Hello Winter!!

Today is the first day that it truly feels like winter is here. The wind cuts through you and your fingers become numb from the cold after only a few minutes outside. There is nothing better than when its biting cold and there is a fresh snow fall. It's so invigorating and makes you feel so alive - well, it does me anyways. We don't have the snow, although it is supposed to snow tomorrow, but we sure do have the cold. The other thing I love about this weather is that it makes eating soup acceptable. I love soup, any kind of soup. I love to eat soup when it's freezing cold out, but I also love to eat soup when it's hot outside. My husband thinks that's crazy, my daughter ....well she is a soup lover too..... and she's coming down with a cold, so a weekend filled with soup is just what the doctor ordered. Below is the recipe I use to make chicken noodle soup. It's just the basics and approximate measurements, cause....well, I don't really measure anything. I just add a certain ingredient till it seems like it's enough for our taste.

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 whole chicken
2-3 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
chicken bouillon granules
water
1-2 packages frozen egg noodles
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper, to taste

Place the chicken in a large pot and add enough water to cover the chicken. Boil until the chicken is falling off the bones, you may need to periodically add a little more water. Remove the chicken and allow to cool. Continue to heat the water on medium heat. While chicken is cooling so you can pick the meat off the bones, dice up the carrots, celery, and onion and add to the water. Add several teaspoons of chick bouillon granules to the water (approximately 1 teaspoon for each cup of water), it's best to add a few teaspoons at time and test it to avoid adding too much since it is a salt based seasoning. Pick as much chicken as you can off of the bones. You can use all of it in the soup, or just part of it if you want to save some chicken for another meal. Add the chicken to the water and vegetables. Add bay leaves and additional bouillon or seasonings you want. Add the noodles and mushrooms about 30 minutes before eating. This does thicken quite a bit so if you want it to stay real soupy you'll want to add more water before storing it in the fridge.