Crackpot Tuesdays and a little bit of Rudolph

When one spoon isn't enough...

It's crackpot Tuesday! Since last week was Thanksgiving I thought I'd put up a recipe that you can use left over turkey in. It's a good one. Five stars every time. We got this recipe from The SM's sister.....one of them.....he has many.

It is called, "Country Chicken Soup". Ya, I know. It says chicken and I told you left over turkey......work with me. I'm going to give you the original recipe BUT you can use left over turkey okay? Phew! Some people get riled up over the tiniest things.

"Country Chicken Soup"

1 chopped onion
1/2 bag baby carrots
2 stalks celery
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
3 TBL. parsley flakes
1 whole chicken fryer
8 cups water
1 pkg. egg noodles (uncooked)

Place everything in crackpot, except noodles. Cover and cook on low 8 hrs. (High 5 hrs.) One hour before serving, remove chicken and cool slightly. Remove meat from bones and return meat to crackpot. Add noodles. Turn to high. Cover and cook one hour.

For left over turkey or chicken, follow the above recipe except add your left over cooked meat.



You will want to add some of this since your meat won't be cooking all day making broth. This stuff is the best. This stuff makes gravy rock!

Now, the recipe called for a pkg. of egg noodles and I'm okay with that in a pinch it's just...if you can make and add homemade egg noodles to your soup.....your family will love you forever. They'll rub your feet with lotion after they've drawn you a nice hot bath where you'll soak for an uninterrupted hour. If you live alone...take some to your neighbors.....preferably your single neighbors please. Thank you. You won't be single much longer and if you want to remain single.....don't share......I'm just warnin'.

There is a grandma that lives down the street from us who has made us these noodles from time to time. She knows how to win over The Natives affections. I begged her awhile back to show me how to make these because someday when she can't make them for us anymore.....I'm gonna have an uprising on my hands and it won't be pretty!

P.S. I am neither a photographer or a food blogger.....you get what you pay for.

So, without further a-doo....I'm gonna show you how to make homemade egg noodles like grandma M taught me:



Eggs. You need lotsa eggs. I use nine because there are nine of us in this household. If it were me....I'd use close to that (about an egg per person) because if you don't have left overs the Natives get very very cranky. Make sure you have chicken poo on your egg shells too. It adds extra flavor and protein like ashes and bugs when camping.




Oil and salt. 1/3 cup oil and 1 TBL. salt. I know! It sounds like a lot of salt but don't worry. The poo on the egg shells cancels it all out.




Throw the eggs, oil, and salt into you mixer. Any mixer or by hand if you've the biceps. I don't and The SM was busy.




Give it a good whirl.




Flour. This part is a bit tricky. Most people add too much flour to their baking. You want your dough to be sticky. Don't be afraid of sticky. Sticky is your friend when making bread....rolls......noodles.....cinnamon rolls....




See? This looks sticky. It is perfect. Trust me! I know sticky.




Generously flour your counter top, your kitchen table, your kitchen floor if it is clean enough......where ever you are going to roll out your dough. Still shuddering over the sticky? Don't cuz see? More flour! It all works out.




Dump your dough onto your floured surface area and roll your dough in the flour. Don't knead it! Just cover your dough in flour. We're going to take care of that sticky.




Roll out your dough about an 1/8th inch thick and then drown your dough in flour again. Go ahead. Get crazy. Cover that sucker in flour. You need a good amount of flour for the next step. I know I told you earlier to go light on the flour. That was then. This is now. Think like a politician.




Now you are going to roll your dough like you would cinnamon rolls. We don't want the dough sticking together so make sure you have enough flour on top of the dough and under it as you roll, unlike cinnamon rolls where you'd want all of that cinnamon....br. sugar.....butter....nuts.......to stick together in a gooey....sorry...we're making noodles.....not cinnamon rolls.



Why are we not making cinnamon rolls?



Don't worry if it isn't perfect. You don't want perfect or everyone will think you bought these from the store. Crappy looking is good here.



Now, grab you a serrated knife and start cutting your noodles. Don't worry about cutting your counter tops. Just make sure The Natives that you've threated and told you'd string up if ever you caught them cutting with out a cutting board are in school or send them out back to chop some wood.



I like mine about a 1/2 inch wide.



Now for the fun part. If you have a Native begging to help let them at the noodles. Try to keep as much flour as you can on the noodle as you drop them into the soup. The flour becomes your thickener.



Doesn't this look fun? Parental note: Don't let them do this alone...don't let them burn themselves okay cuz I don't want you suing me....thank you.



Mmmm, now stand back and watch the magic happen. Watch as the noodles take on a life of their own and grow so big you run scrambling to find another pot as noodles wriggle over the sides of your stock pot. True story! It's the growth hormones. Not sure but I think it has something to do with the chicken poo on the egg shell.



Bon Apetite! Serve these up quick because if you don't........



You have one of these on your hands.....and it aint pretty...a baby Native who is starving!

And because it is December first, for your enjoyment Levi will now sing for you, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" with a little help from The SM.

Please ignore the howling and cackling in the background......The Natives had just finished eating home made egg noodles and they were full....content....happy....obnoxious......