Chicken Soup for my Head...

It took a lot less time than I thought it would. Usually when school starts, I expect one or both of the kids to get sick within two weeks of classes starting. Took 4 days. Last night Rach came out here sounding like a baby with croup, and complaining of a headache.Yippee Skippy.

She stayed home from school today, and I was actually able to keep her resting for most of the time. (Cartoons on a big screen make a wonderful tranquilizer.) This afternoon, K2 started showing similar symptoms. Fucking awesome, right? We are supposed to head out for Heidelberg tomorrow for some sight seeing- I am hoping it still happens... We'll see. Otherwise I get to do the super mom/wonder wife thing of caring for a house full of sick people and try like hell not to come down with the crap-du-jour that goes hand in hand with the school year.

Tonight, I was commissioned by the sickies to make chicken soup... So I am doing that rare thing I do and sharing a recipe of mine. As it is all mine- original and everything.

Better Than My Mom's Chicken Soup

Whole Chicken
8 skinless/Boneless Chicken Thighs
Olive Oil
1/2 stick Butter (REAL butter)
2 Cloves Garlic
Med Onion
2 Whole stalks Celery
Kosher Salt
Pepper Grinder
Baby Carrots
Can Green Beans
Small Can of Button Mushrooms
Minute Rice

1 med onion, 2 stalks of celery (including the leaves) and 2 cloves of crushed garlic into a large stock pot with a few tablespoons of olive oil to sweat for 10 min.
Skin-yes SKIN- and cut up a whole chicken into quarters, removing the wings and back bone. Toss out the wings and skin/Save backbone. Add chicken to pot, with 8 boneless/skinless thighs, and back bone. Cover with 1-2 inches water and return to med high heat, covered. Boil for 45 min to an hour.
Pull out all meat/bones from broth. Debone chicken pieces, and cut up all chicken into small bite size pieces. In the mean time, add 1/2 stick of butter to stock. (throw out bones, and reserve white meat chunks)
Return meat to stock pot, and add about 10 baby carrots cut into small pieces. Cook over med high heat uncovered for 20ish minutes. Taste and add (kosher) salt, ground pepper, parsley flakes... keep the water level about 1-1.5 inches above meat- or add canned broth but you shouldn't need it).
Add 2/3 can whole green beans, and one small can button mushrooms. 3/4 cup of minute rice, and stir for about a minute. Add white meat back if you wish. Remove entire pot from heat and slap the cover on. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Stir and enjoy. If it is too thick- add a little water... too thin, return to heat for a minute and add a smidge more rice. It should be chock-full-o- shit with only a little broth.... like stew without the gravy.

Guaranteed to make even the biggest sickie in your house feel a little better... and no- it can't be made with noodles. Noodles that sit in broth turn into wall paper paste, and that's just gross. If you must have noodles instead of rice- make them separately and pour the soup over them in the bowl. Never add them to the pot. Over cooked noodles are just... fucking GROSS.