Misery Loves Chicken Soup

Chicken soup, misery-reliever! 

Been up and down with the flu for over a week now. Gradually getting better...ah-choo...excuse me...OK, better now! Drinking lots of fluids. Going through lots of boxes of tissues thereby doing my part to help the economy by keeping Kleenex in business. And lots of chicken soup! The best misery-reliever when you feel under the weather is exactly what your mama always told you...chicken broth and chicken soup.

This is the first year I've gotten really sick from a bad cold or flu in quite a while. It's been a tough year for flu and colds, and my sympathies to anyone out there sick this winter. I've been feeling like this:

Should have gotten my flu shot...I know, I know...will get one next year, definitely! The only flu shot I had this year turns out not to be as effective as advertised:

Take this and you'll forget you have the flu!!

May not prevent getting the flu, but those Irish flu shots are excellent in a hot toddy with some honey or agave nectar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!

Misery-reliever number one is chicken soup! Generally, I like making my own chicken soup from scratch, but when I'm feeling under the weather, I just want to cook up something fast and healthy. Canned soups are fine and convenient but I'm not pleased about all that stuff on the label, and you have to watch out for preservatives. I find that by keeping just a few things in stock I can easily make a fast, homemade chicken soup.

Quick Homemade Chicken Soup

• Carton of Chicken Broth (I prefer cartons to cans. Look for a brand with no added salt or preservatives. If you already have chicken stock on hand, even better.)
• Carrots and Celery, chopped in small pieces 
• Onion, finely chopped
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• Pasta or Egg Noodles, if desired (no real health benefit just tastes good in soup!)
• Cooked Chicken, cut into small pieces (Optional. If you have the chicken on hand, great, add it. If not, you still have a nice, quick chicken soup with just the broth.) 

Toss everything together in a saucepan. Simmer until hot and veggies are tender, and you have a quick and healthy bowl of homemade chicken soup. You can store leftover soup for three or four days in the refrigerator and microwave cups of soups. My suggestion is making a batch of this as soon as you feel the cold or flu coming on, because the last thing you feel like doing when you are ill is getting up and cooking! Then you can simply microwave a cup whenever you feel like having soup. You could cook up the soup base in advance, even freeze it, and add the noodles later when you're ready to eat it. That way, the noodles don't get soggy stored in the broth. Chicken soup and chicken broth, the best misery-relievers!

My Cup of Quick, Homemade Chicken Soup  

Wishing everyone good health. Now I will microwave a cup of soup for myself and cuddle with my dogs, because the companionship of dogs and cats will cure whatever ails you!

©2013 JerseyLil’s2Cents, text and soup photos.
Other images are from Google.

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After posting this, my blog friend Robert of Mulled Madness sent me these funnies to cheer me up. Just have to share, too funny!

These funnies really cheered me up. Thanks Robert! :)