Hot Roast Beef Sandwich

These delicious roast beef sandwiches are perfect for lunch! (...or dinner, you just might want to eat two!) They are simple to make and are easily made ahead of time! The cheese in the sandwich gets gooey when you heat it up and the sauce has a nice tangy flavor from the horseradish and mustard. Pair that with the thinly sliced roast beef and you get a perfect balance of flavors!

To make 5 sandwiches (which could be a weeks worth of lunches!) you will need:

• 5 HAMBURGER BUNS
• 7 oz. ROAST BEEF, thinly sliced
• 5 slices of PROVOLONE CHEESE
• 5 slices of AMERICAN CHEESE 
• ALUMINUM FOIL

For the sauce you will need:

• 2 Tbs MAYO
• 2 Tbs SPICY MUSTARD
• 1/2 to 1 Tbs POPPY SEEDS (I used 1 Tbs, but next time I will probably cut back)
• 1 Tbs CHOPPED ONIONS
• 1/2 Tbs HORSERADISH
• Dash of WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

If you plan on eating a sandwich right after making them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, mix together the mayo, spicy mustard, poppy seeds, chopped onions, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.

It should look something like this!

Then, spread the sauce onto the inside of both pieces of each bun.

Next, place a slice of provolone onto the bottom bun...

...then put the roast beef on top of the provolone (I used about 3 slices of roast beef per sandwich)...

...then put the American cheese on top of the roast beef...

...and lastly, place the top half of the bun on top!

Repeat this process for all of the sandwiches (...or just do it all at once like I do!).

Now, you could eat the sandwich as is, but I like to take it a step further. I wrap each sandwich in foil... 

...and then pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. If you don't have an oven handy, then just warm the sandwiches in the microwave until the cheese gets gooey! (DON'T PUT THE FOIL INTO THE MICROWAVE!)

If you don't want to eat them all at once, simply put the foil wrapped sandwiches in to a large baggie and pop the baggie into the fridge! If you don't plan on eating all of the sandwiches in about a week and a half, then pop the baggie into the freezer! They will last several months in the freezer!

 Yum! Look how gooey and melted the cheese is!
  

Once the cheese is melted, sit back and enjoy!

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Hot Roast Beef Sandwich

Ingredients:
  
To make 5 sandwiches you will need:

• 5 HAMBURGER BUNS
• 7 oz. ROAST BEEF, thinly sliced
• 5 slices of PROVOLONE CHEESE
• 5 slices of AMERICAN CHEESE 
• ALUMINUM FOIL

For the sauce you will need:

• 2 Tbs MAYO
• 2 Tbs SPICY MUSTARD
• 1/2 to 1 Tbs POPPY SEEDS (I used 1 Tbs, but next time I will probably cut back)
• 1 Tbs CHOPPED ONIONS
• 1/2 Tbs HORSERADISH
• Dash of WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

Directions:

1. If you plan on eating a sandwich right after making them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, mix together the mayo, spicy mustard, poppy seeds, chopped onions, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
2. Spread the sauce onto the inside of both pieces of all of the buns.
3. Next, place a slice of provolone onto the bottom bun, then put the roast beef on top of the provolone (I used about 3 slices of roast beef per sandwich), then put the American cheese on top of the roast beef, and lastly, place the top half of the bun on top!
4. Now, you could eat the sandwich as is, but I like to take it a step further. I wrap each sandwich in foil and then pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. If you don't have an oven handy, then just warm the sandwiches in the microwave until the cheese gets gooey! (DON'T PUT THE FOIL INTO THE MICROWAVE!)
5. If you don't want to eat them all at once, simply put the foil wrapped sandwiches in to a large baggie and pop the baggie into the fridge! If you don't plan on eating all of the sandwiches in about a week and a half, then pop the baggie into the freezer! They will last several months in the freezer!

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I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/hot-roast-beef-sandwiches.html

Jamba Juice Copycat: Strawberry Surf Rider (Strawberry Tsunami)

My favorite Jamba Juice smoothie is the Strawberry Surf Rider, formerly known as the Strawberry Tsunami. It is sweet and tart and creamy and wonderful! I had trouble getting my smoothie as tart as Jamba Juice's so after everything was blended together, I spiked it with a little bit of lime juice to kick it up a notch!

To make this delicious smooth you will need:

• 1/4 cup FROZEN PEACHES (about 3 slices)
• 1/2 cup FROZEN STRAWBERRIES (about 5-6 berries)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup LEMONADE
• 1/4 cup LIME SHERBET
• 1/2 cup ICE (about 6-8 cubes)
• LIME JUICE, to taste

Start off by measuring out your ingredients... or just eye ball it! It's kind of difficult to measure frozen fruit in a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Below you can see my attempt measure how much I was using....

Throw ALL of the ingredients into a blender. I started by only adding 1/2 cup of the lemonade, but then added an extra 1/4 cup to get it to the consistency I wanted. Just keep adding thing until it tastes good!

Blend until smooth! This is where I added some lime juice. I added about 2-3 tsp, but if you like it the way it is, then skip the lime juice!

Once you are happy with the consistency and flavor, serve it up in a glass with a straw! I ended up with about a glass and a half of smoothie. That was probably about 3 cups or 24 oz. of smoothie...

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Jamba Juice Copycat: Strawberry Surf Rider (Strawberry Tsunami)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup FROZEN PEACHES (about 3 slices)
• 1/2 cup FROZEN STRAWBERRIES (about 5-6 berries)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup LEMONADE
• 1/4 cup LIME SHERBET
• 1/2 cup ICE (about 6-8 cubes)
• LIME JUICE, to taste

Directions:

1. Start off by measuring out your ingredients... or just eye ball it! It's kind of difficult to measure frozen fruit in a 1/4 cup measuring cup. 
2. Throw ALL of the ingredients into a blender. Note: I started by only adding 1/2 cup of the lemonade, but then added an extra 1/4 cup to get it to the consistency I wanted. Just keep adding thing until it tastes good!
3. Blend until smooth! I then added about 2-3 tsp of lime juice, but if you like it the way it is, then skip the lime juice!
4. Once you are happy with the consistency and flavor, serve it up in a glass with a straw! 
5. I ended up with about a glass and a half of smoothie. (That was probably about 3 cups or 24 oz. of smoothie...)

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To find this recipe and other Jamba Juice copycats follow this link: http://www.makedrinks.org/jamba-juice-recipes/ 

Can you freeze cupcake batter and still have good cupcakes? YES!!!

I ran a little experiment regarding freezing cupcake batter and it totally worked! I have heard a lot of different things about whether or not the cupcakes would look or (more importantly) taste as good after freezing the batter so I set out to find the truth! 

This experiment actually started off as an accident. I was making a half batch of chocolate cupcakes for a party and ended up forgetting to half one of the ingredients. So rather than starting over, I just made a whole batch. You can never have too many cupcakes right??

I baked up half of the batter that night for the party and poured the other half in to a large baggie and popped it into the freezer. 

Then, about 3 weeks later, I defrosted the batter and baked some cupcakes. The cupcakes in the picture below were made from frozen batter and don't they look wonderful?!

Then I whipped up some vanilla icing and dug in! They tasted just as wonderful as usual! 

Now here is the tip: If you are really busy, make your cake batter ahead of time and freeze it until you need it! Just defrost the batter overnight, or while you are at work, and you can have cupcakes made from scratch any day of the week!

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Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Icing

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

• 2 cups SUGAR
• 1 & 3/4 cup FLOUR
• 3/4 cup COCOA POWDER
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 tsp SALT
• 2 EGGS
• 1 cup MILK
• 1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1 cup BOILING WATER

Vanilla Icing:

• 2 cup SHORTENING 
• 8 cup POWDERED SUGAR
• 0.5 tsp SALT
• 2 tsp VANILLA
• 6 oz. HEAVY CREAM

Directions:

Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coating three 8 inch baking dishes in nonstick cooking spray and then flour to make the cake easier to remove from the dish after baking. 
2. In an electric mixer combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and the boiling water making sure each ingredient is incorporated before adding the next.

• If you are making a cake, divide the batter equally into the three baking dishes and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Bake until you can insert a toothpick and have it come out clean. Let the cakes cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the baking dishes. 

     OR

• If you are making cupcakes with the batter, bake them for 15-18 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and have it come out clean.

Vanilla Icing:

1. Cream the shortening in an electric mixer until it is fluffy. 
2. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. 
3. Add the salt, vanilla, and cream. Mix until well combined. 
4. If it is too thick add more cream, if it is too thin add more powdered sugar.

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Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

I love soups and this one is easy and delicious! It has a creamy tomato base with tender cheesy tortellini. To make it all you need is:

• 2 cloves GARLIC
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 (10 & 3/4 oz.) cans CONDENSED TOMATO SOUP
• Optional: 1/4 cup SUN DRIED TOMATOES, chopped 
• 2 cups HALF & HALF
• 2 cups CHICKEN STOCK
• 1 tsp ONION POWDER
• 1/2 Tbs ITALIAN SEASONING
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/2 tsp PEPPER
• 1 (9 oz.) package CHEESE FILLED TORTELLINI
• SHREDDED PARMESAN CHEESE, garnish

Start by sauteing the garlic in the olive oil in a large pot. Then add the condensed tomato soup, optional sun dried tomatoes, half & half, chicken stock, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 

Once all of the ingredients are well mixed, bring the contents of the pot to a simmer and then add the tortellini. Cook the tortellini in the soup for the time directed on the packaging (if it doesn't specify 7-9 minutes should do it!). 

After the tortellini has cooked through, serve and top with Parmesan cheese!

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Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves GARLIC
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 2 (10 & 3/4 oz.) cans CONDENSED TOMATO SOUP
• Optional: 1/4 cup SUN DRIED TOMATOES, chopped 
• 2 cups HALF & HALF
• 2 cups CHICKEN STOCK
• 1 tsp ONION POWDER
• 1/2 Tbs ITALIAN SEASONING
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/2 tsp PEPPER
• 1 (9 oz.) package CHEESE FILLED TORTELLINI
• SHREDDED PARMESAN CHEESE, garnish

Directions:

1. Start by sauteing the garlic in the olive oil in a large pot. 
2. Add the condensed tomato soup, optional sun dried tomatoes, half & half, chicken stock, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 
3. Once all of the ingredients are well mixed, bring the contents of the pot to a simmer and then add the tortellini. Cook the tortellini in the soup for the time directed on the packaging (if it doesn't specify 7-9 minutes should do it!). 
4. After the tortellini has cooked through, serve and top with Parmesan cheese!

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I found this recipe on the following website: 

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/171098794/creamy-tomato-tortellini-soup/

Potato Soup

One of my favorite things is a warm bowl of potato soup on a cold day and this recipe really hits the spot! I took my grandma's recipe and tweaked it a little bit to add a more flavor. 

For this soup you will need (It will make about 6-7 servings):

• 6 small POTATOES
• 2 CARROTS
• 1 ONION
• 6 slices BACON
• 1 cup MILK
• 2 Tbs FLOUR
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/3 cup CHEDDAR CHEESE, freshly shredded
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1/4 tsp GARLIC POWDER
• 1 Tbs DRIED PARSLEY

Fill a large pot half way to the top with water and bring it to a boil. While the water is heating up, peel and chop the potatoes and carrots into bite sized pieces. Then dice the onion. 

Once the water has come to a boil throw the potatoes, carrots, and onion into the pot and cook until tender.

In a skillet cook up the 6 strips of bacon. Once cooked, crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan and then whisk in 2 tablespoons flour. Then add 1 cup milk all at once. Continue whisking on low temperature until mixture is smooth. Once smooth, stir in the freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Then take about 1/2 cup of the potato water out of the large pot, and stir it into the milk and cheese mixture.

After the ingredients in the small saucepan are well incorporated, mix the contents into the large pot with the potatoes and potato water. Then add the spices and 2/3 of the crumbled bacon.

Serve hot! Top with shredded cheese and some of the remaining crumbled bacon! 

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Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 small POTATOES
• 2 CARROTS
• 1 ONION
• 6 slices BACON
• 1 cup MILK
• 2 Tbs FLOUR
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/3 cup CHEDDAR CHEESE, freshly shredded
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1/4 tsp GARLIC POWDER
• 1 Tbs DRIED PARSLEY

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot half way to the top with water and bring it to a boil. 
2. While the water is heating up, peel and chop the potatoes and carrots into bite sized pieces. Then dice the onion. 
3. Once the water has come to a boil throw the potatoes, carrots, and onion into the pot and cook until tender.
4. In a skillet cook up the 6 strips of bacon. Once cooked, crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan and then whisk in 2 tablespoons flour. Then add 1 cup milk all at once. Continue whisking on low temperature until mixture is smooth. Once smooth, stir in the freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Then take about 1/2 cup of the potato water out of the large pot, and stir it into the milk and cheese mixture.
6. After the ingredients in the small saucepan are well incorporated, mix the contents into the large pot with the potatoes and potato water. Then add the spices and 2/3 of the crumbled bacon.
7. Serve hot! Top with shredded cheese and some of the remaining crumbled bacon! 

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Taco Soup

This recipe is super easy and super delicious! We make it in a crock pot, but if you don't have one you could just make it in a large pot. 

To make this soup you will need:

• 1 lb. GROUND BEEF, browned
• 28 oz. can CRUSHED TOMATOES
• 15 oz. can CORN, drained
• 15 oz. can BLACK BEANS, drained and rinsed 
• 15 oz. can KIDNEY BEANS, drained and rinsed
• 1 oz. envelope dry RANCH-STYLE SALAD DRESSING MIX
• 1 oz. envelope TACO SEASONING
• 1 ONION, chopped

Optional for topping:

• CILANTRO
• SOUR CREAM
• SHREDDED CHEESE
• CORN CHIPS

So this is going to be really difficult, and I need you guys to read this next part really carefully. Take all of the above ingredient (not including the optional ones) and throw them into the slow cooker. Then stir them up to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed together. Think you got that? 

Cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours to allow all of the flavors to come together. 

Ladle the soup into a bowl, add your desired toppings, and then serve! It's that easy!

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Taco Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. GROUND BEEF, browned
• 28 oz. can CRUSHED TOMATOES
• 15 oz. can CORN, drained
• 15 oz. can BLACK BEANS, drained and rinsed 
• 15 oz. can KIDNEY BEANS, drained and rinsed
• 1 oz. envelope dry RANCH-STYLE SALAD DRESSING MIX
• 1 oz. envelope TACO SEASONING
• 1 ONION, chopped

Optional for topping:

• CILANTRO
• SOUR CREAM
• SHREDDED CHEESE
• CORN CHIPS

Directions:

1. Take all of the above ingredient (not including the optional ones) and throw them into the slow cooker. Then stir them up to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed together. 
2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours to allow all of the flavors to come together. 
3. Ladle the soup into a bowl, add your desired toppings, and then serve! It's that easy!

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last week we made some chicken tortilla soup and it was delicious! It made somewhere between 6 & 8 servings so we ate some last week and then froze some in baggies for later!

To make it you will need:

• 2 BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 1 & 1/2 tsp CUMIN
• 1 tsp CHILI POWDER
• 1/2 tsp GARLIC POWDER
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1 medium ONION, diced
• 3 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1 (10 oz.) can ROTEL
• 4 cups (32 oz.) CHICKEN STOCK
• 3 Tbs TOMATO PASTE
• 2 cups HOT WATER
• 1 (15 oz.) can BLACK BEANS
• 1 (15 oz.) can KIDNEY BEANS
• 1 (15 oz.) can WHOLE KERNEL CORN
• 3 Tbs CORN STARCH

To garnish:

• FIESTA BLEND SHREDDED CHEESE
• SOUR CREAM
• TORTILLA CHIPS

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Then sprinkle some of the spice mixture onto the chicken breasts. Once the oven is up to temperature, bake the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and is no longer pink in the center. 

While the chicken is baking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot and then saute the onion. (The onion in the picture below is closer to a puree than 'chopped' because my husband got a little overexcited with the food processor...haha but we just went with it!)

When the chicken is done baking they should look something like this!

After the chicken is cooked through, shred the chicken using 2 forks...

Then add the shredded chicken and the extra spice mixture to the large pot with the sauteed onion.

Next, add the Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, hot water, black beans, and kidney beans. Stir everything together and then bring the contents to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. 

After the soup finishes simmering, mix 3 tablespoons of cold water with 3 tablespoons of corn starch. Once the cornstarch and water are well mixed, add it into the soup. Once the soup has thickened up a bit, taste the soup and add more spices to taste (you will probably need to add more spices). Then turn off the heat and allow the soup to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

When the soup has cooled down a bit, serve it up and add your desired toppings!

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 1 & 1/2 tsp CUMIN
• 1 tsp CHILI POWDER
• 1/2 tsp GARLIC POWDER
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1 medium ONION, diced
• 3 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1 (10 oz.) can ROTEL
• 4 cups (32 oz.) CHICKEN STOCK
• 3 Tbs TOMATO PASTE
• 2 cups HOT WATER
• 1 (15 oz.) can BLACK BEANS
• 1 (15 oz.) can KIDNEY BEANS
• 3 Tbs CORN STARCH

To garnish:

• FIESTA BLEND SHREDDED CHEESE
• SOUR CREAM
• TORTILLA CHIPS

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Combine the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Then sprinkle some of the spice mixture onto the chicken breasts. Once the oven is up to temperature, bake the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and is no longer pink in the center. 
3. While the chicken is baking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot and then saute the onion. 
4. After the chicken is cooked through, shred the chicken using 2 forks.
5. Add the shredded chicken and the extra spice mixture to the large pot with the sauteed onion.
6. Add the Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, hot water, black beans, and kidney beans to the pot. Stir everything together and then bring the contents to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. 
7. After the soup finishes simmering, mix 3 tablespoons of cold water with 3 tablespoons of corn starch. Once the cornstarch and water are well mixed, add it into the soup. Once the soup has thickened up a bit, taste the soup and add more spices to taste (you will probably need to add more spices). 
8. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
9. When the soup has cooled down a bit, serve it up and add your desired toppings!

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Freeze Your Soup!

My husband and I have been trying to eat healthier and we noticed that lately we have been eating a lot of sodium due to eating canned soups and Ramen noodles. Generally on nights when we are both feeling tired and don't want to cook we end up eating soups. We found that making our own soup and freezing it in single servings was a great way to get around consuming a lot of the sodium and they are there for whenever we want them!

In the picture above is a batch of chicken & noodles that we then put about 1 & 1/2 cups of soup per baggie and then threw them in the freezer! With the chicken & noodles we got about 8 baggies of soup! ...Just ignore the leftover margarita...

When you freeze the baggies be sure to lay them flat so they will be easier to stack in the freezer and will also defrost quicker in some warm water!

Chicken & Noodles

Last weekend my husband and I caught an episode of The Pioneer Woman on Food Network and she made a chicken and noodle soup that we both though look wonderful! So naturally, it made it on our list of meals to make for this week! And it did in fact taste wonderful! We did make a few changes though.

The ingredients you will need are:

• 1 ROTISSERIE CHICKEN (we prepared an extra chicken breast to make sure there was plenty of chicken, but I don’t think it was needed.)
• 4 CARROTS, diced
• 3 CELERY STALKS, diced
• 1 ONION, diced
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp BLACK PEPPER
• 1/2 tsp THYME
• 16 oz. FROZEN HOME-STYLE EGG NOODLES (we used Reame’s)
• 3 Tbs FLOUR

Start by cleaning the meat off of the rotisserie chicken and putting it aside in abowl. Put the skin and bones aside in another bowl. Do not throw away the bones! 

Once you have taken all of the meat off of the bones, put the bones and skin into a large pot that has been filled just over halfway with water and bring the contents to a boil. Allow this to simmer for about 30 minutes. This will create the base of the soup. After 30 minutes, remove the bones and skin and discard them. Take out 1/2 cup of the stock and set aside.

Put the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and thyme into the stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes.

Next, add the frozen noodles (about half the bag) and simmer for another 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup of stock that was set aside and then add them into the pot to thicken the soup.

Once the noodles are cooked through, the soup is done! You may want to add more spices, but this combination worked for us!

After each having a bowl, my husband and I let the soup cool, and divided it up into 8 sandwich baggies (we put about 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups in each baggie). We then put the baggies of soup into the freezer! Just ignore the leftover margarita ;)

We realized that we have been eating a lot of canned soup lately and in turn, we have been consuming a lot of sodium. So this is our attempt to try to substitute a healthier option when we are too lazy to cook, or need a snack in the middle of the day.

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Chicken & Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 ROTISSERIE CHICKEN (we prepared an extra chicken breast to make sure there was plenty of chicken, but I don’t think it was needed.)
• 4 CARROTS, diced
• 3 CELERY STALKS, diced
• 1 ONION, diced
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp BLACK PEPPER
• 1/2 tsp THYME
• 16 oz. FROZEN HOME-STYLE EGG NOODLES (we used Reame’s)
• 3 Tbs FLOUR

Directions:

1. Start by cleaning the meat off of the rotisserie chicken and putting it aside in a bowl. Put the skin and bones aside in another bowl. Do not throw away the bones! 
2. Once you have taken all of the meat off of the bones, put the bones and skin into a large pot that has been filled just over halfway with water and bring the contents to a boil. Allow this to simmer for about 30 minutes. This will create the base of the soup. After 30 minutes, remove the bones and skin and discard them. Take out 1/2 cup of the stock and set aside.
3. Put the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and thyme into the stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the frozen noodles (about half the bag) and simmer for another 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. 
5. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup of stock that was set aside and then add them into the pot to thicken the soup.
6. Once the noodles are cooked through, the soup is done! You may want to add more spices, but this combination worked for us!

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Here is a link to the Pioneer Woman’s chicken and noodles recipe that we based our soup on: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chicken-and-noodles-recipe/index.html