It is my firm belief that sick days should be reserved for lovely, sunny days when I feel fit as a fiddle and just want to goof off. But, alas, sometimes even I have to be sick - though I hate to succumb. Today is the fated day, and tomorrow isn't looking much better. On the bright side, though, I spent the day sleeping, watching t.v., and surfing the internet. I did not do dishes or laundry; I did not clean house; I did not grade papers; I did not even make the bed. I did, however, cook. When the guys came home from school, Jeff said, "Wow, thanks for making a nice dinner." I smiled sweetly and replied, "While I love you, I only made it because I had a hankering for soup." (The soup also earned me a big hug from the boy, since he is on the tail end of a cold and enjoyed it's steamy goodness!)
Yes, soup is the universal cure-all for illness. Of course, several studies have shown that chicken soup contains all kinds of things to make a body better, but I think anything hot and liquidy hits the spot when a person has a cold. Today's variety is potato-corn chowder. Honestly, I planned to just open a can of soup, but when I found the cabinet devoid of the potato soup I craved, I just had to make some. Luckily, it is "souper" easy.
Peel and dice 3 or 4 potatoes. (I used Yukon Golds.) Cook them in salted, boiling water until fork tender. Drain most of the liquid, leaving just a little in the bottom of the pot to provide extra moisture for the spuds. Use a hand masher to break them up, but don't worry about making them smooth. Add two cans of creamed corn and return to the heat. If the mixture isn't soupy enough, add a little milk, water, or half-and-half. Season the pot liberally with salt and pepper, (I always use extra pepper if I'm sick so I can actually taste it!) and simmer a few minutes until heated through. (See, that was easy!)
While my soup simmered I doctored some ciabatta bread as dippers. (I watched Giada Laurentis do this a couple of weeks ago and have been thinking about it ever since.) Mix a stick of room temperature butter with 8 oz of shredded cheese. (She used sharp cheddar, I used the casserole mix from the grocery.) You can use a food processor to made this spread really smooth. Next toss in some green onions (I used shallots instead.) and garlic. Once the mixture reaches spreading consistency, cut the ciabatta bread in half lengthwise and divide the cheese between the two pieces. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Cut each half into "sticks" to serve. The topping on this gets melty and yummy, while the bread is slightly crunchy. It was delicious and I could've eaten it by itself as a meal!
While dinner was my only accomplishment of the day, it may actually have been worth having the cold.
Yes, soup is the universal cure-all for illness. Of course, several studies have shown that chicken soup contains all kinds of things to make a body better, but I think anything hot and liquidy hits the spot when a person has a cold. Today's variety is potato-corn chowder. Honestly, I planned to just open a can of soup, but when I found the cabinet devoid of the potato soup I craved, I just had to make some. Luckily, it is "souper" easy.
Peel and dice 3 or 4 potatoes. (I used Yukon Golds.) Cook them in salted, boiling water until fork tender. Drain most of the liquid, leaving just a little in the bottom of the pot to provide extra moisture for the spuds. Use a hand masher to break them up, but don't worry about making them smooth. Add two cans of creamed corn and return to the heat. If the mixture isn't soupy enough, add a little milk, water, or half-and-half. Season the pot liberally with salt and pepper, (I always use extra pepper if I'm sick so I can actually taste it!) and simmer a few minutes until heated through. (See, that was easy!)
While my soup simmered I doctored some ciabatta bread as dippers. (I watched Giada Laurentis do this a couple of weeks ago and have been thinking about it ever since.) Mix a stick of room temperature butter with 8 oz of shredded cheese. (She used sharp cheddar, I used the casserole mix from the grocery.) You can use a food processor to made this spread really smooth. Next toss in some green onions (I used shallots instead.) and garlic. Once the mixture reaches spreading consistency, cut the ciabatta bread in half lengthwise and divide the cheese between the two pieces. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Cut each half into "sticks" to serve. The topping on this gets melty and yummy, while the bread is slightly crunchy. It was delicious and I could've eaten it by itself as a meal!
While dinner was my only accomplishment of the day, it may actually have been worth having the cold.
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