Feeling a Little Chilled and Under the Weather? Have Some Homemade Soup

So...I was hoping with the slight reprieve, from the grayness that has become this years winter, that perhaps the snow and sleet and icy wet had maybe left us, and that we were now on to a happy season of rain, and slowly unfolding greenery, and the onset of Spring.

I know, I know...it was an early hope, perhaps not such a rational hope, but I think we all have those moments of slightly manic and giddy illusion. I also think that it was brought on due to my recent escape to Southern California, and that I was very definitely left hungering for better weather, blue skies and sunshine, even if there was still a bite in the air and some of the heaviest rains they've had in a long time. Instead of this pleasant fiction, I came home to snow, and have wished it gone ever since. At any rate, here we still are, still very much in winter with another snow storm expected tomorrow.

With this soppy and unwieldy weather that will not cease and desist, I have found myself feeling a little off kilter the past few days and thought maybe I was coming down with a little bit of a cold. And, after my escapades with government offices and their processes today, I needed something to warm and satisfy my innards again...because those dismal, gray and grungey offices sucked a little of the sunshine out of my soul today.

Anyway, my grandma makes an excellent Chicken and Rice Soup...she does hers from scratchy-scratch, but today I did the quickened, condensed, semi-homemade version, and that's what I'm sharing here. It is super easy and takes very little effort, especially if you have the main ingredients on hand.

Whether semi-homemade or from scratch, it's good for what ails you and I definitely recommend it.

Quick Chicken & Rice Soup

Bring 2 Qt. of Water to a boil, add in 2 Tbsp. of Better Than Bouillon--Chicken, stirring

Add 1/2 Tbsp. of Butter

Add in 1/2 Tbsp. Onion Powder, a smattering of Black Cracked Pepper, Parsley and a few Red Pepper Flakes. The red pepper flakes are not for burning but for a little bit of flavor, so don't overdo it.

Next add in 1 can of Chicken Chunks with the broth.

• No--it's not gross, and it turns out really well. I checked the label, and there were no additives and preservatives for the brand I used, so I was pretty happy about that.
• If you have some cooked leftover chicken, add that in as well (I did), or instead of the canned chicken, if you please.
• I didn't have enough home cooked chicken, so that is where I supplemented the canned chicken, which also makes excellent chicken salad sandwiches, if you like that sort of thing.
• Yes, you can also do raw chicken, but that's not what I did tonight.

Next add in 3 C. Cooked Rice.

• I had leftover rice from the other night and this was a great way to use it up. It plumped back up really nicely. (If you don't have cooked rice, you can add in raw rice, but it will take longer to cook up, and you will want to make sure that you taste your seasonings for balance.)

• **If you want to add in additional veggies, such as carrots, peas or whatever, now is the time. I did not tonight. I just wanted a simple and warming dish without too many complexities.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes stirring periodically.

• Serve with crackers or French Bread or Rolls and butter.
• You can also add in a nice green salad with homemade vinaigrette if you want a little more than just soup.

Great quickie dinner, or for a feeling-a-little-under-the-weather supper. We had not one tiny drop left over. It was a hit! Woo Hoo! :)