Nanny Noodles!

When I was a kid I looked forward to family reunions for one reason and one reason alone. The food!! Yes, even as a child the grumblies had me firmly in their grasp! And among the many many dishes cooked by my family, my favourite was what I called "Nanny Noodles". Nanny was my dad's mother, and she was an AMAZING cook. Well, she was amazing at everything she did; I wish I had gotten to know her better. Anyway, her noodles were chicken and (egg) noodles, made from scratch. If you've never eaten egg noodles made from scratch, you are MISSING OUT!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to master the art of making egg noodles (my dad says they're just eggs, flour, and salt. But surely it's harder than that?) so I use store bought ones. (Don't tell!! But go for the frozen ones or the dried ones that are really thick-looking, not the "extra wide" egg noodles that look like flattened spaghetti.) My dish never tastes like hers, but I've made a few changes: store-bought noodles and vegetables. lol

Nanny Noodles

(I don't have actual measurements on ANY of this. Sorry!)
Chicken-Depending on how many people you're feeding, use a whole chicken, or just bits of one. Bone-in is best, for that added flavor, as is a piece with some dark meat. (For myself and Camden, I used two bone-in chicken breasts. More than enough)
Carrots
Celery
Bay leaf
Salt and Pepper
Noodles! (I used Ream's frozen)



Chop up your carrots and celery (use as many or as few as you like) and put in a pot. Add your chicken. Throw in a bay leaf or two, and season with the salt and pepper.
Cover with water; then bring to boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until chicken is cooked.



Once the chicken is cooked pluck it out. Now's a good time to take the bay leaf/leaves out. Because, seriously, if you don't, some unlucky soul will get it on their plate. And, just so you know, it will ALWAYS be the SAME PERSON. Every time. Whatever the dish; if there's a bay leaf used to cook it, THAT PERSON will get the leaf. Guess who that person was in MY family? Yep, me.

Bring the water to a boil, and add the noodles. Cook according to package directions.

While the noodles are softening, you should dissect the chicken. Use two forks and break the chicken up. If you're smart, you can do this when the chicken has cooled off. If you're like me, you can just jump right in and start pulling it apart. Really, though, the choice is up to you!

When the noodles are finally cooked, throw the chicken back into the pot and mix it up!



I like mine over mashed potatoes. Yep that's a lot of carbs. But I normally only make this in the winter, so it's okay. (This recipe also works well with leftover Thanksgiving/Christmas turkey.)