When a cold west wind is swirling snow around the yard, I think of "Chicken Soup". You may think of skiing at Gatlinburg; I think of soup. There is no way I am leaving the house unless it’s going to church or I need groceries. If it can wait, I’ll get my groceries after church. I'll open the door only to feed the birds. Anne will drive down to the mailbox to get the mail rather than walk. That is more than I will do on a cold snowy day; but I will make soup. I have lots of soup recipes. Some take a while to make. Some are quick.
Let’s continue to talk about soup. I remember the time some of my husband's family dropped in on a Sunday morning for "Sunday Dinner." You know what I mean. They came in time to be added to the eating crew. That day I only had a scrawny, pitiful fryer chicken for the meal of the week. That would have been all right for us, but not for company.
I made do, as I usually did. I made soup. I cut up the fryer (they didn't come cut up in those days), put it in my soup pot, covered it with water, added a few veggies and boiled the collection until the chicken was tender. That gave me broth to go with the noodles I would make. The chicken pieces were dipped in beaten egg, then in flour and fried in margarine until a toasty brown. The dinner was a success. No one else knew of my dilemma.
That gets me thinking about how resourceful women can be. Life for us is one of “making do.” Men think logically. We think creatively. My husband would have been in a tizzy in the above situation. I made do. I made soup. Here is a “quickie” recipe.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Two 16-oz cans chicken broth
12-oz can chicken breast, cubed
1 carrot, sliced into coins
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small bay leaf
A few peppercorns
1 or 2 fresh basil leaves
1 chicken bouillon cube
4-oz dry noodles
In large kettle combine, broth, carrot, celery, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns. Covered, over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all are tender. Add chicken, basil and bouillon cube. Add water as needed. Bring to boil again over medium heat and add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender. Check seasonings. Serve.
Note: If you use homemade noodles, boil in separate pan and drain before adding to soup.
Originally published 2017-12-26