HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE:

I read your helpful hints every day in the paper.

I bake a lot, and I make sure I add all the ingredients in the recipe. I put all the ingredients in a row on the counter as they are listed on my recipe. After I use them, I put them away in the cupboard. No more guessing if I put the ingredients in my recipe.

Hope you can use this tip OPINION in your column. — Linda C., Oxford, Ohio

DEAR READER:

That’s a very organized way to bake and to make certain nothing is left out. Thanks for your wonderful hint.

DEAR HELOISE: It’s been a long time since you printed your Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, and my three kids loved it. I’ve lost the recipe, so could you reprint that for all of us soup lovers?

— Grace M., Kearney, Neb. DEAR READER: This should taste really good on a cold Nebraska day.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 eggs

2 half eggshells full of milk Pinch of salt to taste Enough flour to make a dough 1 whole chicken

2 carrots (chopped)

2 ribs of celery (chopped) Enough water to cover chicken in pot

Crack two eggs into a bowl, then measure two empty half eggshells full of milk. Add a pinch of salt and enough flour to make a dough (dough should be a little sticky). Roll out on floured wax paper or a cutting board. Set dough aside and let dry for four to six hours. The dough may be too sticky to cut before that amount of time. When dough is more manageable, cut into thin strips (¼ to ½ inch wide, depending on your taste). In the meantime, cook a whole chicken in a large pot with enough water to cover. When fully cooked, remove chicken and debone it. Skim all the fat off the broth and put deboned chicken back in. Add carrots and celery. Cook until tender. Add noodles and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

By the way, did you know that chicken noodle soup is America’s favorite soup?

DEAR HELOISE: I love to bake but hate to break up clumps and lumps in my batter. Instead of pounding away at a clump, I’ve found that if I add my baking powder, baking soda or spices to the sugar before adding the flour to my recipe, I don’t have clumps forming in the batter.