Chicken Noodle Soup

It's finally cooling off enough here in Arizona, and we've been enjoying a lot of soup at our house lately. All of us came down with the flu a few weeks ago, so when we were feeling better, my husband said he felt like some homemade chicken noodle soup. I searched the internet for a recipe, and oh. my. goodness. This one is perfection.

The only thing I really changed was the size I cut my veggies. I really wanted it to cook quickly, so I diced the carrots instead of slicing them into 1/2 inch pieces like the recipe called for. That really cut down on the cooking time and would have this soup ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish. Oh, and I made my own noodles. If you're looking for a super quick meal, don't make your own noodles. :) But it sure tasted extra yummy that way!

For the chicken, I just cooked it in a few tablespoons of butter and seasoned each side with salt, pepper and thyme. I took it off the grill when it was still slightly pink so it would finish cooking in the soup and would stay super juicy and moist.

It was so hearty and comforting and yummy. I got a big, fat kiss from my hubby when he was done scarfing down his bowl, which is a sure sign that it was a hit. :) So a huge thank you to Tyler Florence from FoodNetwork for this fantastic recipe! It's definitely a new family favorite that we'll make all the time.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 tablespoon dried thyme (or you can use 4 sprigs fresh)
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock (see our conversion chart on the left hand side!)
8 ounces egg noodles (or you can use 1 recipe homemade noodles)
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 handful parsley, finely chopped

In a large soup pot, cook onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf in olive oil over medium heat. Saute for about 6 minutes, until vegetables are soft but not browned.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Then fold in chicken and simmer for another 5-7 minutes. Top each serving with chopped parsley. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving! :)

Four Simple Keys to a Fuller Life

1. What’s Best for All

The Power of Choice. Every one of us makes countless choices every day. Every choice we make has an impact on our lives. Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel. When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food. The more important the decision, the more profound its effect. For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way.

How Do You Make Choices? If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for all around you. This foundation is to choose based on what’s best for all. Imagine a world where every parent, spouse, friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what’s best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world.

It’s the Intention. “But how do I know what is really best?” you might ask. The answer is simple. It doesn’t matter. What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice. What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what’s best for all. If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there’s no need for guilt. Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what’s best for all, your conscience stays clear and open. This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind.

What’s Best for Me, Too! Choosing what’s best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others. An overly exhausted mother can lose her temper easily. Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children. So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what’s best for all.

2. Divine Guidance

Many Meanings for Divine. Guidance can come from many sources. Yet by opening to guidance from the divine, we open to the support of powerful forces greater than ourselves. The divine has different meanings for different people...

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