Home Made Chicken Noodle Noodle Soup

 

My Kids call this Chicken Noodle Noodle Soup because I put extra noodles into it :) Duh! 

 I start with a whole chicken. I trim the extra stuff, neck, tail, access skin, I pull out any thing inside and throw it away. I also rinse it. Then put it in a large stockpot.

 Add water to cover the chicken

I added unpeeled carrots from my garden, a whole onion, the tops including the greens of a bunch of celery, a whole head of garlic (cut crosswise) thyme, parsley and rosemary. Also a tablespoon of peppercorns and some salt. 

Add to the pot and make sure that all is covered with water.

Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 4 hours

 The water will reduce down, if at that point the chicken isn't coming off the bone yet, add a little more water and return to a simmer.

 When the chicken is coming off the bone, turn of the heat and get another stockpot ready. I like to use my handy strainer to separate the stock from the pot. 

 Carefully pour your stock from one point to the other. You don't want to waste any stock after all that hard work :) Actually it isn't very hard :)

 Let the chicken and veggies cool a bit.

 I like to spread everything out on a foil lined cookie sheet. This helps it cool more quickly. If you have time you can also put your uncovered stock pot into a fridge to cool.

 Once cool enough I go through the pile, taking the good chicken, there is a lot, removing the bones, skin and stems and waste.

 Usually I keep all the chicken meat and a lot of the onion, even though they are mushy. This way I get the flavor and no chunks. My kids appreciate this :) I keep some of the carrots and celery but I cut of the ends of the carrots and just keep the bigger pieces of celery

 As you can see there is fat on the top of the stock. Cooling the stock in the fridge will help to more easily skim off the fat. I did not have the time, so I just did my best :)

I peel and cut more carrots and chop some fresh parsley, maybe 1/4 cup or so.

 I cut more celery as well

 I love these noodles. I call them matchsticks. I did the whole package, explains the Chicken Noodle Noodle :)

 I take the pot of stock with nothing else in it and cook the noodles. When they are done I pour the stock through the strainer again into the pot with the chicken and veggies in it, catching the noodles for later.

 Bring the soup and stock back to a boil, just to cook the carrots and celery.

 I added the noodles back to the pot, I didn't really mean to. I meant to add them separately to each bowl because if you do add it to the pot, you will end up soaking up all the liquid. If you do add them to the pot and are not eating right away, you may end up having to add, dare I say CANNED or BOXED broth or stock :) No worries it will still taste great.

 This really is easy and SO yummy and you can be proud because it's HOME MADE! I will say that you are going to have to salt and pepper to taste. Don't throw a bunch in at once. Start with a little and slowly add until it tastes good to you, or you can even just salt and pepper your own to taste. 

ENJOY!ENJOY! The Chicken Noodle Noodle :)

Chop Chop Salad (An Azuls Knockoff)

We had a girls night this weekend. Well a girls night with 5 moms and 11 kids YIKES! It was CRAZY! But it was also very FUN!

For dinner Amy made a delicious baked pasta with Rotini, ground turkey, a marinara, mozzarella, and grated zucchini. Kelsey made Cheese bread which was heavenly. Mollie made her knocked off version of Azul's Chop Chop and it was SO good! Here's what she did.

Chop your lettuce nice and small. Mollie got this really cool chopper at Target. It is a Genius Salad Chopper I didn't see it on the Target website, but they did have it on QVC.com I think I need one :) check it out at this link
Genius Salad Chopper on QVC

Dice your Avocado

Dice Tomatoes and cucumbers

 Crumble Cotija Cheese (if you can't find it ask your local supermarket they almost always carry it.)

 I bought bacon crumbles from the salad dressing section, the peppered kind was delicious!

 Throw it all together in a big bowl.

 Mix Italian dressing with Ranch dressing.

 This is the kinds Mollie used but I think you could really use any brand.

 ENJOY!

 

This is PART of the group. It was a full house! Everyone was happy and fed and full though! 

 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are So easy a 2 year old can do them:)




You need:

1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg
1/2 c. vegetable oil
6 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. mashed ripe banana
3/4 c. milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


I spray my muffin pans with a cooking spray and then put papers in. This way if they do overflow the tops don't stick.


In one bowl combine the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. I just use a whisk to combine it all.



In a second bowl combine the yogurt, egg, vanilla, and oil.


Mix together well.


Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until moist. It is kind of weird how thick it is.


I let Maddie mash the bananas in a plastic bag. I think 3 bananas mashed equaled 1 cup.


Add the cup of mashed banana and the chocolate chips. Combine but do not over stir or you'll get muffins that are hard as a rock.






"chocolate chip for me....chocolate chips for muffins...chocolate chips for me!"



"Num Num Mama"











Spoon the batter into your muffin pan.


Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden and a toothpick tester comes out clean.


Maddie wanted a snack while the muffins baked. "Um excuse me Maddie, what are you doing?"


"I snack Mama" :) Martini Olives anyone? :)


Delicious!


I made 1 dozen before school got out and then 1 dozen after school. Half were gone immediately. I made them for this weekend, I hope they last that long.









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My baby sis is 18!

 

This weekend we hosted the 18th birthday for my baby sister Kelsey and her boyfriend Trev. Yes I have an 18 year old sister. I was 14 when she was born. Almost 15! She was our family's "little surprise' let's say :) She was born on the first day of my Freshmen year of high school.  I cam home that day to my Nana sitting on the front porch waiting for me so she could tell me my mom was at the hospital...talking to my mom on the phone while she was in labor...yes she was talking on the phone, it was her first time ever having an epideral and she was loving it :)...And then hearing the news that we had a healthy new baby sister...Are all memories I will never forget.

Kelsey is one of the most special people in my life. She is my baby sis, my friend, a great Auntie Kel to my children and almost like a daughter some times. Being as we are spread apart by so many years and bridged by 2 sisters in between us, you might think that we weren't as close. BUT WE ARE! She has been a important presence in not only our family but in this my now own immediate family. She could have acted displaced by my children. But she never has. She was only 8 when Keegan was born. Sometimes they fight like brother and sister, but I am actually happy that I had my kids so young, it gave her the siblings she never knew she needed or wanted :)We treat her as part of our family and her favorite thing to do is call me Mom in public, just to piss me off :) She is an enormous help to me and a joyful piece of our crazy puzzle.

Kelsbadels, I hope that you know how incredibly amazing you are. You're beauty is only surpassed by your charm, kindness and SENSE OF HUMOR!!! You have such a true heart and I know that you will do incredible things in your life. I can not believe that 18 years have passed since you were brought into our lives, our home and our hearts. I can't wait to see what you do with the next 18! You bring happiness and fun into my life every day and I am so proud to be your big sister, well older sister, well BSFL :) I love you!

Mustard and Brown Sugar Salmon

I feel SO organized right now,  I made good dinner.

Salmon with a mustard and brown sugar mixture on it. It's super easy all you need is

- Salmon ( I used a piece if Wild King and a piece of Wild Silver salmon.

-Mustard (preferably Dijon or my favorite a Stone Ground- but you can really use any kind-probably Not regular yellow mustard

though) 4 good size spoonfuls, mix with

-Brown Sugar about 3/4 cup

I just mixed those ingredients into a bowl.

Poured it on the salmon

Then I baked it at 350 degrees until done. Maybe about 35 minutes? Maybe more? When you can flake it with a fork.

My kids and Joe ate theirs with white rice and blanched green beans that I tossed in butter. I had mine with green beans and wild rice. It was such a yummy light dinner.

ENJOY:) 

I am seriously starting to feel more relaxed. My laundry is under control- for now :) and my house could use a floor to ceiling deep clean, but for now it's picked up and surface clean. At least good enough for now :) Joe saved my sanity by picking up Keegan from soccer tonight so I was able to run to Target and grab some organizing stuff. A cube shelf for the laundry room, a key hook rack thing and a couple lamps. Um look how cute this is...

 

Guess how much! $13.98 on clearance for the base AND shade! I have found SO many awesome lamps on clearance, over the years at Target. I'll take pictures of my shelf after I paint the baskets. I am on the organization train now! WooHoo I'm over crazy! Again-for now :)

My Target bliss was spoiled only by Maddie throwing a full on tantrum at the register because she wanted a sucker with a fan or propeller or something on it. No I did not give in. She was TICKED! I'm pretty sure I pulled something carrying her out of the store in one arm while I dragged my heavy ass cart with the other. Her blood curdling screams could be heard throughout the parking lot. As I pushed the cart across to the cart corral. A man in a convertible said "Hang in there Mama" :) I appreciated it. I made it home...with Maddie :) All in all Success!