Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

This is something I have been wanting to do for a while and just never got around to doing, make chicken noodle soup from scratch. It was pretty easy to do and the end result is well worth it. The only downside is that I chose the recipe when the temps were in the upper 60's, well the day I got to make it it was almost 90.  Which could be why my little girl was only so-so about it, it was just to warm for a hot bowl of soup. I'll have to try it again this winter when I need a warm bowl of soup.

Ingredients
10 cups water
1 cup carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup onions, chopped
1 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 roasting chicken
3 cups wide egg noodles, uncooked

Directions
1. in 4-1/2 to 6 quart slow-cooker bowl, combine water, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, 4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper.
2. Place while chicken on top of vegetables.
3. cover slow cooker with lid and cook as manufacturer directs on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.
4. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Discard bay leaves. Add noodles to slow-cooker; cover with lid and cook (on lo or high) 20 minutes.
5. While noodles cook, remove and discard skin, fat and bones from chicken; shred meat.
6. Skim fat from soup and discard. Return to soup to serve.

Corn and Potato Chowder!!

My Grandmother made the best potato soup and sadly it was a recipe she took with her when she died. I have tried quite a few versions that came close to her recipe, but none have really come close to her type of soup. Then I found this recipe from LaaLoosh and it has been the closest to the way I remember her soup tasting, so much so I may be done searching. The recipe is from Weight Watchers and is worth 3 points in the old point system, for those counting calories such as my self it's around 370 calories for a cup and a half. Which makes it a wonderfully healthy recipe that really filled me up and kept me satisfied with out being loaded with calories. Of course to top it off it when the wonder full Tot Approved!

I made a couple of variations from the recipe at LaaLoosh, but I'm still going to post the original recipe with notes of the changes I made.

Ingredients
2 cups potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large carrot, diced
1 cup leeks, chopped, white part only (I omitted this)
1 medium garlic clove, minced (Could use another clove on the next batch)
4 cups fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked barley(I omitted this and substituted with 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels)
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp black peper
4 oz Canadian-style bacon, cutinto 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 oz fat-free half-and-half

Directions
In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and bacon; cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half; heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake was actually a practice run for my daughters second birthday. The recipe and cake was delicious and well liked by everyone, everyone but my daughter that is. When I offered her a piece of the cake she just blankly looked at me with a puzzled look, here I was all excited about her trying the cake and she seemed to not understand why. I'm not sure why she wasn't crazy about it but I knew it was necessary to find another recipe.

Recipe from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 cups finely shredded carrot
Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Coat 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
3. Lightly spoon 2 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 1/4 cups flour and next 5 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Beat granulated sugar and next 7 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in carrot.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 375º for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
5. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 3/4 cup cream cheese frosting, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, chilled
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar to butter mixture; beat at low speed just until blended (do not over beat). Yield 2 cups