Chicken Noodle Soup

Josh has been asking me to make him a homemade chicken noodle soup for quite some time now, and I finally did it. I'm not the biggest fan of chicken noodle soup - It is not my first choice when it comes to soup selections - but he has been asking for a long time, and I finally decided to dive into the challenge. Most chicken noodle soups are broth-y and mild in flavor... Josh asked for a thick, creamy chicken noodle soup. So lets get started.

I decided that if I am going to make chicken noodle soup, I should make the broth from scratch. So, I found a recipe for both the broth and soup... and then tweaked the soup recipe a bit. The recipe called for a 3 1/2 lb chicken. However, I bought a 7 lb chicken and decided to double the broth recipe. The 7 lb chicken + vegetables, didn't fit in one pot, so I cut the chicken in half. After running the knife through the vegetables a couple times, divided & tossed them into the two pots.

In each pot, I added fresh thyme & basil leaves and a teaspoon of black peppercorns. I placed both pots on the stove over medium-high heat and added cold water to each. I slowly brought the pots to a boil, then lowered the heat with them slightly covered for an hour and half. 

Meanwhile, I chopped the vegetables that would be going in to the chicken noodle soup: onions, carrots, celery, minced garlic & a chopped jalapeño {an addition I added to give it heat, which I know Josh likes} Then put the vegetables in a bowl along with fresh thyme and bay leaf.

Then I chilled the wine. I decided on a Sauvignon Blanc & this bottle caught my eye... Gato Negro. I thought it was perfect choice for an October evening with a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup.

I had plenty of time to spare, so I called my Mom and we yapped for a little while. It was nice catching up, while the pots on the stove gave off a wonderful smell that warmed the house.



When the chicken was done cooking, I took it out of the broth and placed it on a cutting board. The chicken was falling off the bones - oh! so very tender! Then I strained the broth from the vegetable solids. The broth turned out really good.

I did the same for the second pot, only after I strained the broth, I placed the bowl of broth into the sink, which I had filled with cold water, and whisked the broth to cool it. Then I transferred the cooled broth to containers and popped them in the fridge.

On to the soup! My vegetables are already chopped and ready to go. So, I drizzled olive oil in a soup pot and tossed in the vegetables and let them cook for about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, I took some of the vegetables that were used in the broth and blended them with half of the broth in a blender. Josh had requested a creamy soup, so I figured this would thicken the soup up a bit. When 6 minutes was up, I poured in the vegetable blend and the remaining broth and brought it to a boil. To finish off the soup, I added the noodles and later folded in the chicken. {I used more then the recipe called for, because Josh said he wanted a lot of chicken}

{I took a bowl of soup and bread over to my Dad}

As a side for the soup, I sliced a couple pieces of italian bread, seasoned them with italian-garlic seasoning and mozzarella cheese and tossed them in the oven to bake.

 The soup was very thick and I would almost consider it a stew. After all the time I put into this soup, I was looking forward to sitting down with a bowl. First bite... sheer disappointment...bland. When I thought back to my process, I realized I was not seasoning as I cooked. {I know better!} I didn't even finish my bowl. Josh also thought the soup was bland... but he did have two bowls and finished mine....So, it couldn't have been terrible, right?

So, now I have to decide if I will try chicken noodle soup again. I'm not a fan in general, as I've said, and Josh isn't much help in telling me what he wants in a chicken noodle soup... sigh... I'm so disappointed.

Homemade Potato Chips?

Sunday afternoon I wanted a simple lunch of Egg Salad Sandwiches & Potato Chips. Unfortunately, we didn't have any potato chips in the house. I love potato chips! Once I got the idea in my head, I had to have them with my lunch. I had two choices: Run out to the store and buy a bag, or take a whirl at making them myself.

When I make my fries, I liked to bake them rather than fry them. So, I decided to give baked potato chips a try. I have never made potato chips before, nor have I even seen a recipe on how to make them. But, I decided, I'll give it a try.

I don't own a mandolin, but luckily my Dad does. After slicing the potatoes I seasoned them with a little oil and vinegar and sea salt. Then I laid them on a cookie sheet in a single layer., and popped them in the oven.

They didn't seem to cook very evenly in the oven and the vinegar flavor didn't jump out the way I had hoped. The flavor was good, but... not the best potato chips I've had. I think I'm going to have to review some recipes for potato chips and rethink my technique. I have a feeling that once I master a potato chip recipe, I may be making them multiple times a week!

With a side of my potato chips, I made egg salad sandwiches on toasted wheat bread. With the soft texture of the egg, I always toast the bread for the crunchy contrast.

* Bananas vs Book *

I'm sitting here with a book that I need to finish before book club tonight but I'm preoccupied by these bananas on my counter that are going "bad". I need to read the rest of this book; I have had plenty of time to finish it, so arriving without having read it, is not an option.

But I can't stop obsessing about these bananas. They having been calling out to me ~ antagonizing me. "We'll be bad by tomorrow and you'll have to throw us out! Ha! Ha! Ha.!"  Evil Bananas.

Look at these jerks! 
It's like I have a family of giraffes in my kitchen! And they need to go!

I need to re-create these "bad" bananas into something good, because they are driving me crazy and throwing them out would clearly be a defeat.

So here I am, with banana-walnut-chocolate chip bread in the oven... 

and NOW I can finish this book.

Who knew bananas could be so distracting?

*~* Update *~*

Perfect Saturday.... 

Wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea and banana-walnut-chocolate chip bread.

The banana bread turned out so good!! So flavorful!

Light & Airy but also dense - 

it's a baked masterpiece. 

Take a look!

Home From Vacation

...& Nothing in the Fridge

Last night I opened the fridge to find... a red pepper. 

Really? I have nothing else? I really need to go grocery shopping...

But, it's dinner time and I don't feel like running out to the grocery store or ordering take-out. In the freezer I found two small chicken breasts and a package of frozen (obviously) spinach and in the cupboard a box of spiral pasta & chicken broth. Looks like I found dinner. :) Whole Wheat Spiral Pasta tossed in a Light Demi Glaze Sauce with Chicken & Chopped Spinach & Topped with Diced Roasted Red Peppers. Pretty fancy for a dinner created via scavenger hunt, huh?

While I was walking into the kitchen to prepare the meal, Josh asked me if I would make him another Gin & Tonic. But first, I grabbed the spinach to thaw it out. At that moment, Josh walked into the kitchen and said, "Unless you're putting spinach in my drink, I'm not quite sure what it's doing in your hand." I could not stop laughing! He seems to get a little goofy when I'm cooking. I like to think it is because he is so excited about what I'm cooking, that he gets a little giddy.

He kept me company while I cooked & when I mentioned that I was only using half of the box of pasta {there are only two of us, making the whole box is not necessary}, he couldn't understand why. So, he decided to count the noodles. {Pause for reaction.} I'm still not sure why... Maybe to make sure that I used exactly half and not a noodle less? He gave up on his project in the end. But it was entertaining while it lasted.

I roasted & chopped the red pepper ~ thawed & chopped the spinach ~ thawed & cut the chicken into bite size pieces. After I had everything prepped, I cooked the chicken and boiled the pasta. Then I reduced chicken broth with lemon juice. Then tossed in the spinach, pasta & chicken... and why not a pad of butter! To finish it off I topped the pasta with the roasted red pepper.

While I was plating the pasta 

and taking a couple pictures, 

I turned around and... 

he's eating out of the pan.

Apparently, I was taking too long.

Josh's Review, "This is really good. I would eat this again."

Success!

{taking a bow}

There was enough left over for Josh to take to work for lunch, so he put it in a container and popped it in the fridge. ... However, a few hours later, he took it out of the fridge and ate it before going to bed.

M: "Don't you want to save that for your lunch tomorrow?" 


J: "Nope."

She Had A Baby. I Cooked.

We just got back from visiting our friends Ash & Adam in Colorado. Bonus: We were lucky enough to visit with their beautiful son, Harrison; born September 22nd. Their little bundle of joy was a little late on his estimated arrival date, so Ash & Adam didn't get a lot of time just the three of them, because visitors were charging through their doors to get cuddle-time with their sweet gingersnap. Since we were among that group, and we were invading their space and snuggling their sweet baby boy all day... I felt the least I could do was cook for them. I still don't feel like I cooked enough...maybe because I was too busy hanging out with Harrison.

14 October 2011: Dinner by Adam & Margaret

Ashley had seen a hamburger with a fried egg on a english muffin on a show and had her heart set on trying it. So that is what we made her. What the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets. With the burgers, I decided to make my garlic fries.

We all know that grilling is a man's job (according to Josh), so Adam - with Josh's company - grilled the beef patties and english muffins, while I fixed the fries inside and Ashley tended to the baby.

Party Of Four

When dinner was all set, Harrison decided that it was not Ashley's time to eat. So, while the three of us ate the delicious, juicy burgers and garlic-y fries, Ash's plate sat there getting cold. It reminded of a line from the movie A Christmas Story "My Mother had not had a hot meal for herself in 15 years." I knew Ash was looking forward to digging into the burger she had talked so excitedly about... damn kids - I guess that's what motherhood is all about.



15 October 2011: "Late" Night Dinner After The Bar

After spending some time at the bar, celebrating Mandy's new job, we came back to the house for more drinks and a little something to eat. Josh first suggested me making chicken breasts, asparagus and mashed potatoes... but I re-thought that idea and, instead came up with Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Quesadillas.

Holy Delicious! Crunchy, Savory, Sweet, Creamy!

Great "Late" night choice. :)

After we ate, we all got a good night's sleep. Well... I'm not sure about Ash & Adam - you know, because they have a baby now - But I'm pretty sure Josh did.

16 October 2011: HaPpY BiRtHdAy! Breakfast
The next morning I cut up fresh fruit - Watermelon, Pineapple & Strawberries - cooked the bacon, decided on what to make for breakfast and got the fixings ready for Birthday Mimosas! Now, all I had to do was wait for everyone to wake up...

Ashley got a hefty stack of pancakes, bacon and fresh fruit. {which I didn't get a picture of} But I'm pretty sure she enjoyed her birthday breakfast from all the "this is so good" noises coming from her.

For the rest of us, I made Omelets with Asparagus, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese. They were so good. Asparagus has never been my number one choice of vegetables, but when you put eggs and asparagus together... Perfect combination.

17 October 2011: Goodbye Breakfast
For Ashley's birthday, Adam made a taco bar that left us all very full! The next morning, however, Josh and I woke up "starving".

I fiddled around in the kitchen for a little bit, trying to decide what to cook. Since the omelets seemed to go over well yesterday, I decided to make something similar: A Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato & Goat Cheese. "When will it be ready" So, I threw together eggs, milk, s&p, a chopped tomato, cooked & chopped asparagus and a shredded potato. After cooking it on the stove for a bit, I tossed it in the oven "How much longer?" and when it was almost done, topped it with crumbled goat cheese.  "Is it ready yet" I sliced the frittata into four triangles and breakfast was served! When I first brought Ash her plate, she said, "Wow, this is a lot" No worries if you don't finish it. Fast forward a little bit.... Ash, "Is there more?" Unfortunately, there wasn't. Sorry Ash.

I loved the flavors of the frittata. The soft texture with the crunch of the asparagus complimented each other very well. And the goat cheese... Oh! the goat cheese... creamy perfection.

Thanks for letting us visit {and cook for you} Ash & Adam. We had a great time! Give kisses to Harrison from us!

Give Me The Simple Life

We just celebrated our two year wedding anniversary last Monday night. 

Josh opened a bottle of wine & I cooked a simple dinner for two. 

On the menu: chicken breast with a stock, wine & lemon reduction, garlic broccoli and italian-garlic pastry sticks. Simple & Delicious.



I loved the garlic pastry sticks I had made with the Spinach & Broccoli Pizza, so I decided to make them again. Only this time, I added italian seasoning. I think I could eat these pastry sticks with every meal. To make them even more appealing, they are so easy to make! Josh really liked both versions, but preferred the italian-garlic.

While Julia Childs taught me the best way to cook spinach, she has nothing in her cookbooks about broccoli.

I decided to try a different way of cooking broccoli - not just blanching the broccoli and seasoning with salt and pepper.



I added 8 cloves of garlic to olive oil over medium heat. When the garlic lightly browned, I removed the oil from the heat and added a pinch of red pepper flakes (Josh loves heat) and kosher salt. After blanching the broccoli I tossed the broccoli with oil, garlic cloves and soy sauce. The broccoli had great flavor. Of course, being the first time I made this, I know I can make it better the second time around. The oil had heat from the red pepper flakes and garlic gave a creamy contrast to the bite of the broccoli. However, I would use less oil and maybe a little more soy sauce. All in all, this version of broccoli is a nice break from the same-old.

Not Just For Vegetarians

Last night, Josh opened a bottle of wine,

compliments of my awesome brother-in-law, Patrick.

While I sipped on my wine, I made Spinach and Broccoli Pizza and Garlic Sticks. While, I didn't have all the ingredients I wanted on hand, I made it work!

I used a store bought thin-crust dough; I would have made it from scratch, but I didn't have the time. I didn't have any pizza sauce, so I used some spaghetti sauce and mixed in a red pepper that I roasted and chopped.
I cooked both the spinach and the broccoli before adding them to the pizza. Whenever I have a restaurant pizza with spinach, the spinach leaves are left whole, which I am not a fan of. They are typically put on the pizza without being cooked first, but I prefer my way of cooking and chopping the spinach first.

I didn't have any mozzarella cheese, but I did have a small amount of Swiss and Pepper Jack. I would have put more cheese on this pizza, if I had had it on hand. Use what you have, right? After it came out of the oven, I brushed the crust with a little melted butter. 

The pizza turned out so good. I definitely think I can make it better, but hey! considering I didn't have some ingredients that I wanted, it turned out pretty damn tasty! :)

Last minute, I really wanted bread sticks, but... I really hadn't planned for it. But, I did have some puff pastry in the freezer. I cut the pastry in long slices and seasoned it with garlic salt and powder. When it was done baking, I brushed them with melted butter.

Wowza! These were so good! They were light and airy, but creamy with amazing garlic and butter flavor. I was so glad that I had decided to make them!

The Complete Meal!

Chicken Quesadilla with Roasted Red Peppers & Spinach

Last night I could not figure out what I wanted to make for dinner. A spinach and broccoli quiche? Chicken Salad wraps? I just couldn't decide. I wanted to get Josh's opinion and see if he had a preference. He took a little time to think about it and then responded with, "I could go for... a quiche or a chicken salad wrap with fries." Pause for reaction. I couldn't help but start laughing. Thanks for the help, babe!

He did request a repeat showing of garlic fries, so I knew what side to make. I ended up going a different route for the main course. I thought about the dishes that Josh likes to makes: Fajitas and Quesadillas. I landed with a new version of quesadillas. Chicken Quesadilla with Roasted Red Peppers & Spinach.

{Vegetarian? I would substitute the chicken for sliced portabello mushrooms.} You can make a variety of different quesadillas! The possibilities are endless.

I turned the broiler on to roast a red pepper. When the skin became black, I placed it in a bowl and covered it. Then I peeled off the skin and sliced it into thin strips.

I prepared the spinach the way Julia Child taught me, {the best way to cook spinach!} seasoned with s&p and coarsely chopped it.

On one side of a  tortillas shell, I layered the sliced cooked chicken, spinach, red peppers and Pepper Jack Cheese and then folded the shell over. In a skillet, I cooked each side of a the tortilla shell until crisp and the cheese had melted.


I love these quesadillas! The chicken made this healthy dish hearty, while the spinach and red peppers were light and brought a creamy texture, and the pepper jack cheese brought a heat that rounded out the flavors.

Who says healthy can't be delicious?

The Complete Meal

The Sweet & The Savory

Yesterday, I was lucky enough  to spent my morning and early afternoon with Libby and Mia at the Cider Mill. It was the perfect day - Not a cloud in the sky! I had such a nice time with them. We went a tractor ride and Mia was able to pick a couple apples. She is so adorable! 

When we got back to my house, I took the banana-chocolate chip bread out of the refrigerator and cut it into slices. 

Mia decided to taste - test it for Uncle Josh to make sure it was okay for him to eat.

It was Mia approved!

It was cooked perfectly - with a light golden brown crust around a moist, creamy inside. It is sweet and practically melts in your mouth.

This morning, after Josh left for work, I opened the fridge, and half of the loaf was gone! Maybe he is planning on sharing with some of his co-workers? Or maybe, he plans to have a chocolatey lunch all to himself! 

Either way, I'm happy to see he likes it. :)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 For dinner last night, I made Chicken Fajitas and Garlic Fries. Josh always says he likes anything that is wrapped in a tortilla shell. {When I make him breakfast before he leaves for work, he prefers when I put whatever it is in a tortilla shell.}

I love making Garlic Fries. They are finger licking good! {No condiments needed, in my opinion}

I sliced the potatoes into matchsticks and infused canola oil with chopped garlic. After heating the oil with the garlic, I separated the garlic from the oil, and tossed the fries with the oil and s&p and baked for about 30 minutes. Straight out of the oven, I tossed the fries with the reserved garlic and salt to taste. These fries are easy and the best fries I have ever had!

Heavenly! 

For the fajitas, I put the chicken and veggies: onion, red & green peppers, thinly sliced, on a platter so Josh and I could build our own. {To make it even more 'Josh themed' - A Michigan State platter, of course!} Josh loves things spicy, but I can't handle too much heat! This way, he can slather his fajitas with as much hot sauce as his heart desires. 

Josh came home from work, we chatted about our days for a bit while I prepped things for dinner. I finished up dinner while Josh put his feet up. When I brought him the platter and fries, he was pretty happy.  

I made some more cookies for dessert.

Mmmmm, they are so scrumptious! 

Comfort Food

While I was making a grocery list Sunday, I asked Josh if he had any requests and the three things that he stressed where spinach, broccoli & bananas. When we first started dating, he would have never asked me for these! It's nice to see I'm a healthy influence.

Last night I wanted to make one of his favorite dishes: Chicken Tortellini. This is a dish that originally came from my Aunt Peg, then tweaked by my Mom. I love this recipe, it is always delicious! It is the definition of comfort food to me: Cheese, Butter, Cheese-Filled Pasta, Butter...comfort, right? My Aunt Peg has been on my mind lately. She and I had such a nice talk when she was in town about a week ago. And so, last night, I made a new version of her dish. So thank you all for the inspiration. :)

Right out of the oven

Usually, this dish is all about butter and cheese; and I wasn't about to change that! It is definitely a splurge. I decided to make it a little bit more healthy by adding broccoli. So here is my version of Chicken & Broccoli Tortellini. It's not much different from my Mom's version. In a buttered dish, I layered the cooked cheese tortellini, then broccoli, mozzarella cheese, chicken, and then two bunches of chopped green onions sautéed and simmered with chicken broth and more cheese. So simple.

Dinner is served

As I poured the chicken broth mixture over the dish, Josh was standing over me, saying, "mmmm, Looks Gooooood." He seemed pretty pleased with what I was doing. So with his nod of approval, I popped it in the oven. When it came out of the oven, it smelled and looked absolutely delicious! A perfect meal for a fall evening.

While we ate dinner, I had the oven preheating for the cookies. Josh didn't know he was getting 'fresh out of the oven' cookies, so he was pretty excited.

What an easy and 

delicious way to do dessert! 

What My Baby Wants, My Baby Gets

Well, I'm back... finally! Did you miss me? :) While I was continuing to cook after my computer died, my cooking slowly died with it. With a new computer and with the new fall season upon me, I'm eager to get back in the kitchen.

This week is dedicated to my amazing husband. 
He is such a wonderful man and to show my appreciation, 
I will be putting together meals and treats specially designed for him. 

Yesterday I spent my morning baking Banana & Chocolate Chip Bread and Fabulous Cookies as a thank you gift for a friend. {Bread is a risky thing to give as a gift, because you can't really taste test it, so fingers crossed it turned out okay}

Josh looked a little disappointed as I walked out the door with the goodies. Do you honestly think I didn't buy extra ingredients to make some for my honey? Of course I did! Whenever I make cookie dough, I never cook all of it at once. I either keep it in the fridge or freezer (depending on how soon I think I will be cooking it). This way, we can have warm cookies right out of the oven for dessert. {also, it keeps you from eating two dozen cookies in one sitting} So, I already have a delicious, chocolatey dessert ready for Josh for tonight... and the next.

I made Banana & Walnut Bread one weekend for the family at the Birches and Josh loved it and asked why I didn't make it more often. Then Vince started talking about putting chocolate chips in it and Josh's eyebrows raised and his eyes got big with delight! I have been meaning to make it for him, but never did. So, this afternoon, I whipped up a loaf of Banana & Chocolate Chip Bread.

I like getting everything ready before assembling. What if you start mixing everything together and realize you are out of an ingredient, don't have enough, or can't seem to locate it. I'm sure it has happened to you... cupboard doors slamming, walking frantically from one end of the kitchen to the next, "asking" whoever is in the line of fire "Where's the vanilla extract?" pause "WHERE'S the vanilla extract" um.. "Where The F* Is The F*ing Vanilla Extract?!!?" Yikes. You don't want to be that person and no one wants you to be either. Same goes for measuring things - make sure you have all the measuring tools you need before you start. Baking should be an enjoyable experience, not a time when everyone clears out of the house...

I preheated the oven, measured the butter and sugar together, cracked the eggs into a small bowl {while it doesn't happen often,  you don't want to run the risk of cracking a bad egg into your mixture}, cut up the bananas, measured and mixed the remaining dry ingredients together and prepped the bread pan. It is so nice to have each ingredient ready to go. With the bowl of dry ingredients, each teaspoon and 1/4 of teaspoon has been mixed together with the flour. I like to do this when I'm baking so that everything can be mixed evenly. Now, all I have to do is add the dry mixture a scoopful at a time.

Everything is ready... set. bake at 350 for 70 minutes. When it is done cooking I let it cool completely on a cooling rack {in the pan}. When it is cool, I pop it out of the pan, wrap it up and place it in the refrigerator. We'll see how it tastes tomorrow. That is... if Josh can wait that long.

Just out of the oven... smells delicious!