If You Are, in fact, the Laziest Parent Evah,

this is the soup recipe for you. I'm ashamed to post it. However, the kids inhale it and there is Actual Food in it and I can make it using only 2% of my brain. How could I not share?

Cook a couple-three chicken breasts however you like to cook them. Me, I dust them with some salt-pepper-garlic-onion-paprika, sear them on each side, and cover them until I no longer fear food poisoning. Cool til you can touch them, and chop 'em up. If you're HORRIBLY lazy, you could sub a bag of pre-cooked pre-chopped chicken bits, but even I have more self respect than that.

Add to: two boxes of chicken broth and a bag of frozen mixed veg. I use the basic carrot-corn-peas combo, but whatever suits you.

Bring to boil. Add somewhere between a half and a whole pound of egg noodles, depending on how noodley your family is and how many uninvited guests have shown up for dinner. Top off with hot tap water until the noodles are well and truly covered, set the timer for whatever the noodle package says (7 minutes, I think).

That's the basic Idiot's Version. But how to make it with More Food in it?
Make your own broth.
Pay more attention to the types of veg.
Add miso.
Use different noodles: spelt, whole wheat, or the new Barilla Plus.
Try seitan or baked tofu diced up instead of the chicken.
Add a handful of kelp flakes, or spinach or kale to wilt in at the end.

Happy Souping!

Blackberry Cobbler

The back fridge apparently is going a bit wonky, so we emptied it out last night. To my surprise I found two bags of blackberries thawed and in the sink when I awoke. So I said to myself.

Hmm... I was going to make Pancakes for breakfast. But instead it shall be Cobbler!

There was much rejoicing and dancing around the kitchen at this point in the game.

So I spent a few minutes perusing the web and realized, cobbler is too darned easy.

I took the blackberries (2 12 oz bags) drained the juice from one, and put them both in a big bowl. I poured 1/2 cup of sugar over the top, 1 tblsp Vanilla and 2 tsp cinnamon. And then gently mixed.

In another bowl, I made a basic dough recipe with 1 1/2 cups AP flour, 1 tblsp baking powder, 1 stick butter and 1 tsp salt. Added 1/2 cup milk, stirred until it was all together in a ball.

Poured the blackberry mix in a round baking dish, and dropped dollops of the dough on top. Maybe in mushed up 1/2 a ping pong ball size. I took 2 tblsp butter, melted it and poured it over the top.

Put it in a 350 degreee oven for 40 minutes and voila!

Things to do different (add more food?) make the dough with some whole wheat flour, add some oatmeal, substitute the sugar for honey, omit the melted butter (gasp! heavens no!)


Dave ...