Back to School & My Chicken Soup

                                           It's that time of year - Back to School is upon us!

A trip to Walmart was in order so with list in hand we looked through the aisles and aisles of shiny new school supplies. I just had to buy these new Lisa Frank notebooks.  Aren't they great?

Emily picked out a package of those Ticonderoga pencils. All of Emily's textbooks were purchased 'used' on Amazon.  Still they were really expensive!

When I was just a kid I would look forward the back to school time of year.  The ritual of shopping for new clothes cuz you've outgrown everything, new pencils & notebooks for a fresh start.  Sometimes I'd get a new lunch box or Trapper keeper, remember those?

Emily got these Retro cool Oxford new shoes at Payless, 

thanks to Ivy who mentioned them on her wonderful  blog, Evies Tea Room

And we both got hit with summer colds! 

So, I whipped up a batch of my delicious homemade chicken soup which is as easy to make as it is to eat. 

I swear it's medicinal! 

Care to try it?

My Chicken Soup Recipe

2-5 frozen chicken breast or thighs
a 16oz carton of chicken broth
a Knorrs bouillion cube
carrots
celery
onion
dried basil, herb de Provence mix, cayenne pepper
rice or noodles

Place the chicken in a big soup pot and pour the broth over.  Add the bouillion cube and enough water from the tap to cover the chicken.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer on low until chicken is cooked. You may also substitute using fresh chicken instead of frozen, even already cooked chicken.  But you'll sacrifice some of the flavor that comes from cooking the chicken in the water, especially from the bones.

Add a tsp of Herb de Provence and a few shakes of cayenne, or more depending on your liking.  I find a little bit goes undetected by young palates but adds a tiny bit of heat which is so welcome when someone is suffering from a cold.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables.  I usually have fresh veg on hand but if I don't I just take some out of the deep freeze which helps cut the chopping time.

This soup, like so many aromatic & delicious recipes for soups and stews, has a Mirepoix base that gives the food that subtle melange of flavor that goes together so perfectly.  It's pronounced (mirh-pwah)  which in French cooking means the standard veg: carrots, celery and onion.  I use a couple of large carrots and slice them into coin shapes quickly using a mandoline slicer.  Then chop as much celery and onion as you like.  I like a lot of veg in my soup but I dislike slicing onion so I buy already chopped frozen onion from the grocery store.  Have you ever tried that trick before?

Anyway, throw all the veg in the pot to cook with the chicken.

When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and put it on a plate to cool.  To hasten the cooling process I sometimes stick the plate of chicken in the fridge.  While the chicken is cooling add some rice to the soup pot.  Follow the directions on the bag or box.

I like to put rice in my chicken soup but you might prefer noodles.  In my experience, the noodles tend to cook apart when you reheat them, especially if you like to cook big batches to stash in the freezer and enjoy at a later date.  That might not be an issue if you're cooking for a big family!

Once the chicken has cooled you can chop it up into 'easy to eat' chunks and add it back to the soup.  Sprinkle in at least a teaspoon of basil. I Love the taste of basil so I shake in quite a lot! I never add salt to this recipe because it has the salty bouillion cube which I find is enough for me.  Bring everything to a boil again, then simmer on low until meal time.  By this time your house should be redolent with the soup aroma!

Don't forget to take a taste to make sure the seasonings are just right.  I usually cannot wait to sample that tasty salty broth!
I'd say this takes about an hour to cook depending on what kind of chicken you have.
Then all you have to decide is whether to ladle the soup into mugs or bowls!
Sometimes we garnish with a dollop of sour cream.
    ~ Enjoy!

Let me know if you have questions or if you decide to give it a try.
Have a Lovely Back to School!
  ~XO,
 ♥ Michelle

Highlights of my Week

How My Garden Grows:

Our peaches our getting a blush

Tiny baby pumpkin and gourds growing in my garden.  

I'm enamoured by how cute they are! 

It's so fulfilling watching something grow from a tiny seed.

Thrifty Finds:

I'm CRaZy about dishes.  I don't know why.  

Maybe because they are pretty as well as useful.  I found the Depression glass plate at Goodwill for $1! 

I  have been collecting 'Florentine Poppy' since I was just a girl so I recognized the pattern right away.  

Got the Pyrex casserole real cheap, too, but there was no lid with it.

 Found these great used books

I saw this adorable polka dot glass on a shelf and snatched it right up!  Never mind that the dots are pink and metallic gold, really now, How Cute is That?!  I found the perfect spot for it on my kitchen cupboard shelf.  Is it too pretty to use?

Found an unusual piece of milk glass to add to my collection

Here's what I've been reading:

So many new good books came out recently from some of my favorite authors.  Then my hold requests for them came through at our library all at once it seems like.  Lucky me, time for some summer reading!

Sookie doesn't seem to enjoy sharing the couch with me while I'm reading.  I like to put my feet on her!  She gave me that funny look, like she was thinking, Really Lady? So I had to snap a few  pics of her sweet silly beautiful face.

Things That Make Me Smile:

Just the other day I got this sweet book as a gift from my daughter, Sarah.  

How Cute is that?  

Two of my Favorite things rolled into one!  It's a parody of the show which makes it all the more funny.

The gray kitty on the back cover {on the right} must be Bates because it has the cane and the ball & chain would cause him limp like Bates.  

The kitties reenact key scenes like this infamously scandalous scene when the Count has the bad manners to drop dead in Lady Mary's boudoir!  She and her maid must sneak his body out!!
                                  ~ Thank you my dear angel kitten pumpkin gumdrop

 On my To-Do List:

Don't you love soft glowing twinkling lights?  

These stars look so pretty and festive 

and I have just the window !

Found it on Pinterest, don'tcha know?

It's the little things isn't it?

Here's what I've been listening to:

One Republic - Love Runs Out 

I just can't seem to get enough of this song!

Listening to it makes me feel good.

When I hear a song I like I just want to listen to it over and over again.  

Does this happen to you?

Have a Lovely Week!
Thanks for chatting,
XO,
♥ Michelle

Here's What I'm Looking Forward to...

So it's August, right?
It's hot outside, there's a LOT of bugs and its Back to School Time.
So here's what I'm looking forward to:

Apples!

The end of August is apple picking time in NC.

Emily and her bff getting ready to fill those bushels to the brim with delicious fresh picked apples!

I love how the rows of apple trees look.

Apples are so yummy!  Do you have a favorite variety?

In September we like to go to the Apple Festival held at Bethabara Park.  There's lots of good food, music, animals & Lots of  Apples.  Maybe this year Emily, my daughter, will be able to eat a caramel apple if she gets her braces off by then!

Or an apple dumpling will be yummy if not.

I'm not only dreaming of cooler temperatures, that crisp-ness in the air, but the changing colors in the leaves!

This stunning photo was captured by my daughter, Sarah, during that magic hour of twilight.  

To see more of her photography check out her blog, Lostvestige  

Don't you just want to jump in the photo and take a walk in the falling leaves?

I absolutely Love the crunchy sound the leaves make, especially when I'm walking in Old Salem.

Even better if I'm sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks!

So, what are you looking forward to?

DIY - How to make a Fairy Garden

A Fairy garden is a magical way to brighten up a corner of your yard or patio. These mini gardens can fit anywhere and anyone can make one.  You don't need any special skills to do so.

It can be small or more elaborate with a little enchanted house in a fancy ceramic pot like this one I saw at a local home & garden show last spring.

Isn't there just something so captivating about them?

In my Hosta garden, the base of a tree turns into a Fairy garden with just a few small touches like these wooden doors we made from scrap wood. My daughter and I chose pretty shades of acrylic paint & glitter and painted them.  What a fun project to work on together!

Use moss, rocks, pretty shells to make paths.  

As you go on walks together around the neighborhood, park or even on vacation, be on the lookout for pretty stones, acorns, pinecones, feathers, leaves, shells, flowers and whatnot that you can collect and use to embellish your Fairy Garden.  

We even found a couple of intricately woven abandoned bird's nests 

{pictured above in the lower left corner}  

Aren't they a marvelous?

It's a great way to get children of all ages interested in nature, the stuff living all around them.

Let your Imagination go!

You can find small plants with tiny flowers or foliage like these pansies or Johnny jump ups that are pictured above.

I've heard Fairies like to drink dew from the flowers!

Inviting Fairies into your garden is as easy as providing a few touches of whimsey
that Fairies delight in finding!
Just have fun with it!

This image is from sitwithmeinmygarden


Be sure to add a trip to the craft store together with the kiddies to pick out moss, little statues, mushrooms, gravel, even faux bird's nests.

I found these special fairy accessories at craft & garden stores.

I think this kit was at Michael's

DIY:

I found this clever idea on Pinterest, a simple gazing ball and stand. Paint a golf tee and glue a pretty marble on top - from miniaturegardenshoppe.com

Here's some of the easiest plants to grow:

Monkey Grass or Liriope is the Botanical name for a tough as nails plant that can take sun or shade and doesn't need much water.  The leaves can be variegated or striped, black or just green and gets pretty purple flower spikes in late summer.

Creeping Jenny is another easy, versatile plant that grows well just about anywhere.  I like it's bright lime green colored leaves and how it looks draping out of it's container, softening the edge.

I find ferns so captivating but they need specific requirements met to thrive. They must have shade with only indirect sunlight and a lot of moisture.  

I think they are well worth the effort if you are up for the challenge.

The plant choices & possibilities are endless.  

Your only limited by your imagination!

Want to see some more cute Fairy Garden photos?

Visit my Pinterest Board collection for more Inspiration!

http://www.pinterest.com/gardengal3360/

Highlights of My Week

Blooming in My Garden:

 I just Love how cute the pond looks especially when a Water Lily blooms.  

It's such a Delight!

 In June all the Lilies bloom in my garden usually starting with the ubiquitous, invasive orange daylilies that came with my house. I have so many that I've been planting them in the mowing strip at the curb because they are indestructible. 

Next to bloom is the Asiatic Lilies, like these gorgeous pink ones with the darling freckles.  

Then this showstopper bloomed!   

This fragrant Oriental Lily is named Stargazer. Isn't that a terrific name? 

I have to have them in my garden because their scent is quite breathtaking. 

All through June I get a kick out of strolling through the yard 

seeing what pretty flowers have bloomed in my garden.  

All my fancier daylilies will be blooming all over my yard soon 

in warm summer hues of yellows, peach, pinks and red. 

And I'll have more photos to share.

What I've Been Working On:

 It's time in NC to plant pumpkins so they will be ready to harvest in 

September and use to decorate or eat!  

I prefer to germinate seedlings using paper towel or paper napkins & zippy bags.  

It's super easy! 

I just dump the seeds on the paper towel, 

spray with water to drench it, 

fold the napkin over, 

stuff in the zippy bag and seal!

On the back of the seed packet it tells you how many days it could take to germinate 

and also how many days to maturation.  

I'll leave the bag in a warm place, like my kitchen counter where I can keep an eye on it 

and watch for them to sprout.  

As soon as one or more does sprout I'll pop them in some good potting soil and watch them grow.  

I like this method because the birds don't eat my seeds and then the bugs don't eat my seedlings. 

Have you tried it?

For the past few weeks we have been scrubbing and tidying up the house in anticipation of my daughter's Graduation Party, as well as family coming to visit and stay with us this summer.  

I like to have a house that is cozy, clean and inviting for my guests.  

While waiting to check out at Costco, I took a photo of my shopping cart filled with the cute cake I ordered for the party, flowers and party goodies.  Congratulations to Sarah!  I'm so proud of you!!

My constant companion ...

When I sit, blog or read out on the veranda she is right there sitting next to me.

Or when work out in the garden, Sookie is always near, ready to help or nap 

and if a box is involved -- all the better!

She's such a dear!  

What I've Been Watching:

We went to see 2 excellent Summer Blockbuster movies!

We Loved them both!  They were very well done, amazing visually with good, interesting story lines.

Can't wait to read:

I'm a BiG fan of SK !!!  I've been enthralled with his story telling since I was just a girl and have read every book he has written in the horror genre, not the Dark Tower stuff though.  I put in my request to read his newest book at my library and I am #46 in the queue!

What movies, books and flowers are you looking forward to this summer?

It's been Lovely chatting with you!
XO,
Michelle