Waxing Domestic -

From the time I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a mother and be at home with my children. I remember telling my mom that I didn't need to go to college to be a mom but my mom reminded me that I needed an education just in case I needed to support my family or even to help my children with their homework. I wanted to be the type of mom that made everything from scratch and doctored her family when they were sick. Well today I was that mom; the mom that I've always wanted to be. I need to remember to make better attempts to do this more often.

My morning was rare, actually. Both Patrick and Payden slept through the night. This morning about 3:30 though I woke up to Christian getting back in bed telling me he can't sleep and not feeling too well. I cuddle closer to him and hug him until he falls asleep. About 4:30, an hour later, I'm not sure if I've slept, but he is horribly hot. He wakes at 5:30 to take Maddie out and get ready for work. He has to open at work and has patients at 7 and 7:30. He tells me that he'll be home after as he has already called his boss to let her know.

So I give boys their bottles, pump and change them from pajamas into clothes. They start playing with their toys on the floor. I know it is a little early for breakfast for them so the thought crosses my mind that I should make something. I look through one of my many cookbooks and find a homemade chicken noodle soup. It looks super easy and boys are happily playing. In the end though, I finished the soup while they ate their breakfasts. Payden had started to get restless and Patrick was tearing apart the DVD shelf first and then the kitchen. It amazes me that while one boy is content to play with his toys and activity table; the other would rather crawl around kitchen playing with drawers, pans, dog's water bowl and the fridge. To his each his own, I guess.

Here's the yummy recipe.

• 1 3-1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut up, or 2-1/2 pounds meaty chicken pieces
  
• (I did 3 chicken breasts)
  
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium) - (2 TB dried minced onion)
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup chopped carrot (2 medium)
• 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 1-1/2 cups dried egg noodles
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven combine chicken, water, onion, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is very tender. (Because I did 3 chicken breasts without the bone, I let simmer for only 30 min until chicken was cooked)

2. Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones. Discard bones and skin. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; set aside. Discard bay leaf.

3. Bring broth to boiling. Stir in carrot and celery. Simmer, covered, about 5 minutes. Stir in noodles. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes more or until noodles are tender but still firm. Stir in chicken and parsley; heat through.

4. Makes 8 servings (10-1/2 cups)