Gift Giving Ideas

“Only by giving you are able

to receive more than you already have.”

Now that Thanksgiving is over, this is the time where we start to go shopping and planing for our gifts for our friends and family.

It doesn't need to be costly, just be creative and with a little planning, you can create gifts that are unique and more personalized. Some people seem like they have everything, but this would be perfect to give to them. You can never go wrong with food; like cookies, bread, pastries, etc.

One of my daughters attends a university and went home for Thanksgiving. Her friend gave her a ride to come home. It's more convenient than riding a bus or train, and we're thankful that her friend drove her home. As a little token of appreciation I made her some treats and put them in a nice box and tied them with bow. It's almost Christmas season, so it's like a little present.

There are million ideas for gift-giving and I'll be posting more on my blog for the next few weeks. Until then, I hope you enjoy my upcoming posts!

Materials

Gift Box

Plastic Wrap

Tags

Bows

Rolos Chocolates

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Stromboli 

Chicken Soup With Dumplings

“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”

When fall and winter comes around, I like to make soup, because I'm always cold. Having a warm bowl of hearty soup is heavenly. It's perfect for a chilly evening.

Fall is the time for cooking soup again. They say that if you have a cold or flu, this is the best thing to eat to make you feel better fast.

There are tons of soup recipes, but chicken soup is always an all time favorite. It's very easy to make; just toss the chicken and vegetable in a pot and boil it for about half an hour, then, voila, it's ready to serve. You can cook it in a stove top, in the oven, or in the crockpot; whatever is convenient for you. You can add any vegetable you like.

So, prepare yourself for the cold by making this warm pot of chicken with dumplings.

Ingredients (Stew)

2 cups peas, carrots, celery

4 cups chicken broth

onion

garlic

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp basil

½ tsp black pepper

1 lb skinless chicken breast

½ cup flour

1 cup milk

2 tbs butter
1 cup water

Ingredients (Dumplings)

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp butter
1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, add chicken broth, water, butter, seasonings; cover and bring to a boil.

2. Add the chicken pieces to the soup mixture, stir to combine, and cover.

3. Combine flour and milk. You will create a thickening sauce called a slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the broth. Stirring constantly.

4. Add the vegetables, cover.

5. Combine dumpling ingredients. Mix well with a fork. Drop dumplings to the stew, 1 tbs at a time. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

6. As an alternative, you can bake this in the oven, too.

Note: I bought this pretty bowl a few years ago, and I use it a lot. This is very useful, because it's oven-safe and microwave-safe. So, from the oven, you can serve it directly to the table.