I don't know if you've noticed (and thank you for not mentioning it) but I've lost my funny.
I'm not sure where it went, but I suspect it's somewhere in the guts of the chicken coop. Or maybe it spilt out of me when I sliced my hand open last week, building the chicken coop. It's entirely possible I lost it in the massive piles of chicken poop piling up in my backyard. Or it could be in the last place I'd think to look, in the Jesus shaped phlegm from my cold that's splattered ... you guessed it ... all over the side of the chicken coop.
Needless to say, all signs lead to the chicken coop stealing my funny. That chicken coop's an asshead.
I'm only guessing here but I'd say the chicken coop should be done in a week. I said that exact same phrase a month and a half ago when I started the chicken coop. Weird.
I suspect once the coop is done my funny will return. I'm hoping my patience, my appetite, and that 14k gold necklace I lost in the early 80's will return at the same time. It was almost just like the one Dana Plato wore on Different Strokes.
Stupid chickens having the nerve to steal my funny. I thought it was raccoons who stole delightful, sparkly things.
Speaking of Chicken & Goat cheese Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, it's my absolute favourite light dinner meal. It's the kind of thing you eat when you know you have a gallon of ice cream you want to leave room for. Or a carrot cake. Or the entire top display case of a bakery if you're having a particularly bad day. Say, for example, if you're building a chicken coop.
Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad with Roasted Red Peppers
with a Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Lettuce of your choice (I use a combination of red leaf lettuce and other mixed greens)
I harvested this particular lettuce from my garden. I've planted lettuce in a big round planter where it doubles as an ornamental plant on an outdoor coffee table.
I know what you're thinking. You thinking Sigh .... I wish I had her life. Out picking lettuce from her pretty bowl ... so nice ... Well, before you go wishing you had my life, remember the chicken coop, the sliced hand and the phlegm.
Grilled Chicken (1 boneless, skinless breast per person)
Goat Cheese
Roasted Red Peppers (½ - 1 per person)
Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
(1 part Balsamic Vinegar, 3 parts Olive Oil, 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard, salt & pepper)
Once you've made your balsamic dressing, squeeze or pour some into a bowl and add about a teaspoon of honey. Give it a taste. If you'd like it a little sweeter, add some more. You want to be able to taste the honey because you won't believe how good it tastes with the chicken, roasted red peppers and especially the goat cheese.
If you want to make this dressing all at once, adding the honey to the main balsamic dressing, that's fine. I just do it separately because I don't like the sweeter dressing on my regular weekday salad. Adding the honey afterwards to a separate bowl ensures I have leftover, regular balsamic dressing for the week's regular salads.
Now all you have to do is assemble your salad. Greens, red peppers, chicken, goat cheese, dressing.
And then you eat it.
Countdown to funny - 7 days (fingers crossed)
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Pam'a
I'm so glad you're "smelling the barn" [an allusion to why horses run faster when they're on the way home from a ride] with the chicken coop adventure. Because although you hide it well, I've sensed you were really struggling and have been feeling bad for you. You take on a lot. And the coop was an AWFUL lot. And still, somehow you manage to share all the best stuff with all of us at the same time, no matter what.
So bully for you, girl. :)
Karen
Thanks Pam'a. Yup. Smellin' the barn. I actually love building the chicken coop. It's exactly the sort of thing I love to do even though technically I have no idea how to build a chicken coop. It's just difficult to build a coop and run a website at the same time. And maintain good hygiene. Once the coop is built I plan on taking a much needed 1 week vacation from the coop, the blog, cleaning the house and all other things that can't be done while reading a book and eating potato chips. ~ karen
Culinary School: Three Semesters of Life, Learning, and Loss of Blood
Ah that looks perfect this time of year - nice and refreshing.
And don't worry about the funny - it comes and goes (dare I say, it's funny like that?).
Kim
When I first started reading, I thought you said "fanny"...and was thinking that was a weird, but funny thing to say. But with the live video, maybe it had turned into an issue. I hadn't paid attention to your fanny size but maybe you or others had. Then I realized you said FUNNY. Ha, that's funny. You haven't lost a thing there. Were you trying to be funny?
Holly
How can you possibly say that you have lost your funny when you can bust out the Dana Plato reference? Maybe if your necklace returns you will also find some jelly shoes, stretch pants, or a friendship bracelet. ;-)
mary
Thanks for saying Happy Birthday to Greg... I smiled when I saw that... gearing up for a laugh next week! (Known Greg for so long I know his nickname: Chef Boy-R-Greg)!
Mr. Pickles
Funny is like a cowlick in your hair; it's ALWAY there, just sometimes it's tamped down a bit. Don't worry, your funny always comes through - just like parted bangs from the cowlick in school pictures, YOU CAN'T HIDE IT!
Karen
Excellent advice Mr. Pickles. I won't worry anymore. ~ karen
bluephatmom
You might FEEL like you're not funny, but you ARE funny. :)
Valerie
I think you are funnier and more amusing since the chicken coop extravaganza began. But you will really lose any vestiges of humour if you put any UNdiluted chicken manure on your lettuce or flower beds. It is fantastic fertilizer but don't use too much and dilute it down with water significantly. Have you considered selling the chicken manure? Gardening fanatics who reside in cities would love to acquire some....this type of fertilizer is not available at garden centres....you can usually only find "steer" manure which contains weed and dandelion seeds...which is why chicken manure is preferable.
Talia
You did NOT lose your funny. I promise this post has just as many chuckles in it as all your others!AND a recipe to boot! Can't wait to try it.
PS: Sorry that dang coop is such a nuisance. Grrrr.....
Karen
Grrrr ... It's actually getting to the point where I can see the end so it's fun again. Plus it's all the "finishing" stuff so it's actually starting to look like how I pictured it as opposed to a big series of plywood boxes! ~ karen
Marti
So I'm looking at this recipe and all I can think is "Marti! YOU FOOL! Race back to Costco, hoping against hope that they still have that stove top grill pan. RUN!!"
Yeah, it looks that good. That simple. And considering how tired I am of chicken... wow. But I am starting a low-carb, so maybe it's time.
Is that live camera still running on the previous posts?
Karen
Marti - Thanks! And no ... the live camera was only running during the waking hours of those days while I was building the coop. I want the finished product of the coop to be a secret until I post pictures so no more coop cam. :( ~ karen!
Jeanne
I think the "chicken" receipe is a deep seated retribution from the horrors of the chicken coop, garage demolition and chicken poop everywhere. Have you had any nightmares lately? Like getting smothered in chicken feathers while trying to paint the coop and getting railed out of town by TV critics? Don't give up or you will be feeling guilty
to the end of days! We love you; good job, LOL
Holly
1. You have not lost your funny! I laugh at your blog, well, WITH your blog, every day!
2. This meal is one of my all time favorites. I'll have to try your balsalmic vin. recipe- looks like a keeper!
amyfaith
Speaking as a person with very specific ideas and preferences for oh so many things (some might even say OCD-ish), I'm going to share with you the sanity restoring mantra that I repeat to myself daily:
Perfection is the enemy of Good.
These are words to live by, my dear.
And don't fret: your funny will come back in full force. This is only a brief hiatus as your funny gathers lots of good new material!
Kate S.
Wanna know something funny? It says you have 6 comments but only shows me one... Oh wait thats not funny.
Whats funny is that everytime you show a chicken recipe I think "Its so weird she doesnt like whole chicken breasts". But I imagine you are ok with that, being a self proclaimed weirdo and all.
Have a nice Tuesday!
~Kate
Kim
Tired of building the chicken coop...tired of shoveling chicken poop...chicken salad recipe...coincidence?
Susan Perry
Dear Karen,
Though you are truely the queen of DIY, and you surely CAN finish the coop, perhaps you should consider paying/bartering with someone else to finish the project. What price your funny,your mojo,your joie de vivre?? No money you say? What could you be doing to create $$ if you weren't tied to the coop? Just sayin', from experience.
Meg
Oh my god, I just drooled on my desk-- that looks delicious!
Also, no funny has been lost. You're still way funnier than I am, though how funny I am remains to be seen. Popular opinion dictates at minimum amusing, so clearly you are funny :)
Deb
You could never loose your funny!!! That's the main reason I like to land here!!! You make me smile!! ;-)
Micol
Dear karen,
You Are always fun.
Now, please hire someone to help you, or just stop yelling at that handsmone bf and let him help you. Oh, please, I don't want to be' misunderstood. You are still in charge and lead all the process. Just let someone else do the heavy duties ;-)
Chicks coop will end sono and you will remember it's construction with a smile.
Big hugs girl, we (me and your public) love you!
Micol
Karen
Micol - No. LOL. It's almost done. I'm in the home stretch now so all should be good soon! Thank you though! ~ karen.
Julie
Ahhh....you haven't lost your funny....you sure made me smile. Good luck with that coop.