Dinner: Chicken, Cheese & Leek Jalousie

This week for dinner I made a Chicken, Cheese and Leek Jalousie.

If you are like me I had never heard of a Jalousie before. But ... it sure looked good in my recipe book!

This recipe is from: The Every Day CHICKEN Cookbook.

Here's a photo of the end product! Yummy

Okay, first thing's first. Get out the puff pastry (start defrosting), recipe book and your leeks.


Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 chicken roasted and chopped (or 2-3 chicken breasts)
2 large leeks, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
3 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms
1 cup cream cheese
1 rind of lemon
3 tbs parsley
1 package puff pastry (2 blocks)
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper

Step 1: Saute' leeks and garlic in butter for 10 minutes

-For a great "how to" video on how to clean and chop leeks go HERE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm6XGDwjJQA

I had never cooked with leeks before and I was surprised at how easy it was to clean and prepare them!

Step 2: Stack the unrolled blocks of pastry on top of each other and roll out on a floured work surface. They should roll out to approximately 14x10 inches.

TIP- Try to roll out the right size! I could have rolled mine out a little more than they are pictured below.

Step 3: Combine a cooled leek, garlic and mushroom mixture to the chicken. Add cream cheese, lemon rind, parsley and salt and pepper

Step 4: Spoon the filling onto the pastry, leaving a generous 3-4 inches on each side as well as the top and bottom.



Step 5: Cut the pastry diagonally upwards at 3/4 inch intervals at the sides of the filling like this.




Step 6: Brush the edges of pastry with the beaten egg. Pull pastry strips across the chicken mixture and braid the pastry by alternating sides. Seal the top and bottom edges.


Step 7: Glaze the top with beaten egg. Allow to rest a few minutes while the oven heats to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. Then, reduce temperature to 375 and bake for another 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.



Allow pastry to sit for about 10 minutes and then slice and serve!


THE FEEDBACK: 8 out of 10!


Tips: We really enjoyed this but would tweak the ingredients a bit next time.

First, the recipe called for mushrooms which I did not have on hand. I would include mushrooms next time for sure.
Second, I would go easy on both the leeks and the cream cheese next time. The cream cheese flavor seemed to overpower the other ingredients so I would probably use only 1/4 block or none at all. The leeks could also be cut down significantly.
Third, I think we would experiment with a number of "pizza" types of ingredients and cheese!

Linking up:
I Heart Naptime

Dinner: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Tonight for dinner we made Homemade Macaroni and Cheese in our pressure cooker!

If you don't have a pressure cooker, just cook the noodles and add the cheese at the end. I'm sure it will end up tasting the same.

The recipe is found in the Bob Warden's Slow Food Fast Cookbook. You can purchase it online at QVC (http://www.qvc.com/)


MACARONI
2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
2 teaspoons chicken base mixed into 2 cups water
(I just used 2 cups chicken broth that I had on hand)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

CHEESE
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 of a regular sized block)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1. Add all macaroni ingredients to pressure cooker, securely lock on lid and set the cooker to high and cook for 6 minutes

2. Perform a quick release to release the pressure. Safely remove lid and slowly stir in cheese ingredients until melted and serve immediately.

THE FEEDBACK: 10 out of 10!

We all thought this recipe tasted really good - 100% times better than packaged Mac n' Cheese!

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Creamy Celery and Potato Soup!

Pressure Cooker Soup!

Tonight we had Creamy Celery and Potato Soup.

It was very good and took FIVE MINUTES in the pressure cooker. How cool is that?

Here is the recipe:
(found in Recipes for the Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Joanna White)

2 tbs butter
2 1/2 cups diced celery
1 cup diced onion
3 medium potatoes, diced
4 cups water
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp dried thyme, optional
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Heat butter in the pressure cooker over high heat and saute' celery and onions until soft.
2. Add remaining ingredients, except heavy cream, and bring to a boil.
3. Seal cooker, bring up to a high pressure and cook for 5 minutes
4. Remove cooker from heat and release pressure. ( I just released pressure on mine and turned off the unit)
5. Add cream and just heat through over low heat, do not boil.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning

THE FEEDBACK: 9 out of 10! SOUPer Yummy!

KID-mo does not appreciate potatoes and even he ate some of the soup!
(It did take an hour for him to eat about 10 spoon fulls however!)

Zaycon: 40 lbs of Bulk Chicken

A couple weeks ago a woman in my LDS Ward sent out an announcement about a company called Zaycon Foods.

They are a company that helps family save money on high quality food products by buying large quantities of food in bulk and selling them locally to families like US!

Last week I purchased 40 lbs of bulk 100% natural chicken from Zaycon foods.
The whole process was easy.

First, you go to the website HERE, register and find a location near you.
Second, you pick your selections and pay online.
Third, on your pick up date you arrive at your location which might look something like this:


Look for the nifty Zaycon signs to alert you where to enter....


Drive around to the pick up site, show your receipt and wait in line (inside your car!) until it's your turn.

When it is your turn, the nice volunteers load the chicken into your car for you.

I did all this while Kid-Mo (age 4) and Baby-Mo (2 mos) napped in the backseat of my car!

I wasn't sure I could handle 40 lbs of chicken, so I split my order with two other people.
Here's a photo of my half of the chicken.

Give it a try! The meat tasted fantastic and the chicken breasts were just HUGE! Great for cooking.

Check their website for locations and events near you. Click HERE to go to Zaycon Foods.

Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas Verde

These are Tomatillos....

Have you ever seen them before? I hadn't until now. Weird little green things.

This was my first attempt at cooking with Tomatillos.
I found an easy recipe for Tomatillo Salsa Verde online HERE.

I used the Tomatillo Salsa Verde salsa in making Chicken Enchiladas and Spinach Enchiladas.
Mo-Momma is a fan of Chicken Enchiladas and Mo-Daddy is a fan of Spinach Enchiladas.

The result was great!

You can find the recipe for Chicken Enchiladas Verde HERE.

You can also find the recipe for Spinach Enchiladas HERE.



THE FEEDBACK: 8 out of 10



Tips: 1. Use corn tortillas, not flour. 2. Use more sauce to cover enchiladas while baking

Dinner: Easy Spanish Rice

Easy Spanish Rice


Here is an easy recipe for Spanish Rice that I used last week.
Go HERE for the recipe online.

1 1/2 cups rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup plain tomato sauce*
3 cloves finely chopped garlic *
1/4 of a medium onion*
2 tablespoons oil
4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (optional)

Preparation:

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the fresh garlic and onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 5 minutes until rice becomes a golden brown color.

Add in broth and tomato sauce (Slowly into rice, not directly onto hot pan!) Add in the parsley if you're using it. Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.

*If you don't have fresh garlic or onions on hand you can use the equivalent in powder form. Do not saute the powder, just skip that step and add the garlic powder and/or onion powder when you add the liquids. If you don't have tomato sauce you can use unseasoned stewed tomatoes, or canned diced tomatoes with their liquid.

Happy: Without Giblets or Neck

Wow.
A chicken without giblets or neck. This just makes me happy.

This little chicken is from Target.

Just the thought of not having to dig out the neck makes me so Happy!
I cooking a whole chicken is in your future.... totally check it out.

Valentine's Day Wreath: Vote Now

It is almost Valentine's Day.
I need your help!

I want to make a Valentine's Day Wreath for our front door and I don't know which one to make.
If you all VOTE with your comments below, I promise to make whichever one you like the best and then post the photo of the wreath.

Here are my four favorite's from online. Please let me know which one is your favorite by commenting below OR Vote on the RIGHT side of the blog.

Option #1 - Paper Flower Wreath
Go HERE for Directions. Thanks http://yarner.blogspot.com/


Option 2: Fabric Square Wreath
Go HERE for Directions. Thanks for the idea My GreenBrae Cottage

Option #3: Conversation Heart Wreath
Go HERE for Directions. Thanks to Tidbits from Traymanes for the idea!



Option #4- Cupcake Wreath
Go HERE for the directions. Thanks to Tatertots and Jello for the idea!



OKAY! There are your four choices.
Now, which one do you like the best?

Either leave a comment below - or - vote on the right side of the blog.
Thanks!

Easy Homemade Salsa

Lately I've been craving Mexican Food! And yes, I'm on a kick to figure out how to make it on my own. Because, why should I have to pay $10 for dinner when I can make it myself for less?
Am I right, or am I right.

SO, last week I ordered a Bountiful Basket. Along with it I ordered the Mexican Food pack. It included a bunch of things that I've never EVER cooked with before including some seriously strange peppers.

I really wanted to try some homemade salsa. I was a little intimidated by the idea, but willing to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how EASY it is to make salsa!

This recipe is from my Sister-in-law, Michelle.
(Thanks Michelle!)

Photo: Yummy salsa with mini cheese quesadilla


Recipe:

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeno

2 green onions

1 handful cilantro



Step 1 - chop the above ingredients in food processor.

Step 2 - then add 6-7 Roma tomatoes, 1 tsp of Salt and Juice from 1/4 lemon

Step 3 - blend in food processor until you get your own desired consistency.


THE FEEDBACK: A 10 out of 10 from everyone! Even "Kid-MO" liked it!

Enjoy!! It is SUPER yummy and easy too!

Another FREE Book from Snapfish

According to MONEY SAVING MOM, the previous code from Snapfish has expired. I already ordered my book, so I'm not sure if it is expired. Give it a try.

If it doesn't work - there is a NEW code for a free 8x11 book for just $6.99 shipping.

Sign up for a new account or login to your Snapfish account.
Create an 8″x 11″ Classic Photo Book and go to checkout.
Use coupon code YAYFREEBOOK at checkout and it will knock off the $24.99 price and just charge you $6.99 for shipping!

I think I might just have to order another book! :)

FREE 8x11 Photo Book from Snapfish

If you're ready to get organized this new year, here is a deal for you!

Snapfish is offering a free 8x11 20 page hard cover book for FREE.
You pay shipping and handling (approximately $6.99). This is a great deal!

(I may or may not have ordered a book of our Family's trip to Disney World that I never scrapbooked a couple years back..... I'm just saying.)

Okay, so here are the steps to get your FREE book:

Here’s a really nice deal! Soap.com is offering a FREE Classic Photo Book from Snapfish while supplies last.

Here’s how to snag yours:

Head over to Snapfish and select Photo Books under Products.
Create an 8×11 Classic Photo Book ($24.99) and create yours with up to 20 pages.
Add it to your cart.

Then use the coupon code SOAPBOOK at checkout to drop the price to $0.
Just pay shipping!

(thanks to Saving with Amy for the head's up on this deal!)

Sunday Paper Deal

Okay. I got a bill in the mail for the Arizona Republic Newspaper this week for $127.24 for the next year's subscription! WOW is all I can say. That is WAY too much money.

Last year I scored a great deal by getting the Wednesday and Sunday papers for $1.00 per week. "Such a DEAL" as my Dad would say.

Being the deal hunting Mom that I am, I called the AZ Republic promptly to cancel my subscription. I let the gentleman know I was cancelling due to the crazy high rate they were charging me. He then offered me the same rate I had last year, $1.00 per week for a total of $52.00 for one year! YES PLEASE.

It never hurts to ask. And, in this case, I didn't even NEED to ask :)

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to complain - as long as you are NICE about it.

Dinner: Cafe Rio / Costa Vida Pulled Pork

Today on Mo-Momma we're making Pulled Pork in TWO styles.

Mo-Momma style: Classic dry rub pulled pork
Mo-Daddy style: Pork Barbecue / Cafe Rio / Costa Vida style

(Recipe's at the bottom if you want to skip straight there)

First things first, go buy yourself a nice boneless pork loin. This was a killer deal at Frys. Only $6.97 for the whole Pork Loin! That's less than you'd pay for one meal at Cafe Rio or Costa Vida!


If you're making two different pulled pork recipes like me, slice the pork loin in half. If not, just keep it whole.


For the Mo-Momma Dry rub, get your seasoning ready. I found my yummy recipe online HERE .

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Once you combine the seasoning together, rub evenly over the pork.
Combine with 1 cup water and cook for 6-8 hours on high.

TIP: If you get grossed out by touching raw meat like I do, just put a Ziplock bag over your hand, pour some of the rub onto the meat and rub the seasoning in! When you're all done you can throw away the bag and you won't end up with RED hands from the seasoning either! :)



Alright, set that aside and begin working on your Cafe Rio Pork! I found my recipe online HERE .

First, you need to marinade your meat. In a LARGE plastic bag pour 1 1/2 cups Coke (I used Pepsi) and 1/4 cup brown sugar along with your Pork Loin Roast.

The recipe says to marinade for a couple hours or over night. I only did this step for about 2 hours. We think it could have gone longer, so I'd suggest trying this over night.



Once done marinading, drain from the marinade in the bag. Place in slow cooker with a dash of garlic salt, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 can Coke (we used Pepsi). Cook on high for 3-4 hours until it shreds easily.

Remove pork from crock pot and shred in a bowl. Remove excess liquid from the crock pot and throw out.

In a blender or mixer, combine 1/2 can Coke (we used Pepsi), 1 can sliced Green Chili's, 1 can mild Enchilada Sauce (we used El Paso brand) and 1 cup brown sugar. Blend well. If it is too thick, just add more Coke/Pepsi until a thin consistency.

Place pulled pork back into crock pot. Add Enchilada sauce mixture and stir together. Cook on high for 2 more hours.

Here is the pulled pork with the enchilada sauce being mixed in.



On the RIGHT: Cafe Rio / Costa Vida pulled pork
On the LEFT: Dry rub traditional pulled pork



Pulled Pork Sandwich..... YUM.

Now, to finish off the traditional Cafe Rio meal we also made Cilantro Lime Rice. This recipe is also found online HERE . She also has recipes for the Beans and Ranch Dressing (if making the salad version)

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:

1 c. uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice1 can (15 oz) chicken broth1 cup water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

THE FEEDBACK:

9 out of 10 for Mo-Momma Traditional Dry Rub Pulled Pork

8 out of 10 for Mo-Daddy Cafe Rio Style Pulled Pork

(Would have been higher if marinade over night)

KID FEEDBACK: He ate TWO sandwiches. That's all I'm going to say. Success!

(Mo-Momma style, traditional dry rub. He spit out the Cafe Rio style)

ESTIMATED COST: $10 - We fed 5 adults and 1 kid, with tons of leftovers!

Let me know if you try out this recipe - and what you think!

COMMENTS PLEASE!

Bountiful Baskets

If you haven't tried BOUNTIFUL BASKETS yet - you really need to!

For $15 dollars you can pick up a basket of fresh (local) fruits and veggies. You order early in the week and pick up on the next Saturday Morning. You can add on fresh baked bread, tortillas and other goodies.

Here is what I picked up this weekend:



3 Squash
2 Lettuce
1 bunch Spinach
4 Chillis
1 bunch Asparagus
6 Oranges
1 pint cherry tomatoes
5 Kiwi
7 Apples
1 bag Pears
1 Pineapple

-Added on 5 loaves of Sourdough bread for $10 (that's $2 a loaf!)

I also added on the Mexican Food pack. I knew I wanted to make some fresh Mexican Food and Salsa this weekend. For $10 here is what I got:



Pretty cool huh? Stay tuned to see what I whip up with all of these fresh goodies!

Kid Snack: PB & Cheez-its

Today I'm sharing a new favorite Kid snack in our household. Presenting....
Peanut Butter and Cheez-it Dinosaur Sandwiches.

Yes. I know what you're thinking.

But, it is slightly nutritious and my kid eats it! And that's all I care about.

Step 1: Get out two slices of bread and stack em.


Step 2: Get your handy dandy Dinosaur bread cutter (or a cookie cutter) and cut out your pieces.

Step 3: Put PB on the dinosaurs....

Step 4: Apply Cheez-its...

Step 5: Stack em and serve!

I haven't been brave enough to try one yet. But, I bet your four year old will love it! Give it a try!

Freebie: Hand Washing Timer

Go HERE to request your free Hand Washing Timer! Sponsered by American Public Health Association.

I requested one for each of my bathrooms. "Kid-Mo" is always trying to wash his hands super fast and run out of the bathroom. This will be a fun way to make sure he washes his hands long enough.

Thanks MoJo Savings for the head's up on this great freebie!

Utah Mom's Life: Giveaway!

My good friend, "Utah Mom", is hosting a giveaway on her blog!

Click HERE to go to Utah Mom's Life and enter to win a $20 gift Certificate to Impel Clothing. Impell offers cute, modest clothing for today's Mommy!

Check out this adorable hooded button up coat! This is just one of many items offered on Impel's website. Click HERE to view their site.



Good luck!!
-Mo Momma

Walgreens Deals

This week we had two pretty good trips to Walgreens!

Visit #1 ( by Mo-Daddy -no photo)

1 Package of Walgreens Diapers
Total spent: $1.46 !

*On sale for $6.00 - he used my $5 Register rewards on this purchase!
Total Savings: 7.99

Visit #2 ( By Mo-Momma )

1 Lysol No Touch hand Soap Dispenser
$11.99 - Get $7 Register Reward
Use $3/1 Lysol No Touch Hand Soap System Kit, exp. 2-8 (SS 01/09/11)
Final Price: $1.99

** This is the deal I wanted:
Pantene Products 2/$7
Get $2 Register Reward
Use $3/2 Pantene Product, exp. 1-31-11 (P&G 12/26/10)
Final Price: $1 each

**However, Mo-Momma picked up a GIANT size Patene on accident and didn't get the 2/$7 sale she wanted, and didn't notice at check out. OOPS. I still got a great price and used my coupon.

** This is the Pampers Deal I wanted:
Pampers Box Diapers $19.99Get $3 Register
$1.50/1 Pampers Diapers or Pants, exp. 1-31-11 (P&G 12/26/10)
Final Price: $15.49

However, my Walgreens didn't have the size I needed in the big box. I still used my coupon and purchased a package on sale at $10.99.

Total Spent: $28.05
Total Saved: $12.49
PLUS- $7.00 Register Rewards

*I'm going to attempt this deal again tomorrow. Stay tuned to see if I can do it right! LOL

Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie & Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

For tonight's Dinner adventure we had homemade Chicken Pot Pie.

I promise you once you make it from scratch you will never want to eat one of those frozen meals again! This one is SO easy!

Click HERE for the recipe, or read below for the exact steps I took.
(PS- If you have a box of Bisquick - it's on the back of the box!)

For the pot-pie mixture:
1/2 bag frozen Peas & Carrots mixture (thawed)
1 Can Cream of Chicken Campbell's soup
1-2 cups cut up cooked Chicken (ours was from the previous night's recipe leftovers!)
1 cup milk

For the crust topping:
1 Cup Bisquick
1/2 Cup milk
1 Egg

Step 1: Place pot pie mixture in bottom of pie plate or similar 9 inch size baking plate.
Step 2: In separate bowl, mix three ingredients for crust topping until combined. Then, pour over pot pie mixture
Step 3: Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered.




THE FEEDBACK: 10 out of 10 - WOHOO!

KID FEEDBACK: 2 out of 10
We had to fight with "Kid-MO" a little to eat his dinner. He did like the Bisquick topping as well as the chicken inside. He didn't appreciate the "sauce" or the veggies that were touching his meat (he's four - what do you expect). We got him to to try it, and he ate enough to get full. That is success for us!

ESTIMATED COST OF DINNER: $2.00
$1.00 Cream of Chicken
.25 Chicken (leftovers)
.50 Frozen veggies- 1/2 bag
.25 Bisquick, eggs, milk

For Desert: Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

This Cookie recipe came out of the 101 Gourmet Cookies Cookbook.
I got this for Christmas. Yummy cookie ideas!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 4oz package vanilla pudding (mine was 3.5 oz and worked fine)
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream butter and sugars together
3. Add vanilla and eggs along with pudding mix
4. In separate bowl, mix together baking soda and flour
5. Slowly add in flour mixture until well combined
6. Drop small 1 inch balls of cookie dough onto cookie sheets
7. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until edges are just browned.

Enjoy!

THE FEEDBACK: 10 out of 10 - for sure.
The cookies were really yummy. The pudding makes them a little softer and sweeter than a normal chocolate chip cookie (which is fine by me - Bring on the sweet!).

Here is a photo of the Cookbook. I highly recommend it.
The yummy Cupcake to the left is my cookie jar :) SO cute.

Free Ziplock Sample Pack for first 3000 - Hurry!

HURRY!! Right At Home is offering a free Ziplock sample pack.

The first 3000 to respond will recieve one free sample of Ziplock Steam Microwave Cooking Bags and one Box of Ziplock Snack Bags!!

Click HERE

Good luck!

Early Walker SleepSack: Tonight only on Baby Steals!

If you hurry you can get in on a great deal tonight only at Baby Steals! http://www.babysteals.com/

This deal is for the Early Walker SleepSack. Their "Steal" price is $13.47!

We used the traditional SleepSack with our first son and our now using the SleepSack Swaddler with baby #2! We love em!

Scoop it up while you can

My Favorite Walgreens deals

Here are the best deals from the Walgreens ad this week.

These were posted by My Frugal Adventures. You can view her website for ALL the deals this week. These are simply my favorite match ups and the ones I'll be after this week.

Lysol No Touch hand Soap Dispenser $11.99Get $7 Register RewardUse $3/1 Lysol No Touch Hand Soap System Kit, exp. 2-8 (SS 01/09/11)Final Price: $1.99

Pantene Products 2/$7Get $2 Register RewardUse $3/2 Pantene Product, exp. 1-31-11 (P&G 12/26/10)Final Price: $1 each

Uno 40th Anniversary Card game .99 (also nice for donation or tuck them away for Easter baskets!)

Pampers Box Diapers $19.99Get $3 Register RewardUse $1.50/1 Pampers Diapers or Pants, exp. 1-31-11 (P&G 12/26/10)Final Price: $15.49

Biore, Curel or Jergens- Buy 2 and Get $5 Register Reward*Some Biore has been found on clearance for $4.19Use (2) $2/1 Biore Cleanser, exp. 1-31-11 (SS 10/10/10)
(This is the deal I found last week!)

Be sure to check out My Frugal Adventures for all the latest deals!

Last Chance: 99 4x6 Photos for 99 cents from Snapfish!

Thanks to Saving Cents with Sense for the reminder ... the 99 prints for 99 cents offer from Snapfish expires tomorrow 1/9/11! HURRY! Don't miss this offer.

Just enter 2011PENNY at the checkout to get this deal.

Pressure Cooker Meal Adventure: Chicken Noodle Soup

Tonight's dinner adventure is Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup featuring yesterday's chicken (see post below).

Here are the steps I took to make it...

Step 1. Set pressure cooker to BROWN and brown 2 tablespoons oil with about half of a chopped onion

Step 2: Add some cut carrots.
I used the last 1/4 package of baby carrots I had left over from last night's meal. It was about 24 baby carrots.

Step 3. Add your broth. About 5 cups should do the trick

This is a photo of my chicken bones cooking in a pot of water. I saved all the bones, skins and leftover meat from the "chicken carcas" the night before. I threw them all in a pot, covered with water (about 10 cups of water). Cook on high until a rapid boil and then simmer for 1-2 hours. Then pour through a strainer. Discard chicken carcas miscelaneous and keep the yummy broth.



Step 4: Add Pasta (about half a box)

*Special Note: While taking self portrait of the famous "pouring of the pasta" I poured in TOO MUCH pasta. I actually used the whole box. Oops. To avoid my blunder, please pay attention and only add half this amount. Thank you *


Step 5: Add Chicken (about 2 cups), 1 can cream of chicken Campbells Soup and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir together.


Step 6: Close pressure cooker and put on 15 high PSI for 12 minutes.

The result: Chicken Noodle Soup!

Or, in my case, DOUBLE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP!



I actually made up a second batch of chicken broth and added it into the soup. The result was pretty yummy!

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Crackers.


THE FEEDBACK: 7 stars out of 10!

KID FEEDBACK: 0 out of 10. "Kid-MO" did not like the "mushy" noodles. He did however really like the soup broth!

APPROXIMATE COST: $2.50
$0 - Chicken
$1 - Campbell's soup
$1 - Noodles
$.25 - Onion
$.25 - Carrots

NOTES: Be cautious of your broth to noodle ratio. I clearly put in way too many noodles and had to add broth after the fact just to even it out.

Also, I'd experiement by adding in some extra veggies such as celery and peas.

TIPS: Cook your broth in advance. You can even freeze extra broth and store it for later. One easy way to store the broth is to freeze it in ice cube trays then store the broth-cubes in freezer bags. When the time comes to use them just take out what you need.

Did I mention that we love this pressure cooker?

Up Tomorrow: Chicken Pot Pies for Lunch! (Featuring chicken from our roast chicken yesterday!!)