Wallene likes to cook and she is good at it. I found out tonight how good she really is.
We go shopping on Sunday so Saturday night is usually leftovers or breakfast. An easy, no big deal kind of dinner.
Last night Wallene decided she was going to cook something and so proceeded to kick me out of the kitchen to go pantry diving. Yes! I taught the littlest how to pantry dive.
Thank goodness because what she made for dinner beats the heck out of anything I have served my family on a Saturday night in over two years.
Check this out:
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| Wallene's "Please add it to the menu" Chicken Barley Stew |
Near as I can tell she used the following [she is slow in writing up the recipe but I want it!]:
2 cans of low sodium chicken broth
2 cups of water
1 large can of chunk white chicken
1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
2 stalks of celery - diced
1/4 box of barley [1 cup maybe?]
1/2 cup of flour [to thicken - who knew the kid knew that!]
And the following spices: pepper, salt [minimal because of Mom she said], paprika [!], garlic, oregano and basil. I don't know the amounts but I have taught the kids to make one pass over the pot with the shakers, stir, taste and then add more to taste. If that makes sense then you can go from there I guess.
Throw everything into the pot [flour last], stir and let simmer, covered until celery/barley are tender and the stew thickens. [About a half an hour]
We were chatting after dinner and came to the following conclusions: All leftovers belong to Skippy [I fairly called dibs first], Pooldad may never have to make chicken noodle soup again and Wallene will be adding dumpling strips to her next batch - on Tuesday. You know - just for a change of pace and the fact that she rocks on the dumpling strips too.
Thanks honey. It's delicious! And you know what Mommy is having for breakfast, don't you?
We were chatting after dinner and came to the following conclusions: All leftovers belong to Skippy [I fairly called dibs first], Pooldad may never have to make chicken noodle soup again and Wallene will be adding dumpling strips to her next batch - on Tuesday. You know - just for a change of pace and the fact that she rocks on the dumpling strips too.
Thanks honey. It's delicious! And you know what Mommy is having for breakfast, don't you?
9 comments:
How nice. My son is the cook in his little 2 person family and he likes to do it. My daughter hates to cook, never wanted to learn. I'm glad I'm not one of her kids.
That is freakin' awesome Skippy. Not many kids get into cooking. Baking maybe but not cooking. I'm so impressed. And how great that there's a backup cook in case you're not up to it. Sounds like you've got one awesome daughter! Wonder where she gets it?
awesome! that looks phenomenal and delish, too. i need her dumpling strip recipe. love the dumplins'. it's great that she's interested in cooking and can do so. keith is the only one of mine who ever cared about cooking and he's a good cook, too. in fact, he wanted to be a chef.
last night i fixed a roasted chicken with red potatoes and carrots. pretty yummy, too. took a mixture of melted butter (margarine), chopped garlic, rosemary, parsley, and sage and stuffed that under the skin.
Yumm...sounds delicious....I am in the mood to make some soup...not sure what though...pantry diving is awesome...she comes by it honestly- you are pretty incredible yourself!!
Fantastic Wallene, you go girl. I just love that she loves to cook. GK too. But not the Momma. I think the cooking gene skipped a generation at our house.
SM used to teach people how to cook in an institutional setting
(hospitals). When we got married I could make scrambled eggs and fudge. That was it.
I just taught myself...yeah like the pass over the pot with the spices deal.
Great that you have a young Julia in your house and great that your older ones know how to cook as well.
XXOO Happy Halloween, The Olde Bagg
Yes, teaching pantry diving is a wonderful thing to pass down to your kids!
Tell her she did a wonderful job! I love her idea of adding the dumpling strips next week.
Happy Halloween!
Go Wallene! None of my kids showed much interest in cooking - pantry diving would be way beyond their skills even now.
A big breakfast (for dinner or whenever) here is NOT such a simple thing because it's not even considered if there's no potato bread. However, I do not (usually) have anything to do with that meal as it is Gary's one specialty. It is such a big deal that the kids would dangle it as reason for other kids to stay over night or come visit. When he organized it for the church annually, it was the best attended function (after the first time). I think my stock pantry diving meal is homemade mac & cheese. Or a cream soup of some sort. To be real honest, almost every meal is a pantry dive because I never plan unless I have to.
That sounds absotively scrumptious!
I know that it must make Wallene feel great to know that her dinner contribution was so well loved! I love to cook and always have...which worked well since when I was Jr. High age thru most of high school, my mom worked second shift in a factory. Since I was the only girl with a dad and three brothers, it became my responsibility to cook dinner every night. It was always nice when I would make something and my brothers would say, "This is better than Mom's!" Of course, you didn't necessarily want mom to hear that part :-P
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