The Soup That Saved Christmas

I first tasted this soup on Thanksgiving Eve down at my parents' house after a very stressful day. It was so soothing and satisfying (as are most things made with a mother's love)! I made this soup over Christmas break just before the sickness settled in on our family, and it lasted us through the weekend.

Some recipe hints for novices like me:

Slow-cook boneless-skinless chicken breast in the oven on 250 degrees in a foil-covered casserole dish for a few hours instead of boiling a broiler/fryer. Then add a couple of bouillon cubes to the recipe (to make up for the lack of broth).

Also, roll out the noodle dough as thin as you possibly can. Mine were a bit thick, but they were still so good. It will take some work to mix all of the flour in, but it is so worth it! And really, just use half of the homemade noodles as the recipe suggests.

Thick Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

(from Denise's Recipe Stash)

1 broiler/fryer, about 3 1/2 lbs.

2 quarts water

2 tsp. salt

3 large carrots, sliced

2 large celery stalks, sliced

1 onion, chopped

3/4 c. flour

1 can evaporated milk

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. sage

1 tsp. celery salt

1 Tbs. parsley

3/4 c. butter

In large stockpot combine chicken with 2 quarts water and 2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Cook until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. While cooking, make noodles. (See recipe below.)

Combine flour and milk for thickening. Set aside.

Remove chicken from liquid and cool. Set aside.

Add prepared vegetables and seasonings to the hot liquid. Cook about 12 minutes. Drop in homemade noodles (use only 1/2 of recipe below) or purchased; cook 8-10 minutes.

Add butter to hot soup. Reduce heat. Add flour mixture and bring to slow boil, stirring constantly until thick. Add chicken and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Homemade Noodles

3 egg yolks

1 egg

Beat well. Add:

3 Tbs. cold water

1 tsp. salt

2 c. flour

Mix together well. You will need to use your hands. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion out very thin on floured surface. Let stand for 1 hour to dry. Cut into whatever size you prefer. Use immediately or freeze. Can be frozen for 1 month before using.

Enjoy!

Hoot Owl Sugar Cookies

You've just gotta make these. The Cub Scouts at church last night each got to have two a piece - those little luckies! (I would've sent less with Dallas if I had known there were so many extras!)

World's Best Sugar Cookies

("World's Best because the dough is not dense. It has perfect flavor and just the right texture. If you want to roll it, it needs to be chilled for an hour first. If you're making regular drop cookies, just know that these really spread! And cook for 8 minutes to get the best texture.)

2 and 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. butter, softened (yes, that's two cubes)

1 and 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar with other wet ingredients. Add the dry ones. Drop on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. Frost. Enjoy!

(Don't eat three in one evening. You'll have crazy dreams about going to the lake full of pinto beans with your dad and your boat capsizing in shallow water, and then jumping back in to set sail to the Ukraine. Kind of disturbing.)

Don't Worry; We've Got 'Cha Covered

It's 9:07 a.m., and dinner is served!! Choobs and I are on a roll!

Just get out your Crock Pot, preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and follow these recipes:

Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe here. Just put in 4-5 frozen chicken breasts. No advance work necessary.

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread here. (In this picture it's still cooking. It will raise beautifully and melt in your mouth! Don't forget your butter and honey . . .)

After you've put everything in the Crockpot and put the cornbread in the oven, wash and chop some romaine, and place it in the fridge over a paper towel or two. Now all you have to do before serving is chop some fresh bell peppers and tomatoes, toss in some feta or grated parmesan, add some olives, sunflower seeds, fresh broccoli, and Italian dressing, and you've got dinner! Oh, and you'll need strawberries and red grapes on the side.

Thank you, Georgia, for the summertime weather. I am loving this!

The Secret's in the Sauce

This recipe is a concoction in and of itself, derived from other favorite recipes and combined into one.  (And lets not forget my two secret ingredients: a dash of cayenne and a pinch of nutmeg.  There.  I revealed the secret!)  

For a big batch . . .

Saute on med/hi heat for 8 min the following:

3 Tbs. butter

4-6 oz. shaved deli honey ham, minced (weird, I know, but this is my recipe, and I don't want pancetta or bacon in it.  Plus, IT IS GOOOOD.)

1 onion, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

1 carrot, peeled and minced

dash of cayenne pepper

1/2-1 tsp. salt

pinch of nutmeg

Add, and saute for one minute:

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. tomato paste (Don't you hate to open a can and not use the whole thing?  Whatever is left over, I just plop little tablespoon-fulls onto a sheet of wax paper, freeze, and then store in a freezer baggy in the freezer.)

Deglaze for about a minute with:

1/4-1/2 c. beef broth

Add, and simmer for hours and hours and hours (at least a 1/2 hour):

2 large cans of crushed tomatoes (or, if I'm trying to please picky tomato eaters, I puree the tomatoes in a blender before adding)

Basil, to taste

Just before serving, add:

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/4-1/2 c. grated parmesan

I have served this over thin spaghetti, farfalle, and penne.  Make sure you get Barilla- it's the best!!  Then make loud "MMMmm" sounds while you eat every bite!  Steamed broccoli on the side is a favorite, too.

Green Drink

Howzabouta recipe?

I have tinkered enough with this one that I think I can call it "my own."  The only ingredient you CANNOT mess around with is the La Creme Yogurt.  (I mean, how could you take it out, anyway??  It is bliss.)

Green Drink

(Enough to feed two adults, two children, and one little sprout):

4 cups frozen fruit (I use that 7-Blend from Costco with the peaches and melon, etc.)

Enough Tropicana OJ to fill to the 4-cup line on the blender, usually about 2 cups

1 pkg. La Creme VANILLA Yogurt

1 banana, fresh or frozen

5 leaves kale

Enough spinach to stuff the rest of the blender full of antioxidants and folic acid (about 2 cups)

BLEND!

This drink makes me happy, and Dallas and the girls love it.  Raleigh always asks for "an adult size."  Madeline wasn't too keen on the idea until I gave her the choice: "Do you want a green drink in the morning or a spinach salad at dinnertime?"  GREEN DRINK!

I have also been told that adding cranberries (about 10) tastes great, too.  I think I'll wait until the holidays to find them.  (Just another superfood to make you feel good about yourself!)

Note: Marlo, my friend who introduced me to this, says that when she told her pediatrician about feeding her son this drink each day (and her recipe is a bit different, but with a lot of the same ingredients), the doctor stopped prescribing multivitamins for him.

Onions . . . mmm!

I guess I should apologize right now to Dallas, my neighbors, anyone on the street who has to be near my BREATH right now because I am just loving ONIONS lately.  MM mm, yeah.  I made this fresh guacamole (which included minced ONIONS) the other day to put on top of our chicken tacos w/ corn tortillas, and it is (WAS) basically to-die-for.  I sauteed some red & yellow peppers with ONION to add to the mix, and it was so yummy.  Can I just say that I LOVE ONIONS right now???

Here's a recipe for fresh guac that will make your family love you and you will love yourself for making it.  (Thanks, Amy, for the basic recipe.  The proportions are my own):

Fresh Guacamole

3 ripe, pitted avocados, mashed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8-1/4 cup white or yellow onion, finely chopped

Heaping handful of chopped fresh cilantro

One fresh garden tomato, deseeded and finely chopped

Juice of 1/2 lime

Lots of yummy kosher salt

Next, you've gotta try this recipe (thank you, Rebecca) for chicken tacos from Allrecipes.com.  It is DREAMY.  We love to use corn tortillas as-of-late, and Rebecca's advice for tortilla-prep has revolutionized our dinners!  Here's what she does:

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, and place six tortillas on the pan in a single layer.  (This is where I would jump in and add a sprinkling of kosher salt on each tortilla.)  Then broil in the oven on each side for about five minutes until crisp and bubbly.  Enjoy!

Also, be sure to serve with sauteed peppers & ONIONS, shredded monterey jack, fresh garden tomatoes, and shredded lettuce!

Thank you, and pardon my breath.