Noodles and Butterballs

This soup.  It is requested for special birthday dinners.  It can be found at nearly every Jones' gathering.  It's a traditional German recipe.  We know it from Travis's Grandma Emma Jones.  When talking to Travis & Steve, they both said "She got it from here mother".  Wherever it came from, let me just tell you.  If you don't like soup - you will after trying this.  Won't ya, Nicole?

Noodles and Butterballs

1 package frozen egg noodles (24 oz)
1 whole chicken, thawed, rinsed
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 cans chicken broth
Chicken base, to taste
1 cube  (1/2 c) butter
1 c milk or 1/2 cup evaporated milk (plus more if mix is too dry)
2 eggs
1 can plain bread crumbs (15 oz)
Allspice to season (Allspice substitute recipe to follow)
[Carrots, Celery, Yellow Onion all diced.  Optional.  The original doesn't have all of these veggies - but we prefer it].

1. Place the whole chicken in a large stock pot.  
2. Cover with water.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Boil until chicken falls off the bone, it took us 3 hours.  While we were making this, we asked both Travis and Steve how long this takes for the chicken to be done.  They BOTH said, "Until the chicken falls off the bone."  And it really does ... in the water ... fall off the bone. 
5. Remove chicken from pot and let cool.
6. Leave broth in pot.
7. Skim fat from top of the broth.
8. Carve chicken into bite sized pieces.  Discard bones and skin.  Keep meat in a bowl and set aside.
9. Make the butterballs:
1. Melt butter.
2. Mix butter, milk, eggs, breadcrumbs, and a generous amount of allspice.  We use 2 tbsp.  This is best done with your hands.
3. Roll batter into 1" sized butterballs.
10. Make soup:
1. Bring broth to a boil.
2. Add 2 cans of chicken broth and chicken base.
3. Add vegetables and cook until they are tender.
4. Add chicken.
5. Then add frozen noodles and butterballs.
6. Cook all ingredients together until "I don't know, until the noodles are soft."  By this time, we're seeing a trend.  Steve & Travis are just going to answer the same.  LOL  Anyway, the noodles get soft and float to the top.  It took us about 30 minutes.
11. Stand back and watch it disappear.

Photo courtesy of Aunt Charlene Bartlome

Photo courtesy of Travis Jones

 Allspice substitute

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Mix well.  Yield 1 tsp.