Just Your Basic Chicken Noodle Soup

 

 It's Sunday, and though I'm still moving slower, I can still chop vegetables with the best of them.  I had some frozen bread dough too so decided today, in knowing we will be eating overly rich dishes later in the week, seemed a perfect day to make a big pot of home style chicken noodle and some fresh baked bread. 

Home style Chicken Noodle soup-the easy way

1 large chicken boneless skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 cups sliced carrot
1 cup celery
1 onion
10 stock cubes
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
8 oz. (half bag) wide egg noodles
10 cups cold water

Simmer chicken breast in 2 cups of water along with vegetables until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken and dice into cubes  If you like more meat, cook 2 breasts.  Add the water, stock cubes,  pepper, and garlic, along with the chicken pieces back to the pot.  Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the egg noodles, bring to a boil, then turn down to low.  The soup is ready to serve when the noodles are tender. 

I know this is barely home made, and for those that need to watch sodium, the stock cubes might need to be reduced.  With all the ingredients purchased on sale, or at low cost, I can make this pot for $4.00 plus less than $2.00 for the two loaves of bread, and have two meals for three people, with little more time than opening a couple cans of Campbell's Chunky soup, and buying one pound loaves in the bakery department. The house smelt wonderful too.

I made it to church today.  I was a little nervous about the up and downs and the times of prolonged standing, but I did just fine.  DD#2 sang in her teen choir, which might be the last time for a while because we are losing her director and a replacement has yet to be found.  Even if the church hires soon, there is no guarantee  that person will have the same passion and patience to work with teen musicians as the former director who actually added the teen ensemble above and beyond his regular duties. The kids sang four songs,  including one of my favorite Christmas carols, Go Tell it on the Mountain. Most of the songs they do are contemporary but this was old school caroling, though with an electric and bass guitar, and a keyboard jamming as accompaniment for a delightful twist.

I'm getting a few presents wrapped and put under the tree.   I haven't tackled baking or candy yet, and at this stage may not at all before Wednesday, but I am resigned to accomplish just what I can. The Minnesota Vikings lost a close game, again, but other than that, it was a pretty good December Sunday.



While not strictly home made, the rising and baking dough made the house smell wonderful.