Deliciously Nutritious, Unbelievably Easy, Chicken Noodle Soup

I have had a nasty flu-ish disease for the past 3 days and am finally getting over it. My digestive system has been on strike but I'm appeasing it with some homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Unlike most of my kitchen experiments, this recipe was a smashing success the first time I made it around 7 years ago. My family loved it and my mom told me to write down what I'd done but it was so easy I didn't need to. The beauty is in the simplicity.

You will need: Chicken breasts (frozen or thawed), egg noodles, 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (I recommend Campbell's but only because if I buy the Wal-mart brand I feel the need to pick out all the little chicken bits cuz they look gross to me.), and salt. Yup, that's it! (You can also add carrots if you want some more vitamins and color...I guess in theory you could also add celery but I have no idea why anyone would want to.)

If the outward beauty of this recipe is is it's simplicity then its inner beauty is in its adaptability and freedom from measuring. I hate to measure; I cook like the fairies in Sleeping Beauty. If you only want enough for yourself then just cook 1 chicken breast and if you want enough for a family of 7 then use the whole package. For 1 serving use about a cup of egg noodles, for the whole fam use the whole bag. I hope you can figure out a small can of Cream of Chicken vs the Family Size...

To begin: Place chicken (frozen or thawed) in pot and cover with water, boil until fully cooked.

Then: DO NOT DRAIN! Remove chicken to another dish (paper plates do not have to be washed ;) and let cool.

Afterwhich: Add Cream of Chicken to broth in pot (Bonus: this recipe does not use multiple pots and pans! And all the lazy people say: Yaaay!!!).

Furthermore: Add noodles to pot and cook til done, don't let them get too squishy. :P You can turn the heat down a little for this phase if you need to. Stir periodically.

During which: You can either use your hands or a couple of forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks and add it back into the pot, this is the most tedious part, but it still doesn't take long.

Finally: Salt to taste (unless you're a salt-a-holic, *ahem*Mom!* then salt only a little bit and let your diners add more if they wish) and serve!

10 Ways to be a Good Travel Buddy

I have been to some pretty awesome places. I've also had some pretty miserable travel companions. Ok, I've been a miserable travel companion-more times than I care to admit-but I've also had some great ones and made some cherished memories. Learning from my mistakes and others' I think I'm on my way to being the ideal travel companion (unless you're Dr. Sheldon Cooper in which case nobody can please you anyway). Allow me to share my wisdom. ;)

1. Always be positive. Keep small stuff in perspective and look for the adventure and growing experience in big hitches. Easier said than done but if you determine within yourself not to let anything ruin the experience for you...the world is your oyster. A trip is only as good as the attitudes of the people making it.

2. Be honest. If something is bothering you, speak up kindly and with humor, and offer a trade or compromise. Never ask for something without offering something in return. ("If you'll stop picking your nose in public, I'll stop serenading you in elevators.")Watch out for male family members though. I have a pet peeve about people whistling in the car which my dad does a lot. I've never told him because I'm pretty positive he would do it on purpose. Instead I just take a deep breath and ask him something about soccer (his passion). We've had some pretty great conversations that way.

3. Take pictures of your fellow travelers. I can't tell you how often I've been the only one who took pictures and at the end of the trip was the only one without any good pictures of myself to share on facebook. Depressing!

4. Don't mooch. Asking for something once in an 'I can't believe I forgot that' emergency is fine, but if it's something you'll need to use repeatedly (phone charger, contact solution) you need to buy a replacement for yourself. And don't ask to borrow money; budget for yourself before you leave and if there's something you can't afford, you can't afford it. I've had people ask to borrow money from me while traveling and then I had to go without because they failed to budget properly. Talk about breeding resentment. I've also been the one who needed to borrow stuff, once is about all you'll get before nobody wants to talk to you anymore.

5. Share things. Conversely, it's a great idea to pack one blow-dryer between you or trade accessories. Just talk it out beforehand so nobody is surprised into resentment.

6. Take care of yourself. Know your own limits and protect them. If you need a nap in the middle of the day, take one! Emotional and physical health are very fragile when traveling, it is your job to protect them. Don't expect others to do it for you because in their efforts to protect their own boundaries they will actually be more abrasive than normal.

7. Be understanding. If your travel buddy goes at a slower pace than you, remember that everybody has different needs and that you don't have to spend every second together. Do something by yourself while they recharge/read every. flippin. sign. Or if they're being easily miffed, give them some space. It'll pass.

8. Pack light. No, duh. But really, think about how inconsiderate it is to take up more than your share of car space, or to slow everybody down because your twelfth bag hasn't come off the plane yet. You should be able to manage everything you packed by yourself and be able to walk a mile/up two flights of stairs with it. That's probably what you'll have to do at your destination.

9. Be punctual. This goes hand-in-hand with the above. I have a sister who is notorious for both of these. Trust me, you do not want to be that person.

10. Be an Improv-er. You know Improv? That delightful aspect of Theatre that lends itself so well to comedy? What's the only rule in Improv? Never say 'no;' if you absolutely must then say 'or instead we could...' Travel is about stretching yourself and trying new things anyway, so don't be a wet blanket. I tried Henna for the first time in October and it's a new personal favorite! Furthermore, if you have fun suggestions and (Improv) games ready whenever there's a dull spot then you'll become the most sought-after travel buddy in the realm! This is one of my best friend's, who's superhero name is Thunderthighs (someone called her that one day even though she's a size 6 and rather than be offended she ran with it), super powers, but I'm learning from her. :) On my most recent road trip I packed Bananagrams, a table game that's like a cross between scrabble and cross-word puzzles. We were just blah one evening when we went to dinner and were afraid the wait was going to be horrendous. I whipped out my little game and suddenly we were the hot spot of the restaurant. Everybody wanted to know what we were playing!

Have fun, be fun, don't be a baby, and enjoy your journey. Traveling is a gift. :)
Did I miss anything that would make me the perfect travel buddy for you? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

This & That

Here goes nuthin'! My first post; such a momentous occasion! I feel so much pressure to make it good. Hmm. Maybe I'll just tell you a few of the things that made me laugh this week. For instance, yesterday I made myself mac 'n' cheese for lunch (if you're adventurous you should try it my way: add white tuna to it. I know it sounds weird but it's delicious.) and while it was cooking I poured myself a glass of pink lemonade to go with it. In my mind I was saving the world so it was a few minutes before I realized I'd actually poured myself a bowl of lemonade. It's hard to drink pink lemonade from a cereal bowl.

Then there was the time I got hit on by a twelve-year-old. Oh, wait, that's like, everyday. Seriously, minors are the only males I get attention from; the first time I ever got asked out to my face (proxy ask-outs just don't even count, man-up, men!) I was seventeen and my my knight-in-shining-training-wheels was thirteen. I said no. Onyhoo, the other day I was teaching a class and one of my students who tries to flirt with me all the time and is actually twelve, came up to me and tried to lean on my shoulder. I was in heels so it was quite a reach and so as not to hurt his wittle pwide I leaned on his shoulder instead. 2.5 seconds later I tried to walk away and he was like, 'No! Come back!' and I was all like 'I don't need a man to lean on!' Thus I saved his pride by calling him a man and also saved myself. Gosh, little boys, calm down!

Speaking of boys and calming down, I physically had to stop myself from chasing one in Wal-mart a few days ago. So I get off work, and I'm real tired, right? It's 10:00 at night but I have no food at my house so I stopped at Wal-mart and I'm walking through the store and notice this adorable guy, but I don't pay much attention cuz he's with a girl (who was completely engrossed in whatever it was he was saying), but! As I was walking past them, like, I'm inches from this guy, ok? And he was was a lot older than twelve, p.s. I suddenly realized that he was speaking in a British accent...and I was all like:




And then I was sad, because I wanted one, and I couldn't have one.

My father really wants to help me change that. He really is my (very flawed) superhero, he wants to help me get anything I want if he can see that it will be beneficial in my life. Well, my mom informed me, when I stopped by for a visit one evening, 'Your dad is making a list of potential husbands for you; I don't think I was supposed to tell you that...' 'Well, who are they?!' I replied with a twinkle of hope and ever so much angst. 'I bet I really wasn't supposed to tell you that...I'll just show you their facebook pictures.' As Mother's story unfolded it came to light that one of these candidates was the son of a local businessman who's establishment I had just been in that morning. He's always very friendly but he had seemed a little more so...'Wait. Did Dad talk to him about it?' Mom: 'He may have sort of, possibly, said something like "I hear your son is single, so is my daughter. We should all have dinner together sometime."' At this I kind of collapsed on the floor in the anguish of embarrassment and had to tell my unsympathetic mother (who laughed at my plight) about how I had gone out in public and into the previously mentioned establishment looking like a homeless person. Always shower and wear something that hasn't been slept in, ladies, you never know when small-town matchmakers will strike.

So those are a few of the things that made me laugh this week, I hope it made you laugh too. :) There was also the time I opened the linen closet and there was a cat there...and the time a co-worker asked me if I was feeling ok and I said 'yeah, I'm fine, it's just my time.' and she just turned and booked it away from me...or the time...

Well, you get the idea; life is crazy, laugh about it.