KITCHEN & COOKING TIPS – Page 12 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

Scrumptious Sunday ~ Stew Edition~ Farm Style Chicken and Noodles

FARM STYLE CHICKEN & NOODLES

This is the recipe I told you about awhile back that has been handed down through the family from my great grandmother. As a kid dad would tell me that grandma would make her own noodles and then drape them all over the dining room to dry. I guess maybe it was a farm thing, but my family has always eaten this over mashed potatoes. I know, I know double starch, but oooooooooh what a cold winter night comfort food! I’ve made it for so many years without a recipe it took some work to get the correct proportions! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

4+ pound chicken or chicken pieces*
12 cups water + 4 more
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons better than bouillon chicken base
5 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bag baby carrots, cut into thirds
1 medium Vidalia onion
3 tablespoons minced garlic, jar
2-4 cups Barilla Campagnelle egg noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
6 medium Yukon potatoes
1/4 butter
1/3-1/2 cup buttermilk

In a large stock pot, bring chicken pieces, liquid smoke, bouillon & water to a boil. Boil until the meat is falling off the bone, about 45 minutes – 1 hour)
Remove the chicken pieces and let cool enough so you can cut the meat off the bone.
In the mean time add the carrots, celery, onion (4 cups total), seasonings and 4 cups more water to the stock pot and return to a slow boil for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Pull the chicken pieces off the bones-you’ll have about 4 cups of chicken pieces. Refrigerate the chicken pieces and discard the bones.
After the vegetables have cooked 45 minutes or until tender add the chicken pieces back in.
Make a roux out of the butter and flour. Add to stock pot and cook until desired thickness.
Add noodles to stock pot.
Cook until noodles are al dente’.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Prepare mashed potatoes.
Serve stew over mashed potatoes.

*I used to use whole chickens, but have gone to using family size multi-packs of legs which work really well.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom

, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks

, and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

♥

Hamburger Steaks with Parmesan Potatoes and Onion Gravy

HAMBURGER STEAKS
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound hamburger
1 sleeve Keebler club crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 Jumbo eggs
1 tablespoon liquid Smoke – MYSTERY ingredient
PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES
6 medium red potatoes, washed and cut into pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4-1/2 cup Buttermilk
ONION GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoons cream sherry
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon better than bouillon beef base
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the hamburger steak ingredients until well mixed. Form six steaks.
Bake 30 minutes in convection oven at 350 degrees.
In a large skillet melt the butter for the gravy. Saute the onions until browned.
Add the bouillon base, cream sherry and hot water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, add flour and continue cooking to desired consistency.
Bring potatoes to a boil until tender. Drain.
Combine potato ingredients and beat until smooth.
Enjoy

♥

Split Pea Soup

SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 Honey Baked Ham Bone
2 cups ham pieces
3 quarts water
1 small bag baby carrots, chopped
5 large stalk celery, leaves included, chopped
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups split green peas
2 cups split yellow peas
1/4 cup barley
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper & white pepper mix
1 bottle beer – Mystery ingredient

In a large stock pot, bring ham bone* & water to a boil. Boil until the meat is falling off the bone, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours)
Remove the bone and let cool enough so you can cut the meat off the bone.
In the mean time add the carrots, celery, onion (4 cups total) and seasonings to the water and return to a slow boil for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
While the vegetables are boiling, rinse the peas and pick out any bad ones.
Cut the ham pieces off the bone. Refrigerate the ham pieces and discard the bone.
After the vegetables have cooked 45 minutes or until tender, add the peas and barley. Cook for another 1 1/2 hours.
Add the beer and ham pieces back in and cook another 1 1/2 hours.

*I always save my honey baked ham bones after the meat is all cut off. I then freeze them and save them for future soups. I always get at least 2 cups of meat off when I boil the bone.

This makes a huge batch and I always freeze it in several batches (3-4) for future easy weeknight meals. In this case it will be a big batch when everyone is here at Christmas.

TODAY’S TRIVIA as heard by hubby on an old game show – Campbell’s soup used to fill the bottom of the bowl with marbles so the vegetables would be at the top giving the appearance of more vegetables in each bowl of soup. That trick was not done here – what you see is what you get.

♥

Recipes, Cook Books and Decisions

So I need some advice. I’m trying to finish up my next cookbook and I need some Guinea pigs. You guys game? I have a list of recipes that I like, but need to pare down the list. I really want recipes from across the board and represent home style, you know like grandma used to make. I thought I could write up the list and get all of you to vote on your favorites for me to make, photo and post??

What recipes would you like to see posted in the near future?
	Boston Cream Pie
	Pork Fried Rice
	Chicken Kiev
	Monte Cristo Sandwiches
	Peasant Chicken Breasts
	Salmon Spread
	Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade
	Beef Wellington
	Chicken Wellington
	Split Pea Soup
	Firecracker Shrimp
	Creamed Corn
	Pizza Dip
	Turkey Tettrazini
	Apricot Cheesecake
	Cream of Tomato Pork Chops
	Bruschetta Halibut
	Tarragon Sherry Chicken

pollcode.com free polls

♥

Needing to Knead is almost here…

Have you heard about the Need to Knead Bread Roundup? I wanted to do a bread round up and Joy at Joy of Desserts, another Scrumptious Sunday offered to make this great button and co-host this bread Roundup on October 15th along with the help of Barbara at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers who has so generously offered to be our Mr. Linky person. We will roundup all types of bread recipes. We already have a number of people signed up and it promises to be great. You are all invited to participate. We would love it if you would join us, and we would love it if you would help us spread the word by putting this button in your sidebars or even writing a short post about the roundup.

Cream of Mushroom Soup or chicken mushroom or ham mushroom or …

8 + 4 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 box sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups chicken or ham stock*
1 cup chopped chicken or ham* (optional)

In the bottom of a stock pot melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Saute’ the mushrooms, celery, onion and carrots until tender. Add the 2 cups of stock and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

In a saucepan melt the 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and stir until well mixed and golden. Add milk and whipping cream slowly and alternately, stirring until smooth. Simmer over low heat until desired consistency. Add to mushroom mixture and simmer another 30 minutes.

*When using ham I like to use a Honey Baked Ham Bone to make my stock and I usually get more than a cup of ham pieces from it.

♥

Menu Plan Monday

Weekday breakfasts are always either toast or cereal so I don’t post those. Working from home, lunch is “whatever” so it isn’t definitive either, but weekends are usually a brunch and I will start posting those along with the dinners.

9/22 MONDAY ~ Taco Ring Salad
9/23 TUESDAY ~ Chicken Cordon Bleu & Applesauce
9/24 WEDNESDAY ~ Orange Honey Chicken & Fried Rice

9/25 THURSDAY ~ Great Grandma’s Chicken & Noodles – I’m working on a written recipe for this – I’ve made it from scratch for so long without a recipe – so it’s hard to write it down – LOL
9/26 FRIDAY ~ Chili and Beer Bread
9/27 SATURDAY ~ Heavenly Ham Hash / Chicken Enchiladas & Refried Beans
9/28 SUNDAY ~ Quiche Lorraine / Stuffed Pork Chops & Salad

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom

, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks

, Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch

, Watchin’ What We Eat hosted by Lorie at Honey I Shrank Myself

and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

♥

Scrumptious Sunday ~ Sesame Garlic Green Beans

Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks

Sesame Garlic Green Beans

1½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1 bunch green onions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic (jar)

Cook the green beans for 5 minutes in boiling water.

While the beans are cooking, combine the soy sauce, sugar and oil, set aside. Spray a sauté pan with PURE. Over a medium heat sauté green onions and garlic until soft. Add the beans. Stir several minutes until well coated. Add soy sauce mixture, stirring constantly until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Pomodori Sherried Chicken Florentine with Angel Hair Pasta

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 box chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
1 can petite cut diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic or 2 teaspoons minced jar garlic
1 large bunch chopped green onion
2 + 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup cream sherry
1 cup sauce
1 cup +/- mozzarella cheese

Whisk sun-dried tomato pesto into 2 tablespoons olive oil, mixing together well. Add spinach and tomatoes. Set Aside.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium high heat.
Add the chicken pieces and saute’ well.
Add garlic and onions and continue sauteing about 5 minutes.
Add sherry and basil. Lower heat and cook until a thick glaze sauce forms.
Toss with prepared pasta and spinach mixture.
Toss with sauce, top with mozzarella cheese and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom

, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks

, Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch

, Watchin’ What We Eat hosted by Lorie at Honey I Shrank Myself

and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

♥

September Homemaking Shape-Up & Thank you

Barbara over at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers has been hosting the Homemaking September Shape-Up. She had asked me to do some guest posts as well as other bloggers. I got this great package this morning, ON my birthday – she couldn’t have timed it better. It has a birthday card, a thank you card for a package I sent her and 1/2 of a Hallmark ornament set so we both have a 1/2, a CD of the songs to clean by and this great antique guide to entertaining (we may have to revisit some of the earlier posts on The Revival of Common Courtesy if I find some really good stuff). I can’ t wait to explore the great book.

Thanks again Barbara! I love it and it meant so much to me that you remembered.

Thank you everyone who stopped by
and wished me Happy Birthday.
It really means a lot to me.

♥

Honey Banana Whole Wheat Bread

Honey Banana Whole Wheat Bread
1 1/2 pound loaf

1/2 cup 1% milk, room temperature
1 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
3 tablespoons honey
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup bread flour
1 medium banana sliced
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

The beauty of bread machines is that they always want the same layering.

Liquids
Butter chunks, vanilla, egg & honey
Flour & Sugar
Yeast
The key to any good bread is using quality fresh ingredients.
Just remember, garbage in is garbage out.
Let your bread maker do the rest!

Don’t forget to come back and join us for the Bread Round-Up on October 15th.