Grumbling through Cough Syrup (Cherry, tho!)

I'm home sick. Thtuffed-up like. Getting better quick, though. I had a migraine this morning. Now it's just throbbing. Hey, it's something.

Aggressively treating with asthma stuff, sinus spray, and Robitussin. Homemade chicken soup's on the stove now. I'm ignoring the disaster that is my home and resting now, except for soup-making efforts, of course.

Chicken soup's not really my thing. I've never been a big fan, but I just made this huge vat of chicken stock and suddenly I'm sick. I'd have to be a fucking moron not to do the math, now, wouldn't I?

So, I'm making soup. Yippee.

Having never really made much of an effort with chicken soup before, and feeling a bit food-snobbish of late, I figure I'll give the old college try today.

The stock's pretty nice on its own. I poached 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs in it. I skimmed all the crap out and set the stock aside, all 10 cups or so of it. I took two sweet onions and chopped them, along with two stalks of celery. I tossed a couple tablespoons butter in the rinsed-out stockpot and began caramelizing it. I shredded the chicken while cooking the onion/celery mix.

I added 1/4 c flour to the caramelized onions and celery, plus a tablespoon of olive oil. I let it brown for a couple minutes, then added the stock. I got it close to a boil and turned it down. Then I added 3/4 cups of an organic wild rice and grains blend. I also added the shredded chicken plus a stalk of fresh thyme, some fresh sage and italian parsley. (Superstore has a $2.88 "poultry blend" of fresh herbs that would cost $10 anywhere else. I haven't used the rosemary, and only half the thyme.) Soon, I'll add about four cups of frozen veggies, and I'll make some biscuits. The biscuits take five minutes, seriously, and are to die for. It's a good reason to make an effort with soup.

I'll cook it with the wild rice for 25 minutes, then about 10 minutes or so with the veggies, and I'll let it sit for another 15 after that. Don't want overly cooked rice. But, it smells good!

And then I'm having a nap. It's hard ignoring this mess, but there's an important meeting at work and I want to be well so I can pitch in and get it done right, y'know? Bah, who has time for illness?

No, not damn you, cosmos. Rather, it's a "fuck you" kinda day. Grr! Sick! A friend emailed me and suggested I "bitch-slap that bug." Heh. I'm trying! I'm trying. I might be resorting to watching Dr. Phil right now.

But I'm not well in the head. This is my excuse. I'm sticking to it. Not well in noggin. I hear that's a legal defense now.