Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup by SUSIE!

With as busy as I have been for the past several days, I'm surprised I'm still alive. For that matter, I'm surprised my kids are still alive on the kind of *garbage* food they've probably been eating. I hate it when life gets too busy to cook. I had plans to clean the house and make a nice dinner tonight, neither of which now (at 4pm) are likely to materialize. So, how grateful am I for my super sister-in-law Susie for sending me a recipe???!!! And one that we ALL need at this time of year, whether or not our families have the flu (believe me, I've already been through it twice in the last 6 weeks!).

Before I post Susie's recipe, though, I want to make sure y'all have a link to her blog (I didn't ask, Sus, I hope this is okay!). She is a fellow English major and stay-at-home mom, who has recently taken up her pen and started writing again. She'll be published in the Ensign soon and has already been published in the online version of the "Wasatch Woman" magazines. Her writing is flawless, funny, and unforgettable. Look her up!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

from Susie Angerbauer

Susie Says: "I never even considered making homemade chicken noodle soup until last year, when I tried this on a whim. Can I just say . . . YUM! All of the kids love it and ask for seconds. I don't think it would be the same without the homemade noodles, so I highly recommend making them - they're way easier than I ever thought they would be."

1 whole chicken or 4 to 5 bone-in chicken breasts

2 to 3 quarts water

1 large onion, quartered

3 celery stalks, quartered

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 to 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon thyme

2 carrots, thinly sliced

Frozen peas, chopped broccoli, frozen corn, sliced mushrooms (all optional)

Homemade noodles or 1 (8 oz) pkg noodles

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, put chicken, water, onion, celery, parsley, bouillon, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Remove chicken from broth. Strain broth and skim fat. Return broth to pot.

Remove chicken from bones and add to broth. Add carrots, celery, and other vegetables as desired. Bring to a boil again; reduce heat. Add packaged or homemade noodles. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and noodles are cooked.

Noodles

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl, making a well in the center. Mix together milk and egg in a small bowl. Pour into flour well. Stir until mixture forms a dough. Knead on a floured surface 8 to 10 times. Roll very thin. Let stand 20 minutes. (Can let dry 2 hours before cooking.) Cut into 1-inch strips, as wide as desired (pizza cutter works great). Drop into boiling broth.