Turkey or Chicken Broth, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, ETB quote

Eggs, flour, and water make delicious homemade noodles.

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Do you have most of a turkey left over? Or do you have a rotisserie or roasted chicken?  Or even some fried chicken that's nothing but bones now?   It's perfect for making soup.  Really good soup.  It's simple and easy.  There are a lot of herbs and vegetables listed in the broth recipe, which may seem intimidating, but keep in mind the old story of Stone Soup..... each ingredient makes it a little better, but if you don't have something, the soup will still be good.  You make the broth a few hours ahead of time, then add the noodles right before serving- fresh pasta takes only about 3 minutes to cook.  This makes a lot of broth- it freezes well.  Save some for another day. 

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Turkey Broth- for chicken, use half as much of everything

The bones from your turkey (with a little meat on still) -   
Water to cover
1 big handful of parsley
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, cut in 1" chunks
2 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped
2 onions, quartered
5-10 peppercorns
5 whole cloves
1 Tbsp. salt to start with

I like to add a little cayenne pepper to the soup if someone is feeling  under the weather.

The perfect ratio of bone-to-meat is 50/50, but anything will give you broth.  Combine everything in a stock pot, large Dutch oven, or crockpot.  Let simmer or bake, mostly covered, for at least one hour but preferably 4+ hours, until the broth is brown and any remaining meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.  Less time will still give you soup, just not as flavorful.  If you leave the lid off, it will steam up your kitchen windows but will reduce and concentrate the flavor.  A happy medium is to have the lid mostly-on.

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Once you decide the broth is done, pour into a colander over a large bowl.  Pour the broth back into your stock pot, and start sorting through to get the bits of meat.  Try to get every little bit and you may be surprised how much meat was left on a bird you thought was picked clean.
Plan on this taking about 30 minutes; less for a chicken but often more for a large turkey.

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I now have two bowls from the contents of the colander- meat on the left, parts I'm discarding on the right.  If you don't have any tiny bones mixed in with the well-cooked vegetables (I call them 'dead vegetables' at this point!), you can put the veggies in a blender and use it as a base for gravy or soup.

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Beautiful, rich brown broth.  A sign of a good broth, or stock, is that it will gel when cooled.  That's because the bones, with long cooking, release natural gelatin; it adds body and nutrition.

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Skim off fat.  You can save it for cooking with later.  
If you have time, it's easiest to remove when you've chilled the broth overnight to let the fat solidify on top. To make the chicken noodle soup, put it in a big pot and bring to a boil while you're making the noodles.  I usually add in a couple diced carrots and a rib of chopped celery, too.  Taste to see if it needs more salt.

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Freeze and label any leftover broth. I like to use 1-quart-sized freezer ziptop bags; the broth on the right was frozen in muffin cups, for the times I just need a little broth. It will be good at least 3-6 months in the freezer.  I've kept it longer, it hasn't ever gone bad, but may pick up a little funny flavor from whatever else is in the freezer after too long.

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Homemade Noodles  -double or triple for a bigger family- my family will eat a 3-cup batch of noodles in soup in one sitting)

1  c. flour
1 egg
2-3 Tbsp. water

Put flour and salt in a bowl or on the counter, stir, and make a deep well in the middle of it.  Put the egg in the well, beat the egg lightly with a fork, add water, and stir to make a stiff dough.  Turn out onto floured counter and knead until smooth, about 3-4 minutes.   Let rest 10 minutes.  (You don't have to do this, but it rolls out more easily if you do.)  Roll out into a rectangle, very thin, about 1/8" thick or less, on a floured counter.  Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut into long strips 1/4-1/2 inch wide.  Cut crosswise so each noodle is only 2-3 inches long.  Lift off the counter using a pancake turner, dump into the boiling broth.   They'll be done in only three minutes, when they float.


Here's a quote for today:

Ezra Taft Benson

"I would respectfully urge you to live by the fundamental principles of work, thrift, and self-reliance, and to teach your children by your example.  It was never intended in God's divine plan that man should live off the labor of someone else.  Live within your own earnings.  Put a portion of those earnings regularly into savings.  Avoid unnecessary debt.  Be wise by not trying to expand too rapidly.  Learn to manage well what you have before you think of expanding further.  This is the kind of advice I would give my own, and is, in my opinion, the key to sound home, business, and government management.

"I would further counsel you to pay your honest tithes and contribute generously to the support of the poor and needy through the fast offerings.  Then store at least a year's supply of basic food, clothing, and fuel.  Then you will find these blessings will accrue: You will not be confronted with the danger of losing all you have because of inflation or depression.  You will have security that no government can provide---savings and supplies for emergencies" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 262-263).