Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Now that fall is setting in, it is time for soup. This is a freshly concocted recipe for some chicken noodle soup that turned out really well. I wanted some soup and had a lot of things on hand and just threw it all together and tested it on the family. It went over well. I made a creamy version, but you can leave out the cream of chicken soup and just have it with a chicken broth if you want.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

8 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup (optional, it just makes it a creamy chicken soup)
1 cup frozen peas
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 can corn
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp parsley flakes, or fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp dried basil leaves, or fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
* 1 tsp salt, only if using low sodium chicken broth or you can salt your soup to taste when served
6 oz pasta (can use small egg noodles, vermicelli, small shells, or elbow macaroni; those are my recommendations anyway, I used vermicelli in my soup)

Combine all ingredients in crock pot except for pasta and turn it on low for 8-10 hours. In the last hour of cooking, add pasta.

If you want to freeze this soup, just put it into plastic freezer containers and label with the date and freeze. It will keep in the freezer for 3 months. Then to reheat, just put frozen soup in a saucepan, turn on the heat to low and wait until it is hot.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

This is a dessert that is easy to make, but it does take some time to bake. But, it is so yummy with a bit of whipped cream. You can freeze this into individual portions but it does have to be refrigerated. I also will include directions at the bottom if you do not have a springform pan, it is very easy to make in a 13x9" baking dish. In this recipe, I used fresh pumpkin since I felt ambitious and bought sugar pumpkins but it is also just as good using canned pumpkin. I found this recipe in my Fall 2006 issue of Kraft Food and Family magazine of which I subscribe to and it comes in my mailbox every season. If you have not already, get this subscription. It is free and has many many wonderful recipes and you can subscribe at Kraft Food and Family Magazine and Email subscription. You can opt for email recipes or just sign up for the Kraft Food and Family Magazine.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Crust:
25 Nabisco Ginger Snaps Cookies, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Pumpkin Filling:
4 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin (directions for fresh pumpkin are as follows below)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves (I used 1/8 tsp)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 if using a dark pan). Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans, and melted butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9 inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 1/2 cups batter and set aside in a small bowl. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for the swirl effect.

Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely and remove springform pan sides. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, cut into 16 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Notes:
- If you do not have a springform pan, you can use a 13x9 inch baking dish. Line with foil and extend the foil over the edges. Prepare as directed, reduce baking time to 45 minutes or until center is almost set.
- You can use 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers in the place of ginger snap cookies.
- You can use fresh pumpkin instead of canned. It is a bit more work but it can be done. To do this, get one pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (they are small, cut them in half after removing stem, take out seeds, bake flesh side down in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours and then cool. Spoon out cooked pumpkin from skin and puree in blender or food processor until smooth, use as you would use canned pumpkin. Refrigerate any leftover pumpkin and it will keep in refrigerator for 5 days.

Pumpkin Muffins

A very good friend of mine gave me this recipe for pumpkin muffins with a few variations. This is a great muffin for snack or breakfast during the fall weather. Picture this muffin with your morning coffee. It is yummy warmed up with a bit of butter or honey on it.



Pumpkin Muffins

1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
3 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or place paper liners in muffin tin. Cream butter (or margarine) and sugar until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin and eggs. Mix in milk. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in pumpkin mixture. Add raisins. Mix just until dry ingredients are moist. Spoon into muffin tins and bake 20 minutes. Insert toothpick into center and it is done when it comes out clean.

NOTES:
- DO NOT over mix, if this happens you get tunnels in your muffins and they become very dry and tough. Mix just until dry ingredients are moist, and then stop stirring. It may look like there are lumps of dry ingredients but it will even out in the oven.
- If you use fresh pumpkin, I suggest getting what is called a sugar pumpkin (they are smaller then traditional pumpkins and usually made into pies and other dishes) and then either steam it or bake in the oven until it is fork tender and then cool and mash to use in recipes. It does make the dish taste much better despite the fact that canned pumpkin is much more convenient; it just becomes a toss-up whether you have the time or the desire to use fresh pumpkin as it is a bit time consuming preparing it for the recipes.

VARIATIONS:
- You can substitute finely chopped carrots or zucchini for the pumpkin for a different flavor of muffin or if you do not have pumpkin available.
- For a nutty struesel topping: Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, and 1/4 cup chopped nuts. Mix until mealy and then put on top of muffin batter in tins before baking and bake as directed.
- Maple Oat Topping: Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 cup rolled oats in a bowl until mealy. Top muffin batter with topping before baking and bake as directed.

Caramel Sauce

I had a great request from one of our friends in India in regards to the Banana French Toast... and I quote from her comment:

"But I also have another question how in heavens does one make caramel sauce? In India, one has to make everything, not much comes out of a packet or a tin and even if it does, it tastes quite nasty, and the thought of hunting down caramel sauce is far too exhausting, it's quicker to just make it oneself, so please tell me a recipe for caramel sauce."

Ok Madhavi, here is a great recipe which I use when I actually have the time to make my own caramel sauce (usually during the holidays, it makes a great gift in a jar for caramel lovers also). This is a great recipe and very easy and even has microwave directions for those who want to save time during this busy holiday season. I am sorry about no picture, but I haven't made any yet but it is on my list.

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup light cream
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 Tbsp margarine or butter (I prefer to use butter because it gives it a better flavor)
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in 1/4 cup water. Stir in cream and corn syrup. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, stir in margarine or butter and vanilla. Serve warm over the Banana Pecan French Toast.

Microwave Directions:
In a 2 cup measure, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in 1/4 cup water, then cream and then corn syrup. Micro-cook, uncovered 100% power (high) for 2-3 minutes or till bubbly, stirring every minute till slightly thickened, then every 30 seconds. Stir in margarine or butter and vanilla. Serve as above.

Notes:
- This is also a great sauce over ice cream or other desserts
- Makes a great gift in a jar for anyone who loves caramel