Chicken-Andouille Gumbo

I know there are easy ways to cheat at this, like use chicken bouillon and rotisserie chicken, but I really love the whole process when I'm in the mood for it. It's not really hard but can be time consuming. 

makes 4 qts prep time 45 min, cook 3hr,50 min
 1 (4lb) whole chicken cut up
 5 bay leaves
 5 parsley sprigs
 3 garlic cloves
 3 tsp salt, divided
 1 lb andouille or smoked sausage, I find the really spicy kind
 1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
 2 medium onions, chopped
 1 large green pepper, although I use red since I like them better and I like the red in the gumbo
 3 Tbsp minced garlic
 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
 1 tsp black pepper
 Hot cooked rice
 1. Bring first 4 ingredients, 1 tsp salt and 1 gal water to a boil in a large stockpot over medium high heat; cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. remove chicken, reserving broth. Skin, bone and coarsely chop chicken. Pour broth through a wire -mesh strainer into a large bowl discarding the solids. return broth to the stockpot. Skim fat from broth if desired.
 2. Cook sausage in a large heavy skillet over medim-gigh heat, stirring 8-10 minutes or until brown. Remove from skillet.
 3. Wipe skillet clean. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat; gradually whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 18-20 minutes or until the flour is a dark carmel color. (mine never gets super dark)
4. Stir onions and next 3 ingredients into flour mixture, and cook, stirring often, 10-15 mins or until vegetables are tender.
 5. Gradually stir 3 cups chicken broth into vegetable mixture. Stir vegetavle mixture into remaining chicken broth in stockpot. Stir in sausage, chicken, red and black pepper, adn remaining 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally, 2 hours.
 6. Serve over hot rice with hot sauce if desired.
 * last time I stirred in a bag of frozen white and yellow corn and I loved it! I think I will do that every time. Once I put in a bag of frozen shrimp in the last few minutes and everyone who likes seafood loved it, but some of my kids don't so I don't add that often. This reheats and freezes really well! I've served this to a group of 18 family members, adults and kids and still had a little left over for lunch the next day ;). I got this from Southern Living magazine 2007

I am not a fan of pain, I'm not a fan of pain that won't go away with the use of reasonable measures. My back completely gave out Monday night while I was helping my now ex-sister in law pack her stuff to move. It completely dropped me to the floor and left me there for a day or so. I'm now seeing a chiropracter, wearing a brace and waiting for physical therapy, AND I can't do my runs for 2 weeks right when I'm in the middle of training. Not putting me in a good mood. My family not cleaning up after themselves while I can't walk or bend well.... is seriously fouling my mood.
On the nice side, both baby birds are growing well, and thankfully still alive. My name of falcor has been rejected, but not Pip. Now I've renamed him Scre, short for screamer. Because he is very loud when he's hungry.

Our collection

Is there anyone else that has to deal with a corner like this? I can't figure out what to do with it. If I put the guns in their rooms, they simply come back out because they are played with constantly. It's almost like the male members of my family cannot walk around our house without a weapon in their hand. My ears are going deaf from the sound of blanks being shot. And if one gun breaks, I don't get to throw it away because Connor takes it apart and simply makes his own design! He really should have been born in the "sons of guns" family. Do I need a giant gun case so at least they would be contained?? this doesn't even include the giant purple bin I have that is full of ammo, sights, clips, mags, batteries etc... And this isn't even all of them in the picture, there are more hand size guns and Nerf guns in closets and the basement!

My family photo

I don't think I ask for a lot. I had one opportunity to go to Nauvoo, and I let my whole family know, the MOST important thing for me was to get a nice family photo in front of the temple. You will notice that Kirk got a nice picture in front of the temple.... So this is my picture to always remember this wonderful spiritual family vacation! I guess it's funny.

Connor and Hugo

Hugo loves hanging out in Connors shirt... isn't always very comfortable for Connor. He has to be quiet and hold still or Hugo hisses and stabs Connor with his quills! But who can say no to that cute little face!

It's the love shack, and the products of that love

we have a newly hatched baby bird, this makes 2. The babies are 4 or 5 days apart. This stresses me out, are the feeding the younger one? Is he strong enough to fight for his share? I've only seen the bigger one feed, then he sat on the other one. Why do I have to deal with this? On top of everything else?? Hello kinda busy without all the nature crap! The pictures are about a week apart and the first was when Pip was only a week old while Falcor is pushing 2 weeks.

YUMMY Mozzerella Bites

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
3 (1 oz) sticks of part skim mozzarella string cheese
3 Tble egg substitute, I only had a egg
cooking spray
1/4 cup marinara sauce, our favorite is Paul Newmans Marinara or my pizza sauce :)

1. preheat oven to 450.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add crumbs and cook for 2 mins or until toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and place in a shallow dish.
3. Cut the cheese sticks into 1 in pieces. Dip the pieces into egg, dredge, heavily dredge in the panko. Place on a baking cheese coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 3 minutes or until cheese is softened and thoroughly heated.
4. Dip in the marinara, and be prepared for them to go very fast because they are so good! This supposedly serves 4 but that's doubtful considering a stick is a portion, so I would advise doing more!