Chicken noodle soup with love

Today was a great day to make chicken noodle soup with vegetable. Now that my kids and I are doing a lot better than the past couple days with this flu that we've caught. This soup helped a lot. My husband is not a fan of soup at all. The only soup he like is my homemade Vietnamese Beef Pho Soup and some other soup I've made in the past. He is more into chunky stews with a lot of meat and thick sauce.
He said, " I will have soup if you put some spice into it, so I did. I even cut up carrots into heart shape just because I love my family and  plus I was inspired from a picture I saw on pinterest, how to cut up carrots into heart shape. So I had made a big huge pot of chicken noodle soup. I should have made more because my whole family loved it especially the meat eater (hubby). This soup also reminded me when my parents visited me during the holiday, flying across the Atlantic to visit their oldest daughter (me). My mom had made me almost the exact same soup when she was visiting. I miss her cooking. Nothing is better than mom's home cook meal.

For chicken soup recipe

3 liter of homemade chicken stock which I made before hand
1 liter water
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, peeled, cut 1/2 inch thick slices into shape of hearts
6 celery ribs with leaves, cut into 1/2 inch thick
8  peeled potatoes, washed cut into bite size
2 bay leaf
4 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

tablespoon dried thyme
tablespoon dried parsley
1-2 tablespoons old bay seasoning
Provence with garlic
seasoning salt
tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 lbs cooked wide egg noodles

freshly ground black pepper
salt

chopped green onions

In a soup pot filled with homemade chicken stock over high heat. I added in onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, bay leaf, and bouillon. Brought stock to a boil and cook until vegetable become soften about half hour. Added in cook shredded chicken and seasoned soup with thyme, parsley, old bay, Provence, seasoning salt, lemon juice. Then added in cooked noodles and let soup simmer for 5-7 minutes. Seasoned with ground black pepper and salt. Ladle soup in a soup bowl, sprinkle with chopped green onion and served.

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

I've decided, I'll be making homemade muffins twice a week to sell in my little Katina. Muffins and coffee is a great combo. I love making muffins because of the smell when it's baking, brings back memories.

Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup melted butter

2 medium eggs, slightly beaten

2 1/2cups all-purpose flour

1/3 or 1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons vanilla sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh blueberries

For the topping

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

I plugged in my muffin maker until hot meanwhile I combined and whisked milk, melted butter, and egg in a large bowl. Then I add the rest of my ingredients except blueberries. Stirred until mixture was moistened and gently stir in blueberries. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups and place them each in my muffin maker and baked for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove muffins from muffin maker and let cool continued with the rest.

Brush melted butter on top of muffins and then sprinkled some sugar.

Serve with side of butter and a cup of coffee.

Homemade Cinnamon Oat Muffins

For my little kantina I've made homemade cinnamon oat muffins to sell. Will be serve with a side coffee. I love the smell of fresh baked muffin.

I used

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup oatmeal (apple/cinnamon)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup regular milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

In a large bowl combine the first 7 dry ingredients

In another bowl combine and whisk butter, sugar, egg, and milk. Then add into the flour mixture. Whisk and combine all well, mixture will be lumpy.

Spoon in mixture into each muffin tin and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Put butter in a separate bowl and in another bowl add in sugar and cinnamon. After muffin cools, take one muffin at a time. Dip the top with melted butter and then sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon. Serve with coffee.

Baked Crispy Blue Cheese Chicken Breast

This was simple and easy to make, baked crispy blue cheese chicken breast. Next time I would stuff chicken breast with some crumble blue cheese.

1 lb fresh skinless chicken breast, place plastic wrap over chicken breast and pound it with a meat pounder. I seasoned with salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Then add in tablespoons blue cheese dressing mixed well with my hand, coat chicken with seasoned bread crumbs. I would of used Panko bread crumbs but I didn't have in the house, anyways. Placed them in a greased casserole dish and baked in the oven at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and golden  crisp.

My first day in my own little kantina

I made 100 homemade pork spring rolls (chinese cabbage, shredded carrots, onions, coriander, green onion, garlic, seasoning salt, salt, ground black pepper, seasoning sauce, oyster sauce) served with sweet chili sauce & a side of salad.

 I also made cream cheese with spring onion ragoons.

I also made homemade mini New England Scones ( flour, maple syrup, oatmeal, apple, cinnamon, sugar, banana, semi sweet chocolate chip.....)

My mom gave me her recipe for homemade sauce for fresh spring rolls. I would mix a little of homemade sauce with sweet chili sauce, tasty dipping sauce with my pork spring roll sauce or fresh spring rolls.

I stayed up all night preparing and prepping for my kantina. I used up most of my kroners to make all these.

My husband suggested that I should open a little kantina in his new martial art institute. I thought why the hell not give it a try........
So my first day in my new cantina was very stressing (with my 3 little kids everywhere) but I did enjoy making food. I was nervous because I thought I would sell nothing. Norwegian have different kind of taste than Americans I think. No one really wanted to try my New England Mini Scones or Cream Cheese Rangoon even though my family had tried it and thought it was good. I also made fresh baguette cold cuts with veggies, cheese, and mayonnaise. I did sell for my first day.  All in all my husband thought I did well. I hope later in the future it would be much easier and better, just hoping more people would give me a chance.

Roasted garlic, broccoli, macaroni, and cheese soup

 My homemade roasted garlic, broccoli, macaroni, and cheese soup. Great for this kind of day. My son had been begging me to make this, " Mommy could you please make your broccoli macaroni cheese soup?" Anything for my little boy.



2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons wheat flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup måt fløte ( food cream)

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced

3 cups fresh broccoli, cut into small bite size
1 cup cooked macaroni (boil and drain)
salt and pepper for taste
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup shredded Tine Edamer cheese or Jarlsberg cheese
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar
dash nutmeg



In a bowl add in wheat flour, corn starch then slowly stir in milk and måt fløte just whisk and mix until well blended and set a side.

Bring water to a boil in a pot, boil broccoli for 5 minutes until slightly tendered, drain and set aside.

In another pot, heat butter over medium heat. When butter melts add in garlic and onion, sauteed for 5-6 minutes, and transfer to a plate, set a side.

In the same pot add in flour mixture and chicken broth (I added in extra måt fløte about 3 tablespoons). Cook, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low/simmer, add in salt, pepper, sauteed garlic and onion, broccoli, and cooked macaroni. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in shredded cheese and nutmeg, cook until cheese melts. Serve right away.

Nesquik treats

Something for tomorrow, Friday treat. I made for my kids Nesquik Treats. Made with Fluff, Maine Maple Syrup, Sugar, and Vanilla mix well together than pour over Nesquik chocolate cereal in a casserole dish, in the fridge for couple hours.