Food

November 10, 2013

Chicken Noodle Soup and Homemade Biscuits: Soup Sunday Recipe

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Soup Sunday: Homemade Chicken and Noodles and Biscuits.  Today marks my first time EVER making biscuits from scratch and I have to admit, I was a little leery, but they turned out great!

Recipes Below.  Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 Bag Baby Carrots (cut to preferred size or leave whole)
  • 4 ribs celery (cut to preferred size)
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp. Dried Parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. Dried Basil
  • 1Tbsp. Butter
  • Rotisserie Chicken (quick method) or 3 chicken breasts (extended method)
  • 16 oz. Frozen Egg Noodles
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Quick Method Prep:

Cut carrots, celery and onions to desired size.

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Sunglasses.  Saving eyes from deadly onion vapors since 2013.

In a large pot over medium heat add olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, carrots, celery, basil and parsley and cook till the veggies soften.  Roughly 10 minutes.

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While veggies are cooking, shred rotisserie chicken.  Discard any skin and fat.

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Once the veggies are softened add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and add chicken and frozen noodles.

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Allow to cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.  Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

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** For the extended method, throw everything into a pot (except noodles) to cook on medium-high for several hours.  Shred chicken after cooked through, add back to pot, add noodles and cook for an additional 30 minutes to allow noodles to soften and soak up the multiple flavors.

Homemade Biscuits
 Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • 4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
  • 1/3 Cup Salted Butter
  • 3/4 Cup Milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°.
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Cut in the butter and mix with a fork. Add milk and stir to form dough into a soft ball. If too dry add extra milk 1 Tbsp. at a time if needed
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Press dough out onto floured surface.  Use a circle cookie cutter or a small cup to cut biscuits.  I used a coffee mug.
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Bake on greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Brush melted butter on top of biscuits immediately after removing from oven.
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Serve with Chicken Noodle Soup for a perfect home cooked comfort meal.
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Other then making soup and biscuits, our Sunday has been pretty lazy.    Our security team spent a little time scanning the neighborhood.
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but quickly succumbed to nap time…
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November 3, 2013

Weekend Happiness and Facebook PDA?!

Happy Sunday, all. I hope everyone is enjoying the ‘extra’ hour today.

The hubby and I were up at 5:45AM.  Seriously….. What the heck?  It is not uncommon for me to be up and going so early, but Clint can sleep FOREVER on the weekends.  Couldn’t believe it when I heard him shuffling down the hallway a little after 6am.   We took advantage of the early hour and went out for breakfast to Jimmy’s Egg.  Um, we may or may not have been the youngest couple at breakfast.

I had the “Almost Healthy Scramble” of egg whites, mushrooms, spinach, turkey sausage over home fries and melted mozzarella cheese on top.  I ate every last bit of it!

jimmy egg

I checked us in on FB with a stupid comment about needing lessons on how to sleep in and of course my hubby and friends had to chime in with their witty comments.

Example 1: “Later we’re going to the mall to walk laps”  ~ Clint.

Sorry folks…..Not. Happening.

#iamnotthatold #norwillieverdothat #ever

The rest of the day has been completely unadventurous.  I almost have all my clothes put away from last weekends laundry day.  Almost.  I have two new loads going now and most of those clothes will stay in the hampers for the rest of the week as well.

Not ashamed to admit that one little bit.

clothes

I put a few items on eBay.  Seriously, love that site.  I have had the greatest luck re-selling my Harley clothes when I am finished with them.   Harley-Davidson has upped their fashion sense in the women’s department over the years, which is good and bad. Good for my closet selection, bad for my bank account.  However, re-selling HD items on eBay has proved successful!  Of course, I don’t get near what I paid for them, but I normally get a reasonable price, and someone else is getting a new-to-them Harley shirt.  Win-Win!

 

ebay

 

Now I am all about some TV watching and Pinteresting Dinner ideas.

Before I go, I will tell you something cute my hubby did today.  Now, as a disclaimer, my husband and I are neither one for a lot of PDA in regards to Facebook.   Normally it drives us both nuts when people are all lovey dovey on FB writing gushy stuff back and forth to their spouse or Significant other.   (I mean, seriously, ya’ll are probably sitting next to each other on the couch, just lean over and tell him/her)

With that said, he came out of left field and put this cute little note on FB today:

 

For those that wondered how a dumb old tree trimmer like myself scored an awesome girl like Jordy, now you know.

appletree

 

 

Have a great evening everyone. 

October 31, 2013

Spinach Mushroom Garlic Lasagna Recipe And Happy Halloween!

Before we get to the yummiest vegetable based recipe I have made yet, I must first say,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!  We have had the cutest little kiddos visiting our house tonight.  Love their tiny voices saying “trick-or-treat“!

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I asked Champ if he was ready for some Halloween candy.  His reaction is much like mine when talking chocolate.

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Tonight for dinner was Spinach Mushroom Garlic Lasagna.  Apparently, I am on a spinach, mushroom, garlic kick lately.  I am rolling with it.

Spinach Mushroom Garlic Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • Box Lasagna Noodles (I used whole grain)
  • 8oz. mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 9 oz. bag spinach, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 24 oz. Garden Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce
  • 15 oz low fat ricotta
  • 12 oz low fat cottage cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. Egg White (or 1 whole egg)
  • 8 oz shredded mozzarella
  • 2 Tbsp EVOO

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Directions:

Boil noodles in pot of water.

Saute chopped onion, mushrooms and garlic in EVOO over medium-low heat.

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While mixture is sauteing, chop spinach and add to pan once mushrooms and onions have softened.

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While spinach wilts in pan, mix together egg whites, ricotta, cottage cheese and shredded mozzarella in a medium size bowl.  Set aside.   Once spinach mixture has reduced, add in Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce.

Yum!

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At this point you are ready to assemble the lasagna.  In a greased 9×13 pan, overlap four lasagna noodles, top with mushroom/spinach mixture, dollops of the ricotta mixture and a handful of shredded mozzarella.   Repeat layers four times.

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Place in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  Let set, cut, serve, devour.  Try to have just one serving.  Not. Possible.

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Hope you all had a wonderful Thursday!

What was your favorite costume of the evening?

October 29, 2013

Twist on Taco Tuesday!

BFY Tex Mex Casserole

Shaking up Taco Tuesday and doing a Tex Mex Casserole.  It is a cold and rainy day here in Nebraska so making something warm and comforting was just the ticket.

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Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 can 10.75 ounce Campbell’s Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese Soup
  • 1 can 10.75 ounce Campbell’s Healthy Request Tomato Soup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 1 can green chilies (4.5 ounce)
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 15 ounce can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15 ounce can Corn, drained
  • Whole Wheat penne pasta (I used about 3/4 of a box)
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder plus 1 tsp
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and slightly spray a casserole dish with EVOO.
  2. Bring pasta to a boil
  3. While pasta is boiling, brown hamburger, garlic and onion in a large skillet until cooked through and meat is no longer pink.
  4. Stir Cheddar Cheese Soup, green chillies, Salsa, 1 Tbsp Chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to hamburger mix.
  5. In a medium sized bowl, add Campbell’s Healthy Request Tomato Soup and ½ cup of water. Whisk together until well mixed.
  6. Drain pasta, add back to pot and mix in Campbell’s Healthy Request Tomato Soup with water. Stir until mixed.
  7. In a small bowl combine black beans, corn and 1 tsp chili powder. Stir.
  8. Pour pasta into the bottom of casserole dish, add hamburger mixture to top of pasta and top off with corn and black beans.
  9. Sprinkle with Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  10. Bake casserole in oven for 15 minutes until heated through.

Devour.  Seriously, had two bowls.  And I am OK with that.

 

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My husband also had two bowls.  No shame, my friends… no shame.

Did any of you participate in Taco Tuesday?