Drama, Soup & Safe Arrivals
Today was a long and slightly dramatic day so if you don't want to know every detail then you can just read what you want by clicking on the mini-blurb titles!
This morning Jim and I got up really early so we could go to the storage shed (while Irene and DJ are still sleeping) and move over everything from our huge unit, down to a much smaller (and cheaper) version. Once we got there we decided to go through everything and decide what we should keep and what we should donate or just throw away; keeping in mind that we are moving soon. (We did this just a few months ago and had a HUGE yard sale and donated a whole truck load of stuff; I knew we could be more critical and get the amount we were keeping down to an even smaller size.) So we went through every box & tote that was not a “seasonal decorations box” and weeded out everything. We even went through our personal footlockers, where we keep our memories, and made room in there. Now that was a trip down memory lane. Did you know that my husband and I have been best friends for 15 years?! Yeah, we knew each other for a REALLY long time before we ever dated. So it was fun to reminisce a bit. Afterwards we took everything we were keeping to our new shiny 5’x10’x10’ storage unit and realized that we had only filled it half way! Which is really good considering that we had once had a 10’x20’x10’! Seeing that we had so much room left we moved over some furniture that we know are donating (we just don’t have time to take it to the center right now) that way it won’t be taking up room in my house all week!
Anyways, so I get in the truck and go to get my husband’s camelback b/c I am dying of thirst. I pick it up and it is empty!
Me: “You’re a drink hog!”
Jim: *funny look*
Me: “You drank it all!” *I throw the camelback at him*
Jim: *looks panicked* “I didn’t drink any.”
Me: “SHIT!” *bend over, feels the carpet in my BRAND NEW UPLANDER* “IT’S SOAKED!!!!!”
Jim: “That’s 100 fluid ounces of green sports drink baby.”
Me: *total rampaging & bitching commences now*
Needless to say, I spent the next 30 minutes trying to find some detail shop that is open on a Saturday. No luck. We load up the car with the smaller stuff that needs to get donated and head home. On the way back to base we remember there is a small detail and car wash on the side of the road; we stopped but they were too busy to do our car at the moment. So Jim decides to try again tomorrow. Of course after I got the truck home, we unloaded and I made him go back and wait to get it done, the green was setting in fast!
Poor Rene (Inanna_Astrea) woke up this afternoon feeling like total and utter crap. She had been slowly developing the sniffles all week long and today it finally erupted in total flu-like symptoms. We don’t think it’s the flu, we are fairly sure that it is a combination of good old fashioned exhaustion and spending the entire week going from the shopette floor to the coolers to stock each night. No matter what caused it, she is total sniffles, fever, headache, muscle fatigue and all around general, ICK. So since she’s at my house I felt it was my duty to play Momma Bear and force her to get medicated and basically lie on the couch and get better. I went out to the commissary and got supplies and decided to make her some kind of wonderful soup and then prepare a nice dinner for the boys and myself. I grabbed one of my low-carb recipe books and found a recipe for Chicken & Asparagus Soup. I thought that since it was really low in carbs Irene would appreciate it and the chicken broth base would be good for her. I also found one for Egg Drop Soup - Hong Kong Style that I knew Jim would love, so I got my supplies together and started to cook my heart out. Both soups turned out sooooooo good that we all ate way too much at dinner! Especially, since I made various styles of chicken tenders and baked acorn squash too! Irene ate her fill and decided that she was super douper tired and crawled back onto the couch.
So after dinner Jim medicated Irene again and she passed the hell out… I mean stone cold dead! LOL! Jim, DJ and I watched movies and ate popcorn and then we all hit the sack by 9pm. Can you believe it? Me going to bed at 9! HA! Anyways, it was a productive day even though we had some drama here and there.
Talked to Nighteyes_70 for a bit and he says that JessicaIrene made it to Normal, IL safe and sound. He and his dad had another 5 hours before they would arrive there themselves but otherwise they were in good shape. So no worries folks, they are all safe and settling in slowly. Once Chris & his dad get their loads into the new apartment they are supposed to head back here so Chris can finish up his last week at work before moving to Normal for good. :-( I am gonna miss them dearly but at least I have somewhere that I can road trip to now!
Well, I am off to bed, I am super tired and I have glamour pictures tomorrow! I want to be rested and sexy even though I feel like total, bloated, hormonal crap right now…hehehehe!
Chicken & Asparagus Soup (Alex Haas, Everyday Low Carb Cooking)
- 1- 16oz can of asaragus, chopped in 1" sections (keep the juice)
- 1/2 C. diced onion
- 1/2 C. diced green onion
- 1/2 lb. precooked, boneless skinless, chicken breasts, chopped (I used the bagged tyson kind that is marketed for sandwhich wraps and salads and stuff)
- 2 T. butter
- 2 C. chicken stock
- 1/2 C. dry white wine
- 3 chicken bouillion cubes (I used the garlic kind)
- 1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
- 1 T. dried tarragon
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder.
In a two qt saucepan, saute the onions in butter for 5 min over med-high heat. Add the stock, wine, asparagus liquid, herbs, and bouillon cubes and simmer 10 min. Add the chicken, then asaragus, and then remaining ingrediants, stirring after each addition. Simmer 10 min. Serves 7 with about 150 cal each, 4 carbs, 0.9 fiber, 10.5 fat, 10.7 protein (I added 1/4 scoop of Any Whey protein powder to my bowl which raised the total protein to 15g)
Egg Drop Soup - Hong Kong Style (Alex Haas, Everyday Low Carb Cooking)
- 5 C. chicken stock
- 1/2 C. dry white wine
- 1/2 C. green onions, diced
- 1/2 tsp. dried ginger
- 1 tsp. white pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 lb. ham, diced
- 1 T. sesame oil
- salt to taste
In a 2 qt. saucepan, bring chicken stock and wine to a boil. Add the bouillon cube & spices and let simmer about 5 min. Remove from heat and add ham and onions. In a sperate bowl, scramble the egss and pour them slowly in a circle into the broth. Finally add oil and stir gently. Serves 6 with 80 cal per serving, 2 carbs, 0.2 fiber, 4.9 fat, 7.2g of protein