Chicken Stock. So your mother or grandmother told you that you need chicken soup to make you feel better. Or you read about it in one of those health magazines. Or some "research" study (yes, I put research in quotes for a reason!) found that properties in chicken soup healed the sick…
Whatever your motive for making yourself better with chicken soup is, I like to start out with a nice homemade chicken stock. I came down with quite an ear infection this weekend. It's 68º here in Wisconsin this weekend and I'm stuck inside. No fair! However, I brought the weapon out. I may be skeptical about its healing powers. However, it makes me feel better having something warm and tasty.
A few weeks ago I slowly simmered my own chicken stock. I bought a large package of chicken wings. I slowly warmed them up in a pot of water. Once the muck was skimmed off the top, I added carrots (not peeled), onions, celery (this is one of those times to use the celery leaves!), garlic, and just a pinch of salt (salting at this point could leave you with a result most resembling a salt lick for deer!) Slowly simmer for several hours. Be careful not to allow the broth to boil. The result was a beautiful, clear liquid I could write home to mom about. Finishing the stock off, I strained the liquid out, set it back on the stove, and boiled it down slightly to concentrate. Once it was where I wanted it, I added a bit of salt. 
Today, I pulled one of the containers out of the freezer and proceeded to make a nice, simple chicken soup for lunch. Some rice, carrots and celery went in. Warmed to perfection, I sipped away…then ate the remaining ingredients. My standard way to eat chicken soup when I'm under the weather.
I hope that I'm feeling better tomorrow. After a week off from new adventures, I'm ready to plan a week of food fun. Wish me luck!
(And no…the handsome guy to the right isn't me. I figured you'd need a nice little image of me at home with my chicken soup!)
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