Last Hodgepodge of January

How did this happen?  It's the last day of January!  Thankfully, it's also Wednesday and time for the Hodgepodge with Joyce and friends at From This Side of the Pond.  Something fun to cheer us all up as we grapple with the fact that the year is now 1/12 over!  Snowshoe on over, get the questions, and then answer them on your own blog.  Then go on back over to Joyce's to link up!   Here are this week's questions:

1. Speaking of endings....at your wit's end, at loose ends, a dead end, burn the candle at both ends, all's well that end's well, or no end in sight...which 'end' phrase might best be applied to your life lately? Explain.  

No end in sight applies to several situations in my life right now: estate responsibilities, pastoral search, closet reorganizations, winter itself. 

An ice-covered brook with high water under the ice

2. What was a must have accessory when you were growing up? Did you own one? If so tell us what you remember about it.

A must-have winter accessory at one point -- maybe 5th or 6th grade -- was a stocking cap.   Mine was red; it may have had a white stripe or two, and the pompom was rabbit fur.

This isn't a stocking cap, but it's red and has a bunny fur pompom, I'd say.  Fur earmuffs too!

3. Something that made you smile yesterday?

Watching a video of my 9-year-old grandson diving at swim lessons.

4. January 30th is National Croissant Day. Do you like croissants? Sweet or savory? We're having chicken salad for lunch...would you rather have yours served on a croissant, a wrap, a bagel, bread, or a roll of some sort?

I do like croissants, very much (and prefer them savory), but oh, the calories.  I would probably prefer to have my chicken salad in a wrap, with some baby spinach leaves and a bit of cranberry sauce.  But if you insist, I'll have a croissant.

Speaking of chicken salad, the very best way to prepare chicken for that (in my view) is in a slow cooker.  You put chicken breasts (bone-in are probably best, but boneless work find too) or a whole chicken in the slow cooker and sprinkle with seasonings of choice.  Montreal Chicken is usually my choice, but poultry seasoning works well too, as does lemon pepper or Greek seasoning.  You don't need to add any water, but you can add a tiny bit if you'd like.  Cover and cook on High for 4 hours. Let cool for a half hour or so and remove meat from bones (if there are bones) and cut into bite-size pieces.  I like to freeze this cooked chicken in quart-size freezer bags to use as meal starters on busy days, but we are talking chicken salad right now.   

For that, just put the desired amount of your diced chicken in a bowl and add mayonnaise to your taste and whatever else you like in your chicken salad.  I usually use salt, pepper, onion powder, and poultry seasoning.  Occasionally I will add some sweet pickle relish or some finely chopped celery.

My paternal great-grandmother with her chickens

A side benefit to cooking chicken this way is that several cups of nicely seasoned chicken broth are produced simultaneously.  You just strain it into a clean container (I use a recycled quart-size yogurt container) and put it in fridge or (for longer storage) freezer.  Next time you need chicken broth, it's there!


5. Sum up your January in fifteen words or less.

Surprisingly relaxed in spite of stress, busyness, and weather events: thank You, Lord.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

I'd hoped to have an Etsy shop up and running by the end of January (mostly for vintage paper items and some hankies, etc.) but that didn't happen.  I have, however, done lots of research and homework and will set a new goal for this to take place in February.

Things like this.  1930s, wouldn't you guess?

Another Hodgepodge and another month in the books!  Happy Wednesday, everyone!