I am becoming a food blog. I should write something politically stimulating, but essentially that is going to be related to taxes or war. Food gives me so much more joy. Seriously, those damn politicians even tax food which in my opinion is downright criminal. There, I wrote something political.

It's cold outside, baby! Nothing like warming up with a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, right down to the noodles.You just can't buy that taste. Parents and people are busy these days and homemade noodles seem like a huge project, but  they are really not that time consuming or difficult.

You don't need the fancy noodle cutter which some folks decide to use as their very own personal paper shredder.

On my days off, I like to make them early and let them dry most of the day but you don't have to, you can drop them into the boiling pot right after you cut them. Definitely, worth the labor for that 'stick to your ribs' comfort flavor just like Mom used to make. However, I was not raised on homemade noodles, I picked up the taste from midwestern cooks from Iowa and Missouri. They thicken their chicken broth like a gravy and pour their chicken noodles on top of mashed potatoes! This is a huge crowd pleaser.You do have to get over the 2 for one starch combination, so throw in a green salad for less guilt.

I like to cut my  noodles  wide, but roll them as thin as possible because they do plump up.  The beauty of homemade noodles are the imperfections. You will feel very shamed any time you buy store bought noodles after you learn how to do your own. Some folks like to add yellow food coloring to make them more eye appealing and you can add beet juice or spinach juice to color them up. This recipe makes a nice pot. Add some leftover chicken, a large box of chicken broth, a can of mixed veggies, some celery and onion and you have REAL chicken noodlelicious soup!

There are tons of recipes for these baked potatoes on the web. They are called Hasselback potatoes. It is a Swedish version. Evidently the dish was a hit and a namesake side dish after the restaurant at the Hasselbaken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.

They are also referred to as Accordian potatoes as in an accordian when the instrument is fanned out to play. You can do just about anything with these beauties and they are so simple. Just slice them thinly, smother them with butter or seasoned olive oil with bits of garlic in the slices and they will permeate the house with an aroma begging for dinner to be served soon.

The trick is to cradle them in a large ladle and slice.That way you don't go through the bottom of the spud.

These are crusted with Romano cheese and dried basil and a little oregano. Note: If you rinse the potato after cutting, it removes the starch and they fan out more.