What Ya' Got Cookin' Thanksgiving 2015 edition

LOL on the " cooking is never a simple project for me". I hear you.

That does seem a bit heavy on the celery stalks. And yes, I also got my broth oversimmered the first time I used the crockpot. It'll take me a bit of practice.

Sometimes I start with chicken broth, then add about a cup or two of leftover homemade red pasta sauce, for a minestrone feel; basic soup vegetables and add zucchini if in season, cabbage, spinach, some beans. Maybe green peppers, if they are not in the sauce. And use ditalina or another tiny pasta. I like small pasta or short thin noodles in my chicken soup. I save the wide noodles for beef stew.

Sally--have you ever tried "Orzo" pasta? It looks like lg. grains of rice--
but they get a bit bigger when cooked.

My using the crock Pot (you actually inspired me to try) was all an experiment.
Also--using just the chicken breast bones did not add a lot of flavor. needed some fat!
I think the onion may have contributed the bad taste--as it was already in a not-crisp
stage and the insides were already separating in sprouts. And-yes, too much celery.
I did buy some Chicken soup base powder--thinking it may add more "chickeny" taste--Not enough POW in the soup base. I could have used the ch. flavored cubeds.
They have more flavor. Oh, well.....
This was to be a soup--so all the spices and 3 different pastas and some salt and shredded Collard greens ,etc...made a really tasty soup at the end.
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Now--the whole chicken broth --I tried to keep it as natural as I could. Went to Richardsons aand blew about $13 for a "fresh chicken" Used a big pot-not the crock..
Only added some carrot chunks, 2 stems of Celery--some peppercorns...a few bay leaves, bit of salt --don't remember what else...but it was still bland as a broth.
Maybe broths are supposed to be bland? It definitely needed some fat for flavor in it.
No fat...no salt....etc.---NO flavor! Blah!
Good thing it that a broth is just used as liquid for something else you are cooking.
Not too happy with the results. Tasted like chicken broth from a can. Barf...
Next time I will go back to my old ways and make it more 'robust"--more like a 'stock".

Now--cutting up all the chicken I used for the broth made for some good snacking--
and, then I cut up all the rest of the meat and made an awesome Chicken salad.
Took some to Tony with buttered Italian bread--and I have been eating it for days!
Finished it tonight.

I always have seen pictures of golden yellow broth or soup. Mine was nowhere near
"golden". Do people add some Turmeric to theirs? What's the secret????????

I hope Ric chimes in-----G.

Yes, I like orzo.
Sometimes I can find half pound bags of tiny wheels or alphabets Moderna brand which is a Hispanic brand. The bag size is just right for one large pot of soup.
Two good boosters to flavor in my book:
Soup 'base' which is kind of thick and creamy and is in a jar and refrigerate after opening
Knorr soup bouillon cubes, recommended by a friend with restaurant experience

Yes, I use turmeric. Healthy. Does not have a strong flavor of its own, just some mild oomph.

Aldi had dry soup mix for minestrone, it was not bad but needed more stuff in it, so consider it a starting point.

Sally--The Soup Base I got was a powder in a small jar. I tasted it on my finger
and it really did not have a strong taste of any kind. I imagine one would need to
put in a couple tsp.-full to make a good flavor. This powder had very little salt, though.
I always look out for too much salt--just a habit.

What kind if "soup base" are you using? ...thick and creamy......???

I should stick to my usual ways of cooking. No one has ever complained.
Just wanted to try something new--something I have read about in recipes.....
---use a whole chicken to make broth!!! OK! I did--even though I had it cut in 4 sections.
Life is full of lessons.......Gita

Look in the soup and bouillon area for a jar called 'Soup BASE" the brand I see most is called "Better than Bouillon" and comes in a couple flavors.

Sally--Thanks,,,,But I always pay attention to the salt content of anything--
canned-frozen and per-preparated--ore-pre-made dinners--
"Cups of Noodles soups-- frozen meals-- packaged mixes of anything--etc..
These all reek salt. I try to never use any of these;

Live---Bteathe----Love---and stay healthy!!! Gita