Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup -Grandma

1 whole chicken, or several breasts and thighs

carrots, cubed

onions, chopped

celery, chopped (including leaves)

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. mustard seed

1 Tbsp. basil

Boil chicken in covered pan, with more than enough salted water to cover. Remove chicken when cooked. It is easiest to then refrigerate chicken overnight, or at least let it cool enough to handle. Remove the skin from the chicken and the chicken from the bones. Cube cooked chicken and set aside. Boil the carrots, celery, onions, and seasoning in the reserved chicken broth (adding them to the pot in the order so all will be tender at the same time).Drop well floured noodles a few at a time into the boiling broth (recipe for homemade noodles follows). Finally, add the cubed chicken and simmer until noodles are tender.

Homemade Noodles:

Crack an egg into a 1/3 cup measuring cup and fill to the top with water. Add 3/4 cup flour and a dash or two of salt to taste. Knead until well blended. Roll one portion of dough onto a well-floured surface, until dough is very thin. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into desired width and length. Again sprinkle with flour to keep the dough from sticking, then drop one piece at a time into the boiling broth.

This is a real easy soup and will freeze well. Also, if you like dumplings (and you will) do not roll dough into noodles. Instead, drop larger than golf ball sized spoonfuls of dough into the boiling broth. Cover and simmer while they bake and steam. Check with a fork to see if they are done. Sooo good!