One pot chicken soup

There are so many things to love about autumn. The colors of the falling leaves; the earthy smells mixed with the spicy scents of cinnamon; the brisk air and warming by a cozy fire; dressing in layers, sipping on warm mulled cider; and comfort foods of all sorts, but especially soup!

The last few days were a mix of rain (for 2 days straight), cool weather and overcast skies. By the end of this week I was exhausted; whereas, all I wanted to do when I came home on Friday was put on my jammies, cuddle under blanket and eat comfort food.

Anyone can open a can of chicken soup but I find canned soup to be too salty and the veggies are always mushy. Anyone can make chicken soup, whether it be homemade or semi homemade. The trick is a flavorful broth base and fresh ingredients. I use packaged stock because I usually have it on hand, but if you have an opportunity to make and store your own stock (especially bone broth, please do so. Some people swear by the chicken foot broth but I have not yet  made it.)

Here's what you need:

1.5 lbs boneless chicken breast

4 cups of low sodium chicken stock

2 cups of water

2 ribs of chopped celery

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup diced onion

1 cup carrots 

1 cup okra (I use frozen)

1/4 cup chopped spinach

3/4 cup uncooked, rinsed ditalini pasta

2 tablespoons EVOO

1/2 teaspoon poultry sealeaves andvegetable boullion cubes
2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Add oil to a 4 qt stock pot on medium low heat. Once oil is heated add the onion, garlic and celery. Saute for 10 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add the diced chicken and carrots. Saute, stirring chicken until it is white on all sides. Add 4 cups of chicken broth, 2 cups of water, 2 bouillon cubes, 2 bay leaves and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, (add the frozen okra about 20 minutes in) stirring occasionally. Add the uncooked, rinsed pasta and the 1/4 cup chopped spinach.  Turn the heat up slightly so, the liquid is a slightly more rapid boil. Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy. Mmmmmmm. So Good!

There were 2 servings left, and I must say the flavors really came together after sitting in the refrigerator. The pasta had absorbed some of the broth so I added just a little splash of water to thin the soup out when heating. I know spinach seems odd, but I didn't have any parsley. Be warned the broth will take on a slight greenish hue from the spinach, but the flavor is great.  I was looking for a nutrient packed soup and this really delivered!

Open the Window!

Nearly 2 years after the new, smaller kitchen window was installed, it is finally open! No more hazy, opaque plastic covering the view- leaving me to look at spiders, stink bugs and other creepy crawlies- trapped behind the plastic sheeting. 

From this...

To this...

I may not have an optimum view but I love the light coming into my kitchen. More so than before, this is my favorite spot in the kitchen.

The hubbs like to be creepy and spy on me...

The outside looked like this for 2 years!

Ignore the tape  and tape residue but here is the inventive framing for the window.

My brother-in-law  and his coworker (both who work for one of my other brother-in-law) installed this while I was at work, so there are no additional how to pictures. Bummer!  Would you believe this is a plasticized material? It is called Azek. It is a highly durable material made of  cellular PVC and is designed to look like wood. It can be be painted (using acrylic latex), doesn't require additional tools to cut, and has a 25 yr warranty. I wish all of my windows were trimmed with Azek and looked this nice! Minus the residual glue, of course

It will probably take us another 2 years, just to remove the gorilla glue tape residue, haha
One more thing checked of the list! Up next, indoor moldings and trimwork!

Woe Begone

Hey y'all. What's happening? 

I have been dealing with some health issues. My diabetes has been crazy out of control. I am not sure how it whacked out so bad but I  have been on the same regimen for 10 yrs. And I admit there are days, that I don't follow the food guidelines as I should. Maybe it was a combination of factors that led to my uncontrolled condition.  So I had some blood work and the results were bad. Oh, so very bad!  In addition, to my diabetes my triglycerides are elevated. There were a few other things, but I am not going to discuss them- for now. It isn't all bad news though, I have lost 14 lbs!!

This is an excerpt of message the Dr. wrote.  A little disconcerting to read, when I logged in to see my  test results. Oh joy.

 I am not happy about the diagnosis/ prognosis the doc gave me but all I can do is work harder to get the conditions under control with diet, exercise and a few new medications. So the new menu plans require low sugar, low fat and higher fiber.

How I begin the morning.  Blood sugar check, high fiber-low sugar oatmeal, hot tea, 16 oz of water and meds.

I am trying different types of grains, combined with lean meat and nutrient dense vegetables.  This was a pumpkin wheat spelt risotto, glazed pork loin and brussel sprouts. I didn't make the "spelt risotto" from scratch, it was a frozen mix (Aldi's). I wanted to try it before I bought the grain. It wasn't bad. A little more chewy than Quinoa, has a orzo pasta shape and a barley flavor.

The glaze was awesome!  2 tsp coconut sugar, 1 tsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses, 1 TBS Pure Maple syrup, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic, 1/8 tsp cracked black pepper, 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 & 1/2 TBS spicy brown mustard, 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp oil, and 1/4 cup beer. Whisk all ingredients together. I had 4 pork loin chops which I pounded to 1/2 in thick. The grill was set at 325°F. I brushed each side of the chops then placed flame side down. Flipping about every 4-5 minutes and reglazing on each flip. I grilled them for about 20-25 minutes.

The chops were caramelized and had a very slight crust from the glaze. The coconut sugar has more nutrients than a regular sugar (sucrose) and is lower glycemic due to a compound called inulin. Which means is absorbs into the blood sugar much more slowly. Molasses is the byproduct of refining sugar beets. Blackstrap molasses is the third and final boiling and said to be the healthiest of molasses- retaining the most vitamins an minerals. It also has the most pronounced flavor, is less sweet and can have bitter flavor profile-which make it great for savory dishes. The molasses and coconut sugar gave my glaze a somewhat smokey flavor.

I am not the only one in our house facing health issues. The hubbs has been back issues which began about 2 years ago. He has degenerative disk disease, which isn't a good combination with his very physical job of always lifting, hefting, and hauling things. So now I am even more of a nagging, um, supportive wife by constantly reminding him to be careful and not hurt his back.

We are a fine pair, eh? 

I have been decrapifying the house. It is amazing how quickly stuff accumulates.We have recycled, trashed and donated quite a bit. It is always such a good feeling clearing clutter from the house. It feels like I physically removed an oppressive force.  I reorganized the living room and the spare bedroom.

Sorry for the poor quality, I used my tablet instead of my camera.

There is a rumor, after the first of the year, that my employer will allow us to work fro home part time. If true-I will be all over that! Roll out of bed 15 minutes before logging in-check. Working in my jammies-check. Enjoying the solitude and silence while working--double check! So I set up a new office nook in the spare room. It isn't much but accommodate my needs. I was too tired (lazy) to DIY a desk. I found my RTA (ready to assemble) desk at Target on 50% clearance.  

It isn't necessarily the style I prefer but it serves a purpose. It fit's my budget and the space. I am using  an extra dining chair (from Ikea). So far it seems comfortable, eventually I may need to upgrade to an office chair and possibly bigger desk, but this works for now.

Sorry for the poor quality, I used my tablet instead of my camera. And you can see my fan reflected in the mirror, oops!

Just left of the desk is a small window cubby I am going to tuck the printer stand/ cart into instead  keeping it on the nightstand by the bed (which can be see in the bedroom picture).  Who knows, if the opportunity to work from home arises I will need to reconfigure the entire space. Maybe install a murphy bed.  This room is my everything room--spare room, craft room, sewing room and now office.

So there are changes going on here- some good, some not so great.  But in the end everything will work out the way I need it to, even if it isn't the way I want.

How about y'all? Anything new or exciting? Recipes, projects, or news?