A Cherished Cookbook Available for a Limited Time and a Bonus Recipe!

A Recipe Collection You’ll Love

For a limited time, you can purchase your very own copy of my cherished cookbook. It’s a reprint of the one we created as part of the 10 year celebration of our gift store Betty Jane’s. The book contains over 300 recipes we collected from family, friends, our customers and our employees. I love to feed people and food is definitely one of my love languages. It’s not fancy food, it’s family food. The recipes aren’t complicated and the ingredients are easy to find.

We sold out of the first printing in 1998, well over 1000 copies. Recently, lots of folks begged me to bring it back because they wanted to share one with a friend, a sister or a daughter. And, others wanted a new copy because they had simply worn theirs out! It’s a go-to cookbook and now it’s a collectible.

The pages are dotted with old photos and hand drawn catalog illustrations from my cottage industry days. More than a cookbook, it’s a story about our family owned business and how it grew. It’s also as snapshot of a sweet parenthesis in my life, a time when main street mom and pop businesses were the place to shop.

The reprint contains eleven new recipes we wish would would have had in the first one. There’s also an epilogue to the Betty Jane’s story and how owning the business and finally closing the store has shaped my philosophy. I learned that life is always changing and we must learn to change along with it.

Get yours while I have some to sell. Nineteen years later, they’re still just $16.00 which includes tax. I’ll ship you one anywhere in the “lower 48” states by media mail for just $3.00

Bonus! This recipe is not in the book!

Yankee Doodle Chicken Noodle Soup

All six of our grandkids devour this soup! I always make a huge stockpot so there’s plenty to share.

Here’s the easy  two-step process.

Throw all this in a big soup pot:

Three pound bag of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. (You can even start from frozen, I usually do!) Add 3-4 big outer stalks of celery cut in chunks and all the celery tops, 2-3 carrots cut in chunks, 1/2 an onion cut in chunks, 2-3 cloves of garlic peeled and a generous cracking of fresh black pepper. No salt. Cover with enough cold water so it’s all submerged and simmer until the chicken is tender. From frozen, this will take about 2 hours or so but if it’s on longer, that’s ok too. The kitchen will smell great and the resulting broth makes a great base.

Next, remove the chicken breasts and set aside. Using a wide slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and discard or use as you please. Now we’ll make a pretty bowl of soup! Add water enough to make 3 1/2 to 4 quarts. Bring to a boil and add a 24 ounce bag of chubby frozen noodles along with 2-3 cups each of raw sliced carrots and celery. Stir in about 4 ounces (or more to taste) of Better Than Boullion Roasted Chicken Base. In my opinion, nothing makes better soup. I haven’t tried it but if you are concerned about salt, it comes in a low-sodium version and there’s a vegan option too!

When noodles and vegetables are cooked to tender, add the chicken you have chopped or shredded. And some parsley! Always add some parsley for color- it seems to make everything taste even better!  Voila! Soup! Just in time for President’s Day! A hearty bowl of Yankee Doodle Chicken Noodle Soup! You’re welcome!!