Update on Much

My friend Joanna asked about how this recipe turned out.  It was FABULOUS!

When I wrote the post, it was still in my mind, but now that I've made it, let me turn back the clock a bit and run you through the steps exactly as I did them.

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette (or, if you live in a madhouse like mine, 2)
• butter or margarine (enough to butter the bread)
• cooked chicken breast, shredded
• deli sliced ham, or it might be yummier to have some ham left over from dinner that you shred like the chicken, shred or slice it
• cheese, I used cheddar (I always have that on hand), but Swiss might be more true to the recipe
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 C sour cream (or enough to make the sauce a pouring consistency)
• 1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice (I love the flavor that it gives the sauce, so I just pour some in

Instructions:
Cut the bread right down the middle, so you look like you have an enormous hot dog bun.  I guess if you wnat to make smaller sandwiches you could slice it like a normal loaf of bread.  Butter the inside.  Place chicken on top of the butter and ham on top of the chicken on one side of the bread.  Layer with slices of cheese.  Place under the broiler and let the bread toast and the cheese melt.  While this is going on, make the sauce.
For the sauce, put soup, sour cream and lemon juice into a sauce pan and cook and stir until warm and well blended.  Should be smooth and creamy.  Ahh.  Really, is there anything better than smooth and creamy?
When the bread is all toasted and the cheese all melted, remove them from the oven and drizzle the sauce over the meat and cheese.  Place the naked half of the bread on top of the other.
Slice the sandwich into sections and serve.

I hope you get to make it and that you love it.  If you do, please leave me a comment.  I'd love to know if you switched it up at all and just how it turned out.  Oh yah, and as with the bread, if you live in a madhouse, or even a mellow house with a lot of people in it (is this possible?--if so, please comment, I want to read your blog), you're going to want to double everything but maybe not the sauce.

I had extra sauce, so I made it into a cheese sauce by adding cheese and milk to it and served it over broccoli the next night.  You might also want to serve it in the Chicken and Broccoli recipe on page 20 of my cookbook.  That would be YUMMY.  The lemon juice gives it just enough of a tang to make it a bit different than the norm.  And, of course, there's nothing wrong with being different from the norm--tends to give life some variety, right?

Speaking of which, I had an interesting experience yesterday.  I was involved with a conversation with two women.  They were full-time working moms who each had only one child.  I started out in the conversation but quickly decided that it was fascinating and I just sat and listened.  Wow!  What would that life be like?  I decided that I don't want to know.  I like love mine just the way it is--monstrously beastish van and everything.

Okay, so another update but with no solution....Remember this post?  This has become a pretty common occurrence.  This morning, it was just a really quick tipping of my head down and the sensation started.  I have no idea what's causing it, but I think I've come to the realization that it is getting worse, so it's probably time to go see a doctor.

Why do I hate seeing doctors so much?  I don't mind it once I'm there, but it's all the getting there, I think, that turns me off.  Anyway, it can't be avoided.

If this has ever happened to you, and particularly, if you know what causes it and how to solve, it, please comment, I'd love to know what it is and how to deal with it.  Thanks!

One last update....minimalism.  Oh my goodness.  I have learned one huge thing.  You HAVE to be completely together to do this and not let it make you crazy.  I'm hanging in, but I couldn't find a full set of pajamas last night.

A week ago, I pulled a shirt out of the box for a cross country meet because the coach asked us to wear a blue shirt to match our team.  I happened to have one, so life was good.  Since then, I've inherited another from volunteering at yesterday's cross country meet (#1 came in 11th, by the way--yeah!).

So, I'm learning I HAVE to do laundry everyday.  I have to have the dishes done every night, and I have to make sure the dishes are all present and accounted for.  That's where it becomes a bit frustrating.  I also have to keep a certain big guy in my home from getting into the box of dishes and getting more dishes out.

Oh yah, and I finally pulled two more pairs of underwear from the box too.  Not only do you have to have the laundry done everyday, you have to fold it and have it put away in order to find what you've taken the time to wash.  While I'm confessing...I also pulled a more practical pair of shoes out for a meeting I went to the other day.  It was at someone's home, and I knew I would be taking my shoes off.  My sandals are going into the garbage very soon.  I will miss them greatly.  They've served me well.

As you can see, I sometimes let life run me instead of me running it. With seven kids, that's what happens.  Frequently, their needs take precedence over things like folding laundry, and before you know it, the day is over, you're pooped and that's all she wrote for the day.  All you have energy for is washing your face, brushing your teeth, and climbing into bed in half a pair of pajamas--the other half working on some good wrinkleage in a basket somewhere.

Okay, I told you that was the last, but I lied....

I'm absolutely swimming in cookbooks.  They're almost done.  I refused to print the labels available through PayPal.  This was much too personal a project than that, so I've been hand-addressing them.  I hope, if you ordered one, you know how much it meant to me that you placed your trust in me on such a gamble.  Honestly, I knew I could have backed out at any time or something could have gone wrong and made the trip impossible, but it never did, and I'm, at this point, left with a heart full to brimming with gratitude.  Thank you!  Monday is the big day to ship these out of my house.  I hope you love them.

Well, the little girl is awake.  I was just greeted with the words, "Momma...poop," so I guess I'm off to let life run me a little bit....See what I mean?

Minimizing the Closet

Well, I couldn't wait to clean out my closet.  I just streamlined it a couple weeks ago, but I attacked it with a vengeance today.  I have to say it felt SO GOOD!

I got ready for church and chose from the two skirts I left for myself.  After reading Miss Minimalist, I followed some of her advice.  I chose a color theme.  Well, that was easy.  I'm a black and white kind of person, but to be honest, I kept only one white thing--a white t-shirt.  So, I guess you could say I chose black and pink.

I kept two pairs of pajamas, three pairs of underwear, two bras, one slip, one robe, two skirts, one pair of jeans, one pair of khakis, some exercise clothes, a pair of heels, a pair of sandals, a pair of boots (although I may end up with those in the bag as well), and two shirts.  I also kept my pink jacket, my pink cardigan, and my leather jacket.  I'm keeping a pair of work clothes as well.  Needless to say, I kept a bit more than Miss Minimalist.  I probably could get down to ten items, but I figure this is pretty minimal for me for now, and as I figure out how it all works with the laundry and seven kids, I'll pare back more as I can.

I packed up two huge crates of clothing.  They're still sitting in my bedroom, but they'll depart tomorrow.  I have to wait for the laundry to be done tomorrow, so I can get the rest of my clothes out.

I'm looking forward to doing less laundry.  I'm actually looking forward to not debating over what to wear.  Since this is all self-inflicted, I can't see myself griping about not having this or that.

I have never been a fashion queen.  I've never been a trendy girl.  I'm just a simple person when it comes right down to it, so I guess you could say everything's been in place for this kind of move for a long time.

I started decluttering way back pre-children, but it didn't last.  Now, with nine of us under this roof, the clutter is amazing.  I feel like I have to take this bold move in order to truly get a grip on it.  I'm so excited to see how this all pans out.  For now, I'm LOVING my closet.

I figure society lies to us in a couple different ways.  First, that we have to keep everything and we have to have more of everything in order to happy.  Also that we need to keep everything to ourselves.  We need to be selfish about everything we have.

It seems that the opposite of both of these is true.

We don't have to have more to be happy.  We actually need to have what we need and find satisfaction and gratitude in it, and we need to share everything that we have.  These are the things that will make us happy.  Stuff doesn't bring happiness.  At least that's the premise I'm going off of here.  I'm looking forward to proving it right.

The Experiment: Minimalism

As I cleaned out parts of my house this past week, I got to thinking, if there were a major disaster, what would I want to have strewn all over my neighborhood.  Is that crazy thinking?  Maybe so, but nonetheless, it's what I thought.

I have come to a point of cleaning out.  I mean seriously cleaning out. 

The garage, 3/4 of it, looks great.  I'm so happy.  It's funny when your kids bring friends over and you'd rather have them enter through the spotless garage than the front door where little brothers have left their Rescue Heroes and shoes all over the floor.

On our date last night, the Warden and I got to talking about our finances (we've decided to give the "envelope system" a try) and our children's consumption habits.  We decided we need to have a Family Home Evening lesson on needs and wants.  These thoughts and a number of experiences over the past number of years brought me to this idea--the next step.  

It's an experiment that I am taking on alone.  The Warden agreed to support me in it.  I have decided to try a minimalist lifestyle for a month.  I'm going to leave myself the bare necessities and pack the rest into crates and put them in that now spotless garage.

My hope is that with this experience will come some amount of understanding about needs and wants.

For now, I'm reading to figure out how and where to begin.  If you'd like to join me, here are a few blogs and sites:


Miss Minimalist (my fave so far)
Becoming Minimalist
Minimalist Life
Modern Aspirations


We'll see where this all leads, but I have no doubt it will leave some permanent marks on the way I do things.
Tomorrow, I start with my wardrobe.