Better than your moms Chicken Noodle Soup!

Ahh, really what is better than a warming bowl of chicken noodle soup. It warms you from the inside out and delights every bit of you! Served when your sick, on a nice fall day as the leaves turn or today when this snow hasn't stopped falling since the night before!

I love chicken noodle soup. It is budget friendly, healthy and so delicious! ok, ok here is my recipe!

Chicken Noodle Soup

prep- 2.5 hours includes making stock
cook- 25 minutes
serves- A lot!

Stock w/ chicken (recipe below!)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Carrots, sliced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
Chicken broth, optional
Egg noodles or any other fun pasta shape you have in your pantry
Dried basil
2 bays leaves


Stock:
Carcass of your roasted chicken
Vegetable peels - carrots, onions, garlic (I keep a bag in the freezer full of peels from previous meals- makes making stock easy!)

Place your carcass and all the pan drippings in your stock pot. Add vegetable peels to this and a bay leaf. I would also add about 1/2-1 tablespoon of salt.
Cover with water and bring to a boil. I let this simmer for a few hours on my stove. I love how it makes the entire house smell yummy! You can cook over medium-high for about 45 minutes to an hour if you don't have time. But for this I would recommend making the time. So good.

After a few hours you should have this dark broth in your pot. Ok get out a very large bowl and your strainer. Strain you broth, throwing out the vegetables but NOT the carcass, just yet!
Cooking it slow and low see how the meat is falling off the bones. I am not one to like dark meat, picking bones etc but for this soup I would do it anytime!
I pick through the carcass getting all of the meat off of the bones and adding it directly back into my broth. I normally can get a good amount of chicken from the carcass.

Ok leave that in your bowl.
Put your stock pot back on your stove, I don't even rinse it.
Add about 2 tbs olive oil to your pot and turn heat on medium. When that is hot go ahead and add your onion. Saute for a few minutes then add your garlic. Add a heaping teaspoon of salt to this now and listen to it sizzle!
Next add your carrots and celery cooking for about 5 to 8 minutes.
Once everything looks nice and sauteed, onions are translucent go ahead an add your broth with the chicken. Add your bay leaves.
Now, you can leave this as is and save for another day or keep it cooking for dinner that night!
If you are planning on eating go ahead and bring to a boil- taste it, see if it needs more salt. Sometimes if the broth doesn't taste "chickeny" enough I will add a cup or two of chicken broth.
Once it is boiling go ahead and add your pasta- about half a bag.
Once your pasta is done EAT IT!

Serve in nice big bowls making sure to get all the veggies, chicken and noodles!

Basic Roast Chicken for my Valentines!

Ahh, Valentines Day! A day for lovers, friends and family! We don't really "celebrate" it but I do use it as an excuse to make an extra special dinner AND a reason to ask for my one treat that I LOVE! Lake Champlain Chocolates! Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels! WOW! These make me happy. I savor every one. Goodness these are good!



One thing I love to cook is a basic roasted chicken. After talking to many mamas about roasting a chicken and how simple it is, I found out that many don't know how to do it! I can get 2 meals out of a roasted chicken which makes it even better!

So for Valentines Day, I am making an Herb Roasted Chicken, Roasted Vegetables and a Chocolate Coconut Pudding!

Here is one of my valentines, my boy Camden. He keeps me on my toes! He likes to talk, draw and is an excellent big brother!


He likes my chicken too, so that's a good thing!

Basic Roast Chicken


prep- 15 minutes
cook- 1.5 hours
serves- easily a family of four

1 Roaster or Fryer Chicken, 3-4 lbs
Salt and Pepper
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
Olive Oil
2 tablespoons butter, optional
Dried Herbs, I like thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary is yummy too!
1 Apple or Lemon, Optional

Pull out any parts that are on the inside, I toss them others may use them for stock etc. Rinse you chicken good under cold water. Pat dry and put in your pan, breast side up. I use a glass dish, nothing fancy.
If using an apple or lemon go ahead and stick it right in the birds rear end. Yep, stick it right in the booty of the bird! This will help keep your bird moist and tender and give it a nice little flavor. No need to cut it or anything just stick it right in.
Take a knife and cut 2 slits in each of the breast and stuff your garlic in there.
If using butter go ahead now and rub it all over your bird.
Take olive oil now and drizzle it on top of your chicken. This will help your herbs stick and produce a nice crispy skin on your chicken.
Salt, salt, salt! So good Salt and pepper your chicken really good. Again I use the Celtic Sea Salt! yum!
Sprinkle your herbs on really good. I just shake each one all over my bird, on at a time until the top of my bird looks nice and covered. Probably about 1 teaspoon of each.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Yep, no need to preheat your oven. I have actually heard that it doesn't matter to preheat unless you are baking. So wait to turn it on until you are ready to use it!

Stick your bird in the oven. Bake it for about 1 -1 1/2 hours. It will bake for about 20 minutes per pound. I normally watch for my legs to start to pull apart from the body and clear juice to run out if I pierce it! Let it rest for about 15 minutes before cutting it!

AND don't throw that carcass away- tomorrow Chicken Noodle Soup!




Here are my other Valentines! Jimmy and Rosalee Sage!