Chicken & Veggie Soup with Stars

I love making soups, and lucky for me my family loves to eat soup! I once told Connor, when he was sick, that he should have some soup because it would make him feel better. Well, now anytime he has the slightest sniffle he asks for soup and within seconds of eating says he feels better! So sweet :)
Making soup is really easy and sooo much better tasting and sooo much healthier than eating canned soup. I take pride in knowing that my kids are eating something that I made and that is really good for them. So, if you don't already, start making soups from scratch! You will see that it is much more simple than you might think :) And, if your hubby doesn't think soup is enough for dinner (like mine!) pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich or some crusty bread, yum!

Chicken Veggie Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded :)
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
1 box (32 oz) chicken stock
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
1/2 pound pasta (I like Stelle which is tiny star shaped)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you want to heat it up!)
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Put olive oil in large stock pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are translucent. Add liquids and bay leaves. Bring to a slow boil. Add in pasta of choice as well as chicken, green beans and corn. Cook at a slow boil until pasta is cooked and then your soup is ready! (Take out Bay Leaves before serving)

**If you are making a large batch to serve for multiple meals it is better to make the pasta separately and add to each person's bowl, as the pasta will become very soft (mushy) if left in the liquid.

Meatball Subs

I love leftovers, it is easy and means I don't have to cook and clean a kitchen, yet still have yummy food!! An even better thing is when I can use last nights dinner to make something different the next day. A perfect way to use last nights meatballs is to make a meatball sub for lunch (or diner) the next day!

Ingredients:
Meatballs with plenty of tomato sauce
French Rolls
Parmesan cheese, grated
Provolone Cheese, sliced

Cut your french roll about 3/4 of the way through. Place hot tomato sauce along the inside of roll and then put in your meatballs. Top with more sauce, then Parmesan cheese and finally provolone slices. Put sandwich on cookie sheet and put under broiler until cheese is melty and bubbly. Watch it carefully, things burn fast under the broiler!! Now its time to enjoy! Serve with an extra side of tomato sauce for dipping if you desire :)