Chicken Noodle Soup (homemade!)

On this dreary cold Sunday afternoon I thought I would share with you my homemade chicken noodle soup recipe. My entire family loves this and we make it every time someone is sick. My husband says it reminds him of the canned (can't name names) Chicken Noodle Soup he grew up on, just better. We have also been known to take it to friends and family that are sick, the kids love doing this.

Ingredients:

3-5lb whole chicken (or you could use bone in pieces of chicken like I am doing today. I am using 3 bone in chicken breasts)

4 carrots, sliced or cubed (whichever you prefer)

4 stalks of celery, sliced

1.5 tbsp salt

1tsp sugar

1/4tsp pepper

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1tsp poultry seasoning

1/3 C cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 package ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet)

Directions:

1. Place you chicken in a large soup pot and cover with water, just until the whole chicken is covered. If using chicken breasts then you want to cover a little bit higher, maybe 2 inches above.
Add your carrots and celery to the pot as well. Bring to a boil and boil at a steady, not too hard, boil for about 45 minutes- 1 hour. Skim any fat as necessary.

2. Remove the chicken from your pot and place on a dish to cool. Leave the celery and carrots in the pot and turn the heat down to medium low.

3. Add the salt, poultry seasoning, bouillon cubes, sugar and pepper to your broth. Continue to cook at med low until the chicken has cooled. (or you can keep it at the step all afternoon if you'd like, just to create more flavor).

4. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bone and either shred with a fork or cut up (however you prefer, my husband prefers it rustic-like so I cut into into hunks).

5. Mix your cornstarch with some water and mix it together with a fork. Then add to your pot of chicken broth. This will make your soup a little more creamy and thicken it some.

6. Bring your broth back up to a boil and add the noodles and chicken. Cook at a boil for about 5 minutes then turn it back down to a simmer to allow the cornstarch mixture to do its magic and merry all the flavors. Leave it at a simmer for just about another 5 minutes.

7. Now you are all done and can enjoy your homemade chicken noodle soup, just the way you grew up on.