Chicken Dumpling Soup

This what I call 'Feel like a good Mum Soup'.

Whenever I make it I feel like I'm doing something good for my kids!

Ingredients

Soup

3 big chicken breasts

4 carrots

1 diced onion

125g butter

6tbsp flour

6C chicken stock

2 C frozen mixed veges or peas

1/2C cream (optional) I used 1/4C

salt 'n pepper

Dumplings

2C flour

1tsp baking powder

2/3 C cream

Dice chicken and brown in pot with a little oil. Take out and put in a bowl.

Dice carrots and onion. Saute in same pot for a few minutes.

Add butter and melt into the veges. When butter is melted, add flour and mix in.

Put chicken back in.

Add 6C chicken stock

Add frozen veg/peas

Add Cream

Put on lid and simmer gently for 15 mins

While soup is simmering, prepare the dumplings as follows

In a bowl put 2C Flour and add 1tsp baking powder, mix and then add 2/3C cream

Mix into a dough. Add a little more flour if needed.

Seperate the dough into half, then half, then half again and so on. Make 12-16 even sized dough balls.

When the soup has simmered for 15 mins, drop in the dough balls, they'll submerge in the soup.

Put the lid back on and leave on low heat for another 10-15 mins....until dumplings have risen to the top and are cooked through.

Done!

Fajita Chicken Bake

I made this for the first time last week and everyone said it was a keeper, including me. But I would make it different next time cause I didn't realise I don't love the smokey flavour of fajita seasoning.

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts

2 capsicums

1 onion

Slice all of the above and sprinkle with seasoning. I'd probably use the taco flavour next time. I think the chicken could be switched out for mince too. You could really chop and change with any of those ingredients I think

Bake in oven tray until all cooked

Line 9x13 inch baking dish with tortillas. I should have taken a pic of this!

2 on each side so they meet in the middle and rise up over the sides, then one at each end.

Layer with grated cheese, 1/2 chicken mixture, then corn chips, 1/2 chicken mixture + grated cheese again on the top. 

Fold over the top parts of the tortillas and then put 2 flat on the middle. The side ones don't quite meet in the middle. Put a dish (I used my white ceramic one) on the top just so it stays flat and doesn't puff up into a funny shape

Bake for about 30 mins

When you take it out, it lifts out of the baking dish as a whole slice, then you just cut it up and serve as pieces. If you eat it quickly you'd need knife and fork cause it's too hot to touch. If you leave it 10 or so minutes, you can pick it up like a pizza and it all stays in place.

There was a special recipe for the dipping sauce/stuff but I wouldn't make that again. It was sour cream + mayonnaise + honey + lemon juice + fajita seasoning.

I'd just put some sour cream on the plate!

I was kind of anticipating that the kids would pick out the capsicums and onions or maybe even not bother eating it but they all (except Ella!) ate it without saying anything. 

Seth absolutely loved it!

Grandma Julie's Rice Pudding

So easy and oh so good!

The original recipe of Mum's was

16tbsp white rice
12tbsp white sugar
2L dark blue milk.

I do 3/4 of that for my white square dish

Ella Deseret's Baptism (8th Birthday)

Almost a month ago, this precious girl of mine went and turned 8. It makes me get all emotional just thinking about it cause she's growing up so fast. We had a really super special day for her birthday, a sunday baptism service/party that was everything she'd hoped it would be....and probably even more! 

I think Aunty Nae took some good photos but this is what I've got at the moment.

On their birthdays they get taken to Pak n Save to choose their own lunch. I'm sure they'd spend their whole budget at the checkout if I let them!

Goodness knows what this girl was in a funk about considering she snuck in on the flavoured milk

Ella and Chels...besties x

Maccas for dinner after the ear piercing ceremony  (Dad and Isaac got the honour of doing the ears this time round)

 Ella's testimony....

 Faith's talk on Faith.....

 Mum's talk on the Holy Ghost....

2 weeks ago I got to go on my very first trip as a parent helper....not as a teacher....which meant it was all for free :(

But seriously though, it was really cool to spend the day with Bobby and her class as they made robot cars and looked around MOTAT. I almost can't believe I've been Mum for 10 years and this was my first school trip. Hopefully the first of many. I never had Mum come on a trip with me cause she always had the younger children.....which has always been the case for me as well, apart from working for the last 2.5 years. I know it would have been so cool to have my Mum look after my group so I'm really chuffed that I can do it now.

Ella's cute letter for a very cute cousin x

Every Monday morning in Ella's room they have 'Monday Madness' where they spend the morning learning about a different student-identified interest. This week it was cows and I just loved this moo cow that she made for the wall. They've done so many cool topics so far....flowers, light, butterflies, whales, Japan, corn, Antarctica.


Like I said, time is going too fast at the moment. I'm a bit sad for myself, but I'm happy for Bobs cause she finally gets to go to Faith in God (which she has waited for since the moment Faith went to her first one!).

I don't always do the list of things I love about the kids on their birthdays, which I would like to be more consistent at, but I'm gonna do it now....

1. I love your creativity when you get bits and pieces and tutu around until you've made something just so!

2. I love how you melt to attend to your little sisters wants, needs and more often, her demands. Even when you try to be tough on her, you just end up being a big softie and snuggling her up

3. You are such a feisty netball player. You've got an understanding of the game and a competitiveness that makes it so fun to watch you play. Oh, and talk about a speedy runner!

4. Even when you are at your maddest with me, you still love a kiss and a hug. I love that you're not too proud or stubborn to come to Mumma x

5. I get such a thrill from watching you do hard things. When you're nervous, you know that you're going to be brave, and YOU CAN DO IT! Your smile afterwards tells me you feel good, and what makes me feel so good too

6. You're such a helpful and caring friend. Miss Britt always tells me how you make great choices and she can count on you to get anything done

7. It's so cool to watch you silently potter away while you organise your spaces with little bits n pieces, trinkets, boxes. You're a bit of a queen of clutter at the moment (which I don't love at all), but it is funny to watch how you set up little areas and you think carefully about where things go in your displays of STUFF

8. I love it how I'm seeing you share more and more of yourself with others. You tell people stories and experiences and even times when your faith has been strengthened. You know you know and it's so nice to hear you talk about it.

You're a star my girl. And yes, as soon as the next Faith in God is on, I will have you down there for sure!


Ella's Baptism Slideshow

Mare, New Caledonia

Our day on Mare was just plain fun. And it has to be said that I was really brave and fully swam, like jumped off rocks and swam without my feet touching the ground. I NEVER do that!

This kind man gave all of the kids special little whistling things he made with flax. Cool for 30 seconds until they wouldn't stop the screeching and blowing

A primary school RIGHT on the beach....like about 20 steps out of this gate to the water

These people sang songs on the dock the whole day so they had their own little food setup. Of course Dalls went over and just tried to help herself!

And that was that! All islands done....and then 2 day voyage home began :)