Chicken and Rice Soup

 

I love soup any time of year.  This is quick, clean, and easy to make.  My husband asks for it constantly.

 

 

Chicken and Rice Soup

 

 Brown 4 chicken thighs for 5 minutes in 2 tbs. of Olive Oil.  When the chicken is brown, flip over and reduce heat.  Chop 2 cups of carrots and 2 cups of celery.  Add 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper, 3 bay leaves,  and 8 cups of water.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.  Cover, and let boil 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  When chicken is done, remove, and pull meat off the bones.  Shred or cube meat (I like ours shredded) and return meat to the pot.  Add 3/4 cup of white rice and cover.  Cook an additional 20 minutes, until the rice is done.  That's it!

 

Gardening: The hard work that pays off big.

Gardening. Tilling, turning, cracked hands and dirty nails.  100 degree Florida heat.  The payoff?  Cheap fresh fruits and veggies for my family.  It's going to be a small plot this year, but I'm working on making it even bigger.  I want this to work.  I NEED this to work.  My husband just retired, causing a 75% pay cut.  OUCH.  That's a lot.  Not to mention that I'm knees deep in Graduate school, and the cost of daycare makes it nearly not worth it at all to work.

Then, there's that whole cost of organic food thing.  Yes, I need to buy organic.  I have to buy organic.  I buy veggies from our local food stand, but maybe only one thing is actually local.  Let's face it, I do have quite the green thumb.  I don't have a stand, squat, sit in the mud all day thumb.  Throw in 2 kids, summertime, and Autism in the mix, and it's an almost perfect storm that is a predictor for Mom going crazy. 

I did it. Finally, after about 2 whole months and one poor little cucumber plant-in-a-pot later.  I did it.  The seal of approval?  My hubby said, "You did a good job, babe!"  That was it.  I'm hooked. Even more than I was before.  My son even came running up begging to plant seeds.  I'm excited. Now I just hope I can keep it all alive.