the autumn and chicken noodle soup

This time of year is in every way my favorite. I love the cool and crispy bite of the air, and the leaves turning bright red and orange. I also love hearing the heat kick on in the morning and the coffee pot gurgling away. Every day holds so much potential. Sweaters and fuzzy socks around the house become the norm, the basket of books in the living room gets a Halloween/Thanksgiving/Fall makeover, and crocheting afghans becomes an easy way to stay cozy.

This has become my latest inspiration afghans backed with a warm material like flannel. I love the way it turned out and am so excited to make my next one, it is in the works but i have a lot going on. Crochet orders have been coming in like crazy and I love it! I love seeing something I've made being used!

The other things of fall that make life good are of course the baking, molasses cookies today, and pumpkin something on Sunday though I haven't decided what yet I just know it needs to be pumpkiny and cinnamony. My other favorite is the soup I love making soups, with lots of fresh fall veg and flavor!

Chicken noodle is by far my go-to favorite, warm, satisfying, and sooo yummy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 cups chicken, cut into small pieces (i use left-overs from a roast chicken or cook and cool chicken breast)

8 cups chicken stock

1 medium chopped onion

4-6 sliced carrots

4-6 sliced stalks of celery

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

1tbsp. olive oil

1 box of pasta shape of choice

ok so this is how I do it...

1. heat olive oil and add chopped veg, let cook until soft but not squishy, i like to let it sit without stiring for a bit so it browns a tiny bit

2. add stock and heat to boiling

3. add cooked chicken, and noodles , boil until noodles are cooked through

4. in small sauce pan melt butter completely and add flour a little at a time whisking continuously (roux) once smooth add to soup and mix, the soup with thicken (this step could be eliminated completely if you like your soup thin and slurpy, but it does add a hardiness and lots of flavor)

5. add salt, pepper, garlic, and any other seasonings you enjoy

put in a big bowl and eat super hot! yummy!

the new days of fall

The weather here has taken a big swing for the colder and definitely the wetter. Though I do have to admit when my heat kicked on about 2 weeks ago in the morning I got that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with the autumn. Things here have become very routine Finnley in full-time school this year being a big 1st grader, and Iain in part time preschool, has broken our days down into compartments. Mornings are filled with backpacks, finding matching socks, brushing teeth, and the race out the door. How is it that we can live no less than 1 minute from either school and it still be a scramble to get there on time?

speaking of that fuzzy feeling here are some of the fuzzy things I've been working on...

Also my mom's birthday was last week and for her cake I made a new recipe chocolate chip cheesecake, and i do have to say yummy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and cocoa. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Set crust aside.
2. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk; beat well. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Toss 1/3 of the miniature chocolate chips with the 1 teaspoon flour to coat (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Mix into cheese mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips.
3. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven (do not open oven door) and leave the cake in the oven to cool in the oven for another hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate before removing sides of pan. Keep cake refrigerated until time to serve.               

Cheesecakes have become my thing lately, I seem to make them for everything, I find them incredibly easy and everyone loves it.

Well, today's to do list...make bread, do laundry, clothes and linens, vacuum...o yes and of course the biggy, crochet...lol