Healthy Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

I had a ton of leftover chicken (roasted two whole birds at once) from doing a "mock" Thanksgiving dinner the other night. So, I needed to get back on the healthy side of things and made this soup.

I simmered the barley and chopped, dried shitake mushrooms in chicken stock for a bit over an hour. Then added the chicken, some poultry seasoning and thyme. Simmered for about 15 minutes more and then added some frozen mixed veggies. Simmered about 5 minutes more.

A very hearty and healthy soup for a cold winter day!

Pumpkin Bread & Vegetable Pasta

Re-did a pumpkin bread from Trader Joes but this time added some delicious, fresh walnuts that I picked up at a local farm and, also, added some dried cranberries. Turned out great. And, I got back to a delicious rotini and veggie bake that I always love but have not made in quite a while. The feta cheese makes it rich and the slight carmelization is wonderful. Some added basil, fennel seed and extra garlic really add great flavor.