Creamy Chicken and Vegetables

I enjoyed the meal I made with the Philadelphia Cooking Creme so the next time we went to the store I bought a different flavor this time. I like to cook, but I also love short cuts. It also fits in with my current low carb diet. This time I used the Savory Garlic.

Creamy Chicken and Vegetables

EVOO
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced zucchini
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup mixed cauliflower and broccoli, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic

You may wish to add 2 cups cooked penne. I am trying to stay low carb, so I didn't.

Philadelphia Cooking Creme, Savory Garlic flavor

French Fried Onions
Thinly sliced green onions

I love onions, so there are three kinds in this dish. Feel free to eliminate any that you don't want, but they were all good!




Heat the EVOO in a large fry pan. Add the onion and cook while chopping up the cooked chicken and the rest of the vegetables.



Stir the onions and add the chicken and the vegetables, reserving the French Fried and the green onions. They are for toppings!

If you wanted the pasta, add it now and then the Philadelphia Cooking Creme. If you add the pasta you will need the whole tub. If you just have the veggies you can use most of it and reserve the rest for another occasion. Or what the heck! Use all, but it will be REALLY creamy.




Cook until everything is warmed through. Serve with the green onions and the French Fried onions on top.

I served it with an artichoke. I like to cook them in the microwave when it is just the two of us.

Artichokes in the Microwave

Cut off the tops and the bottoms of the artichokes. Then use scissors to trim the points off any leaves. Spread it open and rinse thoroughly. Dump out the water and place each one face up in a cereal bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Pierce in a few places to release the steam.

I must stop here and tell you that some people worry about cooking with plastic wrap in the microwave. If this bothers you, use wax paper and a rubber band (or something to close it tightly) to hold in the steam. Poke a hole in the top.

Artichokes come in many different sizes. So the timing is kind of iffy. I put mine in for 8 minutes, but they were huge. Start with 5 minutes and add more if they aren't done. I hate under cooked artichokes, but it is easy to pop them back in for a minute or so. I like to serve them with a bit of mayonnaise, but some people like clarified butter for dipping. Don't forget the bowl to hold the leaves!

I Must Be Crazy

I have a quilting project that is starting in May. I bought the fabric, washed and ironed it and now I am waiting for the class to begin.

I have the drive to finish clearing before it gets too hot or too thick with vegetation. Winter or early spring is the best time.

I have the bench project for my sister and the blueberries I still need to buy and plant.

And yet I went and bought some yarn to work on an afghan. I have made quite a few of them, but never kept one. This one is for us!

My theory is that I can work on it at night while watching TV. That is wasted time! If it is for us and winter is a looong way off, I can take my time. No rush, like the last two I did. So the hope is that this will be fun and relaxing.

The first few rows are the worst because you are establishing the pattern. After that you can see where you are and what you did wrong! I have to go take out a few stitches to fix where I messed up. Don't knit when you are tired!

At least I bought a light color of yarn so that the cat hair won't show. Once again, this is my theory!

Temporary Cure For Grief

I woke up with my hands still hurting and the paper said it was going to be hot, so we put off clearing the brush. It will still be there tomorrow, after all.

April and May are difficult months for me. My much beloved sister died in April and my father in May. Dad loved the outdoors and took us camping every summer of my childhood. Roz came to visit and we did a lot of work in the gardens together. So when I am outside and spring is making this place just burst with color and glorious scents ( sort of like jasmine or gardenias, I don't know what it is, but it is intoxicating), I picture how much my father would have loved it and remember everything Roz helped me with on her visits.

We went into town to buy the things I need to make a memorial to my sister. I want to put a bench to sit on out in the orchard. I have this vision of a brick area with a trellis/gazebo over it. My brother Roland told me about Pinky Winky Hydrangeas. Roz had a nickname of Pinky, so I want to plant one or two of those by the bench. I think it will be pretty. Roz lived in Japan for a year and her husband was Japanese-American, so I want to give it a Japanese feel if I can.




My next job is to dig the area level. It has a slight slope to it. I say slight because I haven't started to dig it, yet. I have the 4X4s, the sand and the brick to get started. I'll worry about the bench and the cover later. Then I will get a plaque of some sort.




Yesterday I was unloading the sand and brick and placing them where I wanted to start building. I looked around and stopped to "talk" to Roz. I wanted her to see what I was doing and I thought she would like the idea. I started to cry and took a deep breath. I hate to cry. On my inhale I sucked in a bug. It hit the back of my throat and I couldn't get it out. I hacked and coughed and spit and finally swallowed the critter. I could feel it scratch all the way down. Gross.

But I stopped crying and started to laugh at myself. This big dramatic moment dedicated to my sister and I am bending over and spitting. Maybe she threw the bug at me. It is something I can picture her doing. She never would let me cry around her. She felt bad that her passing was making me so sad. So now I have the cure for grief. Suck up a bug. Too bad it is temporary.

Enough For A Small Pony?

The horses are shedding with all this heat and by heat I mean sort of warm. But not quite enough. I brought them in to the barn one at a time to help with the process.

Claire is the most noticeable. Her coat gets bleached out over the summer. So when she sheds she is a beautiful caramel color underneath. Even with working on her for halt an hour, there were still spots where her winter coat won't come loose. Maybe in another week.




Libby wouldn't stand still because I made the mistake of doing her last and letting Claire loose. She WANTED to get to Claire. She REALLY did. But I didn't let her and she soon settled down. She had worked herself up into a nice sweat, so whatever I couldn't get off her will work itself loose soon.




After both horses were groomed, I could have made a small pony out of the left over hair. Or maybe a big cat.




I took some pictures and I hope a few turn out good enough for an ad. Want to buy some patchy horses?

Hobbies

I have decided I need to work on an afghan in the evening while watching TV. It will make me feel less useless. I have never made one for us. Only to give as gifts. I requested some library books to see if I like any patterns or if I should just use one of the pattern books I already have. Then I will get started on that.

I am waiting until the class starts to work on the quilt for which I bought the fabric. So that is on hold. Everything I need to do before the class is done.

So I have been making cards when I am too tired to work outside any more.

First I stamped a bunch of coffee themed stamps and saved them. Then I stamped some of my potting bench things and saved them.




Then I thought about them way too much. Like when I was supposed to be sleeping. Here is what I ended up with.



I had some paper that I thought would go with the coffee.

I stamped a border of coffee beans on a blank card.



Then I cut out the coffee cup and steam and a few sentiments that I backed with a dark colored card stock.


For the potting bench I added the extra drawer. It was too deep so I modified it a bit.



The potting soil bag has a few foam dots to make it dimensional. I added moss and work gloves to the drawer.




I cut off the top of the potting bench for a table. I have a small stamp of books and things and a cat stamp that goes well with it. The cat is too big, but I just decided he was a Maine Coon and went with it.




I modified the drawer even further and put some small ribbons and floss to look like things spilling out of a drawer.

I do not have anyone to send these to. And I intend to make even more stamps to send to no one in particular. I am even ordering a few more stamps. I think this is a sickness. I really do like doing nothing but reading a book and vegetating. But for right now I don't want to sit around too much. And if an occasion calls for a hand made card for a special person, I'll be ready! Wait. I don't have any birthday cards. What new stamps could I use for THAT?

Half Way There

Lee had to go be the library courier today. I went down the hill to finish clearing the first side. There wasn't much left to do, but I wanted it done. Working by myself is less fun, but RJ came along for company. Of course, the first thing he does is run up in the woods to see if there is some form of wildlife to terrorize, but he does come galumphing down the hill if I call him.

So now I am done.




Doesn't it look nice?




Yes, I saw that. You don't have to mention that there are spots I missed or cut too high. Every time I look I see things I missed. Am I going to worry about it and think I should go back and take another look? Of course I am. Obsessing over things I did do or didn't do is one of my best things! But I am going to ignore that insistent voice in my head and move on to the other side.




Because there is a LOT to do there!




And it will take me long enough that it will get hot and steamy here and I will stop doing this work. I DID buy a lottery ticket in the hopes of winning enough money to HIRE this done. Yes, I know what you are thinking. It is stupid to buy lottery tickets. Even my son Travis calls it a tax on the stupid. But it was only a few dollars and I had fun thinking of someone ELSE doing this work next year. My excuse is that it goes to the schools!

Two Hours Max

I have decided that 2 hours is the maximum amount of hard physical labor that I can do in a day. It helps to have been a bit of a slug the day before. I had hoped that working this hard would mean I could lighten up on the dietary restrictions. You know, have some bread or a glass or two of wine. Well, no. I have gained a few pounds and I need to get into a Mother of the Bride type dress in a few months, so I dare not let this outrage stand! Back to veggies and unsweet tea.

If someone went to the gym and worked out for two hours you would think that they could eat what they wanted, but I guess when you are fifty... mumble.. you don't get to do that. SO back to the yard work. Or maybe I should say farm work.




This time I got smart and sprayed myself all over with OFF!. It says it repels ticks and I sure hope it works. I am not a big fat baby about them, but they do embed their little, disease carrying heads in your flesh and suck your blood. So it is not too weenie-ish to want them to stay outside and suck on something else. I have been checking the dog and cats because even with the Frontline ticks can get them, too.

After two hours of clearing, raking, hacking and sawing I came in and inspected myself. Now I am over fifty and not a former Supermodel, so this is an unpleasant task at the best of times. When I find a tick if is even more so. But I have to put on my big girl panties and do it...not granny panties. I am not THAT old.

So far the OFF! is working just fine. I had sprayed around my ankle, wrists, waist and where my long sleeved shirt buttoned before leaving the house, and it seems to have been successful. Yay, OFF! Guess I gotta get a case.




After the work on the drive, RJ was riding with me back up the hill to the house. We both spotted a turkey in the field ahead of us. I slowed down because he is famous for jumping out of a moving vehicle to chase things off "his" property. He has twice torn off a toenail while doing so. Then we have to keep him from bleeding all over the house. (Don't you love the high tech bandage of an old sock and duct tape?) Not to mention the vet bill and trying to get him to take the antibiotics.




So naturally he ran off, chased the turkey into these woods and came back panting, yet proud. Once again he has saved us from the deadly invasion of wild turkeys. Wish he could do something about the ticks. Something that doesn't involve bringing them in the house on his flesh and having me pull them out and flush them. Where did I put those big girl panties, again?