Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

From Grandma Pat Billington.

1 whole chicken
1 lg onion, chopped
1 C chopped celery
1 C chopped carrots
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp black pepper, salt to taste
2 quarts water
1 pkg frozen noodles, cut in half
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp lemon thyme

Wash chicken and place in a large kettle with onion, celery, carrots, bouillon, salt and pepper. Add enough cold water to just cover. Simmer 1 1/2 hours until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth. When cool, debone and discard skin. Return cut chicken to broth. Add parsley, lemon thyme and noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Makes 3 quarts.

*The secret is the lemon thyme. If you can't find lemon thyme mixture, use lemon pepper and add thyme.

Bulgarian Tarator

*1 large english cucumber, or 2 small, finely diced (I like a little of the peel in mine for the green color, but take it all off if you prefer!)
*4 cups plain yogurt (quality counts, we like Stoneybrook brand, but anything with bulgaricus cultures is usually good)
*2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
*1 TBSP olive oil
*1/4 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp dried dill (or a couple TBSP of fresh)
*1/2 cup (or so) cold water
*chopped walnuts

Remove the seeds from the cucumbers before dicing. Also remove any liquid on top of the yogurt. Combine with garlic, oil, salt and dill. Add cold water until it reaches a creamy, but not thick consistency. 1/2 cup is usually enough. Best if chilled for a couple of hours. Sprinkle lightly with chopped walnuts before serving.