War on Women?????

WAR ON WOMEN??


Just something on my mind after going food shopping. Why are President Obama and the Democrats saying the GOP have launched a 'war' on women?? I see no war, and I'm a woman! To tell you the truth, the only war on women I really see is how this administration is causing the price of food and gas to SKYROCKET! I try to buy food in bulk for this family, but $100 dollars does not even come close to buying what it could just 3 years ago! I can't image how a single mother can afford anything anymore. I thank the current administration for all our major economic hardships as a country! Sure, past administrations are to blame as well, BUT this current administration has taken an already overcooked 'medium well filet mignon', thrown it back on the BarBQ grill, and is letting it BURN! America needs to get off the flames!

McKeel's Chicken Soup!!

BEAUTIFUL day today, but my eldest son was sent home sick from school ~  he is just fine now, but it's ironic because I had left over roasted chicken from last nights meal and wanted to make Chicken noodle soup tonight.  PERFECT!   ALWAYS try to make that when any of my boys are sick, even though we love to make it anytime!  My boys LOVE this soup, and think it's special!  It is a Dena McKeel original recipe!  LOVE coming up with these!!  My boys all help 'tweak' my recipes, which makes it all the more SPECIAL!!  It's a McKeel family recipe, in the truest sense!  :)  It's the best I've ever tasted~  just sayin'!  ;)  Here is my recipe~

    One rotisserie, cooked chicken-BIG one! (or one you have made.  All meat pulled off and deboned, set aside til the last minute to add to final soup to warm)
     14- 16 Oz. uncooked star or melon pasta~ bigger, Ditalini pasta is great, too!
     1 large onion, minced
     2 stalks celery, minced
     3 bay leaves
     1 sprig of rosemary, whole
     1/2 stick of butter
     14 cups of progresso chicken broth PLUS a few chicken bouillon cubes or tablespoons powder bouillon to saltiness you desire~

     HOLD ON GUYS, this is where my soup gets extra GOOD, as if rosemary wasn't enough!!
   
      2 good dashes of nutmeg
      3 good dashes of allspice

      2 good dashes of cinnamon~  That's right...cinnamon!  :)  (you can use it in recipes that are not for           Christmas or cookies!  :)  it adds a, "what is that" experience to food!!

      1/8 cup marsala cooking wine (optional)
      1/4 cup cooking sherry
      3/4 tsp cracked black pepper
      1 pd frozen crinkle cut, or fresh THIN cut carrots  (The fresh cut carrots always cook as fast, and cost about the same. I prefer fresh.  IF you use fresh, boil them for 20 minutes before you add the noodles and chicken.)
      ADD Salt or bouillon powder to desired saltiness!  (REMINDER~watch out, bouillon powder is GREAT, but extra salty...use as you go, and taste~  However,  we DO prefer the taste of bouillon powder)

IF too salty, simply add more water...IF lacking in flavor,  add more bouillon!!  It is a so very easy and SIMPLE  Recipe....Go with your taste and flow!!  Add whatever to make it your OWN!!  MOST importantly, HAVE FUN, and OWN it!!!  Blessings~
   

   

   Instructions~     After you saute onions, celery, and bay leaves in butter, add BROTH, spices, and carrots...simmer for 25 minutes (or until carrots are done.  * note*~ I actually prefer to cook carrots separately, before I add them to soup, so broth is not too 'carrot' tasting!!) Add uncooked pasta~  should be done on low for about 8 minutes)  When done, add pulled chicken to warm!    Serve with crusty bread~  ENJOY!!    SO GREAT!!!!  :)

EXCITED! MY first blog post!

OK, EXCITING!  My very first blog post ~  It's late Sunday night!  Boys have school in the morning, so have gone off to bed.... Spring Football practice in the EARLY morn~  I am having a late night glass of wine, chilling, listening to 'quiet' music while cleaning up after dinner.  Not too bad!  Considering how many boys I fed, and how many wonderful extended family I was able to beg to come over...it's pretty CLEAN!  ( I love when family stops by, and to be in their company!) ~  OH,  I better not forget to mention my unbelievable 'extended family' in my Blog intro!!   They are people of LEGEND!  (well, they SHOULD be!)  We have one BIG TEXAS family....CLOSE Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, besides all the McKeel Brothers (that'd be my boys!)....ALWAYS hungry and ready for family fun!  SO, what did we have tonight??  We are starting out pretty 101 with this recipe~ Lemon, rosemary roasted chickens!  YUM!  EASY, BREEZY!  Winner, winner Texas dinner!!  Sometimes 101 is BEST!   STAY IN TOUCH!!  ;)  Night y'all!


Lemon, Rosemary Roasted Chicken~
   4 1/2 pound roasting chicken
    1 large lemon
    2 large sprigs of rosemary
    2 sprigs of oregano
    2 tsp onion powder
    1 tsp garlic powder
    1 tsp lemon pepper
     fresh cracked pepper to taste
    Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Rinse chicken.  Pat dry, then place in a roasting pan and squeeze lemon, cut in half, all over bird.  After all juices are rendered from lemon, place lemon halves into chicken cavity.  Take one sprig of rosemary and oregano and chop finely.  Take the other sprigs of rosemary and oregano and stuff into cavity with lemon halves.  (no need to chop, just put them in whole!) Sprinkle top of chicken with chopped up herbs and then season top with spices and olive oil.  Bake at 350 for 1hour 20 minutes, or until juices run clear.
                           
                                       
              (Pic of my eldest, Cole, running out of the tunnel! Picture taken by the amazing, Layne Murdoch! Just wanted y'all to see the big boys I'm always cooking for, and they're always hungry!!)

    Here are the pics of the process of making melt in your mouth roasted chicken!!

EASY, impressive and so YUMMY!!

Beautiful herbs to use from garden!  You can use dried! 

Washed, dried, and seasoned up.  Lemon squeezed over top, then lemon halves stuffed into cavity with some of the whole herbs~ (save half of herbs to chop up and put on top of chicken)

Fresh chopped herbs added, then topped off with olive oil~ Time to roast! 350 degree preheated oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes. Once done, and juices are running clear, put on platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil for about 15 minutes.  Take the drippings from the pan, scraping up bits,  and make gravy with it!

EASY gravy, made with all the pan drippings from roasted chicken pictured below~  just put pan drippings into pan on simmer and slowly add Wondra powder, and a bit of milk, til just perfectly thick!  Adjust salt.  (don't have to separate grease)

SMELLS SO GREAT AND IS SO JUICEY!  ENJOY!!