Homemade egg noodles and rustic chicken soup

 Little bear has gotten his first ear infection, and Tiger has come down with a spring cold at the same time. I hate when my little ones are sick so I use the excuse to make hearty comfort foods like chicken noodle soup. And not that stuff from a can at the store either, real fresh and handmade food with a healthy dose of love added.
Now you could use store bought egg noodles but one of the perks of having backyard chickens is that you almost always have a few eggs in the house. So why not whip up a quick batch of egg cnoodles?  Even better yet make the kiddos help make them - it keeps them entertained and they are also learning something in the process.
I start by measuring out 2 cups of all purpose flour and a teaspoon of salt which I then let Tiger whisk together while I separated 3 egg yolks one whole egg and measured out 1/3 cup of water.   nce gathered I added the eggs to the flour and salt and let Tiger whisk for a moment then we switched to a wooden spoon to mix in the water this resulted in a fairy sticky dough. I heavily floured my table and turned the dough onto the table and sprinkled it heavily with flour. I kneeded the dough, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the table, until the dough was supple and just barely not sticky anymore. The next step is to cut the dough in half and run it half a dozen times or so through a hand crank noodle machine (alternately you can roll out using a rolling pin and judicious amounts of flour)   nce the noodle dough is to the desired thickness you can cut it. Today I used a pizza cutter and a thicker pasta for a more rustic feel but this is optional. 
At this point you can boil the noodles fresh or let them dry. I left them sit while I whipped up my rustic chicken soup

Homemade Egg Noodles

2 c. All purpose flour
1tsp. Salt
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/3 (up to 1/2) c water

Sift flour and salt together
Make a well in the middle and add yolks and egg beating slightly
Add water and mix until incorporated
Turn on to heavily floured surface and kneed until supple and no longer sticky
Divide in half and roll to desired thickness between 1/2mm and 1 1/2mm thick
Cut to desired size
Allow to dry if desired

Now everyone has a favorite chicken soup recipe. One that's been passed down through their family for years. My family is no different. But I can't seem to help myself, I always tweak things, add and take away, change the flavor just enough to make it truly mine. Chicken soup is one of those things. I start with my homemade chicken or turkey broth and to that I add cut onion carrots and potatoes as well as a clove of minced garlic a half a teaspoon of table salt and the same measure of garlic salt and Italian seasoning. This I allow to boil covered until the veggies are almost tender then I add my fresh noodles and boil till the noodles are cooked. The result is a hearty feel good soup that would make granny proud. It helps my crew when the sickys have taken hold.
 
Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup

2 quarts high quality chicken or turkey stock (my homemade has meat in it if using store bought add a cooked/cubed chicken beast)
1 small yellow onion diced
2 medium carrots sliced in 1/4-3/8" rounds
2 large potatoes washed and diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
1 batch egg noodles

Mix all in a pot except noodles
Bring to the boil and simmer 10-15 minutes or until veggies are nearly tender
Add noodles and cook till noodles are aldente
Serve piping hot with salad and bread and butter

From the sunset homesteaders to you, God bless!