Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade chicken noodle soup is healing for the mind and the body!  Truly it is!  This is the kind of comfort food that can change a bad mood into a good one.  This soup reminds me of my mother and grandmother, which makes me feel like I am loved and taken care of.  It that isn't enough, the base of this soup is made from "bone broth."   Check out this article to learn more about the physical health benefits of "bone broth."

I always make this with the turkey bones the day after Thanksgiving.  Other times during the year I use the bones of a Rotisserie chicken to make the broth for this soup.  My husband and kids LOVE coming home to the smell of this simmering in the kitchen.

Ingredients -

Bones and leftover meat of a roasted chicken

Onions

Carrots

Celery

Chicken Bouillon

Uncooked Pasta, I prefer the thick, curly noodles that I can only find at Costco in the pasta variety pack.

Salt

Pepper

Rosemary

Thyme

Desired Seasoning and Herbs

Directions -

1.  Place bones in a large stock pot, and add enough water to cover the bones, and a few inches more.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, covered, for 2-3 hours.

2.  Using a mesh strainer, and slotted spoon, carefully take out all the bones and meat that has fallen off the bones.  I spread this out, and carefully separate the meat from the un-edible pieces.   Throw the bones etc away, and keep the meat, cut up or torn into bite sized pieces.  

*At this point you can freeze the stock to use later, and use the meat in other recipes or continue on to make soup right now!

*I usually add a quart of broth or bouillon to the stock to help it go further for my big family.   

3.  Add all the vegetables, cut up, and let simmer for 20 minutes.  

4.  Add Chicken, Pasta, and season to taste.  

Sweet Potato Souffle

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving?  I AM!!!  I have my menu all set, printed and posted.  My kids are all excited to sign up for what they will be making.  I make the same exact meal that my mother made all through my growing up years.  Every few years I add or change a side dish.  This is one of those years!!!  I am SO excited about this addition!  

Are you ready for this?  Sweet Potato Souffle is TO DIE FOR!  My friend Holly, in my Gourmet Club made it for us last year as her dessert for the Girlfriend's Christmas Party.  She also did it as one of the side dishes for our Stake Relief Society Dinner in September that our group catered.  Honestly I am posting this recipe for my own easy access, as well as to fulfill the hopes and dreams of many who have asked me for it! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients -
6 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (I use 2 - 29 oz. cans Princella brand)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup melted butter
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk

                                                                                                                                          

 Mix first three ingredients in a mixer, add the next 3 and mix until blended.                                                Pour in a 9x13 casserole dish.

Topping:

2/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour

Melt butter in microwave, add the rest of ingredients and mix well.  It will look like wet sand. I use my hands to sprinkle evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. Should not be soupy...if the top is browning too much, cover with foil.

*Serving alternative - Bake in ramekins for single servings.  Also, this can be used as a dessert!  It is as good as a crust-less sweet potato pie!

Coconut Cream Pie

  Every year for Thanksgiving, I carry on a tradition that my mom started when I was young.  I make a fun and fancy menu for Thanksgiving.  I hang it on the fridge and everyone has to sign up for what they will make.  Each family member has to be in charge of a dinner item, a pie and treat (like chex mix).  

 Last year my oldest son asked if we could please make a coconut cream pie because that's what he wanted to sign up for.  I did some looking, and found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It reminds me a lot of my grandma's recipe.  Glenn made the pie, with my help, and it was a HUGE favorite last year!  It will definitely be on our menu for this year's Thanksgiving!

1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut 

3 cups half and half 

2 eggs, beaten 

3/4 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup flour 

 1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 9 inch pie crust, baked 

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie. 

Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours. 

Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut. 

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie is one of my top favorites!  It is nothing but rich, smooth chocolate in a pie crust.  I like to add whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

The first time I made this it was delicious, but had baked up a huge hollow bubble in the center.  So I always one and half the filling now to make sure there is not a hollow center in this deliciously dense pie.  I pour a generous amount in, all the way up to the top of the seam of the crust before baking.  This is the recipe as I make it, and used in one pie crust.

1 1/2 Sticks of Butter 

3 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 9 inch unbaked pie crust

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir until smooth.

2.  Combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt in a large bowl; beat with a fork until well mixed.

3.  Add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture; stir until well combined.

4.  Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust.  Bake until pie appears slightly set toward center,  about 45 minutes.  A hard crust forms on top.  I usually lift this crust off with a butter knife.  I usually need to bake it longer after that.  

If any of my readers can tell me a better solution to this hard crust issue then please fill me in. 

The top is usually not very pretty because of the crust that I take off.  I decorate it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Cool completely before serving. 

My daughter usually signs up to make this one for Thanksgiving.  It's her favorite.

Pear Pie

I come from a major pie making family.  Thanksgiving is our holiday.  Last year we had 13 pies, and it was just my family, my parents and a few of my siblings.  When we travel to my Grandma Mott's house for Thanksgiving the amount of pies is insane!  My Grandpa was the General Manager of the Frontier Pies Restaurants.  Grandma developed many of the recipe's and was the official pie making trainer.  She traveled from restaurant to restaurant teaching how to make beautiful and delicious pies.  

Several years ago my mom called me up in September and said, "I think we need to add Pear Pie to the Thanksgiving menu."  I said, "I'm on it!"  I searched high and low.  I baked a lot of pear pie's that Fall.  I baked every Pear Pie recipe I could find, until I found this recipe.  I have never baked any other Pear Pie recipe's since.  It is very much like a pear custard in a pie shell.  It is easily my children's favorite pie.  

(I was given this recipe by Beverly Morgan.)

3-4 Fresh Pears, Peeled, cored and sliced thick

single pie crust, unbaked 

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

4 T. flour

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Place Pears nicely in the unbaked pie shell.  

Mix the rest of the ingredients with an electric mixer, until creamy.  Pour batter evenly over pears and spread so it is smooth on top.  Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour, or until golden brown on top.  

I sometimes need to bake it another 10 minutes.  Make sure it is solid, and not liquid at all in the center.  I can tell this just by moving it slightly to see if it stays firm in the center.