Stir It Once, Stir It Twice, Stir That Chicken Soup With Rice

Hannah has been hard at work on the computer the last several days hammering out a huge paper that was due today in her Worldview class. I felt the tables turn here.....

"Please, can I have a turn at the computer?"

"What is so important that you keep asking me to use the computer??"

"Blogging."

"Mom, I'm in the middle of REALLY important work. You're going to have to wait. Work comes before play. I'm really very busy and you keep interrupting me asking for play time. When all my work is done, then you can have the computer to mess around."

"Oh. Okay. How much longer until your important work is done??? I'm not sure how long I can wait."

Hello? Who's the grown up around here?? So then today, I'm in the middle of cooking and the boys want to do read alouds. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something very important? I have to finish this before I can sit down and play with you. You're just going to have to find some patience and w-a-i-t!" I learned that one from the old pro.

Well, the big paper is turned in and the debate is over. Hannah's team won, and they received a very rewarding score. I'm happy that she made it through such a challenging assignment.

And I'm so happy to have a turn at the computer so I can get back to the very important work of blogging.

I got a few shots of the kids today before Hannah left for her class. It always amazes me that in the midst of great protesting and complaining their lips stop moving long enough for me to get a decent picture. The clicking of my camera can't quite drown out the sighing and moaning. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I see the final outcome by how compliant the appear. Don't they look docile to you? :)

My two good friends are both down and out with the flu. It's a bad one, and they feel icky. I put on a big pot of soup this morning to split between our three families. Soup is such a nurturing food, and the house feels so cozy when big pot of it is simmering on the stove.

...Pots bubbling away on the stove while neatly groomed children skip toward me and beg me to photograph their shiny, smiling faces...

Anyway, the soup part is true. I did make some. Here's how I like to make a rich and satisfying chicken soup.

First, I chop some veggies (onion, celery, and carrot) and throw them in a big pot with a box of good quality chicken stock. I put a lid on the pot to lock in the steam. Then I throw several pounds of chicken breasts in another pot with water and clamp the lid shut on that one too. I set both burners to medium and walk away for a few hours, waiting for my turn on the computer which may never come.

I boil those chickens until they are completely falling apart, then I remove them with a slotted spoon. I take two forks to that big old pile of chicken and shred it to chicken bits. I boiled five pounds today and was able to set aside two bags of chicken for later meals.

I strain the good broth from the chicken and return it to my big pot. Next, I whisk in some cream of chicken soup. I know. It feels like cheating, but it makes the broth sooooo yummy. I whisk and whisk until it is blended well, then I add in my broth with the veggies.

I like these Steamer's bags that have rice, peas, carrots, and a little bit of corn. I throw a few bags of that in the microwave then add it to my pot, along with a generous amount of shredded chicken. I turn the heat to low, throw a lid on it, and let it simmer a good long while. I take a peek now and then to give it a stir.

Even though I add rice, I'm also a firm believer that chicken soup should always be...well....noodle-y. So I add a few cups of these bad boys for good measure. Because there is no such thing as too many carbs when you have the flu. Or when you are healthy as a horse.

Oh yeah. Yumm-O. It just always hits the spot for me. Be gone, you nasty flu. You are no match for this creamy deliciousness.

I should warn you that the real secret to this soup's success is in the kitchen help. In order for this soup to fly, you have to have a taste tester who is this darn cute. Get you one like this, who still smiles for the camera and lets you have all the blog time your heart desires. :)