Saturday Soup for Supper

Is there anything better on a cold day than soup and fresh bread for dinner? Tonight we will be having Creamy Chicken Noodle.

One chicken breast

mushrooms

celery

carrots

half of a sweet onion chopped up

pasta of your choice

chicken broth

cream of chicken soup

Chop up veggies and place in a pot with a hunk of butter. Cook until soft. Add chicken breast and cover with a couple cans of broth. Boil until chicken is cooked through. Stirring occasionally. Add more broth to make it soup consistency. Add in a couple of handfuls of noodles. Bring to a boil and cook until noodles are done. Add in one can of cream of chicken soup and 3/4 of a can of milk. Stir until cream of chicken is well incorporated. Garnish with cheese and serve.

The bread is a new recipe from the latest issue of Country Living. It's called Mini Country Loaves. I love this one because of the oats that incorporated. It gives it a hearty texture that goes nicely with this soup.

French Onion Soup

I threw this together last night.It was very good. A little sweet. Very comforting.

some key secret ingredients: apple cider and potatoes (my kids love potatoes.) I served it over seasoned crutons and sprinkled with fresh grated parmesan and shredded swiss. mmmm

Frosty Cold

10 years ago I was walking through an antique store in Lewiston, Idaho with my sister. Up in a corner behind a stack of books was a stash of aluminum drinking tumblers. There were 10 of them. The jewel tone colors stood out like a beacon of light among all the other vintage wares. The bright blue, purple, pink greens and golds were not even scratched. It was one of those moments where you pick them up quick and look around, like you're sure someone was racing you for them. I saw the price tag of 7$ and looked around again, stunned that indeed I was the only one going after these. I talked the owner down to 6$ and took them home immediately. I washed them in some hot soapy water and poured myself some ice cold root beer in them. The glass was almost too cold to touch. I have memories of Grandmas giving us kool-aid in these kinds of cups on bright sunny days. I remember how hot it was outside, but yet this glass was always so cold.

Now I love serving ice cold lemonade in the summer to my kids and their friends. I think it's funny to see some children drink out of them and whisper quietly to my children, "Why do you drink out of a can?" Those children have been deprived of frosty cold cups and now find new favorites in our home.

Lunch Box

"What to make for dinner?" is a daily thought for most of us. We plan the menu and write out the list. Double check the pantry and do prepwork. We want our family to have a

good healthy dinner

So much effort for that valued family time. But how often do we slap some PB&J on sandwich bread and call it LUNCH? or do we grab the keys and hop over to that cute cafe (or even that quick drive thru?) My dear friend, Raesha and I were chatting about how lovely it is to go out to lunch. Who wants boring ol' PB&J when the options outside the home are almost endless and require less effort? One problem, this wanna be homemaker notices immediately when eating out is the HUGE BITE it takes out of the budget. And with little ones at home I also consider the example I am setting and the risk of catching a food borne illness.

Well, I'm here to tell you this is one homemaker taking things into her own hands. I think it's time for a

LUNCH REVOLUTION!!!

Here is what we need to do:

• find a lunch box or basket you love! My little miss B and I found our cute one at the thrift store. It once was a stationary container


• Spruce it up. For miss B's box we used a cute vintage inspired valentine rub on. I considered a lunch basket with a closing wooden lid that I would have re-lined with a coral gingham and adorned with a ribbon on the handle.


• Plan out the lunch menu. Include old favorites (yes like pb&j) and new recipes. Flip through your cookbooks for forgotten favorites. Consider your favorite lunch spots' menus for inspiration.


• Don't neglect that sweet tooth. Is there a new cookie recipe you'd like to try? A treasured candy that brings back childhood memories? put those on the list as well.


• Be green. Skip the baggies and foil if possible. Use small plastic ware or jelly jars. Wrap candies in scrap paper. And dont forget your napkin! Ours is a vintage inspired hankie print. Miss B loved the hearts!