Flu Season...Time to make some Chicken Noodle Soup!

Flu Fighter Chicken Noodle Soup

Loaded with good for you ingredients and full of flavor – this absolutely delicious chicken noodle soup makes for a wonderful dinner! It’s also a tasty remedy for battling off a nasty cold or flu! 

When it comes to soup, I’m kind of a pro. I love soup!  I have my Mama to thank for that. We loved soup growing up and it is something that I am passing down to my girls.  Plus, there is nothing better than a bowl of nice warm, delicious, homemade chicken and noodle soup, am I right? 

Chicken Noodle Soup is so healthy, bold, and flavorful that  I could truly be content eating a heaping bowl for lunch every single day. To be honest, most Winter afternoons, I do. It’s a great way to get my daily dose of meat and veggies and comfort in one convenient, cozy bowl.

This recipe is no different.  It is sure to invigorate your taste buds and have your tummy begging for more!  This soup is sure to knock the flu right out of your body for good...

My Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 6 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders (or pre-cooked rotisserie chicken meat works well too!) 
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 very large onion, finely diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• Big pinch of salt
• (1) 32 oz containers chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups noodles of your choice, I used gluten free elbows
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Place chicken tenders in a large baking dish lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with spices. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, flipping the chicken at the half way point. Once cooked, pull into small chunks using two forks.
2. While the chicken is roasting, make the soup.
3. Heat remaining oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pan over a medium flame. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and cook - stirring occasionally - for 8-9 minutes. Add garlic and salt and cook for another minute before adding the bay leaf, water and chicken stock. Increase heat to high, bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, stir in noodles, and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the pasta al dente. Stir in cooked chicken, dill, and lemon juice. Taste soup to adjust seasonings, then serve at once.

Notes

* You may cook the noodles in the broth (as instructed in the recipe), but if you plan to have a lot of leftovers, you may also choose to cook the noodles in a separate pot, them stir them into each bowl right before serving. This helps keep the noodles fresh and not soggy.

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

Back to the Basics... Homesteading 101

So, I recently read this article posted on http://oursimplelife-sc.com/ and kind of found some inspiration in what Tracy and her family live by, standards wise.

We are stuck in a society where it is all about material possessions, who has what...keeping up with the Jones...and less about truly living a great, meaningful life.

Now, I am not ready to stop shopping...but I get it, I read it and I wanted to share because some things hit close to home about the ideals that I want to set up for my own family.

Here is what Tracy had to say (I have to share!) :

AS POSTED ON : http://oursimplelife-sc.com/back-to-basics-living-philosophy/

Back To Basics.

Let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time there was a couple who was overwhelmed by consumerism and drowning in debt, doomed to a live a life of unsatisfying purchases and surrounded by like-minded people. As Americans, they gladly followed the crowd to fit in, but behind closed doors they dreamed of a life where how much they made and what brand of clothes they wore didn’t matter.  With one swoop of a for-sale sign, and a business up for auction they traded in a life of possession obsession for a life of personal fulfillment.

Determined to live a life where what we had was more than enough to survive, they sold everything and moved to the country to live on a farm.  Fast forward six years and the “Back to Basics Movement” is in full swing. Who would have ever thought twenty years ago when consumerism was at its highest those same consumer-driven people would now be looking to simplify their lives by living off the land?

By now you probably have realized that this is our story...as pitiful as it sounds it was us drowning in debt and living in a house that was far too big for two people and working long stressful hours just to keep the bills paid.  It wasn’t an easy task to sell everything we had and move to the country, but it was what was needed to keep our sanity.  We can now do more with what we have, and that is the heart of our back to the basics living philosophy.

How has this back to the basics living changed us?

• Instead of shopping, we work in the garden.
• Instead of looking for things to do on the weekend, we have endless DIY projects that keep us busy.
• Instead of dinner and a movie, we have drinks under the stars.
• Instead of buying new, we reuse and recycle what we already have.
• Instead of looking for money to bring us happiness, we are happy by not spending what we have.
• Instead of dreaming of all the places we can go when we retire, we dream of what the fruit trees will produce in ten years.
• Before we were empty, now we are fulfilled!

Let me end this by leaving you with one thought that hit us hard many years ago…

DISCLAIMER:  This article is not affiliated with Life at Gray Gables.  Credit goes to http://oursimplelife-sc.com/.

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

Recipe Alert: Mexican Tortilla Casserole

From Ree Drummond*

I saw this and HAD to have the recipe.

I mean, talk about YUM!  It has a little more ingredients than I'd like...but it looks delicious...splurge alert! 

Mexican Tortilla Casserole

Total Time:  1 hr 20 min
Prep: 30 min
Cook:   50 min

Yield:   12 to 16 servings
Level:  Easy

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (about 3 to 5)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces), cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt
1 15 -ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 -ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 16 -ounce jar salsa verde
10 large (burrito-size) flour tortillas or 12 small flour or corn tortillas
2 cups cooked rice (from 2/3 cup dry)
1 11 -ounce can corn kernels, drained
1 pound grated cheddar-jack cheese
1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
Sour cream and cilantro, for serving

Directions
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic, stir and cook for a minute or two to soften the onion. Add 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the paprika and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Stir and cook the mixture for another minute or two to release the flavors of the spices. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken along with the remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute the chicken until it's deep golden brown and done in the middle, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and stir to make a sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until it's reduced by half, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the beans and set aside.

To assemble the casserole, pour half a jar (about 1 cup) of salsa verde into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish or disposable foil baking pan. Add a layer of half the tortillas on top of the salsa verde, overlapping the edges. Spoon the rice over the tortillas, spread the tomato mixture over the rice, then sprinkle the corn over the tomatoes. Next, add the chicken and bean mixture, then sprinkle on half the cheese and pour over half the enchilada sauce. Next, add the rest of the tortillas, then pour on the rest of the salsa verde and the rest of the enchilada sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.

If you're baking the casserole right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with sour cream and cilantro.


FREEZE IT! Cover the unbaked casserole tightly with heavy-duty foil and freeze up to 6 months. To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the foil-covered casserole for 2 hours; remove the foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until hot and bubbly.

Recipe and tips from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime. Copyright (c) 2015 by Ree Drummond. By arrangement with William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09