Happy New Year!  I was supposed to put up a recipe for December but time has a way of running away from me lately and before I knew it, January was here.  I hope you all had a terrific holiday season.  Mine was hectic.  Back-to-work for the first time in 12 years, it was hard juggling all the Christmas decorating, shopping  and cooking, with work.  I did it, it was exhausting and I am glad to be back to business as usual come Monday.

My son gave me a cold for Christmas - I spent last weekend in bed.  I am still fighting it - but trying to keep it from spreading through the house.  The best thing for a cold?  Chicken Soup!  Until a few years ago I bought my chicken soup.  I thought it was too complicated to make, having never made it - but what did I know?  Now each week I make a big batch,  I pour it into a glass pitcher and keep it in the Frig.  The kids help themselves throughout the week - it makes a great after school or pre-practice snack.  Ballerina likes to put it in a to go cup and sip it on her way to school.  I am fine with soup for breakfast - at least I  know she is getting protein.  So here is my Chicken soup recipe - very simple, very delicious and very economical.  (For locals, I go to the market on Carlton - they almost always have cut up chickens and wings and if not, are more than happy to cut up for you)

1 cut-up chicken
4 chicken wings ( the wings are the secret - they make it richer)
1 large onion or 2 small - peeled and quartered
3 carrots - cut into large chunks
3 celery stalks - cut into large chunks
2 t fresh diced garlic
bunch of green onion whole (optional)
handful of sea salt to taste
pepper to taste


Put the chicken, onion, celery, garlic, carrots, salt, pepper and whole green onion in a pot and cover with water.  Simmer for a minimum of 4 hours.  After 2 hours, remove chicken breasts and set aside for use later.  The rest of the meat I let boil away.  Sometimes I will cook my soup overnight on a low setting - or sometimes just all day.  You can't overcook it - it will just boil away - the longer it boils, the richer the broth gets - but you must keep adding water as it boils down.  Skim the fat off the top of the soup as often as possible - but you can skip this step if cooking overnight  because once the broth cools, all the fat is congealed at the top and you can remove then, Once the soup is cooked - you taste it and you like the flavor - strain the broth.  I throw all the veggies away and just keep the broth.  To make a hearty meal, I heat the broth in a pot and add diced carrots, celery, chicken and noodles.  Having the broth in the frig is ideal for so many other meals - for every recipe that calls for broth, you can just pull out your pitcher.  No need to buy canned or boxed broth.  Enjoy!