a little rain, a little sun,

and more rain.
that pretty much sums up the week,
in more ways than one.

so, as a gift, i have prepared a little ...in the rain post

complete with tips, thoughts, and even a recipe.  

call it my crazy-lady post.

image via

did you know

a toddler mattress is an unbelievable activity for kids on those long. rainy. days.

notice i said "activity," as in physical activity and not"toy."

we have a couple retired and might i add, trashed, plastic crib mattresses,
i keep on hand for when we have a puking kid.  i keep them in the shop.

every once in a while, when the rain just keeps on coming
 we pull them out to:

jump on, 

make a slide off the couch with, 

slide down the stairs with,

use as an additional wall for a 

barn or a pirate ship or an animal hospital.

the list goes on.

if your kids have an ounce of imagination, 

give em an old beat up, ripped down the side, toddler mattress 

and watch the magic unfold.

it's ugly,
and it's free.

*warning: sometimes kids cry when they hurt themselves.  

ok, so this next thing is something i have avoided pretty adamantly in my blogging history.

but i love food so really, it was only a matter of time.  

when it is grey and wet outside, i crave hot comfort food in my tummy.  

salads are a summer thing/ a side.  

i also like: 

healthy.

simple.

and quick (because it's a necessity).  

i also like to control my ingredients.

basically, i like to know what i'm eating

and what my kids are eating.  

i have pretty much avoided buying certain canned or packaged foods

with a few great recipes that fit the bill.  

so,
without further ado,
rainy day 
chicken noodle soup sans can.
takes about 25 minutes and feeds a family of 6 with leftovers. 

in a good sized pot, put together

1 TBS of butter

2 carrots (sliced or diced)

2 celery stalks (diced)

1 med golden onion (diced)

saute in until soft

add

2 tsp thyme

and 1 tsp salt
and 6 cups of stock (i use chicken)

simmer with lid on until veggies are all the way soft (about 7- 10 minutes)

add 

11/2 cups up egg noodles (i use broad)

cook until noodles are soft (7-10 minutes)

then add 2 plus cups of diced cooked chicken (use a roast chicken)

and 1-2 cups of frozen peas. 

cook for 5 more minutes. 

add fresh ground pepper to the bowls before they are served.  

*sometimes in order to skip a step, i add diced uncooked chicken before i add the noodles. it cooks in about 4 minutes when the broth is at a low simmer.  

*when the kids take too long to eat their food, use this and offer a consequence (like no video games for 3 days) if they do not finish in a reasonable amount of time.   it's kind of fun and scary and does the trick.