Comfort Food

With four days of wind and rain, I have been thinking soup all week.

I'm feeling fine, but one of the things my Mom always made to make us feel better was Chicken and Noodles.  She made her noodles from scratch, but I never seemed to be able to make them like hers. She would roll out the dough and cut them and then dry them on waxed paper. They were always so tender and yummy.  Mine are always tough, but I don't let that stop me, I just buy them in a package.

This is "My Mom's Chicken and Noodles"

Start with a  roasted chicken carcas. This one came from Cosco and we had a couple of meals off it already. There is still lots of yummy breast meat left. Cover it with water in the Crock Pot and add a bay leaf.

Cook on high for several hours until the meat is falling off the bone.

Take the meat and bones out and pick out all the good meat and coarsley chop.

I put the broth in the refrigerator until all the fat congeals on the top, skim it off and you have good low fat chicken broth.

While the broth is chilling, I chop all the veggies

3 large carrots

3 stalks of celery

one onion

2 garlic cloves

Put all of these in the Crock Pot with the broth and another bay leaf for about 2 more hours.

I usually taste at this point and salt and pepper to taste

Because the chicken is seasoned I usually don't need much more seasoning.

About 1 hr. before dinner time, I add these....The whole 8oz. package of wide noodles.

Check them often as you don't want them over cooked. Just before they are done, just turn off Crock Pot.

Now add all that yummy chicken meat and I throw in some frozen peas at the last minute.

It's ready to serve.

Just in time, as my sweet hubby walked in the door after another week working away from home.

I sat him down to a big bowl of "My Moms Chicken and Noodles", Biscuits and Honey Butter and Homemade Applesauce.

Note:  It is called "Chicken and Noodles" and not soup because (especially the next day) it is thick and not very brothy.  I hesitate to mention this, but my Mom always served it as leftovers poured over Mashed Potatoes and I confess I do too sometimes.  I know....too much starch, but oh so good.