Thursday, December 29, 2011

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Like I said in yesterday's post, this is a compilation of a few recipes. This amount feeds my family of 5 plus leftovers for hubby to take to work a couple days. I'll post the long way and the changes for the quick and dirty way.
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Long Way
2 chicken breasts
1 small onion
5-6 potatoes - cubed
2 cups of carrots - sliced
2 cups of chicken broth/stock
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp garlic salt
1 cup of milk mixed with 1tbs of flour
8 oz cream cheese
1 pkg of Reamed frozen egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken breasts in just enough water to cover them until thoroughly cooked. Turn heat down to medium and pull out chicken to cool. Add veggies, garlic, salt, pepper, chicken stock and some water (I usually add about 2 cups). Cook until veggies tender. While waiting, cool and shred chicken. When veggies are ready add chicken back to pot. Add noodles. Wait until its boiling again and then add the flour + milk mixture. Watch the pot and stir or it will boil over. Lastly add the cream cheese in large dollops and allow to melt. Don't try to stir it in or it will separate and look nasty. Once it's all melted, stir, add water if necessary and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes before serving.

The quick and dirty method speeds up the time because there is no waiting to cook the veggies. You just add a can of diced potatoes and a can of sliced carrots. Then, you can quickly add everything else and serve.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Easiest Homemade Bread Ever!

I discovered peasant bread. Whip this up with homemade garlic butter and…oh my goodness is it yummilicious!!

Our Christmas Eve dinner was homemade creamy chicken noodle soup, this bread, and homemade peach pie. So good!! I'll post my creamy chicken noodle soup recipe tomorrow. It's a hybrid of various chicken soup recipes I've found. I served my mother in law on Christmas day the leftovers and she loved it too!

Peasant Bread
What's good about this is it takes about 1 hr from mixing to baking. And there's no kneading.

1 pkg of yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of hot water
4-5 cups of flour
Melted butter
Cornmeal

Mix yeast, water, salt, and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Add flour a couple cups at a time. Cover with towel for 20-30 minutes (or longer if you have time). Then dust your hands with flour and throw a little on the bread and cut it into two round loaves. Dip bottoms of loaves in cornmeal (or flour if you're out of cornmeal). Then place on cookie sheet and brush with butter. Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Then turn oven to 375 and bake for 15-20 more minutes. Let it cool just a bit before cutting. Yum!!

As for the homemade garlic butter, I just throw ingredients together. I soften a stick if butter then add a spoonful of minced garlic, a smaller spoonful of parmesan cheese, a few shakes Italian seasoning, about 1/2 tsp of garlic salt and mix well. Then I use my Pampered Chef cookie dough/ ice cream scooper and make little balls of garlic butter and chill them in the fridge for a bit before dinner.



Sunday, December 11, 2011

I'm graduating on Friday!!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. There's probably 1.5 people still reading by now.

I've been finishing up my school work and assisting my husband in his school assignments for the last month or so. And I've started a little resale biz on eBay with my love of thrift stores.

And!! My mom has a friend on a quilt guild who is opening an upscale crafty place and my mom and I are going to share a spot. I can't wait!!

As for the title of my post…I'm walking the stage for my bachelor's degree on Friday morning. I'm getting nervous. I'm one of those people who are prone to falling on their face in public, especially while wearing heels. Wish me luck!!