Noodles Doodles and Chicks

11/18/2025

Simmer Pots and Chili Beans with Oranges on Top

Things are bubbling, brewing, baking and basking on the Homestead today. The dehydrator is full of oranges slices that will become a beautiful Christmas season garland, chili beans are doing their thing in the pressure canner and a decedent simmer pot full of oranges peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves and cranberries is adding a heavenly scent to the entire cabin as it simmers atop the wood cook stove. It's a slow and steady, fully grounded, deliciously rainy kind of day today. I enjoy sitting at my writing desk, looking out the window as the slow autumn rain streaks down the window pane. The coziness factor goes up by a factor of ten on this kind of day.
Yesterday the Master of our Realm, our three year old grandson Killian, help me gather the fluffy tops from the ornamental grass patches along the split rail fence. With rain on the horizon, we knew this might be our last chance to cut it before the winter claimed it as his own. We respectfully followed the rule of three. We gathered a third, left a third for the earth to reclaim and reseed and the final third was left for the birds and wild things to eat during the winter. These fluffy tops are so gorgeous! We will be spread them out on newspaper and gently kiss them with a fine mist of gold spray paint. Before it can dry, we will sprinkle gold glitter onto the painted broom tops that will dry into the most magickal additions to our festive garland you can imagine! I am utterly dizzy with delight just thinking about it!
A few days ago I promised you a few things, first being the recipe for chili seasoning and canning instructions as well as a brief description of Yule. So, let's start with the latter subject first and finish strong with that recipe. Long before the word Christmas ever stirred in human breath, the people of the northern world kept a sacred promise with winter. When the nights grew long and the frost clung to branch and bone, three mighty cultures, the Celts, the Norse, and the Anglo-Saxons, each stepped forward to honor the turning of the year.
Though they lived in different lands and spoke different languages, their hearts beat in rhythm with the same truth: At Midwinter, the Sun is reborn, and when the Sun is reborn, so is hope.
The Celts: Keepers of the Solstice Flame
Among the Celts of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, winter was not an enemy but a great teacher. They watched the stars, tracked the sun’s slow descent, and understood the Solstice as the moment when darkness reached its deepest cup and the first drop of light began to pour back in.
For the Celts:
Evergreen boughs symbolized eternal life
Mistletoe carried the blessing of the Otherworld
Oak and holly represented the ancient struggle of dark and light
Their Yule was quiet, reverent, and deeply rooted in the land, a whisper shared between humans and the living world itself.
The Norse: Celebrants of Jo'l, the Great Yule Feast
Further north, the Norse knew winter as a force both harsh and holy. Their festival—Jól—lasted twelve nights, filled with feasting, firelight, storytelling, and the deep magic of the long dark.
In Norse lands:
The Yule log burned for days to chase away evil
Evergreen trees stood as protectors of the home
The Wild Hunt swept across the sky
Odin, in his winter guise, brought wisdom and blessings
Their Yule was bold and roaring, a celebration of life in defiance of the cold.
The Anglo-Saxons: Guardians of Mother’s Night
In the early kingdoms of England, the Anglo-Saxons observed Modraniht, Mother’s Night, on the eve of the Solstice. This night honored the divine mothers and ancestral women who protected the household through the darkest hours.
Their midwinter customs included:
Candles burning in the windows for protection
Offerings for the household spirits
Feasts that welcomed the returning light
Gatherings that united tribe and kin
Their Yule was intimate and hearth-centered, a weaving of home, fate, and family.
Three Peoples, One Sacred Season
When we speak of Yule today, of candles, evergreen garlands, warm fires, feasting, and the return of the sun, we are speaking of a tapestry woven from all three traditions.
Each thread adds something essential:
The Celts give Yule its soul.
The Norse give Yule its fire.
The Anglo-Saxons give Yule its home.
Together, they created the Midwinter we still celebrate, a season of deep magic, shimmering hope, and the quiet promise that even in the longest dark, the light will always return.
So, if you ever wondered why you bring an evergreen tree from the Northern regions into your home to be brightly decorated, you can thank these ancient people who believed the evergreen was a reminder that life continues even through the darkest times. Celebrating Yule is not worshipping other gods or anti Christian. The fact that so many of the Yule traditions are seamlessly woven into the Christian celebration of Christmas is a testament to different peoples finding common ground and coming together on this one most sacred of seasons to celebrate both the rebirth of the Sun and the birth of the Son in peace.
Next time I will tell you the tale of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which starts on the Winter Solstice, December 21st and goes through to the first day of the new year, as well as an amazing true historic fact about how the melding of traditions saved an empire. Funny how things work out! Now for that recipe!
Chili Beans
Ingredients:
5 pounds of dry pinto beans
2 Tablespoons Chili powder
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions:
1. Soak the beans overnight. The next day drain them and add them to a large stockpot. Cover with fresh water. Cook at a gentle boil for 30 minutes. Add the cooked beans to clean pint jars, filling the jar approximately 3/4 full. Add 2 teaspoons of the spice blend to each jar. Add enough of the cooking water to each jar, leaving 1 inch headspace. Add lids and rings. Process in a pressure canner for 75 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.
** Note: The seasoning blend can be stored dry in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid. The dry mix can be added to your pot of chili for additional boost of flavor just as you would add a packet of seasoning mix from the store.
With the magic of Yule settling around us like fresh snowfall, let’s end today’s journey the way all good homestead stories end, with a gracious "thank you" for all the bounty and abundance all around us. Until next time,
I am forever yours,
Suzy

11/17/2025

So much is happening on the homestead!

I know I’ve been going on and on about the abundance factor lately, but honestly, I’m just in awe! Today feels like the perfect time for a little catch-up on what’s happening around here.

11/12/2025

Woodland Mushroom Stew with Savory Bread Dressing
November 12, 2025|Apothecary, Faith, Food, Inspiration, Self Sufficiency, Spirituality, Your Best I do apologize for yet another abundance post, but honestly, they’re arriving faster than I can keep up! It seems the more I notice how much abundance surrounds me, the more shows up to be noticed.

Yesterday I shared how far we can stretch a single Costco rotisserie chicken. Today is the payoff post!

All day yesterday I simmered the picked-over carcass after my daughter had taken the meat for her meals. I added a late-season onion from one of the raised beds, a handful of fresh sage and basil, salt, pepper, garlic, and diced celery. The entire Enchanted Cabin smelled divine.

Overnight, we set the broth outside to cool, the air just above freezing, nature’s own refrigerator. We still have broth left from last week for the cats and dog, and two tubs of golden stock tucked away in the chest freezer. Since we didn’t need to can or freeze more this week, I decided to let my kitchen alchemy skills run wild this afternoon.

Besides the pot of broth, I had a quarter head of cabbage about to wilt, several stalks of celery, and - of course - onions, garlic, noodles, and apple cider vinegar always on hand. The result was this hearty, soul-warming stew.

Woodland Mushroom Stew
Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium to large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 containers mushrooms, each a different variety
2 cups chopped cabbage
3 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 generous dash of pepper
4–5 leaves fresh sage (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
10 cups fresh chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 bag egg noodles
Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a cast iron skillet, melt the butter with olive oil.
Add the cabbage, celery, and onion. Sauté until the onion turns translucent and golden at the edges.
Add the apple cider vinegar and stir gently.
Add the garlic and mushrooms; cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown.
Add the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir until fragrant.
Transfer everything from the skillet to a pot of broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes.
Add the egg noodles and raise the heat to a gentle boil. Cook 10 minutes or until noodles reach your preferred tenderness.
Stir in the heavy cream and heat just until blended.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Savory Bread Dressing
To round out the meal, I had a quarter loaf of artisan cheese bread left from Sunday, just past its prime. Being homemade means no preservatives, so mold and dryness move fast! I also found a lone bun in the pantry, and rather than waste it, I turned it all into a small pan of bread dressing.

Ingredients

4–5 cups dried leftover bread of any kind (even biscuits work!)
4–5 cups broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
1 diced onion
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon general-purpose seasoning (Montreal Chicken, Steak, or similar)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch pieces. Don’t overthink it - tear and toss!
Pour broth over the bread and let soak for 15 minutes. If your bread is fresh, leave it out overnight or toast it lightly to dry it.
Stir in the onions, celery, garlic, and seasoning. It should be moist but not soupy.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Bake about 1 hour, until golden on top and slightly jiggly in the center.

From a handful of “leftovers,” we’ll enjoy a fabulous dinner tonight and still have enough stew to freeze or reheat tomorrow. So much nourishment from what others might throw away!

People sometimes wonder if we live this way because we’re destitute, because we make meals from chicken bones and stale bread. The truth is, absolutely not! Because we’ve always lived within our means and made the most of every blessing, our financial life is steady and free. We live debt-free, have all we need, and most of what we want. I’d call that blessed indeed.

I didn’t grow up this way. My family measured success in stock portfolios and shiny new things. I woke up from that slumber early. My degree is in Home Economics, a field that’s now been renamed Consumer Science. Let that sink in for a moment, once we were taught how to make, mend, and manage; now we’re taught the science of consuming.

When I walked into that first clothing lab and sewed my very first skirt, I was hooked. When I learned to bake and cater and create from scratch, my world exploded in color. Who knew you could make so much instead of just buying? My soul was on fire.

Even as an adult, when I showed my mother the treasures I found at thrift stores or the things I repurposed, she’d turn red with embarrassment. She’d ask, “How much would it take for you to just go buy new clothes?” But this - this way of life, isn’t about lack. It’s about creative overflow. Creating is my lifeblood; it gives meaning to everything I do.

So when I serve a pot of bone stew alongside a pan of bread dressing, it’s not poverty. It’s alchemy, the transformation of humble ingredients into abundance itself.

Tomorrow, I return to my “real job” at our family bridal shop, surrounded by breathtaking gowns from gifted designers around the world. Even there, abundance blooms in unexpected corners. In fact, tomorrow we’ll begin an Abundance Project from the hidden halls of the bridal shop.

I can’t wait to share it with you!
Until then,
I am forever yours,
Suzy

11/12/2025

Snow is Blowing and Blessings are Flowing

Yes, the garden is done for the year, and it might seem as though things on the homestead would be winding down.
But more abundant blessings just keep coming, sometimes even in the form of a rotisserie chicken carcass.
Yesterday we went out to gather eggs from the chicken barn. The hens are free-ranging now, cleaning up the treasures they scratch from the garden soil, exploring hidden corners of the property, and occasionally laying a rogue egg in a window well. Just outside the barn sits the woodpile. The first section holds the uncut logs that Kevin will split into firewood; behind that is a neat wall of stacked wood ready to warm our home. As I looked at the enormous pile he recently hauled home, I thought again about how the abundance never stops.
We needed firewood for the winter—our stockpile had dwindled to a small stack, so Kevin checked Facebook Marketplace and found someone offering free wood. Long story short, the man turned out to be an eighty-year-old woodcutter who still works every day, driving his tractor and splitting logs. There are always pieces that don’t suit his customers: slabs too large to split or twisty branches that defy the chainsaw. He told Kevin he could take as much as he liked from one corner of the property, anytime. Within two trailer loads we had enough wood for the entire heating season. When I tell people this story, they often shake their heads and say, “That’s a lot of work for free firewood.” I beg to differ.
Kevin has always loved hard work; it makes him feel alive and useful. Yes, it takes effort to load, haul, and split the wood, but that very work keeps him strong and healthy instead of sitting in front of a TV. He’s outdoors, his favorite place to be, soaking in fresh air and sunshine, which adds to his good health. And the exercise? It’s real, not the kind you pay for under fluorescent lights while walking miles on a treadmill that goes nowhere. To me, that sounds like the very definition of free.
And then there’s the chicken carcass. The abundance just won’t stop! Each week our daughter buys one of Costco’s enormous rotisserie chickens. She pulls off the meat for meal prep, then hands me the carcass with its golden skin and savory juices. Most people would call that trash. Not here. Into a stockpot it goes with an onion, a few cloves of garlic, and a pinch of seasoning, all covered with water and left to simmer for hours. By evening the house smells heavenly, and the pot holds four to five quarts of rich, flavorful broth, liquid gold.
We cook our homemade noodles, made from the eggs those hens bless us with, in that broth, add a handful of peas or broccoli, a splash of cream, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. It’s comfort in a bowl. Some of the broth goes over the dog’s and cat’s food every day for extra nourishment, and whatever is left at week’s end becomes a big pot of soup with any vegetables that need using up and a bit of ground beef or leftover chicken. That soup feeds a family of four with leftovers to spare, all from something that would have been thrown away. At the heart of it, I believe that if an animal gives its life for our food, we owe it respect by using every bit of what it offers.
It’s all a circle:
Kitchen scraps and peelings go to the chickens.
The hens give us eggs, and from those eggs come noodles.
Leftover bones make broth; the broth becomes meals that feed us and our animals.
The wood we gather warms our home, and its ashes go back to the garden to enrich the soil.
The garden gives more produce than we can eat, so we preserve it for winter.
When the season ends, the chickens return to the garden to clean it, starting the cycle again.
The wheel of abundance keeps turning, steady and generous, as long as we add a little elbow grease along the way.
I hope you’re feeling the abundance and blessings as we are right now, because blessings truly are everywhere, if we choose to see them.
Next week we are going to start preparing for Yule! It's the most exciting and heart filling season of the year!
Until next time,
Suzy

11/11/2025

A new Blog Post - Enjoy!

November Comes Calling - Leaves, they are Falling
November 2, 2025|Apothecary, Faith, Food, Inspiration, Self Sufficiency, Spirituality, Your Best Life
Gratitude by the Firelight

November 2, 2025

October swept by like a witch on a broom, leaving behind the shimmer of golden leaves and the scent of woodsmoke. And now here we are, November, the curtain rising on the final act of the year. The Holiday Season has officially arrived, bringing with it both a quickening of pace and, if we’re lucky, an invitation to slow down.

Here at the homestead, the cool mornings and brisk evenings have returned, and our wood cook stove has been chasing away the chill for days. A steaming kettle murmurs quietly on its surface, always ready to brew a fresh cup of tea whenever the mood strikes. Outside, the garden sleeps beneath its blanket of frost. The last of the peppers and herbs have been gathered in, jars of summer’s color now lining the pantry shelves, a tangible reminder that Mother Earth never fails to provide.

It’s humbling when you think about it. Even in a year when so much feels uncertain, when prices rise and the world seems louder than ever, we are surrounded by abundance. Not the kind you find on store shelves, but the kind that asks to be noticed: the warmth of a well-used stove, the laughter that drifts through a kitchen, the satisfaction of a full pantry and a full heart.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how easily our minds slip toward complaint.
“This old car is a piece of junk!” we mutter, forgetting that the same car gets us safely to work, to loved ones, to home again. What if we changed the lens?
“This car has its quirks and a few dings, but I’m grateful to have a car at all.”
That tiny shift, from frustration to gratitude, lifts our vibration instantly. And when we choose gratitude often enough, the whole world starts to glow a little brighter.

So, as the year begins its quiet descent into winter, I find myself taking stock. This is a slower time, a softer time, a season made for reflection. I’m grateful for the garden that gave so freely, for the lessons that arrived disguised as challenges, and for the laughter that managed to find its way through even the hardest days.

Like the old saying goes, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Well, my friends, we’re still here. We’re still standing.
And I think that makes us stronger, wiser, and maybe even a little more tender than before.

Here’s to November, the month of hearth fires, reflection, and gentle gratitude.
May your kettle always be warm, your pantry full, and your heart open to the quiet magic that lingers at the edge of every ordinary day.

Until Next Time, I am forever yours,

Suzy

11/11/2025

November Comes Calling - Leaves, they are Falling
November 2, 2025|Apothecary, Faith, Food, Inspiration, Self Sufficiency, Spirituality, Your Best Life
Gratitude by the Firelight

November 2, 2025

October swept by like a witch on a broom, leaving behind the shimmer of golden leaves and the scent of woodsmoke. And now here we are, November, the curtain rising on the final act of the year. The Holiday Season has officially arrived, bringing with it both a quickening of pace and, if we’re lucky, an invitation to slow down.

Here at the homestead, the cool mornings and brisk evenings have returned, and our wood cook stove has been chasing away the chill for days. A steaming kettle murmurs quietly on its surface, always ready to brew a fresh cup of tea whenever the mood strikes. Outside, the garden sleeps beneath its blanket of frost. The last of the peppers and herbs have been gathered in, jars of summer’s color now lining the pantry shelves, a tangible reminder that Mother Earth never fails to provide.

It’s humbling when you think about it. Even in a year when so much feels uncertain, when prices rise and the world seems louder than ever, we are surrounded by abundance. Not the kind you find on store shelves, but the kind that asks to be noticed: the warmth of a well-used stove, the laughter that drifts through a kitchen, the satisfaction of a full pantry and a full heart.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how easily our minds slip toward complaint.
“This old car is a piece of junk!” we mutter, forgetting that the same car gets us safely to work, to loved ones, to home again. What if we changed the lens?
“This car has its quirks and a few dings, but I’m grateful to have a car at all.”
That tiny shift, from frustration to gratitude, lifts our vibration instantly. And when we choose gratitude often enough, the whole world starts to glow a little brighter.

So, as the year begins its quiet descent into winter, I find myself taking stock. This is a slower time, a softer time, a season made for reflection. I’m grateful for the garden that gave so freely, for the lessons that arrived disguised as challenges, and for the laughter that managed to find its way through even the hardest days.

Like the old saying goes, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Well, my friends, we’re still here. We’re still standing.
And I think that makes us stronger, wiser, and maybe even a little more tender than before.

Here’s to November, the month of hearth fires, reflection, and gentle gratitude.
May your kettle always be warm, your pantry full, and your heart open to the quiet magic that lingers at the edge of every ordinary day.

Until Next Time, I am forever yours,

Suzy

10/27/2025

It's been awhile and the page has grown! Thank you all for being here!

One Small Step at a Time

01/07/2025

I have a new blog post on my personal blog. Please enjoy!

07/18/2024

An overwhelming bounty of blessings are coming our way! Share in the joy of life on the Homestead! Click the box below to go to the blog post site. 💕❤️💕

The abundance given to us from the Earth is absolutely astounding! One day you are planting little seeds with the hope of a new crop, then the needed rains come to awaken those little seeds sitting quietly in the soil, ...

07/12/2024

Life is a never ending journey!

If you are a human and you have been alive for more than 25 years, I bet you have had your well-planned life blown up unexpectedly at least once. To be honest, I thought that by the time I reached my 60's, I would be pa...

07/12/2024

I have a new post at www.noodlesdoodlesandchicks.com. Check it out! 🥰

From our Front Porch to Yours

01/21/2024

Herbal Tea for High Blood Pressure. Please read the disclaimer at the top of the article. :)

Because this is required so I am not arrested, let me start by saying: I am not a medical doctor, I am not diagnosing or prescribing medicines or cures for medical conditions. If you are taking or are prescribed medic...