Josephine Williamson of Houston spent two weeks over the Christmas holiday visiting her daughter, Lisa, and family in Jacksonville, Fla. The visit turned out to be both a blessing and a sad one. The very day Jo arrived, Lisa broke a bone in her foot. She was in a cast and had to use crutches and a knee scooter. They were limited in doing shopping and attending the Christmas festivals. The good part of the visit was that Lisa was off work as a nurse and they spent quality time together. Josephine was thankful to be there to take care of her. They enjoyed lots of home cooked meals, playing games and watching their favorite Christmas movies together. They had a wonderful time of fellowship and getting caught up on family news.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients:
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 tsp. oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 c. frozen peas, thawed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tube refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish optional)
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Directions
1. To the bowl of a large slow cooker, add onion in an even layer in the bottom of the bowl and place chicken breasts on top. Add oregano and season with salt and pepper.
2. Pour soup and chicken broth on top then add the thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Discard thyme and bay leaf, then shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Stir in celery, carrots, peas and garlic.
4. Cut biscuits into small pieces. Top the chicken mixture with the biscuits and cook on high for another hour, until the vegetables are tender and the biscuits are cooked through and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170° F.
5. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley and serve.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Q. “Why do mummies like the holidays?”
A. “Because of all the wrappings!”
If you have any information that you would like to share in this feature, email wphipps@houstonherald.com or call Wendy Phipps at 417-967-4200.