Curried Pot Pie

Thanksgiving is weeks away, but just thought I'd share one of my favorite things to do with leftover turkey (also works well with leftover roasted chicken). Everyone's got a favorite pot pie recipe but most are sort of bland, this one uses curry. My Mom and one of our neighbors back in the 80s came up with this one. It's been a family favorite forever.

POULTRY POT PIE

1pkg – 2 round Pie Crusts (like the pillsbury ones)
1 quart chicken stock
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can evaporated milk
2-3 cups cooked chicken or turkey, diced
1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen bagged veggies (i.e. corn/peas/carrots/green beans)

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Melt butter in medium sauce pan; sauté garlic and onion until limp. Add the flour and whisk together forming a roux. Add the curry powder, garlic powder, and chicken stock and whisk until thickened. Add the evaporated milk. Keep sauce warm.

In a large bowl, combine poultry meat and frozen veggies. Pour two cups of sauce over the meat/veggies and mix well. Place one pie crust into a 9” glass pie plate. Poke holes in bottom and sides of crust. Pour in pie filling. Cover with the second pie crust and crimp edges to seal. Cut slits in top of pie crust for venting while baking.

Place pie on cookie sheet in the middle of oven and bake at 450 for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes prior to serving. Serve with additional warm sauce.

in the cupboard chicken & veggie soup

Tonight I had zero motivation to make dinner. But my Dad was feeling really crappy yesterday so I needed to cook him something. I was thinking along the lines of soup, my husband wanted baked mac & cheese (as the meal, nothing else). When I'm sick I don't really want a bunch of mac & cheese. So soup it is. While standing in front of my stash of canned goods in the storage room in the basement I saw the alphabet pasta I'd bought at Meijer awhile ago. On the back of the box was a basic recipe for alphabet soup.



I tweaked it to what I had on hand.

Chicken & Veggie Alphabet Soup

8oz Meijer Alphabets (or other similar small pasta)
~1 lb cooked chicken breast, diced into bite sized pieces (Costco has frozen grilled chicken strips i like to buy & freeze for soups & casseroles)
46oz bottle reduced sodium V8
14oz can chicken broth
3-4 cups water
2 chicken bouillons
1 tsp basil leaves
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp garlic pepper
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp celery flakes

Threw everything but the pasta in the pot and brought to a boil and am now doing the simmer for 30 min bit. Then will do the cook pasta for about 10 minutes and may throw some parm cheese on, jury is still out there :)

So far it smells good :)

crockin' the fall ;)

Have a set of yummy things I've made in my crock pot lately :)

First up was a week ago Dad & I had this slow cooker tamale pie, it was like chili with cornbread cooked right on top. Quite yummy :)

Tonight's dinner is slow cooker chicken taco soup with whole wheat beer bread. Yum!

Both have kind of a mexican/chili flare ;)

some fall favorites

Made Caramel Apple Pork chops Thursday night with smashed potatoes, crusty bread, and salad with Gorgonzola/apples/dried cherries/cherry republic dressing/almonds.

Friday night I made Mom's Orange Chicken

ORANGE CHICKEN

1/2 cup flour
salt, pepper & paprika (to taste)
4 chicken breasts halves
5 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup honey
1 cup Orange Marmalade
2 tablespoons Soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in 9x13” glass baking dish.
Place flour, salt, pepper and paprika into plastic zip lock bag. Add chicken breasts one at a time; shake off excess. Dreg chicken in egg/milk mixture then press into bread crumbs. Drag through melted butter, coating both sides. Bake 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, honey, Orange Marmalade and Soy sauce in small saucepan. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half.
Take out chicken, turn over, and then pour mixture over. Bake an additional 30 minutes.

With Giada's Risotto recipe, peas, and garlic crescent rolls. Then I made molten lava cakes.

Dark Molten Chocolate Cakes
(from Baker's chocolate, but I used Ghiradelli chips)
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 6 cakes or 12 servings, 1/2 cake each

1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S Bittersweet Chocolate
10 Tbsp. butter
1-1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup flour
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
18 fresh raspberries

GREASE 6 (6-oz.) custard cups or souffle dishes (I have a pan with the bottoms that pop out, makes them come out easy). Place on baking sheet.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM (50%) 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Add 1-1/2 cups sugar and flour; mix well. Add whole eggs and egg yolks; beat until well blended. Pour into prepared cups.
BAKE 14 to 15 min. or until cakes are firm around the edges but still soft in the centers. Let stand 1 min. Run small knife around cakes to loosen; carefully unmold onto dessert plates. Cut in half. Serve warm topped with remaining sugar. Garnish with berries.

reminder to post these

I am taking these two appetizers to a rehearsal dinner for Chris' cousin next weekend. Looked up the recipes to see what I'll need to pick up at the store soon and it reminded me that I don't think I've posted either one. :)

We always did the mini muffins (so they're bite sized) so I can't vouch for the timing on the big ones. Makes a TON of little baby ones, so good for large parties / get togethers or you can freeze then give out at Christmas. I am going to be using Cherry Republic's "Cherries & Cherries" cherry sauce for mine. If I go thru a jar I'll probably throw some of that apple butter on the remaining ones rather than use a partial other jar ;)

CERAMIC CHEESECAKES

Cheesecake:
3 – 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Jam or preserves

Preheat oven to 300 F
Mix together all of the cheesecake ingredients. Divide into cupcake tins with papers in cups (if using minis 1Tbsp is filled size). Bake 35-45 minutes for regular sized cupcakes; 10-15 minutes for mini’s.

Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.
Fill depression with topping (for minis 1/2tsp) and then dot with small amount of jam (1/4tsp for minis).

Bake @ 325 F for 10 minutes. Cool then chill. Can be frozen.


The second recipe is sort of an oddball, but my husband LOVES it. I actually got it from the weight watchers message boards back in 2005, go figure.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

4oz roasted chicken breast, diced or shredded.
1/2 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce
8 oz block of cream cheese (I usually use only the lite not fat free as fat free doesn't seem to melt well)
1/2 cup light blue cheese or ranch dressing

cut up celery for side
Fritos or Tostidos scoops (they're bad for you but it does taste good with the Fritos)

Combine all ingredients and throw it all in a small crockpot and let it heat through on high. Can be doubled easily.

It's a two-fer

You get another recipe, in the same day!

I don't alter this recipe at all, except to change what kind of Prego I use or if I make the sauce (and often don't use provolone since we have mozzarella). It's great as is, and you don't have to turn on the oven for the chicken :)

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549982

Or in case it is ever taken down:

Herbed Chicken Parmesan
This lighter version of an Italian favorite loses some of the fat but none of the taste. We recommend rice-shaped orzo pasta with this saucy chicken entrée, but you can serve spaghetti or angel hair pasta instead.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen Organic)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Preparation
Preheat broiler.

Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Nutritional Information
Calories:308 (30% from fat)
Fat:10.4g (sat 5.7g,mono 3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:35.9g
Carbohydrate:16.2g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:88mg
Iron:2.3mg
Sodium:808mg
Calcium:249mg
Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Chicken Asparagus Gratin

Had this for dinner the other night, not the most amazing thing ever but I saw fresh asparagus at the store and thought it would freeze well in casserole form for my grandparents. If you aren't a big asparagus fan I think you could do cream of broccoli and broccoli as substitutes.

Chicken Asparagus Gratin
7 points / 5 servings

10 3/4 oz Campbells cream of asparagus
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
3 cups cooked whole wheat pasta
2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
2 cups cooked, diced asparagus
1 cup reduced fat cheddar shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400
Combine soup, milk, onion powder, and pepper.
Stir in pasta, chicken, asparagus, and cheese. Pour into 2 quart casserole.
Bake @ 400 for 25 minutes, or until hot.

I also sprinkled a little paprika over it before baking. Was kind of bland, but ok with some garlic pepper added :)

Moterrey chicken & Spanish Rice

I originally got the chicken recipe off of a website called www.aimeesadventures.com, not sure if its still active or not. Think I got this one back in 2005 on my first run of WW.

I like this chicken recipe because you can scale it to the number of chicken breasts you have. Like tonight I only have 3 so I will just 3/4 cup cheese and 3 Tbsp of BBQ and bacon bits (1/4c = 4 Tbsp for those of you who forget) :)

Monterrey Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup bbq sauce
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1 cup colby blend shredded cheese
1 can rotel (diced tomatoes & chiles), drained.*
sliced green onions (optional)
ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out the chicken to flatten. Season each with a little pepper. Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium-low until cooked thru (no longer pink). Place each breast on a coated (with cooking spray) jelly roll (cookie sheet with sides) or large brownie pan and top each breast with 1 Tbsp BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup rotel, green onions, and 1 Tbsp bacon bits.
Bake until cheese has melted (about 5 minutes).

* Recipe calls for 14oz but my can is 10oz and will be fine for 3 breasts.


Spanish Rice
6 servings / 3 points

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes (I've also used diced ok)
1 cup uncooked longrain rice
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic salt

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Since I began watching what I ate again, one thing I really missed is mexican food. I love the stuff, can't get enough. So when this recipe came up on the recipe review board on WW online, I was quite excited. I'm trying it for the first time tonight, hope its good :)

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Yield: 8 servings (I am making it 6, I know I'll want to eat a lot and I'll take the extra few points.)

Ingredients
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (i.e. martha white or jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I'm doing a pound of chicken diced)
1/2 cup sour cream (I like RF)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. (Original poster notes: It took way longer to set for me, like 30 min at least) Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Chicken Salad

HG's Sweet 'n Chunky Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup (about 4.5 oz.) cooked & roughly chopped skinless lean chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped Persian or Kirby cucumber
1/3 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/3 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda)
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
dash salt
Directions:
Mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, sweetener, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt. Coat the chicken in this mixture, and then stir in the chopped cucumber, grape halves, and chopped apple. Then try not to pass out as you chow down on this insanely good chicken salad! MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Serving Size: half of recipe (about 1 cup)
Calories: 145 Fat: 1.5g Sodium: 332mg Carbs: 14g Fiber: 1g Sugars: 10g Protein: 21g
POINTS® value 3*

You get a two-fer

Some recent finds that are low fat and tasty:
Mann's broccoli slaw. Mom would be so proud I eat broccoli now, I was the kid who ran screaming from it. Made a salad with mandarin oranges, cooked chicken, water chestnuts, almonds, and my favorite Ken's lite Asian Sesame dressing. So yummy. Good recipes on their bags, on their site, and on hungry girl.

I made a spicy peanut chicken from that low fat crock pot cook book I posted about awhile ago, the healthy slowcooker and it was tasty.

Healthy recipe to share :)

This was excellent with some brown rice, crinkle cut carrots, and a mixed greens salad with mandarin oranges & almonds on it. :)

Hoisin Chicken
POINTS: 5, 4 servings

1/4 cup(s) hoisin sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp five-spice powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp table salt
1 pound(s) Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, raw (I bought the Tyson trimmed & ready thin chicken, there were 4 in the package).

Preheat broiler on medium. combine hoisin, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, in a saucepan, bring to a boil.
Combine cornstarch and water and add to mixture, stirring.
Cook 1 minute, remove from heat and set aside. mix spices and rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Spray line a broiler pan with foil and spray pan grate with non stick spray, add chicken, broil 5 minutes.
Brush with hoisin mixture and cook for 5 minutes more. turn over and brush with sauce, broil 5 minutes, basting often, until done.

two new recipes I'll be trying this week

This will be Wednesday's dinner, Chicken & Wild Rice soup. I have some roasted chicken frozen I need to use up and it sounded good. :)

This one is one of the infamous weightwatchers-friendly crockpot recipes from the big file that circulates the internet. I'm making this tomorrow while I'm at my all day quilting class. Good way to use up leftover ham I had frozen too.

Corn, Ham and Potato Scallop

6 cups peeled baking potatoes -- cut in 1" cubes
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
1 15.25oz. can Green Giant Whole Kernel Sweet Corn -- drained
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 10 3/4oz.can condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In 3 1/2 to 4-quart Crock-Pot slow cooker, combine potatoes, ham, corn, bell pepper and onion; mix well. In small bowl, combine soup, milk and flour; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Pour soup mixture over potato mixture; stir gently to mix. Cover; cook on low setting for 7-9 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Info: Potatoes cook more quickly when cut into small pieces; cubed potatoes will cook faster than quartered potatoes. The 1-inch chunks of potato in our recipe work well as they do not get too soft during the long cooking time. Also, leftover cooked roast beef or turkey can be used in place of the ham.

6(1 1/2-cup)servings. Per serving: Cal 320; Total fat 7g; (sat 4g); Choles 30mg; Sod 1010mg; Total Carbs 49g; Fiber 5g; Sugars 6g; Pro 14g. POINTS: 6

vodka sauce

Tonight for dinner we had tomato vodka sauce with cheese tortellini, Abby's Chicken Rollantini, Easy Focaccia, and steamed zucchini/summer squash.

Everything was pretty good, I overdid the garlic a bit on the chicken, and even though there's only about 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes in the sauce it has some kick. Will see how the tortellini is leftover tomorrow ;)

more grilling

Is this amazing 10 clove garlic marinade. It's great to marinate steaks at least 24hrs in this amazing stuff. Yum. That's what's for dinner tonight ;)

Here's some of my other favorites:
- Bowler Beef
- McCormick Grill Mates Montreal steak marinade (I recommend the zesty option). I love those grill mates products in general. The Hamburger one is good on burgers (duh) with a little Worcestershire sauce, I like the chicken rub, the spicy Montreal steak, the garlic & herb seasoning... mmm.
- tried/true chicken marinade is just some wishbone Italian dressing and boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Leave them in there overnight and you've got yourself a good chicken sandwich :)

Crunchy Curry Chicken Casserole

So you know when you have leftover chicken and you don't know what to do with it, but you're craving something that involves X, Y and Z? Well that's this casserole. We had KFC on Sunday and had 2 giant chicken breasts and 2 legs leftover. I was craving mayonnaise, water chestnuts, and curry. This was the result of my cravings and what was in my fridge/pantry and some consulting of about 8 recipes online.

It was actually pretty darn good :) You can change the veggies (I think asparagus, green onion, mushrooms, celery, or broccoli would be good additions in it but they are all "scary" to my husband). Curry isn't overpowering as is, if you like curry you can increase it to 1/3 or 1/2 tsp, if you hate curry feel free to omit :) it was a "what the hell I will throw some curry in" decision. We like curry, I put it in my chicken pot pie.

It wasn't *that* bad for me, I used low fat mayo and soup and was better than eating the chicken with the skin on smothered in leftover mashed taters and gravy :)

Crunchy Curry Chicken Casserole

2-3 cups shredded cooked/leftover chicken
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 can cream of chicken soup (celery or mushroom would also work)
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried chives
2 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
1 bag of success brown rice, cooked and drained (I think 1 bag is about 2 cups cooked rice)

1/4 cup cashew pieces
1 cup chow mein noodles

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first 12 ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a greased casserole dish (I think mine was an oval 2.5qt, a 7x11 pan or 9x13 would work too). Sprinkle cashew pieces and chow mein noodles over top. Bake @350 for about 30 minutes.

It's fairly thick as is, but I like it that way. If you think it's too thick you could add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth.

recent recipe experiments and an old favorite

I made this the other night, Aloha Chicken. Next time I will probably get boneless chicken as I hate dealing with bones when I eat. I also threw the whole can of pineapple in and used fresh ginger (in a jar) rather than ground. Had good flavor without being overpowering, Dad and Chris liked it too. We had it with rice, peas/carrots and an Asian dressing salad.

When Chris was working late one night and Dad was at Knights of Columbus I had this Easy Quiche. It was really good (and really easy) but just make sure you use the correct pan. I had an opportunity with a river of quiche in my kitchen because I was dumb and used a pan with a bottom that comes out. Liquid finds the path of least resistance ;) I used a mozzarella blend instead of cheddar and it was still good :)

This cheddar beer bread was disgusting, never ever make it. Way too heavy on the seasonings to make it as written, I didn't have time to read the reviews.

The old favorite is the chicken enchiladas we've made for years. I think it is originally from a cookbook called the Colorado Cache cookbook. It's what's for dinner tonight with some of the chichis corn cake stuff you add a can of corn, butter, & water to and bake :)

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

2 large chicken breasts, poached
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 – 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce
¼ cup chopped, mild green chilies
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon basil
12 corn tortillas
2 cups Monterrey jack

Cut chicken in strips and salt to taste; set aside. In a saucepan sauté onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chilies, sugar, cumin, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat; dip each tortilla in tomato mixture to soften. Place a piece of chicken and two tablespoons of cheese on each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in an ungreased 9x13 pan. Blend sour cream into remaining sauce mixture and pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Bake covered at 350 F for 40 minutes.

Marshall Fields Chicken Salad

I got the Marshall Fields cookbook for Christmas, Macy's was apparently almost giving them away. Since they don't exist anymore, I figured I was safe to post this recipe. I made some on Tuesday night and it was still good for lunch today :)

Marshall Fields Chicken Salad

2lbs cooked white meat chicken, cubed
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 1/4 cups mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Combine in a large bowl, enjoy :)

To poach the chicken in the oven place in a large pan (i.e. 9x13) and fill at least 1/4 inch with water. Cover with foil and bake @ 350 for at least 30 minutes or until done. I used the frozen breasts that come in a bag (like from Tyson) and did it for 45.

Variations:
peach bowl: Place a scoop on lettuce, top with sliced almonds and surround with fresh peaches.

sandwich: I like to toast wheat bread and eat it as a sammich :)

Chicken Noodle Soup

I don't have a recipe exactly for this one, I change it to suit my moods. I made that roasted chicken last week then Kathleen and I promptly got sick and the leftovers were frozen until I felt like standing to cook. Today I decided to make some chicken noodle soup. Here are the basics, your mileage may vary.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 cartons Swansons chicken broth (2 - 32oz cartons)
2-4 cups water or you can add more broth, I usually water it down a bit to make it not so thick after I get all the stuff in it because I over veggie it.
veggies of choice. I used half a big frozen bag of my standard peas/corn/carrots/green beans mix.
If I have it I throw in celery, I didn't today so I threw in about 1/4 tsp celery seed
2 cups shredded or cut up leftover chicken
1-2 cups egg noodles (or I have used kluski noodles) I don't measure I just put a few handfuls in
ground black pepper

Today I also threw in some poultry seasoning, chives, minced onion and parsley. I throw everything but the noodles into a pot and bring to a boil until the veggies are cooked. Boil the noodles for 10 minutes in the soup and its done.

The Swanson box is not too far off from what I do, but they of course don't want you to water down their broth. :) and they only use carrots & celery

Beer bread & roast chicken

Wednesday night I made a roast chicken (partially to have leftovers for soup) and a nice wheat beer bread with some instant potatoes and frozen corn. I'm not wonder woman and my husband was out of town ;) so sue me for taking short cuts.

I don't mess with a good thing, and this wheat beer bread on allrecipes is a good thing. Only thing I do is spread a little butter on top so it gives it that nice flavor. Other than that I make it as is :) and Kathleen and I love to snack on it.

For the chicken I consulted a variety of recipes and came up with my own. Did the standard bake @ 350 for 20 minutes a pound (or until 180 degrees). It was pretty good but not the most amazing bird ever. I always forget roast chicken is so much more greasy than turkey. Should know that after I worked at Boston Market in high school and had to pick chicken all the time.

Here was my spice blend and ingredients, I couldn't tell you the measurements if I tried, maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp depending on how I like the spice. I just dumped it in a bowl till it looked right.

combined
1/4 cup butter, melted
thyme
crushed rosemary
sage
poultry seasoning
chives
minced onion flakes
garlic powder
salt
pepper

After I rinsed/patted the chicken I brushed it with that mix, and put some in the cavity. Then I hit it with some spray butter to make sure I got all the skin covered so it would brown. I also added a can of chicken broth to the pan so that I would have basting liquid and the chicken drippings/butter wouldn't bake on quite so badly. Basted it every 30 minutes or so and it turned out well. Next time I will use a rack so the skin on the bottom isn't so soggy and maybe use fresh garlic (and more of it). I didn't want the chicken to be too flavored as I want to use it for soup :)