Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

4 cans chicken broth (14oz)
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 1/2 C. carrots, chopped
1 1/2 C. celery, chopped
1/2 med onion, chopped
16 oz. noodles, homestyle egg pasta (I will probably not put quite this much in next time)
1 1/2 lbs cooked, cooled, chopped chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 12oz can evaporated milk, or regular milk will work just fine

Boil the broth, bouillon, carrots, celery and onion for 20 minutes, or until tender. Add noodles and boil for another 10 minutes. (Cook the noodles first while the vegetables are boiling, so the noodles don't soak up all of the broth) Then add chicken, cream of chicken soup and milk. Heat thoroughly. Add pepper to taste.

Mini Golfing in the Ghetto

A few weekends ago we went mini golfing with our friends Cameron and Hillary and their little boy Carson. It was a place kind of like Boondocks....but totally run down. SO..we pay for our tickets, Cameron and Hillary rode the go carts, and none of the workers were paying any attention, people were getting stuck on the track and had to sit there forever before they would finally run out and help get them turned around, and they all had the sleeves ripped off their hunting camo t-shirts with their hairy little shoulders poking out :)

Then we all went to the batting cages (where Joel and I got nasty little blood blisters) the guy running it was super nice but he didn't too have many teeth..and I could hardly understand a word he said....then it was mini golfing time but the little golf course was no where to be seen! Oh thats because you have to get in the car and drive 1/2 mile down the road to find it :)

We went in to get our clubs and we were nicely greeted by the back of a chubby little guys curley haired head for about thirty seconds or so till a commercial or something came on t.v. so he could take a little break and get us checked in :) The whole course was falling apart, all the little ponds looked like swamps....there were random holes in all the caves walls that you could see all the pumps and stuff inside...you can't really tell from the pictures we took how classy of a place it was....it was pretty funny! But we did eat some good BBQ on the way home!!
And here are our little blood blisters.....

Its Fall!!!

Happy Fall!!! Today is the 1st day! I love this time of year....

Balsamic Bruschetta

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 C. chopped fresh basil or if you don't have fresh you can use 1T. dried basil
  
• 1/4 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or 2 t. minced garlic
  
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. olive oil
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. black pepper
• 1 loaf French bread, or baguette sliced and toasted
  

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.
2. Let sit at least 2 hours before serving, or even better overnight...

The little green chair isn't green anymore....

And soooooo....Junk Store finds

BEFORE:

And AFTER:

I think I might be addicted...... :)

A little "antiquing" adventure.....

I have been wanting to learn to "antique" furniture for a long time now....so finally yesterday I was in a creative mood and just decided I'd try! I watched one youtube video and I had one picture frame and some black paint so I started painting, once it was drying I went to the store to grab some sandpaper and a few other colors of paint.Then I decided to stop at the junk store and see if there was anything else I could practice on...and look at these beauties I found :) Almost a shame to paint over them....

I just kept painting and sanding away....

And I did it!

It was so fun!! Next I think I will attempt the little green chair I got at the junk store...we'll see what the outcome is when its an actual piece of furniture and not just a simple square piece of wood?

Joel came home from school and saw all my projects I had been working on... he was pretty impressed :) but when he headed back out the door to go to the library and study he was a little worried he'd come home and find everything in the house antiqued :)

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• dash of italian spices and rosemary
  
• 1/2 pound chicken tenders(chopped)
• about 2/3 cup barbecue sauce....or more....
• homemade pizza dough OR 1 (13.8-ounce) package pizza dough
• 2 cups (or so) shredded mozzarella
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced(can saute before you put them on pizza or just put them on fresh)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken, italian spices, and rosemary, saute until golden brown, about 12 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out dough and place on a greased sheet pan. Shape to fill the sheet pan, about a 15 by 10-inch rectangle. Spread remaining barbecue sauce evenly over pizza dough. Sprinkle mozzarella, Parmesan, onions, and chicken over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and cut into pieces.

A tour of Our little Arkansas Home......

Here is a picture tour of what we call home while we are here in Arkansas......

The beautiful entryway, right as you walk through the front door....yes that is a bathroom....why its the first thing they decided you get to enjoy right when you walk in...I have no idea........ :)

The view to the right.....

The view to the left....

The dining room......

The view out our back door.......

Into the kitchen..........

Then up the stairs.......

Top of the stairs....(bathroom and storage room)
(the little room on the left is where the washer and dyer will eventually go...but for now its become a closet...)
The messy computer/storage room...........

Our eXtrEmely boring bedroom...thats one of my next projects.......

Closet.....This picture is for Kallie :) See....still color coded in rainbow order....what else???