Chicken Meat Sauce

This was supposed to be meatballs but the meat didn't want to ball (and yes, I know that's just ripe for all kinds of jokes).  So, I threw lumps in there and let them cook for a bit before stirring it around ;)  Either way it tasted pretty darn good and Andrew and Dylan both liked it.

We get 40-lbs of chicken breast a couple of times a year.  We freeze most of them as individual boobs but I take about 10-lbs of them and the fat that I trim off of the others and run it through the meat grinder.  That's what I used for the meat in this sauce.  You could use any ground meat you have laying around and I'm sure it would be great.

Chicken Meat Sauce

Meat

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1/2 c mozarella, shredded (leave out if you have a dairy sensitivity, or if you don't have any on hand)

1 T ketchup

4 T dried parsley

Sauce

1 1/2 c chicken broth

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 T olive oil

1 tsp - 1 T garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme and basil

dash of honey 

Add all of the meat ingredients to a bowl and mash together with your hand.

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a wide bottomed pan, bring to a simmer.  Drop the meat or meatballs (if yours will ball) in about 1-in "balls" into the sauce.  Let simmer, stirring periodically until they are cooked through.  Serve over quinoa or pasta or rice or whatever your family likes sprinkled with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper!

Happy 31st to Me...and Swimming in the Willamette!

Today is my 31st birthday.  As with when I turned 30...I'm sure it's going to be better than 21.  The last 24-hrs have been a bit dramatic but I learned a lot and wanted to document it so I could look back on this and remember what I learned. 

Last night I was steering the dragon boat and hit the last piling and ended up going swimming.  While not something I really felt I wanted to do, I am so grateful that it happened when and where it did.  We were close enough to the dock that I swam to it.  I didn't hit my head or anything on the way in.  The Angry Unicorns were still on the dock waiting to go out for their practice so there were plenty of folks to fish me out.  Our boat did great and Kathleen was able to jump up and steer it back to the dock.  Other than hiking boots, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the clothes I had on kept me warm even though I was soaked.  I did however end up with a number of very impressive bruises on my thighs, shins, and elbows.  Small price to pay for getting out of the water and onto the dock safely though.

Bruise on left thigh 24-hrs after going "swimming"!

Now to the part about learning.  I've lived my life always worrying and thinking about the worst-case scenario.  That's how you protect yourself from getting hurt, right?  What a load of b.s.!  Me and or the entire boat falling out has terrified me and almost kept me from learning how to till.  I feel a strong sense of responsibility for everyone and didn't think I could take that responsibility on.  Having taken the plunge or rebirth as Don Wolf jokingly called it, I still feel the responsibility but realize that it's not the end of the world.  Perhaps, I can learn to apply this to other areas in my life where I think I'm protecting myself by thinking of the worst-case scenario and instead just go with the flow and live my life!