Friday Food ~ Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup

Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup
12 cups water
3 TB McKay's Chicken Seasoning (vegetarian chicken seasoning powder)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1 can Worthington FriChik, chopped (vegetarian chicken substitute)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. sea salt
1 TB dry parsley flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 16 oz. package ruffle noodles (or your favorite type)

Place everything except the noodles in a large kettle. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and slow boil until vegetables are soft, about 15-20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook another 10 minutes or until noodles are large, soft and fluffy. Serve with your favorite sandwiches, like grilled cheese.

Wednesday Away ~ Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge is located in the Olympic National Park in Washington. During our vacation this past summer, we drove the Hurricane Ridge Road after my brother recommended it. Earlier in the day we had hiked in the Hoh Rainforest and visited Marymere falls. Olympic is an awesome park for hiking and even the views while driving were incredible. Hurricane Ridge had some of the best scenic views we had seen all day It was amazing! The weather was beautiful and clear that day, so I was able to capture the far distant views in this photo. I used the Velvia effect in Photoshop to enhance the colors. If you take a vacation to the North West, I highly recommend Olympic National Park, and take some time to explore Hurricane Ridge. We didn't hike up there, because it was the end of the day for us, but they do have some really nice looking trails, too.

Friday Food ~ Popcorn and Smoothies Night

I love to cook and eat wonderful foods, but it is nice to have a break from all the preparation and work that goes into getting a full meal on the table. So, one night per week we have popcorn and smoothies night around here!

Simple Smoothies

2 frozen bananas

1/2 cup frozen blue berries

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1-2 cups frozen strawberries

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

2-3 cups soy milk (or your favorite milk . . . you could even use juice like OJ or Apple Juice)

Blend until smooth. If you blender is having trouble processing all the frozen fruits, stop it 2-3 times and stir the smoothie with a spoon, or add a little more milk/juice as needed. I like my smoothies really thick . . . almost like soft serve ice cream! If you prefer a more juice-like consistency, then add more liquid or less strawberries. Make enough for 2 large cups, or 4 small cups. ENJOY!