The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup

Grubilicious Contributor: Melanie deSautu (or Paula Deen)

Ingredients:
Stock:
1 (2 1/2 to 3-lb) fryer chicken, cut up
3 1/2 quarts of water
1 onion, peeled and chopped (I would cut these large bc they are just for flavor and you have to remove them)
1 1/2 to 2 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. lemon-pepper
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 chicken bouillon cubes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
2 1/2 c. uncooked egg noodles
1 c. sliced mushrooms
3 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/3 c. cooking sherry
2 t. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 c. grated Parmesan (optional)
3/4 c. heavy cream (optional)
Seasoning salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: FOR STOCK: Add all ingredients into a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35-45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside..
FOR SOUP: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry, and rosemary. Add parmesan and cream, if using. Cook another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper.