Greek Chicken Soup - Avgolemono

Greek soup with my Artisan Bread recipe

I discovered this recipe on Dinner a love Story Blog (click here), they call it 'The 15 Minute Keeper'. I have made and loved this recipe again and again. Of course I made modifications. I use a crockpot and make chicken broth (I don't like having to buy broth for several reasons; expense and why buy it when you can make it).

Ingredients 

6-8 cups water

3 Chicken Thighs, bone in, skinned

1 Onion, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup Orzo, uncooked

1-2 tablespoons Salt

To Taste, Pepper

4 Eggs

4 tablespoons lemon juice, or 1 lemon

Handful fresh dill, chopped (optional)

Directions

Step 1: In crockpot place frozen or room temp chicken thighs with onion and salt (I put a bit of salt in).

Step 2: Cover with water (I add enough water to cover plus 3-4 inches above the thighs).  

Step 3: Cook on stew setting for about an hour or two (all depends on your crockpot mine take 1 hour with room temp thighs and to 1 ½ hours if frozen). The thighs are done when the chicken easily separates from the bone and shreds.

Step 4: Shred the chicken and remove the bones and unwanted parts (I leave mine in and just pick it out as I eat to continue to get more flavor. Learned this from a Samoan family.)

Step 5: With the crockpot still on and cooking add the Orzo. Let simmer for 7 minutes.  

Step 6: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice until smooth. Ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the egg-and-lemon mixture, whisking to combine.

Step 7: Add the mixture back to the simmering saucepan. Stir just until the soup becomes opaque and thickens as the eggs cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add dill, salt and pepper (to taste) and serve.

Easy Artisan Bread (No knead Bread)

I love making bread and my husband LOVES that I do even more. It has been months and months since I have bought any bread at the store (money saver). At Costco I buy flour, yeast and sugar in bulk.

I have tried a couple artisan bread recipes and this one is my favorite!! I found at Anne's Bread Class online through issuu, no worries it was a free site (here). Note that I have changed many things from the linked recipe because I do not have the baking pan that the lady uses and also my changes are easier for me. I am eating it while I am writing this post and am so happy!

This bread has that chewy firm crust that make that beautiful crunching noise when you squeeze it between your fingers ever so gently. The inside it flavorful, airy, and holey.  It can be use for dipping in balsamic/vinegar and soup,  making sandwiches, bread bowls, or use for toast.

The Recipe "No-Knead Bread - Basic Formula"

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose Flour or bread flour
2 - 2 1/4 cups unchlorinated Water
2 tsp Sea salt
1/4 tsp active dry Yeast

Directions:

Into large bowl (preferably one with lid) measure out flour, salt, and yeast. 

Stir or whisk the ingredients till well combined.

Add 2 cups of the water and stir a few times (we want to blend but not over mix),
the dough will be moist and shaggy. If the dough is too dry add the extra water.

You want your dough to look like this!

Cover with plastic wrap or put on lid and let it set on countertop for 12 to 16 hours.
(I made mine around 6 pm, so that next the morning I can warm up the house with the baking bread).

The next morning prepare working surface and pan. I use a fabric rolling mat that I found in a thrift store (love because I don't have to wash after every use). I cover it with a generous amount of flour and get out baking pan and parchment paper.

Check on the dough. It should be bubbly and doubled in size.

Then scrape out the dough onto floured surface and sprinkle flour on top of dough, so it is easier to work with. You dont want to handle the dough a lot. Divide dough into two pieces and form into balls. 
Optional - I fold the corners in a little to get a better shape. At this point you could make rolls instead (which I have done and turned out wonderfully), just gently shape into smaller balls and place in floured muffin tins. 

Allow dough to rise for an hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees at some point during the rising process. With scissors snip some gashes in the dough after it has risen. 

Bake for 25-40 ( varies depending on your oven) minutes. Till outside is dark and golden. Or check temp with instant read thermometer, you want it to be around 190-200 in the center of the bread. You could also thump it on the back to see if it sounds hollow. 

Other baking method - When oven is preheating to 500 (instead of 450) put oven safe pot in. When dough is ready to be baked lower into pot and cover with lid bake 20 minutes. After 20 minutes lower oven temp to 450 and bake for another 20 minutes with lid off. Done when temp reads 190-200 in center. 

Don't cut into it till it has had time to cool. Eat within 24 hours or freeze. 

Enjoy!!!!

I enjoyed it with my Greek chicken soup (aka avgolemono) recipe!

MORE PICTURES from other batches.

Baby Safe (Edible) Finger Paint - Ready in 7 minutes!

RAINY DAY BABY ACTIVITY - Ready in 7 minutes 

One morning I was waiting to get into a thrift store (my baby needed a new coat, he grows so fast). The store had not open yet so I went into an office supply store next door to wait away from the rain. They had a kid section with coloring paper, crayons, paint, toys, etc. I thought that the baby finger paint look especially fun. We were having a hard time with dad on business trip and it raining all week. I was so tempted to buy it but I was a 30 day shopping cleanse (can't buy NOTHING but essentials). It was about $7, so I looked up online recipes for some homemade finger paint for babies. Below is what I came up with after looking at several ideas. Many recipes used cornstarch and other used food like yogurt (but for me yogurt is expensive just to have Rowan play in it and maybe eat it. Furthermore, I do not want him in the habit of playing with his food, this is a personal choice.)

HOW TO MAKE BABY SAFE FINGER PAINT

Step 1: Gather ingredients.
Bowl
2 cups Flour
Water, as needed
Food Coloring
Spatula
Containers (to put paint in)
Naked Baby (in bath tub or high chair).

Step 2: Measure 2 cups of Flour and put in large bowl (the amount of flour is not important use however much you want)

Step 3: Gradually start added Water and mix together. Keep adding till you get to a running constancy.

There will be lumps. You can use a electric mixer or blender if you don't want any (I did not care for mine).

This the the constancy that I wanted.

Step 4: Divide into how many colors that you wish to make and put in individual containers (I had an small doll cake pan that I used). I did four colors; blue, green, red and yellow. Add 2-4 drops of Food Coloring to each container and stir.

Step 6: Get the naked baby and let him play. My paint lasted 3 days for playing (refrigerated after use). First day we played in high chair and second and third were in bathtub. He loved it! He was a little unsure at first but then jump right in and he did eat a bit of it. I just let him paint right in the bathtub and high chair but feel free to let them paint on paper.

"Yummy mommy I love rainbow soup!"

In the bath tub!

Easy Caveman and Cavewoman Costume Instructions!

Tarzan and Jane or George of the Jungle and Ursula Costume

This is an super easy tutorial. You can have both outfits made in 20-30 minutes. (BETTER FINAL PICTURES TO COME).

Materials needed - animal print fleece about 1 1/2 yards (my mom had left overs from different project), pins, scissors, sewing machine (but easy enough to sew by hand), and measuring tape.

Our little guy is going to be a Dinosaur for halloween! We love doing family themes! So this year my husband and I are dressing as a Caveman and Cavewoman (Flintstone theme). We are excited for this year for our church sponsored Truck 'trick' or Treat activity.

HOW TO MAKE THE CAVE WOMAN DRESS

Step 1: Fold fabric in half, right sides together.

Measuring out the hip measurement (or the largest measurement),
 to make sure that I folded enough fabric 

 Step 2: Get measuring tape and measure the following

Step 3: Place sewing pins at key points of all the measurements you took( as shown in below picture).

Placing pins 10 inches down from the top of the bust and at the
bust measurement (17 inches which is half of 34 inches). 

Placing pins 9 inches down from the waist last pin and at my waist measurement (15 1/2 inches which is half of 31inches) and at my hip measurement (19 inches which is half of 36). 

Step 5: Cut along imaginary line from bust pin to the waist pin. Then to hip pin and then straight down to bottom of fabric. Cutting a smooth curve.

Step 6 : Sew the right sides together, as far down as you want to. I stopped at the thigh so I would have a slit for easy moving.

Step 7: Cut a thin strip from the scrapes. In the middle of the strip sew it to the wrong side and front side of the dress.

Step 8: Try on and make adjustments if too small in areas.

                                        HOW TO MAKE THE CAVEMAN LOIN CLOTH

Step 1: Measure waist (my husband made this himself). 
Step 2: Use the remnant fabric from dress and cut two pieces.

Step 3: Sew right sides together only about 4-6 inches on each side. 
Step 4: Try it on!!

I love this caveman!