Since starting up my blog again, I sometimes have grand ideas to set up the perfect shots for my baked goods or my dinners. I did buy a fancy new lens and all; isn’t that what it’s for?

But when it comes down to it, that’s not who I am. I love making nice dinners (every once in a while), and I try to bake every weekend. But not every meal or baked good has to be set up for that perfect shot. I think it makes me a bit more relatable if I just throw the meal on the counter and take a quick picture of it; no? I certainly don’t have time to make everything look pretty. And when I have a 14 month old to feed as well, time just isn’t on my side. Although it’s a kick in the pants when she doesn’t end up eating what you’ve made. Ah well.

All that is to say, you’ll probably find more posts like this on my blog. But every once in a while, I might get a long nap and some inspiration.

And on to the dinner!

Chicken, Tomato and Noodle Stew with Corn Muffins

I set out to make a soup with some of the food we had just hanging around in the pantry. David bought some fresh chicken, and I threw in some leftover elbow noodles and diced tomatoes. Nothing fancy, but still hearty. And it wasn’t really soup-like; it was more like a stew.

Ingredients (for the stew)
3 lbs. chicken breasts, trimmed
2 cups elbow noodles
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
Cumin
Chili powder
Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Directions
1) Cook the chicken in the Crock Pot, between 3-4 hours on high. (With added water or broth, salt, and pepper)
2) Cook the elbow noodles according to the package
3) Add the can of tomatoes to a medium sized stock pot, add about a cup or so of water. Combine the cooked chicken, noodles and spices (measured based on your liking) and let it come to a boil.
4) Let it simmer for about 10 minutes before serving.
5) Add cheese and enjoy!

Ingredients (for the corn muffins)
1 1-/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup enriched corn meal (I used Quaker brand)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten

Directions
1) Heat oven to 400*.
2) Combine dry ingredients
3) Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moisted.
4) Pour batter into 12 greased or paper-lined medium muffin cups.
5) Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
6) Ideally, served warm with butter.

It seems a bit warm outside for soup, but the rainy weather made me think soup was the logical thing for dinner.

And to end today’s post, here’s my model for my new lens (can you tell already that I love using this?)

What’s your favorite rainy day meal?