember when Chuck and I moved into the apartment in 2017 how suddenly our life became so much more interesting. Everything was new and different, and we were living a completely new life. I loved it. I remember walking down the hall from the parking garage to our first floor apartment thinking that I was living the most exciting life. 

No longer was I a homeowner in the suburbs. Each day as I ventured out I looked for new and different opportunities. Even our style of eating changed as Chuck and I explored plant-based eating. I loved sitting out on my tiny patio meeting new people, and catching a glimpse of the lake. 

Each day as I walked around the lake my soul felt revived. I began to meet new people, and challenged myself to try new things. 

It was a wonderful year, but during the last few months I knew it was time to move on. Living with noisy upstairs neighbors was no way to live. When we bought our home in Euless I was over the moon. I called it my bells and whistle home. It was such a lovely place, and I thoroughly enjoyed the location, and all it had to offer. 

Sadly, when the pandemic hit life as we had known it changed dramatically. Suddenly our only connection with others was through a Zoom meeting. It was better than nothing, but not the same. Churches were closed on Easter Sunday, and our trip to Ireland with my sisters was cancelled. Christmas Eve found each family at home alone not wanting to tempt fate. 

Our move to the country brought on a whole new set of challenges as we built our home in De Leon. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way it has turned out, but somewhere in the busyness of getting it built I’ve lost sight of the things that stir my soul. 

I’ve loved living closer to Brittany, Will and the boys, and am treasuring the new friendships I’m making. However, I want to once again challenge myself to not just go through the motions of day to day living. I’m looking forward to more adventures with Chuck, and taking advantage of opportunities.

My goal is to write daily throughout the week on my blog. Just the discipline alone, and a daily expectation forces me to be more observant of the world around me. I think that’s a good starting point. 

2022 Revisited

 

2022 was primarily a year of adjusting to our new home and community. It was an opportunity to meet new friends, and to become involved in our new church. Both Chuck and I participated in weekly Bible studies, and enjoyed becoming more a part of De Leon. 

I continued to watch the boys two days a week. Since the oldest is now in school I spent most of my day with the middle and youngest grandsons. I must say this is the highlight of my week. I have so enjoyed being a part of their lives, and have been carrying for the baby since he was three weeks old. That all keep me physically fit, and laughing!

This year brought the addition to several new animals to our ranch. In early spring we brought on board six chickens. We began raising them in a large box in our library. When they we old enough we moved them out to their coop. Sadly, one day when I returned home I discovered one of them was missing. Some predator with a good grip had pulled out two of them, and had made off with one of our chickens. We reinforced the coop and ended up getting a rooster that we named Romeo from our daughter. One of her hens had turned out to be a rooster, and we were looking for one. Although, after experiencing how mean Romeo is that has become a questionable decision. 

At the end of May we adopted two kittens. They were brother and sister, and absolutely adorable. Our oldest grandson named them Ranger and Bluebonnet without skipping a beat. They spent their first month inside sleeping in our laundry room, and then moved to the barn to do their job as mousers. Watching the two of them play together was delightful, and I immediately warmed up to the little boy who was a little snuggler. 

Sadly, at the beginning of December, Ranger came up missing when Chuck went to collect them to put them in the barn before it got dark. He searched for about an hour with no luck. With fifty acres of woods next door I was heartbroken to think that he might not be coming back. I held out hope for several weeks, always looking for him toward the horizon. Meanwhile, Bluebonnet got her wish to be an indoor cat during the day. She still sleeps at night in the barn. We are hoping to not have a repeat experience of two copperheads in the barn this spring. 

At the beginning of August Chuck came across a posting about two female Black Mouth Curs being abandoned in a neighboring community. We ended up adopting both, and couldn’t believe our luck. That is until they began fighting very viciously. We were at our wits end as to what to do. We separated their sleeping quarters, and did not feed them together. We were certain that we would have to give away one of them. Apparently sisters don’t always get along. We had noticed one of the dogs, Honey, seemed quite anxious. We talked with our vet and decided to put her on medication for anxiety. She became a completely different dog, and now Ginger and Honey co-exist pretty well together. 

They have turned out to be good dogs, and Chuck is over the moon about them. 

Chuck began working from home in August which really was a Godsend as the long weekly commute and being apart during the week had quickly become old. We feel very fortunate that this opportunity was afforded to him, and now he drives in twice a month which is much more tolerable.  

2022 brought Covid to both of us, except at different times. Chuck got ill in July while still living in the apartment. I on the other hand waited until November so I could miss Thanksgiving. It’s the first time I didn’t get to celebrate the holiday. After a couple of weeks of exhaustion I was happy to get back to feeling like my old self. 

Sadly, my beloved 97 year old Aunt Theresa passed away this fall. We felt blessed that our sister Janet, from Connecticut, was able to represent our family at the funeral. I miss our weekly phone calls, and especially Aunt Theresa’s laugh. 

Christmas Eve found our immediate family celebrating with my brother and sisters. It was so much fun having Brittany, Will and the boys there. It had been several years since we had all gotten together for Christmas Eve. John and Sally, Will’s parents, joined us on Christmas Day at our house. We dined on filets which I can honestly say we’re some of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten. A great time was had by all. 

To end the year we said goodbye to my almost ten year old Rav 4 with close to 200,000 miles on it. We replaced it with a beautiful Toyota Highlander which drives like a dream, and has enough room to seat seven. 

As I’m writing this post Chuck is outside finishing up a new chicken coop he is building for our chickens. This thing rivals the Taj Mahal in the chicken coop world. Chuck has done a real professional job in its construction and it looks amazing. Luckily after a pretty frigid cold snap we have back our beautiful Texas weather, which makes it more enjoyable for Chuck to finish up the job. 

As we move into 2023 it will be interesting to see what this new year brings. 

The Last Book of the Year

 

I just finished reading The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck. It was a small book in size, and seemed fitting for the season. In total I read a total of twenty books this year. Thirteen were fiction and seven were non-fiction. 

Most of the fiction books took place during WWII, and involved women acting as spies. My favorite books were written by Kristen Hannah, and I already have another of her books in mind for next year. 

One of the most intriguing books I read, Leaving Time, is a book that about half way through I thought I might abandon it. As it turned out I flipped to the end to see how it turned out. When I learned the ending I was motivated to continue reading. I actually enjoyed knowing the twist as I read, because initially I think I would have totally overlooked it. Add also all the information about elephants, and I was in book heaven by the end. 

What I did learn, though, was that a book a week is unrealistic for me. As much as I enjoy reading, I really don’t want to devote the time necessary to finishing a book a week. One thing I did do this year, though, is start reading fiction again, and I was introduced to several new authors. 

This upcoming year I’ve not set a number goal as to the amount of books I want to read. That being said I have asked for books as my Christmas present this year. Whether it is twenty or fifty-two the important thing to me is to keep on reading.