Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Since I've had a few requests I thought it would be easier to post this. It's very easy to whip up, not to mention delicious. I like the cream base v. broth. I usually cook several chicken breasts at one time and freeze them in 2 cup bags. It makes dinner in a hurry much more feasible. This soup can be frozen too.

4 cups chicken broth (I use the broth in a can or cubes since my chicken is generally already cooked and frozen)
2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use the fat free-not that you see a difference on me)
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups diced, cooked chicken

Noodles:
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T milk
1 cup flour

Cook chicken and set aside. Use chicken broth to cook carrots, celery, and onion til soft. Add chicken, cream of chicken soup, and evaporated milk. Mix noodle mixture and roll out. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut in thin strips and add to boiling soup. The noodles will double in size so make sure to roll them thin. They cook instantly when they hit the boiling water.

Note: If you are lazy like me, just buy the Country Pasta style thin egg noodles from Walmart. Put in about 3 cups of dry noodles and add an additional 1 1/2-2 cups of water. Corbin likes the homemade noodles slightly better but in favor of the time, the premades are just fine by me.
Enjoy!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Mr. GQ on Easter, March 23, 2008
My sweet angel baby
Two's Trouble! That looks like a suspicious grin from the little fellow.

Campaign Promises Fulfilled

Captain John, Matthew, Savannah & Trey at South Jordan Firestation

My friend April is the one who inspired me to learn to like breaking federal laws. She showed me the ropes on how to hop fences of sacred ground, not to mention federal property, in the pursuit of a healthier me. It was with April that I first jumped the stone wall into Arlington Cemetary at night. Being a law abiding citizen, generally speaking, the experience was a bit frightening but we sure did get a good walk once we were over the fence. One night we almost were caught by security and I think I ran as fast as I ever have in my adult life and hid behind a tombstone at April's direction. It was during these walks that we generally kept up to date on the prospects of eternal companions and whatever else was bothering us.

It was about this same time that April was wooing her husband-to-be and apparently at some point in their dating career had told him that when she had kids she wanted to take them on field trips. This was back in the idealistic days when we really didn't know what we were getting in to. Well, some years have come and gone and we thought we better make good on April's marriage campaign promises, so we took the kids to the South Jordan firestation. I don't know about the kids, but I thought it was interesting.

• $750,000 for a hook and ladder


• $250,000 of additional equipment


• they carry a chainsaw on board


• out the door 1 minute after a call


• trucks get washed sometimes several times a day

After the station, we all enjoyed a healthy meal from McDonald's. (I miss the cemetary exercise)

Peaceful Quiet

Right now all the world is at peace--at least that's how it feels to me for about an hour. Both kids are asleep and this time in the afternoon seems so quiet, peaceful and relaxing. It will all change in a bit for right this moment I will enjoy it. I almost fell asleep with them but then snapped myself out of the slumber by thinking of the little things I could do on my own. Wonderful things like pay bills online, fold laundry, dust, and a few other pleasantries. I did manage to sneak on here to at least indulge myself by checking email.

It's a perfect springtime moment.

You forgot WHAT???

Yesterday, Corbin and I drove seperately to church, which we rarely do. He told me to go ahead with Matthew and he would bring Spencer. Great. Off I went.

Corbin came into church and sat down and got a funny look on his face and looked around the pew. Then he asked me where the baby was, thinking I had passed him off to one of the baby lovin' folks who stare at him during church. I thought he was joking. After a minute I realized that he wasn't. I told him that I wasn't in charge of Spencer. He got up, left, and returned with my poor little baby who was left at home in his crib. Even after being left, Spencer is still a Daddy's boy. Dad's not allowed to be in charge any more.

Sweets for the sweet

Last week we took a tour of Sweet's candy factory. Everyone, including Spencer had to wear a hairnet. He was one cute dude in his hairnet. The factory makes lots of taffy, jelly beans, and orange sticks. We got free samples of taffy and jelly beans but next time we'll look for a chocolate factory tour.

Songs In My Head

It seems that every day I get some song stuck in my head and it's hard to shut it off. I wonder why that is. I don't feel like I seek out these songs, they just sort of show up and stay. This week I've been through several.

It started last week with a song from our favorite purple dinosaur, Barney. "It's not so tough to share your stuff, it's not so tough to share your stuff with a friend." Then I went into Eagles Lyin' Eyes "you can't hide those lyin' eyes and your smile's been disguised, I thought by now you'd realize there ain't no way to hide those lyin' eyes." From there I went to Jamaica--unfortunately not a real trip-- "I think Jamaican in the moonlight sandy beaches, drinking rum every night we got no money, mama, but we can go we'll split the difference, go to Coconut Grove ." After Jamaica, I went to California to Hotel California to be specific. It will be fun to see what lyrics I get stuck on this week--hopefully something good. I do hate it when a dumb song keeps going through my head and the off button is nowhere to be found.

ION (In other news. . . )
Matthew is doing a great job with the potty training and we're on the right track although I'm sure it will still be a little while to home plate. Peanut butter cups are running low (see previous post) but that's because I deserve some too. (Hey, if I can't go alone, I should at least get a pb cup). The New Guy (Matthew calls Spencer that) still has a cough that will get a strangers attention but overall is much improved. He rolled over in his crib yesterday for the first time. A baby milestone!! I was thinking last week that he should be due for rolling and wondered about his development (a mom obsession) but he proved me wrong.

Obsessions

What things do you obsess about?
This week my obsession has been whether to send Matthew to preschool in the fall. My obsessive mind cannot let things rest until I come to peace with a decision so I can move on to my next mental obsession. Corbin is the opposite, he likes to think for a long time before making decisions.
I was hesitant to send him and leaning towards sending him just one year before kindergarten but then changed my mind. We checked out a few schools and decided Newcastle is the best for him. http://www.newcastleschool.com/ He loved the outdoor playground (tears upon departure) and Miss Kathleen, the director, says we can come anytime to play there before next fall. He really doesn't give two hoots about the curriculum but is thrilled to death with the built-in Matchbox city type play area in the playground. I love when I get thrilled about something and I am REALLY thrilled with this school. I wish I could go! Thanks to all who put in their two cents about preschools.

If at first you don't succeed. . .

So we are trying some new rules in the Sly household. We'll see how long I have the stamina to attempt enforcement before the kids wear me down. Starting yesterday, Matthew has to use the potty to earn either a peanut butter cup or the right to watch a video. So far, he doesn't seem to care too much about either option. He normally loves videos (and pb cups) and I thought that not letting him watch them until he went would inspire him but when given the option, he tells me he's not going to use the potty and he doesn't want a video. Ok then. Any other ideas? I'm going to stand strong for a while and see if he comes around.

I decided that I have to be better about enforcing the consequences when I tell him something otherwise it only reinforces his behavior and he thinks he will always get what he wants. I'm sure that there is a book about this somewhere, but I'll probably never read it so hopefully this method works.

I tried a method my friend Kathryn mentioned in an attempt to rid Matthew of the binkie. I suggested that we put the binkies in a box and mail them to a baby who needs binkies more than he does. He thought for a second and then announced that the idea would not work because his binkies are big and they would not fit in a baby's mouth. Ugh, so much for that idea although I was impressed with his reasoning.

In other news, we took a family trip to the recently-opened Ikea store in Draper. Who would have ever thought that there would be an Ikea in sleepy Draper? We had a fun time just wandering the aisles and then dined on some Swedish meatballs and ice cream. Matthew said the cone was delicious and he learned how to lick around the bottom to stop the drips. It was a big night.