cluck-n-my-cup

since i had the day off and boy was working from home, i've had time to make breakfast, clean out the pantry, toss leftovers from the fridge, fold laundry, wash my car, pull together looks for when the weather gets one step chillier, get to the grocery, fold more laundry...the list continues to be checked off...i love the progress!

in my quiet time, while boy was on a con call, i thought, why not make chicken and dumplings, or is it chicken 'n dumplings? for dinner. after much ado and googling for the best recipe, it was mama bear who told me about fannie farmer. have you guys heard of her before? whoever she is, she's brilliant.. i couldn't find a website specifically for her (i didn't try that hard) but i did find enough websites that highlighted her chicken with dumplings as the best.

to me chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort food, sitting right next to good old macaroni and cheese, this is the next best thing to sitting by the fire with family...eh except our fire is going to be the 2nd season of lost or dexter..

Chicken with Dumplings
source: The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

4 or 5 lb. chicken
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 ribs celery with leaves, sliced fine
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. thyme, crumbled
1/2 tsp. rosemary, crumbled
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. minced parsley
4 tbsp. shortening
3/4 to 1 cup milk


Rinse chicken and place in a large pot with water to cover. Add vegetables and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce and allow to simmer until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken, separate meat from bones, and place meat back in simmering broth. Discard skin.

Dumplings:
Combine dry ingredients and parsley. Cut in shortening until it looks like coarse meal. Stir in 3/4 c milk with a fork - add remaining milk if the dough will not hold together.

Drop dumplings by spoonful into pot. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes without lifting lid.


mmmm!!
xo marysue

mr. sun?

oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun...

dreary [ˈdrɪərɪ]

adj drearier, dreariest

1. sad or dull; dismal

2. wearying; boring

when dreary days are present, i can't help but dress for the weather...dark, gloomy, kinda mopey..you know the mood i'm talking about - if it was raining in your kitty city, you're probably shaking your head.

with friday around the corner and the weekend at bay, i slipped into my coziest cords, oversized flannel, and topped it off with booties, a scarf and a leather jacket. ever have those days where all you find yourself doing is daydreaming in front of your computer thinking how nice some of mom's chicken soup would be?

ps you'll have to use your imagination for the outfit, apparently, i need some practice on our big mac...remember that revelation yesterday about how "easy" it was?! yeah...not so much. in the meantime, this is one of my favorite photos from the pioneer woman

xo marysue 

new beginnings

tonight, i logged onto our new big mac computer and started to type in "kitty..." when goestocharlotte.blogspot.com didn't come up, i felt sad. i haven't played with you kitties in so long it feels like, and i'm sorry.  while i haven't blogged in quite some time, i plan to find some kind of routine in the future...like tomorrow.

since we last met, i have taken a new job, made new (ok some) friends, and served myself a heaping teaspoon of new shoes (please see picture)
























whoa, speaking of logging onto the new big mac, how easy is it to write now?! just click the picture and drag...wowza, where have i been with my lame old PC from college?? coming on board as the new buyer, i have re-aquainted my heart with a whole slew of exciting things. every day something is happening...whether it's looking at my finger where my dream wedding bands will sit one day (shhh boy may or may not know yet), trying on favorite new items that come into the store, or getting used to the day to day antics, i have been more enthusiastic about waking up, dressing myself, and heading into work every day.

imagine givenchy spread out across the back floor, alaia skirts thrown on the rack, tucker dresses waiting to be steamed, and yves saint laurent shoes being unwrapped...chloe silk and chiffon wisping about in the air, custom gowns coming in droves in boxes bigger than what my closet from nyc came in (and that's pretty big) and that's not even half of it...sometimes i feel sick to my stomach to see things come and go so fast, i feel like i don't even have a moment to appreciate how pretty it is. this is where i work, this is my new home..and i like it! how cool is that couch? and yes that's a living wall in the mirror (one that was just scouted by a well known magazine for an article (more on that later) and while it seems minimalistic yet chic with the white washed faux rug and modular sofa, this place is one of the most luxurious spaces i have stepped foot in.

if you are in charlotte, come see us at poole shop!

xo marysue