Pins and Noodles… or Just Noodles
Fall soccer season has just started and of course my business has exploded (yes, I’m officially feeling dopey for my summer slump panic and subsequent hand wringing/job searching). I suddenly have clients coming out of my ears and my schedule is starting to look like a battlefield. PTO meeting versus a listing appointment in Laveen versus soccer practice number 934 for the week: which will win the battle for supreme domination of my life and the Wednesday at 7pm time slot?
I’m back to dashing from appointment to appointment during the day and then slogging through computer work at night. I was starting to get used to only really working at all during the day, when my brain is at its peak of clarity. Now that I no longer have that luxury I’m sending emails to lenders berating them for lagging docs and using the phrase, ‘pins and noodles’. You know, that my poor buyers are waiting on. It’s a sad, wet, occasionally sharp, but mostly slimy situation.
So the point is, I’ve been searching for fast and easy family food fare so that my kids can still get a home cooked meal and I don’t just stick my head in the oven while I’m slaving over it due to the added stress. Thus, speaking of noodles:
Chicken Noodle Soup
I got this recipe from Everyday Food (which, yes, is where I get lots of my dinners). It was super easy and the kids loved it.
8 cups of water
8 cups of chicken broth
4 carrots, sliced
Bag of frozen peas
¾ lb of spaghetti
4 chicken breasts with bone and skin on
4 chicken thighs with bone and skin on
Salt and pepper
Boil the broth and water in a giant pot. Toss in the chicken and boil till chicken is cooked through (about 18 minutes did it for me). Tong out the chicken (yes, I just created a verb) and put it on a plate in the fridge for 10 minutes. Throw carrots in for 10 minutes. Break spaghetti into small pieces and toss it in for 8 more minutes. Take out the chicken and remove skin and bones and shred. Toss frozen peas and shredded into the pot and boil till everything is up to temp. Salt and pepper to taste.
I’m not even normally a fan of chicken noodle soup, but this homemade version was yum and a half. I even ate it for lunch the next day.