It's the second full week of school.  I've already forgotten what it was like to leave my watch off and let the day pass.  I've already forgotten what it was like to have saturday to stay in pj's and watch movies if we wanted to.  AND.  We've already gotten colds, sore throats, runny nose, coughing... the whole lot.
As much as I hate to admit it, this chicken soup thing has something goin' on.  My experiences with chicken noodle soup have been few and far between.  They've also been particularly unpleasant.  I will easily admit to someone that life is too short to spend it eating tasteless things like chicken broth/noodle soup.

However, I will also admit that it's damn good for helping you feel better when you are suffering with a cold.  I don't even know why exactly.  It's probably all the veggies in it and the fact that it's hot.  Either way, there it is.  Chicken Noodle Soup is somehow soothing.
So with two kiddies coughing and sniffling through the day I decided to do something positive for them and get some homemade soup into their bellies.


Problem is I don't really know what the a*s I'm doing.  How hard can it be right.  Broth.  Chicken.  Veggies.  Noodles.  How do I keep the noodles from getting goopy and gross?  Use egg noodles.  I got this ridiculously huge bulb of garlic in this weeks food box.


Seriously, one of these puppies is like 3 regular ones.  I had to cut it up just to get it in the press!  Also, I thought that sauteing the veggies for a bit might help the flavour a little bit.  And you know what?  It kinda did make a difference.  I can see why this roasted veg soup thing is a hit.  I get it now people.  Doesn't take me long.
At the end of the day, we had some nice chicken noodle soup nice and warm in the bowl.



Chicken Noodle Soup
makes 8 - 10 cups

5 chicken legs (let's say 3 lbs?)
2 tbsp of oil
3 small to medium carrots, diced small
3 small to medium potatoes, diced small
1 onion, diced small
1 big, stupid huge garlic clove or 3 regular sized cloves, crushed or minced
2 cups broad egg noodles
3 bouillion cubes (which is all I had this time) plus 8 cups of water OR 8 cups of broth
1/2 cup mixed herbs, diced (I left a whole rosemary sprig and marjoram branch in too)
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
lick or two of cream (optional)

Heat a large soup pot (dutch oven) over medium heat.  Add the oil and lightly saute the onion, carrot and potato for about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and the chicken legs and cook with the veggies.  I sauteed everything until the chicken began to look like the outside was getting cooked.  I then took out the chicken and sliced it off the bones.  I put the bones back in though while the soup was simmering (Yum).  Once the chicken is off the bone and the veggies are looking cooked I added the stock/bouillion-water (could easily use some wine here folks), Worcestershire, Bay leaves and let that simmer for about 10 minutes.  Then add in the herbs, check the taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Simmer for another hour or so.  Add a little cream into the soup if you want or add a little in the bowl when you serve it.