Chicken Soup

Today was another one of those chilly, sunshiny winter days.  I should have gone for a brisk walk, but didn't.  Or cleared out the skeletons of sunflowers and tomato plants from a vegetable garden, but didn't do that either.  I also thought it would be a good idea to clean out all of my kitchen cabinets, but took one look inside one cabinet and put it off to another day. 

In the end my big accomplishment was cooking up a pot of chicken noodle soup (recipe is from the Smitten Kitchen blog and the chicken is one of our home-raised ones that we have in our freezer).  It was a relatively straightforward recipe, but there were a lot of steps -- chopping, sauteing, braising, skimming, and dicing.  The broth is made up of no flavors other than the braised chicken, vegetables, salt and pepper along with eight cups of water.  The aromas wafting up through the steam were this side of heaven -- bright and mouthwatering.  I believe I'm 100% certain that it's one of the best chicken soups I've ever made. 

However, smelling the steam is about all Bruce and I will allow ourselves.  Both Mama and Becky came down with bad colds right after Christmas, and I promised them chicken soup.  I doled out two tiny bowls of it to "test" (which Bruce and I guzzled down in no time flat) and then clamped down the lid so I wouldn't be tempted to sample it again.  We'll divide it into two containers and bring it to one of the invalids tomorrow and the other on Thursday.

My only regret is that this recipe made such a small amount.  Note to self: next time double it!