Wet and Wild

This morning it was. I was out and about early - an ultrasound appointment and then work and then because I felt particularly cruddy came home to make chicken soup. In those few short hours it rained, the sun came out, it rained again. And not just a polite steady rain. This one was a gully wumper. Just between car and house I got soaked. But I got to warm up in a toasty kitchen with the soup making. Its a baroque enough process. Simmer the whole chickens with bay leaves and peppercorns for an hour or so, cool them, pick the meat, feed the dog bits, then roast the bones in the oven until they caramelize, return bones to stock pot and simmer away until the stock reduces and is a rich brown - for me about two hours. Then the celery, onions, carrots and parsley go in. Simmer and whenever we get around to eating it, add cooked noodles and chicken. Jewish penicillin. And in the days of H1N1 a good preventative to have around. (Both Kate and Steve got flu shots - I did not - feeling a little doomed right now) This photo is not mine - I don't have that many rubber chickens although it's good to have goals - hmmmm a bowlful of rubber chickens.