orange blueberry scones & creamy chicken noodle soup

Okay, so those two recipes aren't meant to be served together but I'm posting both of them on today's food for thought friday anyway because I tried each one for the first time this past week and loved them. If I didn't post them today I'd totally forget about them and you'd miss out on two very yummy recipes!

The orange blueberry scones were originally lemon blueberry but I only had oranges on hand so I improvised. (I found this recipe when looking for some way to use up the Costco-size bag of dried blueberries no one was eating.) I think the result was even better than expected! They were tasty served with scrambled eggs and bacon. (I love the large Costco bag of precooked bacon pieces. Just whisk your eggs with some milk then throw in the bacon and some pepper. Scramble and voila! Breakfast is served!)

The creamy chicken noodle soup is my good friend Kim's sister's recipe. It was a hit with the family and made a TON. The original recipe did not have the basil and oregano but it needed a little something for flavor. The added spices were perfect! Also, on the roux I used the soup base/broth to thin the roux rather than milk before adding it back into the pot. I also suggest cooking the noodles even more firm than al dente so they don't get too soggy in the soup. That or wait until the very last minute to add them. Lastly, I found my crock pot was too small for the soup so I transferred it to a large pot on the stove when it came time to add the cream of chicken soup and evaporated milk. Just FYI!

Orange Blueberry Scones
3 c self-rising flour (see recipe below)
1/2 c plus 1 1/2 T sugar
3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 c dried wild blueberries (about 10 ounces)
1 c plus 1 T buttermilk
1 1/2 T finely grated orange peel

Self-rising flour
3 c flour
1 1/2 T baking powder
1/2 T salt

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk self-rising flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas. Add dried wild blueberries and toss to coat.

Mix 1 cup buttermilk and finely grated lemon peel in glass measuring cup. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough begins to form (some of flour will not be incorporated). Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.

Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.


Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
3 frozen chicken breasts (a great way to use your Costco chicken!)
3 14-oz. cans chicken broth
2 c carrots, sliced
2 c celery, chopped
1/2 an onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
4 c cooked egg noodles (add last)
1/4 c butter
1/2 c flour
Milk to thin to desired consistency

Using a large crock pot put chicken breasts and chicken broth in crock pot. Heat on high until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and cut into cubes. Put chicken back in crock pot and add carrots, celery and onion. Cook on high until veggies are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and evaporated milk; cook on low until ready to serve. On the stove top, make a roux with butter, flour and milk (or soup base). Add this to the crock pot mixture. Cook noodles separately. Add to crock pot 30 minutes before serving (or wait a little longer than that!).

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." ~Harriet van Horne