Something Saturdays (1/26/19)

Well we survived the snowstorm of last weekend! We definitely got a lot of snow but luckily we had nowhere to be so we just sort of hung out. Which was wonderful, of course, and I was super glad it was a 3 day weekend (Michael had Monday off). Tuesday my dad came by to see James. Wednesday I worked. Thursday I went to my beloved Studio Bakery (seriously, if you live in the Akron/Canton area GO THERE. I have insanely high baked good standards and their stuff never fails to astound me. Their chocolate caramel tart that I got this trip is one of the most delicious things I've ever had. Their macarons are the best. Just...so much yumminess.) Later, my cousin and her daughter (who is 10 months older than James--the same age gap as between her and I) came over and they had so much fun playing together! It was too cute. Friday we just hung out and James gave me an awesome nap (since we switched to one nap last week a good chunk of stress has been spent over how long he's been sleeping for that nap) so that was great. This weekend I have to work but not for long so I'm still planning on enjoying my time with my boys!

UPDATED Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings--with Slow Cooker Method

5 years ago I hit publish on a blog post for a recipe I was pretty lukewarm on. As evidenced by the fact that I didn't make it again for 5 years. These days I'm constantly searching for something new to make for dinner thanks to the fact that I eat a ton (thanks breastfeeding) and so does Michael and now little James. So I unearthed the chicken and dumplings recipe I'd made so many years ago. And decided to try making it in the slow cooker. And it was awesome. Michael loved it, I loved it, James loved it.

So now the internet should love it too, right? It's creamy dreamy comfort food: perfect to warm you up on these cold January evenings. And using a slow cooker makes it even simpler to make.

Check out the original post here:

https://www.cookingactress.com/2014/04/southern-style-chicken-and-dumplings.html

Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings-Slow Cooker Method
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients:

• 8 cups (64 oz) chicken stock/broth (or 8 cups water + 8 tbsp. bouillon)
• Approximately 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
• pepper, salt, dried basil, garlic powder, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or substitute)

Preparation:

• Put chicken, broth, and seasonings in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours.
• Remove chicken and shred. 
• Skim any fat/scum off of the liquid and discard, along with the bay leaves.
• Turn heat to high.
• In a medium bowl whisk together flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and baking soda. Stir in melted butter and buttermilk. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about about 1/8" thickness. Cut out 2 in. shapes (or just tear them off).
• Plop dumplings into crockpot and put on the lid, cooking for 20 minutes on high. Stir occasionally.
• Add shredded chicken and stir until combined. Serve warm!
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Something Saturdays (1/19/19)

Well it's been a snowy week (finally!) James was so excited about it and had a bunch of fun playing in it last weekend. We went to brunch then just had snow fun on Sunday, then the rest of the week was spent working on things at home and running errands, etc. We also started trying out a 1 nap schedule for James, so that's been a bit of an adventure. This weekend we plan to just hunker down ans enjoy our snowy time together <3.