31 January 2014

I should have posted this before.... ;)



Our little new brew! {Baby Announcement...}

I am realizing that I should have written this before.  At this point many people know - but I'm sure there may be a few who haven't found out.  OOPS!  Life sometimes seems to fly by and suddenly I realize that I'm 34 weeks pregnant and never wrote a single blog update about the pregnancy.  In some ways perhaps this is good.  It has been fairly uneventful!  But on the other hand it also is because of the pace of our lives.  We didn't get a Christmas card {or blog post!} put up this year.  We didn't do many things we wanted to do...

BUT...

We did find out we were pregnant!

  • 13 years of marriage bliss! 
  • 2 amazing girls through 2 amazing adoptions.
  • 13 homes - in 13 years!  (I'm glad to say that we have lived in many homes for upwards of 4 to 5 years, so although we have moved a lot - luckily many of those were for an extended time.  Then we did several quick moves all at once!)
  • One gallbladder-removal surgery {last year} - which - we have NO idea how or why or WHAT it would have to do with anything... but.....
  • One little boy-on-the-way with an estimated due date of March 13th!
We are so excited and so blown away with this journey.   Our life has been crazy enough (running a business, homeschooling, etc.) so adding in a pregnancy with the normal ups and downs has been a bit of an adjustment!  I was SHOCKED to be told that I was considered (get this!) a "geriatric pregnancy" because I was going to be 35 when the baby was born!  Geriatric?  Seriously?  Good grief. 

Regardless... I am now 34 weeks into this adventure.  He moves a WHOLE lot and early on I felt like I was being taken over by a creature from beyond.  (I'm from New Mexico - Area 51 anyone?!) But after the last several ultrasounds where we actually SAW this little boy - chubby wrists and hands and cheeks - it's feeling more real.   The girls are so very excited.  Several of my t-shirts have oil stains where J, the four year old, has run up and kissed on me.  I didn't realize she had Chapstick on.  Oops.  At least it's a stain with a sweet memory!  

Here's to another year, another baby, and another adventure!  





27 January 2014

Snow days, warm fires, hot drinks!


It's an especially COLD winter here in Kentucky!  We've had a lovely set of storms and days that justified my enormous expenditure on our woodburning stove this past year.  I for one have been glad to "need" it.  Somehow it made me feel better!  It also has been a great excuse for cooking more yummy soups, chile and other cold weather delights.  One of our favorites has become a Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup.  It's really really really easy and really good!  The whole family loves it - which says something when she-who-is-four-and-super-picky will chow down on a bowl!  I serve it with an easy salad and bread.  Perfect for those cold nights or lunches when everyone needs a warm up!  


Hope you enjoy!  


Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup
Adapted quite a bit from "A Taste of Enchantment"

1 Tbs. coconut oil
1/2 onion diced finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. chicken stock
2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded (Store-bought rotisserie works here – especially if you are short on time! I also keep bone on chicken breast to easily stick in the oven for oven roasted in a pinch.  So easy, salt, pepper, and roast – then pull off bone!)
1 c. green chile, diced (two small cans will equal about 1 c. – that is if you can’t get fresh!)
1 can diced potatoes – or about 1.5 c. diced potatoes (I like canned because they potatoes hold up so well in soups.)
1 Tbs. flour
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. half and half (milk will work just fine)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4. tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

In your dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, until fragrant. Add chicken stock, raise heat and bring to a boil.

When stock is boiling, remove 1/2 c. of broth and let it cool. To the boiling broth, add shredded chicken and green chile.

After reserved broth is cool, add 1 Tbs. of flour to it and whisk until well blended. Add the flour mixture back into the boiling broth and mix well. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix the milk or ½ and ½ and the cream cheese together.  If it’s a bit lumpy that is fine because the cream cheese will melt in the soup.

Add the cream cheese mixture gradually into the soup, whisking constantly. When cream cheese mixture is added, reduce the heat to a simmer then add in the rest of your spices (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper). Don’t boil at this point!

Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the soup thickens. Do not boil.

This will re-heat VERY well…. If you have enough left over! 

Keep warm and enjoy!