Wednesday, May 29, 2013

 
Chicken with Noodles
 
This recipe is an amazing option for anyone who needs to get rid of veggies most everyone has in their fridge, that bag of noodles always lingering in every cupboard, and that bag of frozen peas bought but never used in a few months.
 
You will need:
 
a large stock pot (5 quarts or more)
1 pound chicken (I used ham in the picture... a great substitute if you have it cooked already and need to get rid of it)
3 cups water
3-4 carrots sliced thick
2-3 celery stalks sliced thick
1 1/2 onions sliced
1 bag of frozen peas
salt, pepper, tyme, sage, and other seasonings
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
(if you do not use raw chicken, add some chicken stock)
3 cups wide noodles (i used shells like the size for velveeta cheese)
2 cups milk
3 Tablespoons flour
 
In your stock pot add water, seasonings, (feel free to add more), garlic, and sliced raw chicken (if you decide to use an already cooked meat - do not add it here)
 
Add sliced veggies and if needed, chicken stock (see above).  After allowing veggies and meat to cook (if using raw meat - 20 minutes roughly - until meat juices run clear), remove meat. 
 
Add noodles and cook until noodles are roughly done (they can be a little firm because you arent done yet and they will continue to to cook) - roughly 5-8 minutes. 
 
Add 1 1/2 cups milk to the broth and frozen peas. In a side bowl add remaining milk and flour together until combined (no lumps).
 
Add milk and flour mixture to the meal.  and allow the dish to cook for an additional 2-4 minutes.  At this point if you removed the meat, add back into the dish.  If you stared out with pre-cooked meat, add the meat to this dish at this point.
 
Mix the meat into the dish and enjoy!
 

Friday, May 10, 2013


Meet Albus... aka Albbie!
Adopted by myself and my fiance Rob in January, this little guy is the first dog I have ever owned! Albbie is a rescue dog from the SPCA.  He was half off... I'll never understand how you can discount an animal... because he was in the shelter for about 5 months or more. 

Albbie had a brother and was first adopted with him. However his brother did play, but to the point that Albbie was getting bullied. The family who adopted both Albbie and his brother decided they would rather the hyper dog and brougt Albbie back to the shelter. Albbie waited alone for his new family to take him in. Rob and I came, and he just laid there.  He didn't want treats and he certainly was not going to run up for us to pet him.  However, he looked sweet.  For that reason alone we thought we would bring him home and try to give him a place to call his "forever home."


Albbie is a sweetie.  He barks rarely.  Actually I think I can count on one hand how many times he has barked since we brought him home.  He is almost 7 now and likes mainly to sit by you and sleep.  He plays when one of us comes home, by bouncing in the air waiting to be caught mid bounce.  He doesn't play catch or chew on toys, but instead nuzzles the couch or your lap. 

Albbie ran away over a month ago.  He was so stuck to our side we stopped using a leash for taking him to the bathroom.  It worked well for a few weeks, but then one day he took off.  I do not have children, but the feeling was terrible.  I felt sick and didn't want to do anything but look for him.  The kindness of our neighbors was amazing.  One man kindly made us amazing flyers and signs to post all over the place.  People started looking for him everwhere. I saw many people driving around, calling his name, and keeping a general eye out for him.

After a week, we lost hope just to find him laying outside on top of the cage we put out for him with food.  He came running back in covered in dirt, ticks, and full of worms.  But we were overly excited to have him back.

Now Albbie stays on a leash at all times outside.  He gets his adventures on his walks with us and we hope to keep him with us and happy for a long time.