Metro Parent Pink + Blue Guide

The Metro Parent Pink + Blue Guide is on stands and available online at http://www.metroparent.com/Metro-Parent/Pink-Blue/. It covers pregnancy, babies and more! 

Success or Mess Scratch Soup – Hearty Chicken Soup

This is one of the best chicken soups I’ve tasted. It started with a really great pregnancy resource (The Pregnancy Cookbook – you can learn more about the author and find a book link here http://www.hopericciotti.com/). Of course, I made changes to it over the years to fit my family’s tastes. But, it remains a great go-to soup and it’s perfect when you crave a warm bowl of home cooking.

Hearty Chicken Soup with Greens

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Onion, peeled and chopped or diced

5 Cloves of Garlic, minced or thinly sliced

5 Carrots, peeled and chopped

5 Celery ribs, chopped

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 Bunch Kale or Collards, rinsed, stems removed, and leaves chopped (you can also use other greens such as dandelion or spinach)

4 Yukon Gold or similar Potatoes, cleaned and chopped about 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

10 Cups Chicken stock

Meat from 1 cooked rotisserie chicken, chopped or pulled how you like (keep in mind that if you pull in small strips, it can cook apart even more when reheated)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Egg Noodles or other pasta noodles, prepared and set aside

We like to keep the egg noodles or other pasta on the side and add when serving. It keeps the noodles from getting too soggy when you chill and reheat the soup. And there should be enough for leftovers depending on your family’s size.

Directions:

1.    Heat oil over medium in a large soup pot.

2.    Add the onions and sauté about 7 minutes.

3.    Stir in the garlic and let it get fragrant for about a minute.

4.    Add the celery, carrots and salt. Stir, cover and cook about 10 minutes.

5.    Add the greens and potatoes, and stir to mix. Cover and cook about 7 minutes.

6.    Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

7.    Add chicken, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer with the lid off another 7-10 minutes.

8.    Stir in cooked noodles and simmer a couple minutes before serving. Serve and enjoy!

By the way, our house is coming along. At least the barriers, equipment and crews are gone. We just finished another big part of the project this week. It will be a welcome sight when everything is back in its place and we can relax again – well, as much as we ever do. It’s been a lot of hard work and we’re nearing the home stretch. :)

Girls’ Night & Stuffed Eggplant

Yesterday was a girls’ night out, which is rare these days. It was just after 3:30pm when I realized the day was almost gone and I was not ready – not even close. There are many days when I get so busy dressing, feeding, cleaning and caring for my kid that there’s no time left to care for myself. Moms and caregivers, you know what I’m talking about. The thought hit me that if I didn’t start something soon, there was no way I’d make it to my long-awaited dinner. It takes a lot to fit something into our busy and constantly changing schedules. I knew it could be months before I got the chance to see them all together again – and I needed this.

Fast-forward through the quick rinse and hot roller coercion of second-day locks to getting dressed. I will spare some of the details, but understand this, it’s hard enough to prepare for a night out when you’re not pregnant and harder still when you’re in one of those transitional times between elastic waists and needing a front- or back-end loader, just to get into your clothes. After some time wondering why the weather had turned on me when I’d already planned a late-summer/early fall outfit, I gave in, dressed for cooler temps and threw on some make-up.

By the time I finished, checked my look in the mirror. I knew I’d made it in time, but feared I looked like a stuffed eggplant. Not the look I was going for. A little mane taming and some accessories did the trick – mostly. Thank goodness my husband said something nice when he got home or I might have ended up wearing a trench coat. Instead, I went with what I had and made the most of it.

My friends and I had a wonderful time catching up. They were a lot of fun and so gracious to listen to the home improvement saga. It will be nice to see them again, but if it’s any time soon I may have to steer clear of brown so I don’t look like a roast turkey. J