O.K. David, let's see how smart you are: in male terms--can you read directions?
Go to the gro. store and buy a HEN - she will be in the frozen poultry section-
Put her in the frig to thaw for 2 to 3 days, then 1st day prep after thawing, unwrap her, remove the giblets tucked inside the cavity, wash her well and put her in a big pot with water to completely cover her [ you can boil the giblets too if you want]. Add to this pot, 1 onion quartered, 2 celery sticks broken in 1\2 with leaves, salt, pepper and a clove of garlic and a bay leaf [if you like]. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to low simmer, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and go take a nap for about 3 hours. I skim the "scum" off the top as the water starts to boil, but you don't have to do that]When 3 hrs. is up, remove the hen from the broth to a big board or platter. Let her cool until you can seperate the meat from the bones [discard the skin]. While she is cooling, pour the broth through a strainer, colender or cheese cloth-whatever you have and put the strained liquid in the frig [this will make the fat rise to the top and you can later spoon it off.[ Pitch the veggies you cooked with the hen]Put the meat in the frig. Next day, chop peeled carrots, celery, onion into very small pieces [add peas if you like] take the stock from the frig and use a big spoon to remove the congealed fat from the top, but stock in a big pot and add water or canned chicken stock to make alot of broth. Put deboned chicken meat in and the chopped veggies and bring to a simmer for an hour or more. At this point you will need to decide if you want to cook your noodles seperately and then add them, or cook them in the broth [they will absorb alot of the liquid and make the soup thicker if you cook them in the broth] This is a 2 day process, starting from a thawed hen, or one long day, with rests in between stages, but oh so good. I love to do this over a weekend for Sunday night dinner and several days beyond. It's soul food. Amy