Chicken Noodle Soup/Chicken & Noodles

Another good recipe I tweaked from "Don't Panic!" my kids LOVE this with the tiny egg noodles. I was able to make this and get two meals from it. I added a bag of egg noodles to each meal, so it was more like chicken & noodles. If you want two meals of soup add only 1 c. of noodles to each meal.

Chicken Noodle Soup OR Chicken & Noodles

3 lbs. of chicken cut up
10 c. water
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 c. sliced celery
2 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. noodles (needed on serving day, not cooking day ;o)

Combine chicken & water, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover & simmer 15 min. Add bouillon, onion, salt, pepper & bay leaf. Cover; simmer 35-45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and from bone, then return chicken to pot. Stir in veggies. Cover & simmer 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

To Freeze: Cool completely and ladle into freezer container or bags. This recipe gave us two half-full gallon bags. Enough for two dinners!

To Serve: Dump contents of bag into saucepan or crockpot. Add noodles 5-10 minutes before serving.

White Chicken Tortilla Soup

I tweaked this recipe from one I have in the first Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook. I put everything in the crockpot before church, set it on high and came home 3+ hours later to a house that smelled like I walked into Panera (as my whole wheat bread in my bread machine was timed to end at noon). We ate half the soup for lunch and the remaining half is now in the freezer for another meal some cold day this fall!

White Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 onion, chopped (approx 3/4 c.)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 4.5 oz. can of green chilies
1 T cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (you can add more if you like it spicy!)
1 can (15 oz) of white beans
1 can (15 oz) corn (or you could use 1 1/2 c. frozen corn)
2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
5 c. chicken broth (I used 5 c. water & 5 chicken bouillon cubes)

Dump everything in the crockpot and set on high for 3 hours or until onions are tender Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips, cheddar cheese & sour cream. Mmmmm!

To Freeze: Cool and place in Ziploc freezer containers or bags.

To Serve: Thaw overnight in fridge. Heat in saucepan.

Hot Ham'n' Cheese Sandwiches

Our life is on-the-go right now. Dinners seem to be in passing getting kids to soccer, karate, ballet & church activities. :o) These are quick & easy to pull-out, bake & eat on the go!

Hot Ham'n'Cheese Sandwiches

3/4 c. mayo
3 tsp. dry mustard (less if you don't like the mustard flavor :o)
1 1 /2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. worshcestershire sauce
2 tsp. minced onion
3/4 lb. ham, cut in small pieces
9 slices of cheese (swiss is the best, but provolone works well, too)
9 buns

Mix together the mayo, spices & sauce then add the ham. Place mixture on one half of bun, top with cheese and bun top. Wrap in foil and place in Ziploc Freezer Bag to store. If you are serving immediately, wrap sandwiches in foil and back in 400F oven for 10 minutes.

To Serve: No Thaw. Place foil-wrapped sandwiches in 400F oven for 30-40 minutes until middle is warm & cheese is melted OR place in microwave (without the foil!) for 1 1/2 minutes @ 60% power.

Pepperoni Chicken Revisited

My original Pepperoni Chicken recipe is here but this past week I made it again with a few changes and it worked really well for a Sunday lunch after church...

• I pounded the chicken to about 1/2" thickness (maybe less, I didn't have a ruler) :o)
• I placed the fillings on top, rolled each piece and stuck a toothpick to hold it securely.
• I flash-froze them on a wax paper-lined pan, then bagged them for longer storage.
• To Cook: No Thaw. Remove from freezer, place in crockpot covered with pasta sauce. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.

Serve over pasta with salad or other veggie on the side. MMMmmmm!

Amazing Soft Pretzels

These taste like Auntie Anne's pretzels!!! I found the recipe on allrecipes.com and then tweaked it according to reviews and our preferences. I actually made the dough in my breadmaker (directions below) as I was out yesterday afternoon and wanted the dough ready when I came home.

The original recipe & instructions are HERE if you aren't making them in a breadmaker, but still reduce flour to 4 cups!
Soft Pretzels

In a bowl, combine these and let sit approx 10 minutes until foamy.
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar (I used Sucanat)
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Combine the following dry ingredients in a separate bowl:
5 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat & 1/2 unbleached white)
1/2 cup white sugar (I used Sucanat)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Pour yeast mixture and vegetable oil into breadmaker; then add the dry ingredients. Set on dough cycle (1 1/2 hours) and let run full cycle. You may need to let it sit another hour or two until dough doubles in size.

Remove dough & shape into pretzels (or pretzel sticks as I chose to do) while waiting for water to boil. When water boils, add baking soda and then dunk each pretzel in this solution and place on greased baking sheet. Top with salt or cinnamon/sugar or garlic...whatever you choose. ;o)

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water

Bake at 400*F for 8 minutes (possibly a minute or two longer, but check bottoms of pretzels as they burn easily). You can brush baked pretzels with melted butter.

These freeze well (as I read from other reviews) but I haven't had the chance to freeze them yet since our family of 5 devoured all but one pretzel stick last night! :o)

V8 Splash Popsicles

These are so simple and my kids are LOVING these this summer! I love the price! :o)

V8Splash Popsicles

1 bottle of V8 Splash (our fav is the the strawberry)

Pour juice into popsicle molds and freeze overnight. Enjoy your healthy popsicles!

a fun opportunity...

Through a friend, I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger on My Crazy Adoption's website last week. It was fun putting the post together with recipes I've acquired over the past few years. You can view the guest post HERE.