Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

* 2-3 lbs chicken (thighs and drumsticks, skin on and bone in)
* 1/2 lb of carrot chips or sliced carrots
* 4 stalks celery, halved
* 1/2 large onion, halved
* 2 bay leaves
* water to cover
* salt and pepper to taste
* Egg noodles

Directions

1. Put the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken meat falls off of the bones (skim off foam every so often). (It took about hour and 20 minutes to cook, when we did it.) When soup has about 10 minutes left to simmer, cook noddles according to directions.
2. Take everything out of the pot. Strain the broth. Pick the meat off of the bones and chop the carrots, celery and onion. Season the broth with salt, pepper to taste. Return the chicken, carrots, celery and onion to the pot, stir together.
3. Serve with egg noodles.

Pizza Crackers

These are so delicious and simple! These will be perfect for a party or just for a snack.

You will need:
Ritz crackers
Pepperoni (I always use Turkey Pepperoni)
Cheese of Your Choice (I used Pepperjack this time and it was great. Of course, Cheddar is perfect, too!)

Here are the extremely easy directions:
Place cracker on plate. Layer cheese and pepperonis on top. Heat in microwave for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

How to Cook the Best Hot Dog

This might be silly to post, but I know somebody out there is like me and will want to know. Several months ago, I wanted to cook a really good hot dog. I didn't know how though! I had only cooked hot dogs on the grill or in the microwave. Those hot dogs just didn't have the taste that I wanted, so I turned to the internet. I found a site that I can't remember anymore that said this was the best way to cook a hot dog. So, I tried it. They were right. It is the best.

It's easy peasy, too! But maybe you are smarter than me and know how to do this already! If not, read on!

Get a skillet and just fill it up a little bit with water (not half way). Turn your stove on medium high to high. Put the hot dog in. Let cook until the water has cooked out of the skillet. This will let the hot dog become steamed and plump. Once the water is gone, let it cook a few seconds longer in the skillet to get browned. And that's it! The best tasting hot dog you will ever have! I promise!

Southwestern Chicken Sandwiches

You will need:
4 skinned and boned chicken breasts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded Mexican four cheese blend
1/3 cup mayonnaise
4 French bread slices, toasted or just use buns like I did!

1. Place chicken between two sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap, adn flattern to 1/2 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

2. Stir together cilantro and next 4 ingredients. Spread on chicken.

3. Grill, covered with lid, over medium high heat 8 to 10 minuteson each side or until chicken is done. (Or cook in the skillet, like I did!)

4. Meanwhile, stir together cheese and mayonnaise. Spread on bread slices. Place bread, cheese mixture side up, on a baking sheet. Broil 6 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

5. Place chicken on bread. I served with fries and black beans mixed with chopped onions and sour cream (not pictured).

Snack Crackers

These are so yummy! Perfect for a party!
You will need:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (1-ounce) envelope Ranch dressing mix
1 (10-ounce) package oyster crackers
1/2 (10-ounce) package bite-size Cheddar cheese crackers (2 cups)

1. Whisk together oil and dressing mix in large bowl.

2. Add crackers, tossing to coat.

3. Spread mixture in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes.

5. Let cool in a single layer on wax paper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy!!!