Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Vegetables with Ham and Orange Salad !

Chicken soup has been a go to for years. There's a reason for that! Actually, it's the vegetables that are added that enhance the flavor of the soup while adding much needed nutrients. Any of these vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, corn, lima beans, mushrooms, green peas and sweet potatoes, just to name a few, are what gives chicken soup vitamins A and C plus some iron and other minerals. That's why you always feel a little better after you eat it. Plus it is a major comfort food on a cold night in front of a nice fire.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Vegetables Recipe

2 1/2 pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut up

1 quart water

4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices, about 2 cups

4 medium stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch slices, about 2 cups

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups uncooked thin egg noodles

Heat all ingredients except noodles to boiling in a 4 quart Dutch Oven, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until chicken is done, about 45 minutes. Skim fat off of the top if necessary.

Cook noodles as directed on package. Remove chicken from broth and cool slightly. Remove chicken from bones and skin and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add chicken and noodles to broth. Heat until hot, about 5 minutes.

Makes 8 servings, about 1 cup each

Ham and Orange Salad Recipe ( you can also use cantalope if preferred)

1 clove garlic cut into halves

2 cups diced, fully cooked smoked ham

2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced, about a cup

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 can, 11 oz, mandarin orange segments, drained

1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 tbsp half and half

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 tsp pepper

Rub salad bowl with garlic. Mix ham, celery, walnuts, onions and orange segments. Cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving mix remaining ingredients, pour on ham mixture and toss. Garnish with some watercress or snipped mint leaves if you'd like.

Makes about 5 servings

This recipe down below for the Chicken Noodle Vegetable Soup may be even easier plus, there are easy instructions to follow. This one may be a little bit different as everyone has different techniques and tastes.

There are certain things to look out for when you are buying chicken, cut up or whole. Color, freshness and so on. The color should not be dull or dark. Also look at the freshness date. Never buy chicken that's marked down to a cheaper price even if it looks nice and pink. Chances are they have injected it with a preservative to give it that color to sell it quickly which, goes against the USDA grade A rules. You could wind up in the hospital or worse, your kids!

How To Buy Chicken and What to Look Out For! Watch this very informative video before you buy your chicken.

Okay, let's talk about fresh produce or vegetables. Growers sometimes use insecticides while the produce is growing to keep bugs away. So that's why it is always a good idea and should always be a habit to wash your fruits and veggies before you cook with them. They do make a wash agent now that you mix with water that is perfectly safe and better than just water to wash your produce to insure that you get all of the pesticides off of your fresh produce. After all, better safe than sorry.

EGG NOODLES!

This is what makes this soup even more comforting. Like when you have a really nice pillow for your bed. It just makes you want to snuggle with it.

There are certainly different sizes of egg noodles. Just because a recipe calls for a certain size doesn't mean you can't use a different one of your liking.

If you are interested in making your own noodles, this nifty little video down below is very informative and easy. Making pasta has always been a bit intimidating for some people but, I think with this one you will be pleasantly surprised and motivated. Keep in mind, though, there is absolutely nothing wrong with packaged egg noodles as long as you pay attention to the labels.

Mandarin oranges have many health benefits and they are just the right size for snacking, salads, lunches and vitamin and antioxident benefits as well. They also are grown and processed through many harvesting plants around the world so, when you purchase them, don't be surprised if the ones you buy come from countries such as Spain and other places besides China or other Eastern countries.

However, Mandarins have a cultural history of royalty because of their rich orange color. They were served only to royals of high places because the robes they wore where of this high quality and rich Mandarin color. These people were actually called "Mandarin" because of this.

Like any other fruit you need to be very selective in your choosing. Take the time to examine what you are getting ready to buy. Look at the color. If it is faded, has scares or holes that means that various pests have feasted on it and that affects more than just the outside peel. The actual inside of the fruit has been compromised and it will not have the sweet delectable flavor that it is suppose to. Mandarins cost a little more because they are a selective breed of orange that goes back at least hundreds of years ago and it doesn't take much to ruin a crop and sometimes you can't get them during certain times of the year, depending on where you live.

Health Benefits of Mandarins from a Pharmacist down below.

If you are new to buying ham you're probably not alone. I'm not saying that you have to run out and buy a whole ham just to make a salad. You can also use ham luncheon meat as well. But, just the same if you're not experienced in the art of buying ham then this video should come in pretty handy. Watch it especially, before you try to go pick out a small ham. I always thought that this was a "Mickey Mouse" task until i just zoomed in to the store to pick up a ham like it was a bag of potatoes. There are several different kinds and sizes of hams depending on what you are planning on doing with them. So, listen up and learn something that I had always taken for granted. It will save you some time!

Mayonnaise and Salad Dressings are two different things. They both , each taste very different. A lot of recipes that call for mayonnaise will also give you the option to use salad dressing. But, they mean the closest thing to mayonnaise. One popular brand is "Miracle Whip". I grew up on the stuff. It's okay but, it doesn't have the rich taste that mayonnaise has plus, it's always less expensive than mayonnaise. Look at the ingredient label at the store for both of these items and compare and you will see. Mayonnaise is really better taste wise and probably better for you as well.

Down below is a wonderful video that shows you how to make you're own mayonnaise, very simple, even if you don't have a food processor! Only a few ingredients, it's just in the way you blend it. Have a look and enjoy.

All of these things that are simple like, a good bowl of soup or a nice salad, are what makes life all that much richer. Sharing it with loved ones or a special someone makes it even better, In these times around us be sure to treasure the meal moments with your loved ones. These are the memories that fly by way too fast so, slow them down a bit and savor them.