it's naptime!

woohoo! i could use one too, but for now i'll settle for having both my kids in bed. normally, bubba and i would be doing schoolwork during cj's afternoon nap, but the poor kid looks like he didn't sleep very good last night--he's got dark circles under his eyes--and i'm pretty sure both boys are coming down with a cold. so a little extra sleep today is a good thing.

instead of napping, i "get" to make homemade chicken noodle soup. it's really good and always nice when you've got a cold.
here's my recipe:

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
1 broiler/fryer chicken cut up (3-4 lbs)
20 cups water
2 large carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced (i leave this out 'cuz garlic gives me a tummy-ache! it's good either way.)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 Tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, & simmer 1.5 to 2 hours until meat is tender. Remove chicken; cool. Remove and discard skin & bones; chop chicken & set aside. Strain broth.

2 large carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
homemade or store-bought egg noodles (use a double batch of homemade--see recipe below)

Return broth to pan, add carrots & celery. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover & simmer for 10 minutes until veggies are tender. Add noodles and chicken, and salt/pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover & simmer for 10 minutes until noodles are done.
Yield: 12-16 servings

Homemade Egg Noodles
1 beaten egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
about 1 cup flour (enough to make a stiff dough)

Mix together ingredients. Roll very thin on floured surface. Let stand at least 20 minutes. Roll up loosely & cut into 1/4 inch wide strips.

i don't always make homemade noodles, but i do like them best for this soup. there are a few kinds of almost-home-made noodle that work well too. of course, regular egg noodles work too, in a pinch, but they really don't taste as good and the texture is completely different. oh yeah, i occasionally make dumplings in this soup too.

i'm getting hungry just writing about it!

i suppose i should mention that this soup is based on a recipe i found in the 2002 Taste of Home Annual Recipes book. i made a few changes to the recipe including doubling it so we have leftovers. and the noodle recipe is one my mom has used ever since i can remember. :-)