randomness and recipe for peasant soup.

1:27pm

Listening to Flyleaf's Memento Mori album (first time in a while, and I'm so glad I bought the actual compact disc). But I'm not just listening to music. I'm making bread.

Apparently, there is going to be no dieting of any kind at Heather's birthday sleepover tonight. Not that I care, but from what I hear, there's going to be a lot of yummy not-low-carbs food. Heh heh.

I'm making focaccia bread and bringing some at her request.

It's really chilly outside, and the windows are shut for that purpose and the bread that needs to rise. 

Interesting thing, we did some deep cleaning and organizing in a few places of the main level. Always nice. It seems to happen on cold, rainy mornings when Dad comes home early from the farm. 

Another interesting thing, the coffee filter holder thing has been lost since Monday. Weird. *sigh* So...the other day I was researching coffee-makers that won't make me screech when I pull out some dough to pay 50% with Dad... I'm thinking this one.

Anyhow.

1:57pm

My cup of coffee is cooling, and the bread dough is rising.

*sigh* Dishes are getting done slow but steady; I hate washing silverware. (well, not silver, but ya know what I mean.) It's just too...meticulous. It's a good thing to turn to when you're avoiding a conversation--how would I know? I think I may have done it once in the past couple weeks, and several times in the past year. 

But anyways, I promised the recipe for peasant soup.

First of all, let's get a shot of reality. Yes, I'm slightly brave...and no, I didn't scrub my face the night before--that's eyeliner and mascara from Wednesday night. Anna thinks it's amazing and weird that make-up stays on my eyes when it comes off hers like water on a duck's back...

Anna stopped by with the chilluns to say hi before going on a bike ride...Reese doesn't know what to think: of the camera --he hates pictures most of the time-- or my tornado? Dunno. (yes, that's a nice green tornado on my head. my hair is really long and it sucks when it gets the back of my shirt wet)

Okay. Onto a different kind of reality. Let's open that chicken. Ewww.

Confession: this was the first time ever for me, boiling a chicken.

It was an interesting experience.

I asked a few questions of Anna before she left, and Ben and her answered me with odd answers...which I shall never disclose here. They're just too undignified. Take my question "is there any special way to put the chicken in the pot" (me, just trying not to make a single mistake here, covering all the details --who knows if they exist!) and see if you can come up with a few undignified answers, 'kay? It's not that hard... *rolls eyes and sighs*

I'm sorry for all the chicken pictures. They're kind of weird.

*sigh* You have no idea how sorry I am. But really. I couldn't resist. 

Anna and Ben were looking at me like I'd pulled a naked chicken's leg. Which I kind of was. But maybe I wasn't. Because those may or may not be my fingers that you see the tiniest bit... alright?

;)

Now, with your chicken in a clean pot, fill it half way with good water. We have a Best Water filter, so yeah...that's what is happening here.

While it's on the stove starting to do its stuff, make a smoothie. Vanilla yogurt (we use Stonyfield)...

Watch your brother slice open a new bag of frozen berries for said shake...oh, with a K5 lovely serrated from Cold Steel (love those knives, I really do, and it's a bonus that I haven't been cut for a while, too)....

Then say hi to Sammi...

And Reese...

And Anna.

And then send them off on their lovely morning bike ride.

I wasn't kidding you that Reese hates pictures. Errr, cameras.

And then go back in and snatch a picture of a masterpiece before said brother blends it up into yumminess. Oh yes, we add walnuts. Good protein.

Sorry. Everyone loves walnuts and nuts in general, except for Lyd. She doesn't care for this shake, or the homemade granola Anna makes--all because of the nuts in it. Pecans, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds. Oh, so good.

After everyone's had a cup... :) Gosh, I love our Vita-mix.

Okay. Sorry. Back to ugly-but-later-yummy things in life:

Alright, so I was a dear and didn't post that ugly chicken picture. Celery is soo much better looking, all fresh and green, and I really need to quick get this over with so I can make focaccia bread! I chopped 2 bags of celery for our pot of soup. Adjust for your size of fam.

Recruited Cubby (caleb) into chopping carrots (2 bags again) because I was peeling them all...

I diced a few onions and put those in with the chicken. Really starting to cook. 

Good. *nods head*

Real-light junkie that I am, I took the cooked chicken outside to do this one. You can tell, of course, because of the grass in the background... heh heh.

Strain the leftover broth stuff, just so ya get rid of any little bones and little things like that...

Add your carrots and celery to that broth/onion lovely stuff, and I added some water mixed with powdered chicken broth powder...because we needed a big pot:)

Check on Danny napping... (yeah...he's got a nuk. he's not my kid. we don't have him enough to stop that habit...) 

After boiling the broth/veggies, add frozen or fresh spinach, and the chicken, and some cooked turkey sausage...

Me and Rach. :) 

Coffee on the back steps.

Feeling a wee bit accomplished, having boiled my first chicken ever, and making peasant soup for the first time in a long time.

See you all tomorrow!

I'm off to...make that focaccia. :)

Tomorrow: stories and art!