Tougher than the chicken

I'm a city girl who is learning to be closer to nature.  I married a man who was an ag major and took entire classes about food science (think how bacteria makes you sick when food goes bad) and animal information.  He took a class called Meats in which they butchered all kinds of animals.

All this was before we met, but he brought to the marriage an impressive array of knives that can take apart any animal.  He also doesn't get grossed out by anything in this world which is really helpful when one of us is sick.  He may not be the most refined guy I've ever met but he sure is helpful when the grossness of life demands some attention.

I watch The Pioneer Woman with my boys and we love it.  They frequently ask me to cook whatever it is that Ree's making.  It's fun--I'm really learning to cook and cook well. 

Last show, she made chicken and noodles.  As a little girl, I loved making homemade noodles with my Grandma.  Wonderful memory.  Seeing Ree make that made me really want to do it.  So, it's on the menu tonight.

It's funny--she uses frozen noodles (I'm good with that) but she had me cut up a chicken.  Yuck.  I had never done that before.  Wasn't quite sure I could.  But there was the frier in the fridge, waiting for me to cut it up.

I gathered the boys into the kitchen and told them I was going to do something new that I was a little scared of.  It was their job to cheer for me.  Cheer they did.  I found a recipe book we got from when we married with pictures of how to do this.  And I did it!  I did have to call Aaron at work because the cleaver wasn't doing the job on the bones.  He told me which knife to get--good advice.

I did it!  The boys were so proud.  Not quite as proud as me.  It's a good day when I face down a fear and beat it.