Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been looking for a good chicken noodle soup recipe for quite some time. I haven't found anything that really strikes my fancy. It was a very "cold and blustery" day today. The kind of day where I didn't even step outside long enough to get the mail. My husband had to go out in it though. He's also in the middle of tests at school, and we haven't seen each other much in the past two weeks. So, considering these two factors, I wanted to make something for dinner that was "warm and togethery."

I decided to combine my favorite ideas from the chicken noodle soup recipes I've been looking at, and boy am I glad I did! YUM! The perfect comfort food on this not so comfortable day.

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. crushed dried marjoram leaves
• 1 chicken boullion cube
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
• 6 oz. bow-tie noodles
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

In a large pot, melt butter. Add carrot, celery, green pepper, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are slightly tender, but still a little crisp. Add chicken broth and 1 cup of the milk. Stir in marjoram, boullion cube and salt and pepper.

Add noodles and chicken. Cook until noodles are almost done.

In a cup, stir together remaining milk and the flour until smooth. Add to soup. Stirring over medium-high heat, bring soup to a boil and boil for three minutes.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups flour
• 12 oz. chocolate chips

Mix together butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Mixture will be thick. Add chocolate chips. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 or 375 degrees, depending on oven (it takes 13 minutes at 375 degrees in my not-so-great oven).

Ma's Pancakes

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp. oil

Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl. Combine wet ingredients then add all at once to flour mixture. Stir together with wire whisk. Pour batter onto hot, slightly oiled griddle. Brown on both sides.