Mama and Benny

Ben's leaving tonight for his 2 week visitation.  I dread these long visits in the summer.

Currently Reading Winter Study (Anna Pigeon Mysteries) By Nevada Barr see related

For Jackie

Finally, here you go.  This is very easy, the only time consuming part is cutting the noodles.  This is a great way to use up leftover chicken, or in my families' case, use a bunch of chicken.

If using chicken left on a whole chicken, I bone it then throw it in a pot of water/chicken broth and whatever herbs you want to use.  I usually only use salt, pepper and Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt (I learned about that from Pioneer Woman's website.)  If using raw chicken, I throw everything into boiling water/broth and cook it for a couple hours and bone it later before making the noodles.  I use a little of the boiled chicken water in with the water/broth I use to boil the noodles but not a lot because of the greasy factor. 

Egg Noodles:

3 eggs, well beaten

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons milk

2 1/2 - 3 cups flour

Stir with a fork until dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.  If this isn't enough flour to make the dough easy to pick up, add until it is.  Turn the dough out on a well floured pastry cloth or rolling surface. (For me, this means clean off a space on the counter.)Flatten out the ball of dough, cover the surface w/more flour, roll until thin as you like it adding flour to places that seem sticky.  Cut strips with sharp knife, or luck out at a garage sale and find an antique noodle cutter that saves a hell of a lotta time.  Put into water boiling already and cook 25-30 minutes.  Keep an eye on the water level, the noodles suck up a ton of liquid.  Add chicken to noodles and cook a while longer and taste test for the right combination of salt/pepper. 

Note:  Roll the hell out of the dough unless you like really fat noodles.  This makes quite a bit, we had enough leftovers for lunch.

And

Class of '88

This weekend is my 20 year high school reunion.  I'm flying to Indy on Friday and coming home on Sunday.  I went to my 10 year and I really didn't want to, but I had a great time, so hopefully this one will be fun, too.  I get to stay in a hotel! With room service!  I am so looking forward to sleeping in and being alone and reading without interruption.  I will miss my monkeys terribly.  I always think the worst when I'm gone.

I am trying to get some pictures taken of the house in progress to post.  I have a few demolition pictures, but none of how it is now with the new paint and half done bathroom.  I'll have to wait for some sunshine since all the lights have been taken out of the house for painting.  And because they were awful.  We are also the proud owners of half a back yard of new sod.  I know that's thrilling, but it's nice to see actual grass where there were only weeds before.  When I look at it now all I want to do is lay down on it.  We're trying to decide if we can afford a pool or not before we sod the middle or not.  Because of the many tractors and dump trucks, the front yard is now a dirty mess, so we'll have to sod that, too.  LV has been laying all the sod himself.

Does anyone else have a teenager obsessed with Warcraft?  I don't get it.  He could play this game for days straight without stopping and would if I let him.  Luckily yesterday we were outside at the beach all day, then came home and swam.  So he got some vitamin D, exercise and much needed play time to just be a kid. 

Recipe

Here's the recipe I made tonight and often because it kicks so much ass:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/09/cooking_with_my_punk-ass_little_sister_penne_a_la_betsy/

Everything I've cooked from her site is fantastic and the family likes it, too.  Go check her out. She's very funny and makes me laugh out loud a lot.  The way she photographs her food will make your mouth water and make you want to move in with her.