Dumplin's namesake!

I always assumed everyones favorite dish would be the harder ones to make. Bobby's favorite dinner is Chicken and Dumplins, and I assumed it was just him. Until my family came to visit from Tennessee, my brothers one request was Chicken and Dumplins! Seriously? I make a mean European Mocha Fudge Torte, and a Garlic, herb, and cheese stuffed chicken (Chicken Bundles of Love-as they are known in our family) that is to die for (it is how I got my husband after all)...but Chicken and Dumplins was the only request! I was glad though seeing as I was feeding 8 instead of the usual 4. When my mom left she even asked for the recipe! Most of my recipes come from my moms book, so I was pleasantly surprised. This recipe is so good we nick named Addalene Dumplin'! One of the best parts is the way the soup turns into more of a gravy, yum!

Chicken and Dumplin's

1/2 stalk Celery

1 med/small Onion

4-6 Carrots

Garlic (half bulb)

Chives (optional)

Chop/dice all of the above

Chicken

1 ½ Tbl Olive oil or butter

Chicken bullion

Garlic salt to taste

Italian seasoning-A LOT (keep in mind it’s a soup so it takes more seasoning)

Drop biscuit dough (from scratch is best) or a can of biscuit dough (Drop biscuit recipe follows)

Put chicken in a minimal amount of water-so it covers the chicken by about ¼ to ½ inch add olive oil or butter and bullion then boil til chicken is done (the oil and less water keep the chicken from getting chewy or dry). Keep the stock (water) but remove the chicken, add all the veggies and if necessary add more water so all the veggies move can freely. Add Italian Seasoning and begin boiling while chopping or shredding chicken, add chicken back to soup and continue boiling until the carrots are tender. Taste and add garlic salt as needed (I use Low sodium bullion but I don’t put much garlic salt still-also if using canned dough use less salt because the dough is salty) After seasoning bring to a full rolling boil then drop dough in by spoonfuls slowly (if you go to fast it will cool off the water so it is no longer boiling), after 2 minutes turn over the dumplin’s and let cook another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and enjoy (if you continue to let it boil the dumplins will fall apart)

Drop Buiscuits are yummy with butter and honey, like your great great grandmother made, or use the dough for Dumplins!

Drop Biscuits
1 3/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening or canola oil
1 cup milk

mix all ingredients.
For biscuits drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 8 large biscuits. They are done when the peaks are a deep golden brown.

How hungry? So so so hungry!

I was told I would be thirsty not hungry! I grew up knowing breastfeeding makes one thirsty, unquenchably thirsty, and its true, there are days I drink 10-12 cups of water, but the hunger? I was not warned about! The 500 extra calories recommended for proper "production" doesnt come close to the amount desired!

The first couple months, there really wasn't a change in my appetite. Then 3 months hit with the bang of a fat man plopping down onto a old wooden chair! I didn't link it to breastfeeding until last week, I kept wondering what was making me SO hungry. I didn't step near the scale-well the Wii Fit (get with the times already!) for about 6 weeks, knowing I had eaten more than the average African...elephant that is! Finally I decided yesterday that to be motivated to stay away from the kitchen I had to hear and see the bad news-then I jumped for joy when I saw no significant difference.

This is an all consuming hunger, it is not a craving. There is no specific food you have to have immediately, maybe sweet, salty, or a burger but nothing specific. In general you just want food, any food within reach, and NOW. And lots of it!

Pregnant women are known for their cravings that drive them to crazy acts of desperation, but why dont you hear about the lactating women? Today I heard an ice cream truck outside-now for a little history, I dont let my kids get ice cream from the roach coach vans with irritating music, EVER!-yet today when I heard the did-die I jumped from the couch ran to Bobby's dresser grabbed a handful of change and ran outside, only to see it was too late. I slumped back in the house as if I had just been told Elvis really is dead, fist full of change and arm full of Addie and her plumpness. I then headed to the kitchen and stared longingly into the quiche that was waiting on the oven, knowing I could finish it off and make an entire new dinner without anybody knowing, and I would still be hungry enough to eat with the family.

I finally felt so crazy I Googled it today(as any responsible adult would) and found a plethora of milk machine mamas saying the same thing. I AM NORMAL AFTER ALL! So maybe next time I am trying with all my might to not go bake up a good size Baptist Bake Sale, for myself, I will go for it in small proportions and not feel so guilty.

A Few Shots from Addalene's 4 Month Pictures

More Elijah, And 4 Steps To A Clean House

Elijah makes for great stories!
We got a crib for Addie last week (finally, she has way outgrown the bassinet) and Bobby decided to put it together in the living room...so I could later take it apart and put it back together in our room?...and we had to leave it there until we (I) could rearrange the furniture in the bedroom. Elijah took the opportunity to enjoy it as his very own climbing wall. One particular day he was enjoying climbing on the crib while in underwear as Chloe crawled underneath it, and then he decided he didn't want to stop to use the potty, so he peed-with Chloe underneath him! I'm not gonna lie I had to leave the room to laugh before coming back to clean it. Chloe wasn't as mortified as I thought she would be, he only got her arm.
Elijah loves going potty with someone else. When I was on my way into the bathroom the other day, he was coming to join me, then ran out yelling "phone! phone! phone!" and before I could reply he came in, chest puffed up, showing my his phone-a calculator! He proceeded to sit on his froggy potty and play with his phone, just like Daddy (well minus the froggy part)!
We were given a couch yesterday! I think we may have been the only people desperate enough to move a sectional down from the third story of an apartment, but that's okay, I like my new couch :) While we were moving it into our house, I carried in a piece and found Elijah had gotten parts of my breast pump and he was pumping the couch...maybe trying to vacuum?

How to get your house clean in a 4 easy steps
Step 1: Stay up all night taking care of teething, or otherwise very cranky baby.
Step 2: When you get up in the morning, be very angry about life in general, slam a few things around for good measure.
Step 3: After breakfast go to do dishes and bang a few more around. Remembering not to talk to anyone unless you use a grumpy voice and use as few words as possible.
Step 4: Glare at your husband and let him know that until "the procedure" you will be taking a vow of celibacy.
About then he should start running around cleaning (without you asking! :) ) and demanding that the kids clean too!
No joke my house went from disaster area to clean enough for visitors in 5 minutes flat! And all I had to do was the dishes.

Just wondering as I wander

Sometimes I wonder how I got to where I am today. In a good way though. There are moments where it hits me that I am an adult with responsibilities, it just comes natural, doing day to day things, I dont even think about where the time has gone. (to the past duh!) But I just laid down with Chloe for a few minutes and I felt small again (maybe because she is almost as tall as me now) and it hit! "I'm married! I have 3 kids?! When did it all happen?" God has blessed me tremendously with an amazing husband who loves us dearly and takes care of us, and 3 wonderful (crazy)kids! And it has gone by in the blink of an eye, and yet it feels like it goes by faster everyday. *sigh*
Anyhow...
I went outside to do laundry (in the shed)this morning, before the invading wasps had a chance to wake up, and I got to hear what my house sounds like to all our neighbors...and I am surprised the cops haven't been called on us yet! Elijah learned about 3 weeks ago, how to scream like a 14 year old girl in a Bieber concert. A high pitch, ear piercing, blood curling scream! All you have to do is look at him wrong and he lets one loose! I gotta give it to him, he gets your attention with it. He is doing very well potty training...when he wants to. He went all day without an accident after only 9 days of starting. He went potty earlier today while I was feeding Addie, I asked Chloe to make sure he didn't get into anything and a moment later she yelled "MOM! he put the rug in the toilet!"...Sorry Addie, you will have to eat later.
Chloe goes back to school in 10 days, I will miss her and she is so helpful. I cant figure out what she is going for...she has been behaving really well the last few weeks and doing "my" chores without me asking her to even help.
Chloe told me awhile back, "Addie is SO wonderful, she is half you and half Jesus!" They are both wonderful. Addie watches things way to closely...alot like her sister when she was a baby...scary!

Continued and Why Oh Why?

On to Grotto we went! Well, those who were going, it was not a part of the party. I love Grotto, their tomato soup is insanely wonderful, along with their tiramisu-if you like tiramisu, have never had tiramisu, hate tiramisu or love it and eat it everyday, you must go get a piece of their! Oh no now I am hungry. I was a little sad because, while still great, their service is no longer as exceptional as it once was (unless you had been there before, you wouldn’t notice-the service is still wonderful just not AS high quality as it was). The evening was wonderful, and food delicious, Chloe opened her gifts and we ate cake (compliments of Grotto and awesome!) and tiramisu!
On Friday, our real birthday, we hung out at home and relaxed while Bobby worked. Nothing exciting, but at the last minute I did decide to bake a cake after all. European Mocha Fudge Torte! It was delicious! –I'm noticing a food trend here…
Then this last week, two wonderful friends took me to lunch at PF Changs, with only Addie in tow! It was alot of girl talk, fun, food, relaxation, and laughter. All in all an excellent gift! The weeks of celebrating will end in a few days after my dad takes me (us) to dinner, see more food! I'm not sure where we are going yet, I was told to pick. I wish the Aquarium, Hard Rock, Magical Time Machine or Rainforest Cafe were closer-I love well themed restaurants!
As for today...
I washed the dishes, swept and mopped, picked up toys, vacuumed, scrubbed the table, did laundry, cleaned the cupboards and outside of the fridge. Then the kids ate lunch, really do I need to go into detail, it wasn't "bad" but it now looks just like it did before all that work-so I'm chalking all the cleaning down to exercise!
Elijah woke up about 4 days ago and decided he was ready to potty train, he was doing excellent, then around noon yesterday changed his mind, and for 24 hours went everywhere but the potty, then noon today was ready again...so I decided that the difference between a toddler and bi-polar disorder is about 4 years. I have always heard that with each kid time goes faster-part of losing brain cells?-but I didn't realize just ow true it could be. My beautiful princess is 8! My silly handsome man is almost 3! And my darling dumplin' is 4 months old! I still think of her as a newborn, but shes not! She is almost sitting on her own, working on her first tooth, and using both hands together! I love watching the kids interact, Chloe is the boss, of course, always trying to be mom and take care of the little 2, but I was surprised that Elijah became the lovey dovey one, he will be mid tantrum, but stop to kiss and hug Addie, or whoever he isn't mad at. She in the mean time sits back and laughs at him as he cries! Well thats all I have got for now have a good one!

Party Time Details

Life seems to have been crazy the last few weeks, and yet I feel like it's been unproductive too, I can't seem to find what I have to show for it.
The birthday was great, and the celebrations were strung out over the course of 2 weeks, which I love! It started with Chloe's party and dinner for "The Royal Family".
Chloe's party was held at The Woodlands Mall. It was princess themed so we were dressed in the duds of royalty! We met up with the girls at Barnes and Noble's Cafe for the royal drink of coconut cream sodas. The girls were to go on a scavenger hunt of sorts, they received their first envelope with a clue on it there. On the outside of the envelopes were clues to the next place they had to go to get another, inside were cards with letters. Once they collected all of the envelopes they had to unscramble all of the letters, which spelled out the final destination. Along the way a few vendors were very accommodating and agreed to let me leave little gifts for the girls. The best store being Helzberg Diamonds, who were amazingly sweet to the girls and gave them the plastic "jewelry" I had left ahead of time. We rode the carousel, where they got the final clue and unscrambled to find the words "Build-A-Bear" Chloe was jumping up and down with excitement! I had written down a list of birthday ideas and had her rate them 1-10, shopping game and Build-A-Bear were in her top 3 and I had combine them :). So on we marched (in aching shoes)to the shop of bears, it was so much fun and we rushed the girls so we could make our reservation at Grotto (yay!)Elijah was afraid of the stuffer, but was adorable holding his puppy dog and looking scared, Chloe just bounced around the store, and Addie looked confused as to why daddy and Jorge (our neighbor) were putting wigs on her.
To Be continued...