Madam Lu Sparrow

If you know me...at alll...then you know that I LOVE Cpt. Jack Sparrow.  While some women wait in long lines to see vampires, buy vampire stuff "for the kids" and generally walk around sighing over the devestation of choosing between a vampire and a dog, sorry, werewolf (whatever)...I am secreting away any little tidbits of Sparrow Pirate-dom I can find.  I purchase the stuff "for my kids" and generally walk around sighing over my land-locked, mostly rum/less, very devastatingly pirate-less life.

I guess some girls are Pirate girls and some girls are Vampire girls...draw your own stereotypes please! 

It all began when Little Sir E was @2.  Must have been about the time the first pirate movie came out.  He was out of his mind.  I had to read him the names of each character again and again until he had them completely memorized.  You have no idea how much fun that is.  I remember wanting to clean the bathrooms just to escape.  Really, as long as you know Jack and are able to watch each of his scenes in slow-motion-lust...those other characters are just there to waste your time...

So suddenly, Madam Lu is a pirate fiend.  Like instead of screaming for O-lee-yah (Olivia) or Eeee-aaaay-go (Diego), or even Peps (Pets, Wonder), she asks for Pirates.  And she knows which of the 4 she wants to watch and if you give her the wrong one...it is sheer madness.  She actually turns into Davey Jones and grows tentacles that smash your ear drums all to bits.  Really.

She is running around starting sword fights at random..."Goodmorning, sweet girl!  You want to snuggle mommy?" "NO! Yah, Yah, Yah" (stabbing me in a violent, but kind of morning-drunk, manner).  She insists on sleeping with the barbie sized Jack Sparrow guy (move over kitty).  She carries around the magic compass EVERYWHERE....yep, even on the way to school in the morning.  "Bunny fur? Check.  Compass? Check. Socks? well, barefoot in February will have to do."  And instead of talking we mostly hear 'NO' and 'Aaaargh'.  "Would you like Apple Jacks or Fruit Loops for breakfast?" "Aaaargh"  "Ok, so that must mean Apple Jacks."  "NOOOOOOOOOO, Aaaaaargh"   

Now she is demanding that I call her "Yu-Yu Sparrow".  Yu-Yu is what she calls herself.  So, she is officially Madam Lu Sparrow...which is fine with me.  I always suspected he might be her father anyway.  I hope after I throw a quick note/paternity test in a bottle and fling it out to sea, we can get back together.

You never forget your first pirate love...

 The similarities ARE striking...how did I not notice???

A New Year: 2012

I have, over the past few days, read many thought provoking and inspirational things about 2012.  It is funny to me that on January 1, every year, people reflect and decide to 'begin anew'.  For me, this is almost a nightly conversation with myself.  "Tomorrow, I will endeavor to do better...to be better...to cook better...to mother better...to friend better...well, we all know I couldn't possibly wife better, as I totally rock at that..."

The thing is, I am really comfortable and happy being mediocre.  I mean, I have dreams just like the people whose goals for 2012 include 'see the taj mahal, go skydiving, lose 50lbs, read 300 books, become first in the annual Mensa competition, become CEO of my NYC office'.  I have a clear understanding of the phenomena that people who verbalize their goals are significantly more likely to reach them.

But I honestly find the quantification of my goals to be an exhausting exercise in failure.  I mean, if my goal is to read 300 books this year, then I cannot help but wonder what I am giving up to achieve such lofty aspirations.  Even the goal of losing XX pounds...what gatherings will I skip out on...what frivolity will be less enticing because I am focused on restriction?

Call me uninspired, lazy, listless...I suppose to list making, goal fulfilling types, I am.  Don't get me wrong...there are my nightly prayers and reflections upon self and growth, but to be honest, I am soooo o.k. letting life open like a blossom.

I know that I will read as many books as my time, comfort, and choices allow.

I know that some days my jeans will be a tad tight and I will feel like a slob-muffin all day...but I will also spend all day running away from that man--who thinks that jeans that are a bit tight say "chase me" across the rear.  Some days, however, my jeans will be loose, and I will feel...busy, because no matter how they feel, I am busy.

I know that this year I will see something that will make my heart stop.  Something will be so beautiful it will make me cry.  Something will break my heart.  I will laugh hysterically and might tinkle my pants a little.  I will get really, really angry.  I will fight an injustice.

I will let my mind reminisce to a time in the past filled with sweet memories, and I will panic at the quick passing of the current moments I hold so dear.  I will see their sweet little faces as they sleep...smell their sleep-sweet-smell...and my heart will be so full of love for them that for a moment...everything else will stop and the world will exist only because of that love.

I will win awards this year, and I will give awards...the kind my husband and I share between ourselves...and I will wonder if two people were ever as perfectly made for each other as we are...and then he will piss me off...and then, there will be more awards...

You, my darling friends are totally identifying with the things that I will do this year, because...wait...YOU will do them too!  You are realizing that my life is in no way special.  It is really no different than yours.

It is totally mediocre.

Yes, (smiling), it is!  

Cottage De Haven Chicken and Noodles

So, you have asked and tonight, while sipping some Traverse City Cherry Wine, I took pics....

Chicken Broth.  Make your own.  You can buy chicken broth, but if you are going to do that, I would suggest buying a can of Progresso Chicken and Noodles...I mean, its all the same...right???

It really does not matter what kind of chicken you use.  Meijer had a banging deal on drumsticks AND the pack I got was red sticker...it works.  Boil your chicken until it is done.  I let it cool in the broth until I can touch it.  Pull all the meat off and throw it in the broth.  You could buy an already made, rotisserie chicken...but again with the can of Progresso...

Your water is still pretty warm.  Too warm to put your hand in.  Chop up a nice big bunch of parsley and throw it in...stir it around a bit.

When I make this, I make ALOT.  It freezes and thaws very nicely.  I chop @3lbs of carrots.  Chop them big...they are prettier in your bow.

Also chop your celery big.  Even if people don't normally like celery, they will forget when they are eating your soup.  Watch them.  They will eat it right down...

If you forgot to pick up some parsley, just use your celery heart leaves...celery and parsley are cousins.

Now, flip all of this around.  You can now turn your heat back on and get the soup up to a gentle simmer. 

And now...the NOODLES!!!  3 things...one cup of flour+2 eggs+pinch of salt...I made five or six batches tonight. 

Split your dough into two balls.

Make sure to give a glob to your 'Little Helper'

Madam Lu is demonstrating how to properly roll out your dough...

So, it does not have to be perfect in any way.  You do have to have ALOT of flour on top to make sure they do not stick in the next couple of steps.

Now, cut the dough into 2' strips.

Stack all of the strips on top of each other.   

Cut the strips into 1" strips...

Drop them into your simmering soup. 

Note: drop one layer across the top and then stir them to the bottom.  Then add another layer and stir to the bottom.  Keep doing this.  If you put all of the fresh, soft noodles on top, they stick together.

Let them boil until they are done the way you like.  We like ours kind of hard and if you are going to freeze them, I recommend leaving them a bit hard.  They will be much softer when you defrost them...or even just when you have them for leftovers. 

The noodle recipe is not mine.  It is my darling Sheila J's recipe and she is the best 'comfort food' cook in the universe, so you know they are good!  The whole thing takes me about 1.5 hours from start to finish, but I have all that 'help' from Madam Lu.  A person without 'help' could probably make this in an hour.  And trust me...everyone loves old fashioned chicken and noodles!!!