Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

recipe from Creatively Comestic.com
Kinsey said, "Mom, this is the best thing you've ever made!" She loved it!

Ingredients:
5 cups of chicken broth
One 10.75 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1/2 cup carrots, chopped fine
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
One 15 oz can whole kernal corn, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup Egg Noodles
2 cups cooked chicken or 2 cans canned cooked chicken

Instructions:
Add everything but the noodles and cooked chicken to the crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. The last hour turn on high and add noodles and chicken.

Cinnamon Applesauce

I've been using this recipe to make multiple batches of homemade applesauce with all the apples we picked a couple weeks ago. So far it's been pretty good. I think it's a keeper. I have a batch on the stove as I type.

Ingredients:
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool and then mash to desired consistency. I use a food processor to make it the texture of storebought. I think the kids like it better that way.

Oatmeal Pancakes

(recipe from Cooking Light)
My kids will eat these and I think they are delicious!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 T sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
1 cup non-fat buttermilk (or put 1 T vinegar in 1 cup and fill rest with regular milk)
2 T. butter, melted
1 large egg
cooking spray

Instructions:
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with whisk.
2. Combine buttermilk, butter, and egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist.
3. Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.  Scoop 1/4 cup drops into pan and flip when bottoms are lightly browned.

Bowtie Pasta with Basil and Tomato Sauce

(modified recipe from Barilla Pasta).

This is a winner with Emerson.

Ingredients:
1/2 box bowtie pasta (I like the mini kind for Emerson)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T onion, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 leaves fresh basil, torn
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:
Add oil and onions to medium saute pan and heat over medium high heat. Saute for 3 minutes or until onions are soft.
Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Saute the tomatoes until the skins are blistered and the flesh is heated through. season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the bowtie pasta according to directions on package.
Remove tomatoes from hear, puree all or part of the sauce in a blender on high. Return puree to sauce pan.
Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Stir in the basiil and mozzerella cheese. You can add other veggies or corn if you like.

Baked Apple Chips

Kinsey and Ryan both LOVED these. I'll be making them a lot this fall.

(recipe from Woman's Day)

Ingredients:

1 cup each water and sugar (I think you could use less, maybe 1/2 cup each)

2 large apples

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 225 degrees. Set an 18x14.5 inch wire cooling rack on a sheet of foil (to catch drips). Lightly coat rack with nonstick cooking spray. (I placed foil on a rimmed baking sheet and then put wire cooling rack on top.)

2. Put water and sugar in a 2 qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil vigorously 5 minutes until it is a light syrup consistency.

4. Meanwhile, core and quarter apple. Cut each quarter into 10-12 thin slices. Put in large metal bowl and carefully add boiling hot syrup. Toss apples with tongs until well coated. Remove slices and place close together (not overlapping) on prepared rack.

4. Bake 2 1/2 hours. Loosen chips; let cool on rack, (As they cool they become crisp.) Store in airtight container.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Maureen has mentioned this a couple times on her blog and it is super yummy and very creamy. Kinsey said it was too cheesy, Emerson ate a huge amount. I think Kinsey will come around so it's a keeper.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups warm milk
16 oz shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is yummy!)
1 pound cooked elbow macaroni (I used wagon wheel so Emerson can eat it)

Instructions:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk until flour is evenly distributed. Add warm milk and whisk till thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese one cup at a time. Put cooked macaroni in a baking dish. Pour milk/cheese mixture over noodles and stir well.

You can top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, if you prefer. Mix in yummy peas, corn or chicken, whatever you prefer.