I cook the noodles separately, often but not always, in the same stock/broth that the soup will be made of, to the point of pre-al dente, and then drain the noodles and refrigerate them "dry" in a storage bag. They'll stick together a bit but it doesn't matter. When it's time to warm up the soup, I'll throw in the noodles and heat for two minutes all together. Joe

Why in the world would you hold back the flavor pack because it contains salt, then add sea salt?? Contrary to the popular belief sea salt is not healthier. Salt is salt wether its table salt, sea salt, or rock salt. In fact, a strong case could be made that table salt is healthier because sea salt is made by evaporating sea water while table salt is made from natural deposits of sea salt that evaporated millions of years ago. The difference is that when the natural salts were evaporated from the sea, the sea was not yet polluted like it is today and on top of that, table salt is generally fortified with iodine, an element that is vital to the body and found in very short supply in our diets. But don't believe me, read what the Mayo Clinic has to say about salt..... http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sea-salt/AN01142

lpink, I had a similar issue with my Dad after Mom died. I found soups and crackers, stews, casseroles, etc. worked best for him. Definitely use flat wide containers, they heat more evenly. I cooked once or twice a week and brought it over. I never froze anything. My Dad liked: Shepherds Pie - You could sub peas & carrots for the corn Chili with beans (bland) topped with cheese and served with tortilla chips for scooping Hot Dogs and Baked Beans - Sliced hot dogs sauteed with a little onions then mixed with Baked Beans. You could omit the onion. Sliced Kielbasa with stewed tomatoes and sliced zucchini Cooked breakfast sausage on mashed potatoes and a veggie side American Chop Suey - Scrambled hamburg, stewed tomatoes (I used Del Monte with peppers and onions), cooked pasta, some tomato sauce and seasoning to taste (Bland as heck but he loved it.) Roast Chicken with Rice Florentine - Rice cooked in chix stock with chopped spinach, fresh lemon juice, butter and some parmesan cheese added Bake Stuffed Potatoes - Baked the potatoes fluff in the skin and add butter, then add cooked chicken, a little bacon, broccoli and top with sliced cheese. These were his favorite. You could swap out the broccoli for another veggie. Mac & Cheese with Ham and Carrots Pasta Alfredo with Canadian Bacon and Peas Boneless Bake Stuffed Pork Chop - Stuffed with apples, walnuts, celery, onion whole grain bread. You could omit or add ingredients to suit his tastes. Be sure to keep the stuffing layer an even thickness so it heats evenly. Egg Casserole - Ingredients varied but I made these in 4" ramekins. Frozen hash browns on the bottom for crust. Press in firmly and pre-bake. Beat the eggs with a little cream some, cheese and bacon, sausage or ham bits, and chopped veggies. Fill the ramekins and bake until cooked through. These reheat well in the microwave. Baked Ziti with homemade tomato vegetable meat sauce and cheese Finger foods - Anything that gave the appearance of a snack i.e. he could eat with his fingers or dip and eat in front of the TV. In the first few months after Mom died, this is all Dad ate. He refused to eat at the kitchen or dining room tables. For example: -A small container of tomato soup for dipping grill cheese fingers in. You would have to test container sizes to be sure the "sauce" heats in the same amount of time as the fingers. -Shrimp Cocktail -Crackers and Spinach Artichoke Dip (I sometimes added crab, shrimp, ham, bacon, chicken or whatever to this.) -Homemade cookie sticks with fresh strawberry dip (Greek vanilla yogurt with finely diced and drained strawberries) -French Toast Fingers with a side of Maple syrup -Mini Quesadillas with Salsa for dipping - Fill small tortillas with cooked ingredients and cheese, grill until browned and crispy and the cheese is melted. I always put the cheese against the tortilla, they get less soggy that way. Cool on a rack. These heat in 30 seconds or so in the microwave. Pre-cut in small wedges. -Pate and Crackers -Cherry tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad -Deviled Eggs -Hot Crab Dip and Crackers -Mini Scallop Rockerfeller Tarts - Cooked Scallops, Spinach, Brie or laughing Cow cheese in a pie shell. I used mini muffin tins and pre-baked the crust. These are best the first day but Dad ate them even soggy. -English Muffin Pizzas - Pre-cut in wedges. Pre toast the English muffins until crunchy. -Lamb Chop Lollipops with Mint Pesto Dipping Sauce (For sauce mix mint jelly with store bought pesto.) -Peking Dumplings -Fresh Spring Rolls -Skewers of anything with dipping sauce -Mac & Cheese Bites Well you get the idea... I found that if I made a printed menu and put it on the refrigerator, Dad ate more because he didn't have to decide what to eat. Of course then there were days where he would eat candy instead of dinner. And when he was feeling cantankerous he would just eat what he felt like whenever he felt like it, sometimes 3 days worth of food in one day and none the next! :-) Or if not a menu then a list of what you brought and make sure to boldly and clearly label each item so your Dad doesn't have to think about it. Even the simplest task is overwhelming right now. Dad ate more sweets during the grieving process so healthy sweets were a big focus. Some days all he wanted were Chocolate Chip Cookies so I improvised and added some oatmeal and a little grated zucchini or whatever. They might not have always been stellar but they were sweet and he ate them or the dog did. LOL Good luck and God Bless! Take heart, my Mom's last words to me were, "I'm so sorry I'm leaving you stuck with your father. I love you." She knew!

I had a couple of baseball bat sized zuks, and my neighbor suggested cooking and putting in the processor for soup stock in the winter! It's very thick and I have enough for several soups! Great for vege or vegans for a thick soup! Also , I had made some lovely tomato sauce from the garden, but didn't really feel like heavy pasta, so I made zuk noodles. I warned the hubby and daughter and said I could do 90sec uncle Bens rice if need be, but they loved it! Nancy