Snowy New Year

Somehow it's nearing the end of February, and I feel like it was just Christmas.  In fact, as I sit here typing this, I have Elf on in the background.  J is teaching tonight (a make-up class for all of these snow days he's had this semester), and something about freezing weather just makes me want to curl up on the couch and watch a Christmas movie!

 

Also, in defense of my Friday night laziness, I slipped and fell on some ice this morning, and throughout the day I've been discovering more and more aches and pains...it started with a skinned knee and hand, and a sore wrist.  The list of aches now includes, lower back, left ankle, mid-upper back, neck, and right shoulder.  I am such an old person. It was really inevitable, we've had so much snow and ice and I hadn't fallen once. 

 

I think this white manicure might be my favorite of the year! It's so crisp, and seasonally appropriate. Looking at this makes me want to go paint my nails again. I used Essie 'Blanc' which somehow is a bright white without looking like you painted your nails with white-out. I think it's meant for French manicures, but why not go all out?

Speaking of snow & ice, here's how my New Year has been going so far... 

January 18th - Ice Storm-y anniversary, January 24th - Snow, January 26th - Blizzard, January 30th - more snow, February 1st - Seahawks loss, February 2nd - Groundhog Day snow (again), Feb 14th - Valentine's Day snow, February 17th - Snow...You get the picture.  I'm pretty sure I missed some snow days, but those were the biggies.  

I have to admit, I'm not a complete snow Grinch yet.  Last year was worse I think, it's been colder this year, but I don't have to shovel a stoop this year, I think that makes a big difference.

It hasn't all been snow.  We've had some great date nights, I'm employed (though just with my old job who decided they couldn't let me go quite yet) and still interviewing like crazy, we got a new fish, and I've been desperately dreaming about decorating our blank slate of an apartment!

Dreaming of a White Wednesday

Snowy day spent in Chelsea today. I half loved it and half hated it. Something about being out rushing about in that cold wet stuff wipes you out (and may or may not explain my extremely unhealthy dinner.

My poor suede booties took a swim in Saturday's torrential rain, and now are getting a good dose of snow, but I love them so much I can't help but wear them most days. 

I stopped in at Chelsea Market for a quick gift and can never help but stop and gawk at these lighted arches. They're seriously the stuff of my dreams. Lol 

I was also joined by what appeared to be a preschool caroling field trip. It was so cute they'd walk a few yards then burst into song again. Mostly their teacher (striped hat) would sing and they'd mumble along until they got to jingle bells which appeared to be their favorite. Ah, the city steals my heart again...

And then, on an unrelated note, as I was weaving my way underground at Time Square I saw this...it's not so much the woman holding the sign that caught my attention but the complete indifference of the other New Yorkers...it made me chuckle 

The Weather Outside is Frightful

But it's kind of beautiful and the perfect day for my last day of my job, and for kicking off an unemployed holiday season. I'm hoping I can keep my brain from worrying too much and just think of all of the extra time I'll have with family and friends.

Since it was cold and snowy I made soup. 

I really love Smitten Kitchen's Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe, so I more or less just followed that. She's right, the browning of the chicken in the pan really gives the soup another layer of flavor, and once you've tried it, you won't go back to the old just boil it method. The only change I started making was to cook noodles separately. Unfortunately, you do lose a little by not having those noodles soak up the broth directly, but we never finish the whole batch at once, and then our noodles get soggy sitting in it. So now I boil them separately until they're almost done before draining them, then adding the broth and veggies and finishing the cooking the rest of the way.

Ingredients:
Serves 4
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3-pound chicken, in parts or 3 pounds chicken pieces of your choice
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large carrot, diced (1/3-inch)
1 medium parsnip, diced (1/3-inch) (optional)
1 large celery stalk, diced (1/3-inch)
3 ounces dried egg noodles, I prefer wide ones
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley
 

Prepare broth: In a large (5-quart) heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion and saute it for 3 to 4 minutes, until beginning to take on color at edges. Add the chicken pieces (if too crowded, can do this in two batches), making little wells in the onions so that the parts can touch the bottom of the pan directly. Cook chicken parts until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Add water, bay leaf, table salt and some freshly ground black pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and skim any the surface of the pot. Simmer pot gently, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken parts to a plate to cool a bit before handling. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl (ideally, with a spout) and pour soup through it.

To finish and serve: Add diced vegetables and simmer them until they’re firm-tender, about 5 minutes. Add dried noodles and cook them according to package directions, usually 6 to 9 minutes. While these simmer, remove the skin and chop the flesh from a couple pieces of chicken, only what you’re going to use. You won’t need all of it in the soup. Save the surplus for another meal later in the week...tacos, salad, etc...

Once noodles have cooked, add chicken pieces just until they have rewarmed through (30 seconds) and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with dill or parsley, dig in and let it fix everything that went wrong with your day.

MMMM...