These last few weeks when the weather and the leaves have been changing, I’ve been all about soups and stews! And this weekend I really went back to the basics with this chicken noodle soup and homemade chicken broth.
You don’t need me to tell you about the wonderfulness of homemade chicken noodle soup. It’s said to cure everything from the common cold to fallen arches. All I know is that it’s powerfully good stuff. And it’s so easy to make. I like to make it with a homemade chicken stock, but you don’t have to do that. As a matter of fact, you could make this soup in less than 30 minutes with leftover chicken and canned, store-bought broth. It won’t have the “love factor” that the homemade broth carries, but it will taste pretty good. Store bought broths have come a long way in the last few years, but I still like making my own when I have time, so I’m including my recipe for the stock along with the soup.
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This bread fits my family perfectly. We’re all either bananas or nuts. Really. A family get-together with all of us is like being in the middle of a comedy show. I have the two most adorable, entertaining granchildren you could imagine. They are always saying or doing something hilarious. For example, today Mag, the three-year-old, said to her Mama that she wanted to watch “I’m a single lettuce.” Translation (all the) Single Ladies. Bananas, I’m telling you. Every one of us.
Banana Nut Bread is quite a versatile thing. It’s great for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee. It’s a good afternoon snack with a cup of tea. I also serve it occasionally for dessert with some sweetened, whipped cream cheese. One of my favorite old restaurants which is now, sadly, out of business always served a slice of banana nut bread with their chicken salad and fresh fruit plate. A fantastic combination.
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I rarely fry foods these days. After all, it makes a big mess on the stove, the whole house smells for days afterwards, and it’s not all that healthy. However, once in a while, I just have to open up some windows, put on a big apron and fry up a batch of country fried steak. It’s another good old southern comfort classic. How many times have I seen my Mama cook this? It was a staple on our dinner table when I was growing up. Of course, Daddy always had cows on the farm so we always had beef in the freezer (pork, too). Nowadays I get all my beef from the grocery store. Too bad those local sources are so scarce now.
I know that there are folks who would call this “chicken fried steak.” Now, I’m no culinary expert, but I believe there is a difference. In my opinion chicken fried steak is the dish where the steak is dipped in an egg or egg and milk mixture before flouring and frying. Country fried steak skips the dipping step and simply dredges a well-seasoned piece of cubed steak in flour and then straight into hot oil.
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