Christmas Break Has Begun. Shoot Me Now.

Just kidding. Kind of. Liam isn't even home from school yet, so I'm sure it will take some time for the craziness to commence. Talk to me again, say, tomorrow? Good thing is, Phil will be home the last couple of days to help get things ready for next week. Well, let me rephrase that. Phil will be battling the children while *I* get things wrapped/organized/ready for the biggest day of the year for the kids. However, we're not putting gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve, or it will be a nightmare trying to keep Ceana (and the cat - who have already broken several ornaments between them) out of the presents.

I did try a new recipe this last week that was really, REALLY good. It calls for a seasoning from Penzey's, and I haven't identified a similar seasoning from anywhere else yet, but if you're in the market to try something new I can always make sure you get some. It's darn good stuff...The ingredient list is: salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic, and chipotle. It's called Northwoods Seasoning...there is also a Northwoods Fire Seasoning, for those who like a bit more heat.

Anyway, here is the recipe - It's a chicken stew that is quite easy to make.

Northwoods Chicken Stew

1 TB butter
2 med. red onions, finely chopped
2 TB Northwoods Seasoning
1 c. peeled carrots, sliced into coins (about 3 - though I used baby carrots we already had)
4 med. potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 whole bone-in chicken breast, but in 2 (which is how ours came)
1 tsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 TB flour
2 bay leaves
4 c. chicken stock (or 3 1/2 c. stock and 1/2 c. red wine, which is what I did)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large pot with a lid, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and Northwoods. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken pieces, vinegar and sugar, cover and continue to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Push the pieces to the side of the pot and stir in the flour until smooth.
3. Add the bay leaves, then chicken stock and wine slowly, stirring until smooth. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Check and stir the stew occasionally. If it is bubbling away, reduce the heat to a simmer.
4. After the 30 minutes, take out the chicken and remove and discard the skin and bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot (It is easier to remove the skin at this point than when it is raw, and it adds great flavor to the stew.).
5. If the top of the stew looks a bit oily, blot up the excess with a paper towel or two. Taste and add pepper if desired. Let simmer 5 more minutes and then serve.

We served this with rolls and salad - I ate this stuff for somewhere in the vicinity of 3 days and was perfectly happy to do so. It's inexpensive and delicious - can't beat that!

Three weeks of Winter Break. Did we have that many when I was a kid? Phil absolutely insists that he DID NOT! I think he's just showing his age - they say the mind is the first thing to go, after all. I'm thinking I may need some more stew just to give me energy and strength to get through the next few weeks. Anyone wanna join me?