Wow today was the most productive day we have had in quite some time. It was much needed and now that it is in our rearview mirror, can appreciate it to the fullest extent!
We took the morning easy so to speak and had a big breakfast together as a family. Everybody was in a good mood and knew the tasks we had to do that day and was willing and ready to help with "their" job. Those days are few and far between in reality though so we were enjoying it while it lasted ha! Mid morning we headed outside to work in the yard. It's been a LONG time coming!
Jay cut the yard/weedeated (sp?) while I vacuumed/cleaned out the inside of the car. He also completely moved several areas of a flowerbed with the tractor that we have wanted to get rid of for some time now. Then the kids and I moved out everything out of the garage and cleaned it out. One of my secret loves (shhhh don't tell anyone!) is to blow leaves/dirt with the blower. For my OCD personality, it is like cleaning a house with a fast forward button! Results fast!!! I love for things to look neat and in less than 5 minutes the garage can look clean as ever (not including the time to move stuff in and out of course!). Brayden wanted to help me blow the garage and driveway and was really begging to be given his turn. The thing was bigger than him though so it was kinda funny. He did great though!
We came in for lunch and while Lucy was taking a nap, Karis and I cleaned out hers, Brayden's and Lucy's "special" drawers. I have a 3 drawer plastic roller for each child and it has all things special in them (things from their birth, hospital stuff, first hair cuts, teeth lost, baby books, etc.). Karis is at the stage where she loves and appreciates the things in there and has wanted to go through hers for a while now. And hers is getting so full we had to weed through and get rid of some to make room for more. I shed a few tears going through them including the letter Jay wrote Karis the day we brought her home from the hospital. Yea, I saw it and started crying and couldn't even read it to her, Jay had to! Whew...brings back such sweet memories!
Then I made one of our favorite recipes...a fav by all. I got the recipe from here but here it is...
Best Roast Chicken
3-4 lb. chicken
1 lemon, halved or quartered
1 head garlic, cut crosswise
1 bunch thyme (25-30 stems)
2 tblsp. butter
Salt
Pepper
Carrots
Potatoes
Onions
¼ cup chicken broth (I used a whole can)
1 lemon, halved or quartered
1 head garlic, cut crosswise
1 bunch thyme (25-30 stems)
2 tblsp. butter
Salt
Pepper
Carrots
Potatoes
Onions
¼ cup chicken broth (I used a whole can)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Dry the chicken with paper towels before beginning. It helps the butter, salt and pepper stick to the surface of the skin. You could use olive oil if you want, but the butter gives the skin a richer color and helps it crisp up better than oil.
Start by lightly salting and peppering the inside of the chicken. Then place the lemon, garlic and about 2/3 of the thyme into the chicken. Spread the butter all over the surface of the skin (I just use my fingers) and then liberally salt and pepper the skin.
Prepare the vegetables by cutting the carrots and potatoes into bite-size chunks. Roughly cut the onions into large pieces. Place all the vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the chicken broth and scatter the remaining thyme over. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the pan. The vegetables act like a roasting rack to keep the chicken off the surface of the pan. Pretty neat, huh?
Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. If desired, return the vegetables to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes while the chicken rests.
I didn't use thyme though because they didn't have any at Walmart, so I just used Rosemary that we had in the herb garden.
It was super yummy!
Oh and I didn't cook this today but made it this past week and wanted to post this recipe too because it was delicious. It is Pioneer Woman's recipe and I pinned it on Pinterest recently and made it. It is a pretty easy recipe, delicious but NOT fat free of course.
Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 whole Onion, Diced
- 1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1/3 cup Flour
- 4 cups Whole Milk
- 2 cups Half-and-half
- 4 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- 3 cups Grated Cheese (mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Etc.)
- Small Dash Of Salt (more If Needed)
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Splash Of Chicken Broth If Needed For Thinning
Preparation Instructions
Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.
Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender, return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning.)
Enjoy!
After dinner we gave baths, cleaned up a bit and then I did my long run that I had put off ALL day. I had to run 12 miles so when the kids went to bed, I went to a nearby neighborhood (with street lights) to run. I decided if I was going to run for 2-2 1/2 hours, I was going to buy a book on tape to listen to to keep me entertained. To me, when you run that long, ALL music (no matter the tempo or type) starts sounding exactly alike. So I bought the first of Karen Kingsbury Bailey Flanagan series "Leaving." I got all the way to chapter 7 while running and definitely the way to go on long runs. I survived the 12 miles in a little over 2 hours but was hurting at the end and ready for it to be over! FOUR weeks left until the half-marathon! I think I can...I think I can...I think I can!
Whew! This chickadee will sleep great tonight! So tired but thankful for the wonderful, productive, fun day we had as a family. :)
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