My Flog for February 24 - Winter Sucks, and How I Make Soup

I'm glad this day is over, it was a horrible day at work. Rainy and windy, and very few people around. All the customers we had came just to complain about the weather, I think, and I don't really need any help with that. One woman dropped by because she wanted us to show her how to knit the yarn she bought at Walmart. Really.

One item on the list the manager left for us to do was to change 4 fluorescent lights in the back of the store. Like that's going to happen. I'm the youngest of the 3 staff that are working over the next 4 days, and I don't really believe any of us should have to climb a ladder tall enough to reach the ceiling then stretch up and change fluorescent lights. Maybe I'll get fired. And then of course, there was the bus ride home - a crowded, noisy, pushy, mess.

However, when I got home, there was a nice pork roast dinner and veggies all ready to chow down. I put the pork roast in the slow cooker this morning, and left it sitting on a nice bed of onions and mushrooms (the roast, not the slow cooker) and Howard cooked the veggies and made the gravy. Apricot Muffins baked in the oven while I cleaned dishes, and Voila! Here I am tapping and winding down with the Oscars before I go to bed.

A lot of you - well, some of you - well, both of you, actually - asked me about my Chicken/Veggie Soup. I don't really have a recipe, but I can write down how I did it.

First the stock - the most important part. You will use all the chicken parts you didn't eat from the last chicken you cooked, plus all the veggie parts you didn't eat since the last time you made soup. These will be somewhere in your freezer in a big baggie. If you don't have any veggie parts, then you have to go buy some, so pick up carrots, celery, onions (lots of onions), mushrooms, green onions, cabbage - whatever you fancy Throw the chicken and veggies (you don't need to peel or slice the veggies, just wash and chop in chunky pieces, you're going to boil the shit out of them anyway) in a pot of water, just enough to cover the stuff, add salt and pepper and whatever seasonings you wish (I don't think you can over season at this point, but I could be wrong) and let it simmer away on the stove top - the longer the better, at least 3 hours I would
think. Then put another pot in the sink and put a colander on top of it (don't forget to put the other pot under the colander or you will feel really stupid after all the liquid goes down the sink - it has happened, but not to me) and pour the stuff in the pot into the colander and let it drain in the pot. All the bones and skin and inedible stuff from the chicken, and all the overcooked mushy veggies will stay in the strainer, and all the delicious stock will be in the bottom pot all ready to be turned into soup.

Meanwhile, if you don't have any cooked chicken, stick some thighs or legs or some other chicken parts in the oven, season well and roast them for a couple of hours at 350. (Don't forget to put them in a pan. I don't use liquid, I don't cover the pan.) Then after they cool a bit, remove the bones and dice up the meat for the soup. If you've seasoned them really well, you will probably eat some of the meat, but that's okay. I think. Don't forget to put the bones in a baggie for the next batch of soup.

So now you have to be fussier preparing the next veggies. They have to be peeled and cut smaller. I used carrots, turnip, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions (lots of onion), can't remember if or what else, but it sort of filled the pot to the level of the stock. (Remember to throw the leftover parts - carrot peels, outside cabbage leaves if you use cabbage, the little stalkie things on the top of the tomatoes, etc - in with the chicken bones.) If you want to throw in a pack of Onion Soup Mix, now's the time. When everything is cooked all you'll see will be a mess of veggies, but don't panic and don't add water, for goodness sake. Just stick your immersion blender in and whirr away - for a little bit. Leave some chunks to chew on. Then after all is done, add some nice cut up cooked chicken, and add more seasonings if needed.

I've also added frozen mixed veggies if there were any the fridge - actually, between making the stock and the soup, it's a good way to clean out your fridge, freezer, veggie drawer and pantry.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Left Over Chinese Food - Chicken Chow Mien and Rice, Yogurt
• Dinner - Roast Pork, Potato, Turnip, Cabbage and Carrots with Gravy
• Snacks - Crispy Crunch bar (haven't had one in years, but they are still delicious), Hot Chocolate