Cold Season

We are all in various stages of nasty head colds around here.  Pea had hers forever, but is finally feeling better although she still has the goopiest cough, and Dumpling is miserable.  His nose is snotty, his voice sounds funny, and he too is hacking.  And demanding medicine.  Which, besides tea with a lot of honey, lemon and ginger, I can't give him.  And I feel sort of helpless.

So I made chicken soup tonight.  Not really because I thought either child would eat it, but it made me feel like I was doing something to fight the vile sickness.  I always make stock after we roast a chicken(we get ours at our Tailgate Market), and freeze it in Mason jars, which most of the time do not break.  And then I make soup, which our kids refuse to eat for the most part (unless there is sausage in it.)  But tonight, they ate it. (I offered nothing else.  Haha!)  Pea even asked for a cup of broth, plain, and drank it all up.  I have such a virtuous Mama feeling now.

Here's how I make stock:
I cut up an onion or two, as much celery as I have on hand-the leafy part is the best, two or three carrots, and any kale stems I have, throw them in with the very picked over chicken carcass and maybe some of the juice from the cooking, put about 10 cups of water (okay, I made that up--I just fill the stockpot up maybe 2/3 full--it doesn't really matter) and, the most important thing, according to Cynthia Lair (Feeding the Whole Family) is some brown rice vinegar (or whatever vinegar I have on hand-apple cider, white, probably not balsamic though) because that is supposed to helps release the minerals from the chicken bones, and you know, minerals are good for you. (This isn't very scientific, but it appears that people should have calcium).  I usually crush some garlic and then put that sucker on to boil, then leave it on low for a long, long time--usually overnight.  Then I strain it, and pour it into my beloved Mason jars. Sometimes I put them overnight in the fridge and try to skim the fat off when it cools, but usually I just stick them straight in the freezer.  And if I do it right, and don't fill them too full, even if it means using an extra Mason jar, the Mason jars don't break.

And then, when my children and/or husband is sick, I can whip it out of the freezer and make a mean chicken soup which my children will (might) eat and I will feel like I have done something to make them feel a little better.