I bake two loaves a week here at our house. And if we are conservative they will last 4 days. That is also assuming I have hidden one loaf in the back of the refrigerator. Fabulous toasted with butter and jam. Enjoy!

English Muffin Loaves

5 – 6 Cups Flour
2 packages yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water

Cornmeal for dusting

Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda. Heat liquids till very warm. Add liquids to dry mix and beat well. Stir in additional flour to make a stiff batter. Spoon into prepared loaf pans (to prepare pans grease and “flour” with cornmeal).

Sprinkle tops of loaves with cornmeal. Let rise 45 minutes (until nicely domed in pan). Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on racks. Slice, toast and enjoy!

Notes on this recipe:

I occasionally have to add my yeast to the warm liquids and allow it to raise then mix into the dry ingredients. This is dependent on the brand of yeast I have in my cupboards. Best option is to try a test batch following the recipe if the raise after 45 minutes is not sufficient or your yeast doesn’t dissolve in that batch. On the next try adding it to the water and/or warm liquids to activate prior to mixing in. Doing this will shorten your raise time a bit so be sure to pay attention to your pans or your dough will spill over the pans and fall when baked.

A long time ago nearly 14 years now I copied a chicken soup recipe out of a newspaper in our college library. I’d just shacked up with my then boyfriend (now husband) and finally had access to a real kitchen. Homemade Chicken Soup was new to me then having subsisted on ramen, campbells and the college food hall up until moving off campus. I don’t follow this recipe exactly anymore instead I have taken to tweaking it nearly every time I cook it. But as a base recipe for a basic chicken soup it works great. Today I almost couldn’t find the scrap of paper I wrote it on. The small panic that gave me made me chuckle and then reminisce. I’ve changed the recipe so much that I don’t actually use the paper anymore still I always double check my paper for my basic ingredients. I’ve posted the original recipe and my favorite tweaked version below. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

4 chicken breasts
3 cups water
2 chicken bouillon
2 beef bouillon
1 med. onion chopped fine
1 or 2 carrots large diced
1 stalk celery diced
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon salt (optional/to taste)
pepper to taste

Combine the chicken, water and bouillon in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim.
Add the onion, carrots, celery and ketchup cook slowly till chicken is tender.
Add noodles or rice if desired. Cook until noodles or rice is done. Serve.

Mama’s Chicken Soup

6 thighs (or equivalent other pieces of chicken)
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon beef soup base
1 med. onion chopped fine
2 carrots sliced/diced (1 cup approx)
1 stalk celery (1/2 cup approx)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper to taste

noodles or rice (cooked separate)

Heat the oil. Saute the onions in a stock pot until golden. Add in the chicken pieces and cook lightly.
Add the celery and carrots cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock. Add the beef soup base and the ketchup.
Salt and peper to taste. Simmer on low until chicken is tender and carrots on done. 40 to 60 minutes.
Serve over noodles or rice if desired.