SG's Homemade chicken noodle & veggie soup

This isn't really a "recipe" of sorts. Its one of those "little bit of this - little bit of that" kind of recipes. 

But, I will try to guide you along as best as I can.

Ingredients:

• Whole fryer chicken (fresh or thawed)
• Knorr Caldo Con Sabor de Pollo (Knorr brand chicken flavor bouillon) (to taste.. I start off with about 4 tablespoons than gradually add more as needed until desired flavor/level of salty-ness.  

I swear by the Knorr brand as I have tried many others and it just wasn't the same. I use this any time I need a chicken base or bouillon and it makes a nice warm cup of chicken broth to sip when you are under the weather also!  It is available on your ethnic (hispanic-asian) isle of your local grocery store. 

• Garlic Powder (to taste)
• Black Pepper (to taste)
• Noodles of some kind 

I prefer Fideo style noodles as they are teeny weeny little noodles that literally only take 5 minutes to cook. 

• 2 regular size cream of chicken or cream of celery soup 
• Carrots chopped finely
• Celery chopped finley
• Water

(My Sweet little mother-in-law helping in the kitchen chopping carrots.. mother in law yielding a knife.. this could get scary.. LOL just kidding!) 

You will need a large stock pot to boil your chicken in. Place your chicken in the stock pot and fill with water to just cover the chicken. For a 4-5 pound chicken it will take about 1 hour at a rolling boil to completely cook. After chicken is finished boiling remove from heat and carefully remove chicken from stock pot using meat forks. Save the broth that you cooked the chicken in.. strain out the undesirables (bones, skin etc) and place back into stock pot along with your cream soups, celery, carrots 

I would've posted pictures of the chicken being "plucked" but, its really not a pretty picture.. poor little birdy. 

After chicken has been cleaned from the bones, skin & fat removed shred or chop your chicken meat and place into stock pot along with soups & veggies and allow to cook until veggies are tender but not over-done. At this time you will add your noodles and allow to boil uncovered, remember if using Fideo noodles in particular you only need to cook them 5 minutes or sometimes less. Thicker noodles will of course need to be cooked longer so please read instructions on the noodle packaging for cooking times. 

This will make a ton of soup so take advantage of that and start stockpiling your freezer or take some to your neighbor!


Like Paula Deen says.. this will make your tongue slap your brains out! 

English Muffin Bread

This is now the second time I have made this recipe. The first time I used 6 cups of self-rising flour in the place of the all-purp + baking soda. The first time they turned out pretty good but, didn't rise very well. This second batch was much better. 

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 packages active dry yeast
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Cornmeal (not cornbread mix)

Crisco/Shortening
Directions:

• Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans with Shortening. (I have always preferred using glass baking dishes so these were baked in glass loaf pans). Lightly sprinkle pans with cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.

• In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour. Keep in mind that dough will be very sticky and that is how it is supposed to be. 

• Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes).

• Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks. Slice, toast and top with butter, cream cheese, honey or whatever you like.
  
  I like to keep mine wrapped in tinfoil in the refrigerator as it will keep longer. 

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