Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Last Sunday I cooked up a storm - Risotto, shortbread and soup! I loving cooking lots on Sunday's and having it through the beginning of the week when we absolutely do not feel like cooking.

This was a new recipe and certainly a new staple. It was so easy and tastes so amazing, you will definitely wow people with this one, just don't tell them how easy it is.


Crock-pot Chicken Noodle Soup



Ingredients
2 cups of carrots chopped
3 ribs of celery chopped
1 medium onion chopped
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
Ginger (fresh or dried)
900ml Chicken Soup Stock ( I added more)
1cup of white wine (if not using wine, add more stock)
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups cup egg noodles (I used whole wheat, egg white only and I added more)

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled

2-3 stocks fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)

1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)

1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

ngredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
• 2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled
• 2-3 stocks fresh rosemary
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)
• 1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)
• 1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.recipefavorite.com/2013/11/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup.html#sthash.bNZgWQHZ.dpuf

 Directions:Spray crock-pot with non stick cooking spray.
Put carrots, celery and onion in the bottom of crock-pot
Add rosemary, ginger and salt and pepper
Place chicken breasts on top
Pour in wine and chicken stock
Cook 4.5 hours on high or 7.5 hours on low
Remove chicken breasts, shred chicken with a fork and put it back in the crock-pot. Add noodles noodles and continue to cook to 30 mins.

Voila! This soup also freezes well if you want to make and store for another time.

 

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray.

 

 Add carrots, celery, onion, ginger and rosemary.

 

 Arrange chicken on top of vegetables.

 

 Add broth, wine (if using), salt and pepper.

 

 Cook on low for 8 hours.

 

 Remove chicken, shred with two forks and put back into pot.

 

 Add noodles and cook on high for 20-30 minutes.

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled

2-3 stocks fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)

1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)

1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled

2-3 stocks fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)

1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)

1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled

2-3 stocks fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)

1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)

1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled

2-3 stocks fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)

1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)

1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled

2-3 stocks fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)

1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)

1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled

2-3 stocks fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)

1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)

1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/maija-moments-canned-soup-mom/20121119/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup#sthash.mcgo8Of2.dpuf

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
• 2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled
• 2-3 stocks fresh rosemary
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)
• 1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)
• 1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.recipefavorite.com/2013/11/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup.html#sthash.bNZgWQHZ.dpuf

ngredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
• 2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled
• 2-3 stocks fresh rosemary
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)
• 1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)
• 1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.recipefavorite.com/2013/11/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup.html#sthash.bNZgWQHZ.dpuf

ngredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
• 2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled
• 2-3 stocks fresh rosemary
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)
• 1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)
• 1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.recipefavorite.com/2013/11/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup.html#sthash.bNZgWQHZ.dpuf

ngredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
• 2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled
• 2-3 stocks fresh rosemary
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)
• 1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)
• 1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.recipefavorite.com/2013/11/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup.html#sthash.bNZgWQHZ.dpuf

ngredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced (in large pieces so picky eaters can easily pick them out)
• 2 slices ginger (approx. 1/4 inch thick each), peeled
• 2-3 stocks fresh rosemary
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a few more because the club-sized package was on sale)
• 1 container low sodium chicken broth (approx: 900mL—if not using wine add additional broth)
• 1 cup white wine (Optional but highly recommended)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg noodles

- See more at: http://www.recipefavorite.com/2013/11/crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup.html#sthash.bNZgWQHZ.dpuf

Wedding Wednesday Update! 31 Days to go!

Here is my list as of today....31 days to go! Holy Moly! With all of the Christmas parties and things hitting at the same time I feel a bit overwhelmed, but I am trying to take it day by day. I also get overwhelmed with excitement thinking about everyone coming into town - Shalni, Zee, Nikey, Vikki...ahhh cannot wait!

Set a date Dec. 28 2013

Book Church
Book reception venue

Book photographer

Book videographer

Book music (Jeff's list)
Ask wedding party

                                                              Create wedding website see it here

Register 

Book florist

Buy wedding dress

Book ceremony musician

                                                                    Engagement Photos 
                                                         Engagement Party Invitations

Select & Order bridesmaid dresses
Select and order groom & groomsmen attire (Jeff bought a tux, must select groomsmen ASAP)
Select and order flower girl dresses 
Purchase veil and accessories for dress

Book cake baker

Cake Tasting  - going to be heavenly!
Buy cake knife & server Borrowing from my sister
Order save the dates
Finalize guest list

Send save the dates

Book officiant

Pre-marital counseling

Order guest book 
Hotel room blocks

Hire calligrapher  (Thank you Dad! - he did all the work:) 

Wedding  announcement

Find wedding shoes - cant wait to wear em!!

Find wedding jewelry    found too much now need to choose 

Find garter 

Book makeup artist & hair stylist

Menu tasting

Hair & make up trial *Makeup booked for November

1st dress fitting    It was finally my size-ish and soo exciting to see it come together!
2^nd dress fitting

Create/Order  ceremony programs

Order invitations    (one of my least favourite things to do)

Mail invitations 
Rehearsal dinner  not doing one
Book Bridesmaids Lunch
Wedding Favours - Going to do a donation

Book transportation (done, Jeff's List)

Buy bridal party gifts
Order gifts for parents
Gifts for flower girls and ring bearer

Bachelorette party- ahhh mazing

Bridal shower - so wonderful 
Bridal Shower Thankyou Notes -60 thankyou notes in 8 days im pretty proud of myself!

Purchase wedding bands - had to change my engagement ring as well can't wait to see them!!

Put together picture list for photographer *Started it

Get marriage license *started it

Book honeymoon (Jeff's List) So excited! We are going to Sandels in Antigua!

Music selections to band and ceremony artist

Order thank you notes

Wedding announcement
Seating Chart * started
Evening timeline for M/C
Write thank you speech

Walk down the aisle & say I do!

To die for (vegan) green pea risotto

Tonight I made Gwyneth Paltrow's green pea risotto. I love risotto and was over the moon to find one that contains no cheese or butter or wine (well okay let's be serious I'm okay with wine, but in this case it's in my glass instead of the pot...bonus) low fat risotto....she's a freaking genius! 

Ingredients 

1 quart vegetable stock 

1 lemon

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

Half a yellow onion finely chopped

1 leek finely diced ( I used 2 big leaves of bok Choy)

2 garlic cloves finely minced 

Thyme sprigs (6) I just used a bunch of dried

Pinch of coarse salt 

1 cup arborio rice

2 cups baby spinach 

1 cups English peas (or frozen peas) 

1/4 roughly chopped fresh basil

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Warm veg stock and set burner to low

Zest lemon and set aside. Juice lemon and set aside.

Heat olive oil in large heavy pot on high heat. Add onion and leek turn heat to medium, cook until vegetables soften. Add garlic and thyme and pinch of salt cook for two minutes. Turn heat to high add rice and lemon juice and cook until lemon juice is absorbed. Add a ladle of stock and stir until absorbed. Continue until all stock is used - about 20 minutes. Add lemon zest, peas, and spinach stir and serve immediately. 

Serves 4.

Enjoy!!

18 Things Everyone Should Make Time for Again

I saw this post and really loved it so I thought I would re post for all of you to ponder...

Original source here:

18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time for Again

NOV. 15, 2013

By BRIANNA WIEST

1. Writing things by hand. Letters to friends, lists for the store, goals for the week, notes for lovers, thank you cards and memos to coworkers. Digital communication is easy and convenient but ask anybody: there’s a huge difference between texting someone to say that you love them and hope they have a great day and writing it on a note and leaving it next to their bed.

2. Savoring time to do nothing. Taking a cue from pre-industrialized society and cultures that enjoy siestas and long, drawn-out, sit-down teas that serve no other purpose than to spend time enjoying the time you have.

3. Thinking before responding. We’ve become too conditioned to require things immediately. Someone asks a question, and we have to respond that second. Such was not the case before instant messaging and comment threads. A sign of true intelligence and confidence, I think, is someone who takes time to consider the question at hand in a little more depth, and then offers a response.

4. Cooking a nice meal just for the sake of doing so. It really trains you to defy your need for instant gratification and of course puts you in touch with something that’s very human and can be lovely if done right.

5. Getting really dressed up for no other reason than just wanting to.

6. Books. Actual hard copy books that you can scribble notes in and mark off sections of and smell ink through and hear the sound of turning pages and bending spines while you read.

7. Making phone calls to relatives for no other reason than to just say hi, and to ask how they’re doing.

8. Disconnecting from technology frequently enough that we won’t be anxious and feeling like we’re missing something when we try to do so for an extended period of time.

9. Celebrating things with long, multiple course dinners that we hold for people as opposed to just drinking ourselves into an oblivion and being belligerent (that has it’s time and place, of course, but having thoughtful, celebratory dinners is a dying art).

10. Cleaning because it’s satisfying and doing things like painting walls or getting fresh flowers just because it’s therapeutic.

11. Spending time with kids, and doing kid things with them. They just know what’s up.

12. Answering things in a timely fashion, not putting off invitations and requests just because we can.

13. Making sure relationships are actually based on time spent with one another. People seem to be sustaining them through only digital means with increasing frequency and I can understand how that’s important if it’s temporarily long distance but in general, physically being with people is the only thing that will give you that sense of human connectedness.

14. Just sitting and listening to music. We’ve made music background noise in our everyday lives, but now and again we should just sit and enjoy it like people used to.

15. Traveling by train, or if that’s not possible, at least exploring places that you pass everyday. Especially if you live in a big city, there are always little hidden gems around that you won’t believe you lived without seeing while they were a block away from you all along.

16. Putting personal health and well-being first, as it often falls to the wayside in importance. This means, aside from the obvious, taking those personal days and using them to just relax. We’ve made such a quirky commodity out of enjoying napping and relaxing, as though doing so makes us boring and old. It doesn’t, it’s healthy.

17. Planning something, especially with someone else, as simple as dinner or as grandiose as a long vacation next year. You always need something to look forward to.

18. Stopping to talk to people throughout the day. Connecting with them genuinely, as such interaction is really important but is becoming increasingly less common. Turning our phones off when out to dinner (who even turns them off anymore?) and learning to not spend all of our time documenting whatever we’re doing for social media. It often takes away from the experience itself. 

Happy Friday Everyone! I will post pics from the bachelorette as soon as I get my paws on them. In the mean time here is a teaser from my friend Jessica's sister.

Wedding Shower

Hello friends, Happy Monday (no this week its not an oxymoran!) I had a fantastic weekend! On Thursday night my aunts, cousin, mother, mother in law to be and sister hosted a cocktail wedding shower for me. It was so much fun, it was amazing to have all my friends, family and family to be all together.

My Aunt decorated her house in Christmas theme as that is the theme for our wedding (well winter wonderland) but anyways it was just stunning, definitely a good jump start into the Christmas season!

Everyone's generosity was overwhelming, Jeff and I receieved so many beautiful things for the house...soon to be "our" house! Side note: after we brought all the presents into the house and it looked like we just moved in Jeff turns to me and says "wow a wedding shower really prepares a woman to be a housewife." With all kitchen cooking and baking stuff it would certainly seem that way...and I am totally good with that (you should see all my fun new baking tools!)

Croquembouche

The Amazing ladies that hosted the shower

My Mom and I

Some of my BM's

Grandma and granddaughters :)

Family

After a fun game where they read me the 1955 rules for being a good wife...let's just say I am sure glad I wasn't getting married then!

Jeff registered for this and was so excited we got it. It was from our beautiful flower girl Claire.

Instead of giving cards everyone was asked to give an ornament it was so nice! I am very excited as we don't have any special ornaments and now we have ones chosen by our closest friends that are so beautiful!!

Thank you again to all these wonderful ladies!! Tomorrow I will post about the bachelorette party. All I can say is that it was amazing and as a teaser the theme was Bride is the New Black (based off of Orange is the New Black)

xoxo

Butternut Coconut Crockpot Curry

Good Morning, happy Monday!

You know what Monday means? It means yesterday was Crockpot Sunday. As the weather is getting colder and wedding plans are getting crazier the crockpot has become our best friend. Last week we got 3 days out of our chili! This weeks challenge: crockpot curry.

I found the following recipe, flew through the grocery store, threw things in the pot and voila!
I decided to add chicken and more of all the other ingredient as well...I have a hungry man to feed!



Ingredients: 

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder (add a little more) 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (add more and pepper to taste as well)
• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2-1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable broth (I probably added 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (I added 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup uncooked basmati or jasmine rice (once everything was cooked I added 2 cups of cooked rice)
  
  1 lb boneless, skinless chicken chopped into big chunks

Directions

1. In a large skillet, saute carrots and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add the brown sugar, curry, garlic, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
2. In a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the butternut squash, broth, coconut milk, rice, carrot mixture and raw chicken chunks. Stir and cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until rice is tender. Yield: 9 servings.
   *note squash melts into sauce so don't worry if sauce seems runny while it is cooking*

After scarfing down his bowl last night Jeff said, "you should totally blog about this, tell them how satisfied your man was!" haha so there you go, it got his stamp of approval! 

On another note...This is a very exciting week as today I finalize wedding catering, tomorrow finalize music and then onto the fun stuff, Thursday is my wedding shower and Saturday is my bachelorette party! I think it is all going to start feeling real now :)  ahh I cannot wait! I am also very lucky my maid of honor Nikey is coming to town to help celebrate this week! woo :)