My Family, My 10 Year Blogiversary, Milton Hershey, Chocolate Chip Cookies and more...

And they really thought it wouldn’t last… 

 So “Woo Hoo” to me for persevering for 10 years, I’ve amazed myself!

9th Blogiversary and Even More Potatoes!

I’m an impulsive sort of person at times.  Knowing me, Bill, thought this blog would be a passing whim that wouldn’t make it a couple of months…

And here I am ~ still at it, 9 years later!

Midwestern Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes and My 8 Year Blogiversary!

Spoon chicken and noodles over what?  Mashed potatoes, really!  Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

It isn’t soup, it’s not a potpie, it’s a hotdish ~ it’s thick and creamy noodles topping a mound of mashed potatoes.

Creamy, rich gravy smothers bites of savory chicken, chewy noodles and mashed potatoes. You haven’t eaten Midwestern food until you eat this for supper!

We like mushrooms with the noodles, skip them if you don’t.  Chop up and add carrots or celery, if you desire.  I poached chicken breasts, but I’ve also picked the meat off a rotisserie chicken when in a hurry.  

It may not make a pretty picture, but it more than makes up for it in goodness.  And if you have leftovers, it’s your lucky day!

Chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes is a great hearty homestyle one-dish meal for a crisp evening, any day of the week!

As a side note ~ I was recently reminded that I  have been blogging for 8 years now.  I started this blog October 29, 2009, that's a lot of posts!  Back then, I just wanted a way to organize and document family recipes.

I look back and cringe at some early posts, the writing, the photos.  But what makes up for that is the great people I have virtually "met" along the way.  I feel like I truly know many of you who share the same passion I do:  food.

I've seen a lot of blogs come and go over the years and I've learned a lot along the way from reading what you share ~ whether your travels, books you've read, music you like, food from your kitchen or in restaurants, I've enjoyed it all!

Thank you for all for visiting here and your positive comments!  

And I give a special thank you to our older son, Bill, Jr., Bubba here on my blog, for helping me to start it all!  Couldn't have done it without you, son! 

Here's to 8 more years... 

Yield: 4-6 servings

Midwestern Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes

Midwestern hearty chicken and noodles at it's best!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large jar of Heinz Homestyle Chicken Gravy
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 4-6 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup flour
• 8 ounces egg noodles
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Enough mashed potatoes for everyone

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, or pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms, and sauté until cooked.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or blender, whisk 1/4 cup broth and flour until smooth, no lumps. Stir into skillet mixture.
3. Add remaining broth, gravy and soup to mixture, stir well, bring to a boil.
4. Add noodles. Cover and cook until noodles are almost tender, about 7 minutes. Add more broth if needed.
5. Stir in chicken and heat through. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Serve immediately over mashed potatoes.

notes

Add more broth or water as needed, the noodles soak it up.
This dish should be just a touch soupy, but much thicker than a noodle soup.  
Takes about 1 hour, total time to prepare.

Enjoy!

6 Year Blogiversary and ~ a Giveaway for You!

Woo hoo!

Today is this blogs 6^th anniversary!

Way back on October 29, 2009 was my first post.   It doesn't seem that long ago, but looking at the whole picture, it has been 730 posts and a fantastic wild ride! 

I've learned a lot over the years ~ how to make everything from Apricot Glazed Pork Chops to Zucchini Fettuccine, there's Homemade Gravlax, Mom's Quick Streusel Coffee Cake, and Chiles Rellenos thrown into  the mix; with Bill at my side as my awesome grill chef and taster tester!

A couple of my most popular recipes being Bubba's Summer Sausage Recipe and my Italian-Style Baked Chicken Breasts.  Thankfully, Bill, Jr. has overlooked me calling him "Bubba" here over the years ~ must be all the good food he gets here!  ☺

But, that's just part of the picture:  What I have really learned over these 6 years is that, it's really about all you great bloggers out there in the community who have kept me motivated and persevering.  I've been awed by your great recipes and photographs!

I truly appreciate the time you take out of your busy day to read my posts, and leave me a comment.  You're the best!!!

In honor of the occasion,  I have a great giveaway of a cookbook (imagine that!) for you...

Since this is the Midwest, with us living in a NW Chicago 'burb, I have a cookbook for you, written by Chef Susan Goss and Drew Goss, the owners of West Town Tavern, a former restaurant in Chicago.  It was a great restaurant serving comfort food here for 11 years, when they up and closed shop, relocating to New Orleans.  At least they escaped the cold, snowy winters here!

West Town Tavern cookbook is divided into seasonal chapters, plus an extensive pantry.  Recipes range from Iron Skillet-Seared Rib Eye Steak to Warm Bread and Butter Pudding with Raisins, Roasted Pecans and Crème Fraîche (please invite me over for that one, if you make it!)

Here's a sampling of the awesome cookbook:

To enter the cookbook giveaway:

1.  MANDATORY:  If you could invite any 4 people, living or dead, over for dinner around your table, who would they be.  You don't have to invite relatives or loved ones because they'd probably be there any way.   (For the record, I'd invite Bill Clinton, Peter Robinson, Rod Stewart and Martha Stewart.)

2.  The giveaway will remain open until midnight CST Friday, November 6, 2015.

3.  The winner will be chosen by a random number generator and announced on Saturday, November 7, 2015.

4.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Good luck to you all and thanks again for being here!