homemade chicken noodle soup . . .

a yummy, warm treat for these cold winter evenings . . .

This is, by far, one of my kids favorite things during these winter months. We've usually always got some around to eat & it's a perfect meal to pack in the girl's thermos' for school lunches.

It's a a mixture of a few recipes I've tried & I've tweaked it to my liking; that's the beauty of soups! I'm not saying that it's the healthiest meal in the world, but it's not just poured out of can & warmed up, which in my mind, makes me feel a little better.

1 bag no-yolk egg noodles

10 C H20

5 bouillon chicken cubes

3 bl/sl chicken breast; cooked & chopped 

{or if you're running short on time or just lazy 2 cans all white cooked chicken; drained & shredded}

1 sm. can cream of chicken soup

salt, pepper & onion powder to taste

chopped carrots {optional}

Bring H20 to boil; add noodles - stirring occasionally until soft

Add all remaining ingredients & simmer.

I usually let mine sit at least 30 mins or so {always remember to stir} to let the flavors mix well.

That's it. You're done. So easy.

It keeps well in the fridge for a few days & like I said is a great school lunch! 

Haven't tried freezing it yet, so if anyone does, please let me know.

enjoy!

easy apple crisp . . .

I first tried this recipe last fall from Courtney@StoringUpTreasures - but since she is no longer blogging, I figured I'd share this easy you're gonna wanna make it everyday like I did for 2 weeks apple crisp. It really is so easy & more than likely, you've got all the ingredients to make it already in your pantry.

First, you gotta find little hands to help gather up 6-8 apples (a few more if you'd like & make sure they're good baking apples) . . .

Second & worst part: peeling your apples . . . unless you're cool like me & your mom 

gives you an apple peeler contraption . . . 

While the apple peeler is doing it's thing, mix the following ingredients into a large bowl:

1/2 C butter;melted

3/4 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C sugar

1 C quick oats

2 tsp. lemon juice {I substitue apple juice if I'm out of lemon}

1-11/2 tsp. cinnamon

After you've peeled & sliced your apples, place them in a casserole baking dish & pour your above mixture over top.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes & enjoy the smell of fall as it fills your kitchen.

This is a great dessert, after school treat or just for the heck of it snack. And if we're really feeling wild, we'll add a few scoops of vanilla bean ice cream on top.

enjoy!