Holiday Helpers, Tips and a Recipe

If you have planned a Big Feast at your home and have out of town/state/country guests coming for the extra long weekend,you might want to consider "pre-planning" all of your meals; Wednesday evening,The big day,Friday Brunch and Dinner,Saturdays'
meals, etc.

I like to eat something totally different on the night before Thanksgiving and on the day after Thanksgiving....except, sometimes I just want more Turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing on that Friday evening. I love Turkey and I love all the "fixins" as they say it here in East Tennessee.

I like to eat Mexican or Italian dishes or good old Cheeseburgers before and after the big Feast.
I love Chicken Enchiladas, Pizza, Lasagna,or my favorite soup in the world...it's called "Mama Mandola's Chicken Noodle Soup ". Recipe follows...
****the last time I posted this recipe was on May 25,2010.****

Mama Mandola's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup
8 Servings
you can double or triple this recipe as needed.

Ingredients:

5 celery ribs
4 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled
1 large green bell pepper
1 (14 ounce) can imported Italian plum tomatoes
1 (5 lb) hen, washed and cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 quarts water Directions:

1 Dice celery, carrots, onion, potatoes and bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces.
2 Chop tomatoes; reserve all juice.
3 Place vegetables, tomatoes with their juice, chicken pieces, parsley and garlic
in a 10-quart stockpot.
4 Add water. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Slowly bring soup to a boil over low heat.
6 Skim off foam that rises to the surface; may have to skim 2 or 3 times.
7 Partially cover pot and simmer 2 hours.
8 When soup is finished, remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Let cool.
9 Meanwhile, mash vegetables in the bottom of the pot with the back side of a
large cooking spoon or a potato masher.
10 When chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove skin and bones and return meat
to soup.
11 Notes: Soup is best served the day after it is made. Refrigerate and remove fat
that solidifies on the surface of the soup. Serve soup with rice or small,
stubby pasta like "mini bowtie" pasta. For better flavor, cook the rice or pasta
in the soup when reheating. Add freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, if
desired.
Enjoy!!!
love, Tamar