Homemade Chicken and Noodle Soup (with cheater noodles)

I have been rather absent from my blog lately, due to not feeling well, and taking care of my granddaughter. My daughter-in-law had to go on a business trip for several days, so I stayed at their house at night, because my son goes to work very early in the morning. So my cooking has been rather erratic at best. But I'm back with Chicken and Noodle Soup, using purchased frozen noodles (gasp!), instead of making my own like I usually do. When I don't feel well or I'm not wanting to spend a large chunk of time in the kitchen, I cheat! How about you?
I did use a whole chicken for this flavorful soup because whole chickens are the best value for your buck out there. It cooked for about 1 1/2 hours and then cooled a bit before I took the meat off the bones. However, boneless chicken pieces may be used, but the broth will not be as rich as it could be using bone-in pieces. The best cheater noodles, in my opinion, are Reames noodles, found in your grocers freezer department. They are the most like homemade noodles that I have found and were highly recommended to me first by my Mother-in law many years ago. Enjoy!

HOMEMADE CHICKEN and NOODLE SOUP (with cheater Noodles!)

1 1/2 pounds boneless or bone-in chicken pieces
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (about)
2-3 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
about 1/2 cup frozen peas
12 ounce package frozen Reames noodles
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Add 8 cups water to soup pot and add chicken pieces OR a whole, 3 1/2 pound chicken. Bring to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Cover pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Boneless chicken pieces need to simmer 20-30 minutes; bone-in pieces about 40 minutes. A whole chicken, about 1 1/4- 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken to a plate to cool. Skim off any fat from the broth. Add the chopped vegetables and the frozen noodles to the broth and cook about 20 minutes, or until noodles are as tender as you want. Remove chicken from bones, if using a whole chicken. Dice or shred meat. Add chicken to the soup and add desired amount of salt and pepper, if desired. Add in the herbs and serve steaming hot. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of this delicious soup!
By the way, I use Reames because I like them; I'm not receiving any compensation for this post.