It ain't easy being the mommy and the sicky at the same time. Josh is amazing but at the end of the day (or really, at the very beginning of the day), he couldn't really hang with us; he had to go to work.
Today is the first day that everyone is back at school. I'm home and I'm still coughing and I really think that the doctor that told us that we had a virus was wrong. I think this was the flu.
Anyway, besides following kids around the house, picking up dirty tissues and watching way too much PBS and Food Network with my kids, I spent the week making chicken soup. I made many batches and speaking as the girl who grew up thinking that chicken soup is made by squeezing chickens and who couldn't fathom that water could be turned into soup, I think I can safely say that I have come a long way.
There are hundreds (thousands?) of chicken soup recipes out there. Here's mine. And may you only eat it because it's part of your dinner plans and not because you must as part of a cold remedy. And let us all say, Amen.
My Chicken Soup
1 whole onion
3 lbs carrots, washed, peeled and cut into large pieces
4 parsnips, washed, peeled and cut into large pieces
3 big zucchinis, washed and cut into thirds
2 lbs of chicken - bottoms, tops, whatevers - cleaned and skinned
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
salt to taste
Place all the ingredients in a really big pot.
Add water to cover the ingredients and bring to a boil.
Lower the flame, cover almost all the way with a pot lid and let it simmer for at least two hours or until dinner.
Your house will smell amazing and don't be surprised if you find yourself with the urge to bake challah.
:)
Jen