Easy Yummy Crockpot Chicken Soup

I think I see fall coming!

Yippee!!!

That means time for sweaters and cozy bonfires and changing leaves...and SOUP!

Don't get me wrong...I'm NOT ready for what comes after fall...ugh.

For now let's just stick to soup.

Once upon a time I posted about my world famous chicken soup...

I've been meaning to revisit that...it seriously is super good...

you just have to add a little more broth to make it soupier.

This is a variation of that recipe that you can do in the crockpot.

What's not to love about that?

This time I used fresh cut carrots and onions...

well...because that's what I had.

It was worth it and I'd do it again.

I did still throw in a packet of Knorr vegetable soup mix.

It just adds a little oomph.

You need a BUNCH of chicken broth.
A bunch.
Oh...and chicken.
Put it all in your crockpot with some seasonings...

After the chicken is completely cooked, you could take it

out and let it cool and tear it up or cut it into bite-sized pieces...

or you could use a handy-dandy mix 'n masher and just tear it up right in the pot.

Yup. Much easier.

See?

When you've decided it's just about ready,

throw in a couple cups of noodles and let them cook.

Then you're ready to enjoy some seriously good chicken soup.

Seriously.

Totally Yummy, Seriously Easy Crockpot Chicken Soup

• 3 large boneless skinless breasts, about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced and diced
• 5 - 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (I use the jar kind and used a tbsp or so...I like garlic)
• 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 packet dry Knorr vegetable recipe mix
• 1 square Knorr Caldo de Pollo bouillon
• 8 cups (64 oz) chicken broth
• about 1 tsp salt, and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg noodles (I used the old fashioned style) or 1 cup rice

1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot.  Top with chopped onions and carrots.  Add garlic, olive oil, and spices.
2. Pour in chicken broth. Stir in soup mix.  Add salt and pepper.
3. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low about 8 hours until the chicken is cooked and the veggies are soft.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, shred in the pot or remove and cut up.
5. Add noodles (or rice) and cook until soft then turn off heat to prevent mushy noodles.

printable version

Relish the cooler weather.

Make some soup.

Enjoy it immensely.

You're welcome.

Sharing here:

Dwellings
I Should Be Mopping The Floor
Savvy Southern Style
A Simple Pantry
Crafty Allie
A Dish of Daily Life

A Touch of Fall

Howdy, Peeps!

I'm just sharing a little of my fall decor today...

in hopes that maybe summer will finally get tired of hanging around...

and it will cool down some.

A lot of my decorations are the same...

so you may have seen them on last year's tour.

Sometimes I move things around and occasionally add new items.

The little mouse hanging on the side of the wire

cloche is new, but not really a fall accessory.

Just a bit of whimsy.

Oops, it appears my "slipcover" is riding up.

Pardon me!

I added a little printable banner to the chunky shelf.

Other things got moved around...and now some

orange candles glow here on a side table.

I love putting little pumpkins in this big lantern.

I rarely light the candles that are normally in it anyway.

One major difference this year...I got the dresser painted last winter!

I am loving it...and it looks so cozy and warm over there.

I know some people like to decorate for fall with neutrals and white pumpkins...

...let them, I say...I will keep the things I love about fall...

the warm, rich colors that evoke thoughts of falling leaves and

crunching through cornfields on a cool autumn night bundled up for a hayride!

Ooooh...and hot apple cider and pumpkin bread...and caramel apples...

Aaaahhhh...I feel refreshed already.

Take that, summer!

I found this cute pom pom garland on clearance this past weekend.

So fun! I knew I had to add it to the mix.

Some time this past year, I spray painted the shutters...

they were bright white and chippy...but too white.

Now they are more subdued...and you can still see

the chippy-ness beneath the thin coat of paint.

Warm, rich, cozy...

I think it's time for some of that cider.

I hope you've enjoyed this little jaunt into fall.

If you pretend not to notice the dust on my black tables...
I'll pretend to feel really bad about its existence.

I have a Halloween-ish treat coming up next,
so don't forget to check back with me soon!
Have a great weekend.

Doing my best tour guide impressions here:

Dwellings
Kitchen Table Art
Upcycled Treasures
Stone Gable
Sand and Sisal
A Stroll Thru Life
Love Grows Wild
Horrific Knits
Sowdering About
Just a Girl and Her Blog
Ivy and Elephants
Crafty Allie
A Simple Pantry
The Blissful Bee
Carissa Miss
From My Front Porch to Yours
Embracing Change
The Newlywed Pilgrimage
Saving 4 Six
Lamberts Lately
Live Laugh Rowe
Crafts a la Mode
AKA Design
Craft Dictator
Liz Marie Blog
Lolly Jane

A Hint of Halloween Hoopla

Ah, yes...once again I'm late to the party.

Nothing new here.

I added a few Halloween touches to the fall living room.

I didn't put everything out, as we'll be traveling over Halloween this year.

Didn't make sense to haul it all out of the basement...

but I wanted to share what I did get out.

Isn't this little "pillow" just so cute?

I can't even remember where I got it.

Big surprise. :)

I picked up these awesome paper fans/medallions, whatever they are,

when we were in Minnesota last month for some family business.

They have this freakin' AWESOME nursery called Gerten's.

I could spend hours there.

And they always have the coolest seasonal decor.

I actually found a couple crows at the dollar store.

And they still had some feathers on them.

Bonus!

Since I have the barnwood flower box on the coffee table this year,

I had to figure out where to put this little runner.

Okay, not the best place, but it works this year.

I usually use that big honkin' bowl above for trick or treat candy.

These little smiling jack-o-lantern faces make me happy.

This polka dot witch hat is still a favorite.

Argh...this guy turned out so blurry!

I found him at HomeGoods...I think he needs a name.

Any suggestions?

I was trying, and not succeeding, to get a decent shot of

the boo blocks with the creepy red-eyed bat hanging behind them.

Oh well.

I hung the banner that was on the fireplace last year here in the dining room.

I am loving adding fun things to the top of my dresser.

Someday...I'll get it painted.

Someday.

The vinyl for the subway art came from Landee on Etsy.

Some of her designs you can just get the vinyl and make the board yourself.

That's what I did here.

Aaaaand...that's all, folks!

I didn't even get out my big ceramic pumpkin my dad gave me.

It has a flickering bulb so it's super cool!

Next year...next year.

Hope you guys have been scaring up

some fun around your favorite haunts.

I pushed off the post with the gift bag so I could share some

Halloween with you...but it's on the schedule early next week.

Promise.

So...make sure you come back and see me!

Have a great weekend!!!!

Oh...I almost forgot!!!

There are just a few more days to enter the GIANT baking bundle giveaway!

AaaaaAaaaH!

Just going for the BOOs:

A Peek Into My Paradise
Live Laugh Rowe
Stone Gable
Jennifer Rizzo
Craft Dictator
Whipperberry
Crafts a la Mode
The Style Sisters
Common Ground
Love of Family and Home
Lil' Luna
Horrific Knits

My Favorite Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!

Howdy folks!

Do you feel the crisp fall air?

I do...there was snow here this morning!

Ugh...I am not ready for that.

SO...let's warm up those kitchens by baking something yummy!

 That's right...pumpkin bread.

I know what you're thinking.

Everybody's got pumpkin bread.

What makes mine special?

Well...I guess nothing if you ask it like that!

  

But hey...it's MY favorite pumpkin bread.

Really...see? The tag says so.

I've tried many recipes...this one...

in my most humble opinion...is the absolute best.

Honest.

  

Oh...and it's great for giving!

Just put the dry mix into a zipper storage bag...

tuck it into a cute little home-sewn fabric bag...

add a cute tag (don't forget instructions inside)...and you've got a tasty gift!

Instructions for the bag are coming...

they are part of another post that I did for a guest spot.

You guys will see it here next week...so stay tuned!

UPDATE: find the instructions here!



You can also use this recipe for...dun dun dun...

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!

OoOoOoOoh...who doesn't love those?

  

Just drop and plop...a little dab'll do ya!

You've waited long enough...let's get baking!

My Favorite Pumpkin Bread

printable version
Dry ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar {I always use dark}
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

 Wet ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk all your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil, water, pumpkin, and eggs.

Beat in dry mixture, careful not to over mix.

Pour into a greased 9X5 loaf pan and bake for about an hour.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Prepare mix as directed above.

Scoop batter into paper baking cups in a muffin tin about 2/3 full

{makes 18}

For cream cheese filling:

• 1 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

Stir ingredients together and drop by small spoonfuls into the center of each unbaked muffin.

{See picture above}

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Let me just say...these are reallllllllly good.

I don't share things with you I don't think are worth the trouble.

So what are you waiting for?

Preheat those ovens!

  

I've made 4 loaves and one batch

of muffins in the last few weeks.

I might be obsessed.


Speaking of baking...there's still time to enter
the GIANT baking bundle giveaway!
Do it!

Doing anything fun this weekend?

I'm headed to a chili cook off tomorrow.

Hopefully there's no more snow for a while!

Sharing here:

Obsessive and Creative

Love of Family and Home

Common Ground

Whipperberry

Cheerios and Lattes

Serenity You

Will Cook For Smiles

Lil' Luna

I Should Be Mopping The Floor

 The Dedicated House

Maison de Paix

Dwellings

A Stroll Through Life

Red Crow Green Crow

Love Grows Wild

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

 Anyonita Nibbles

Ella Claire Inspired

Life With The Crust Off

Ivy and Elephants

The 36th Avenue

Wonderful at Home

Lamberts Lately

From My Front Porch to Yours

Savvy Southern Style

Embracing Change

Saving 4 Six

Living Well Spending Less

A Peek Into My Paradise

StoneGable

Live Laugh Rowe

Jennifer Rizzo

Crafts a la Mode

Pure Grace Farms

Love Bakes Good Cakes

Horrific Knits

Just a Girl and Her Blog

Modern Pilgrim

A Simple Pantry