Leap Day . . .

 

I need to hurry and get this post up before tomorrow!

Outside My Window...

It's a very gray 29th of February, and we are expecting a storm.  It's not too cold, around 39 degrees right now.  We are suppose to getting some light snow showers soon, and it's going to be a snowy blustery week-end.  

On My Playlist...  Burt Bacharach has always been one of my favorite song writers.  I also love the musical relationship that Dionne Warwick, and Burt Bacharach had.  I enjoyed her music so much that I used Dionne, as my oldest daughter's middle name! Enjoy his beautiful music!

Right Now I Am...

Watching this cute little pup sleep.  We are really loving Indi!  She is such a sweet puppy, if you don't count the zoomies ;0)  She is just delightful, funny, loveable and cute as a bug.  We love her so much 💓

What I'm Reading...

I'm just trying to get in scripture study... Heaven knows we all need correction, direction and protection.

From My Kitchen...

Chicken and Dumplings

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 12 oz (1 can) evaporated milk
• 32 oz (1 quart) chicken stock
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
• salt, to taste

Homemade Dumplings:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus, 1 teaspoon, baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¾ cup (6 oz) whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions 

• In a large heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. 
• Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables being to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the evaporated milk and chicken stock, stirring to combine.
• Bring to a boil and add the chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Let soup simmer, uncovered, while you make dumplings. 
• Dumplings: In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter into the center of it. 
• Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together until a dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk.  Let the batter sit for 10 minutes before adding to soup mixture.  This helps the batter start fluffing up and makes fluffier dumplings.
• Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. Once all dumplings have been added, gently press them down so the soup runs over just the tops of them. 
• Place the lid on your pot and lower the heat a little to a low simmer. You don’t want the bottom of the soup to burn, but want the soup to still be simmering to cook the dumplings. 
• Cook for 15 minutes with the pot lid on. Gently stir the soup/dumplings and cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through.
• If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes and check again. 
• I always half this recipe for Bob and I.

My husband loves chicken and dumplings.  His family always put a spoonful of sugar over the dumplings before eating them... I don't do that, but he still likes to do it.  

I don't have a menu this week, but I do plan on using some leftovers to make a few meals with.  I have some pork roast that I think I will make a pulled pork pizza with the rest of it for dinner tonight.  I also have a lot of halibut in the freezer that I will bake at some point, and a bag of fresh brussel sprouts that need to be used.  I would actually like to start adding in a few non-meat meals to my menu.  I'll see how that goes over with Bob.  

I'm creating... 

I'm still working on my afghan.  It's hard with a puppy, just sayin'.  But, I'm adding to it slowly but surely.     

I'm looking forward to... 

I am taking my sweet Averi for 10 days while her parents go on a vacation!  It will be fun to have her come and stay with us.  She loves to stay at grandma's and grandpa's house.  I've been a little concerned about how Indi will react to her, but he loves her, she just steps around her.

March is also our birthday month.  We have a lot of birthdays, although some of my grands have grown and don't live here, we still have three grand's that are here and have birthdays in March.  Busy month!

I'm Thinking... It's my nephews birthday today!  Yes, he was a leap year baby. 🐸

Just Sayin'...

Be safe!  Hugs and Love,

Barb