My Mothers Chicken Noodle Soup...Organic Version!

I grew up in Minnesota where the winters are brutal and soups were an essential part of growing up when I came in from the cold. My mother had a variety of soups she made: split pea, ham and bean, and her resident favorite, chicken noodle! I loved it and always craved it - even when I moved away. However, her secret ingredient was Wyler's Bouillon Cubes. Now I am sure they are fine for some people (and the broth was good) but I looked on the back of the jar a few years ago and didn't recognize a single ingredient! It was all a bunch of chemicals. Since then I have been on a journey to create my own chicken noodle soup broth.  To be honest, I have seriously struggled with flavor when using a chicken carcus.  The flavor just wasn't there...something was missing and no, it wasn't the sodium.  Plus sometimes you just want chicken noodle soup fast...let's face it!
Recently, at Whole Foods I discovered Organic Better then Bouillon Chicken Base and it is great!!! I recognize all the ingredients and the only slightly bad one is Maltodextrin. I found this great website on Maltodextrin for you to check out and decide for yourself. However, for me it was such a sweet find! I really enjoy that there is something out there for quick and easy chicken noodle soup or whatever and whenever else you need to add some chicken base.

Mothers Chicken Noodle Soup:

• 1lbs of sliced carrots! Yes I said it and sometimes I add more. I love carrots in my soup
• Diced onion. I use about 1/2 a medium sweet onion
• 2 or 4 sliced celery stalks
• Better the Bouillon Chicken Base (I just used what it told me to on the back of the jar)
• In the winter I always make either Chicken Tortilla Soup or Chicken Noodle with the left over chicken from when I do a slow cooked chicken.
• Pepper to taste
• Parsley

I am just letting the whole mess slow cook all day until the carrots are tender. You can use whichever noodles you prefer. Here are my mothers favorite: 

Mrs. Weiss' Kluski Noodles





and Jeremy and I recently purchased Manischewitz Noodles!

So now you can enjoy fast chicken noodle soup without all the guilt.  Especially if you don't want to take the time to prepare stock from scratch, because let's face it...we have busy lives!

Peace and Love

SAVE THE BEES!!!!

There is a serious epidemic going on in our world and it is the Vanishing of the Bee's! I have been aware of this for the past few years and in landscaping my yard I have been very careful about planting bee friendly plants.  I am also very protective of them when it comes to my dog because she likes to eat them and that is NOT okay. I never swat at them or try to kill them as there is this respect I have for them and what they give us and how hard they work.

I recently watched the movie, Vanishing of the Bees and it was amazing! Jeremy and I watched this together and it was if we were studying for the course of our lives. Bee's are a vital part of our civilization. Without them, we would not have food and they keep our plants growing and thriving through their cross pollination. So it is very important to find out why they have been disappearing. There was a lot of scenarios out there but after watching this movie and hearing different perspectives, I truly do believe their conclusion.

The movie has interviews from beekeepers, scientists and food (yes my man Michael Pollan was part of this movie) and environmental experts from around the world, Katerva nominee “Vanishing of the Bees” not only uncovers the story of the Colony Collapse Disorder phenomenon, but also brings to light its consequences and a platform of everyday solutions, such as monoculture planting and the use of chemicals in our agricultural industry.

If you have Netflix it is free to stream! If you don't I would HIGHLY recommend spending the $3.99 for the pay per view screening.

I will leave you with some memorable quotes from the movie...

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead 


Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money. – Cree Indian Proverb

It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense; it would be without meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure. - Albert Einstein 

Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field. - Dwight David Eisenhower

Peace and Love