Monday, January 16, 2012

Quick Chicken & Spaetzle, serves 4

CHICKEN & SPAETZLE
 
On your stovetop in a 3 qt pot, mix:
*2 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* Five cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely
*1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (I use Campbell's Healthy Request)
*1 can Cream of Celery Soup (I use Campbell's Healthy Request)
* ~ 1 1/2 c milk
*Chicken broth ( 1/3 cup or so in each can to capture remaining soup)
Season to taste with: Celery Salt, Fresh ground black pepper
Mix, cover and simmer on med-low until chicken are cooked enough to cut into cubes.
Simmer 10 more minutes to ensure that chicken is cooked through.
Shred Chicken using two forks.
Open 1 box of Panni spaetzle (I adore fresh made spaetzle, a german recipe from a cook book brought to my family in 1993 when a German exchange student lived with us for a school year, squeezed through a spaetzle press; However, these are the CLOSEST thing I have found to homemade.  They are pretty darn good) and pour over mixture and stir.

Cover, reduce heat slightly. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.  Stirring occasionally. Test spaetzle to make sure they are cooked thoroughly and not chewy/al dente.
Add frozen veggies.  Peas and carrots work well.  I had a 1/2 bag of frozen peas left from making Chicken Bundles last week.

Stir. Cover. Turn off heat. Let stand for 10 to fifteen minutes.
Serve.
Note, if not serving all at once, add a little milk or chicken broth to the mix before placing in containers to store.  This will ensure a creamier consistency upon reheating.

Replacing a glass Lamp Shade is easier said than done

So on Saturday the bathroom cabinet door slipped out of my hand and smacked into the glass shade. Breaking it. *Smacks forehead with palm* Doh!
Now, I knew this was a fairly simple replacement, and not terribly expensive.  However, what I was not prepared for . . . the fact that the replacement shades are heavier gauge glass than the original.  I did discover that for most replacement shades, the hole is standard.

I did have to go to three different stores before I found what I wanted. They look kinda like this: Replacement Shade

This was my original Fixture: Renovated Bathroom Light Fixture

My hubby spent his entire week of vacation in May renovating our bathroom. 
Piece of advice: Buy heavier replacements before you install the lamp.  We were limited in height at install (taller vanity, taller medicine cabinet, not so high ceilings because the house was built in 1948) so I only had a few to choose from lengthwise . . .

They are suitable and will hold up a little better!