On the Mend...

I feel so much better today than I did yesterday. So much better. I think it was the chicken soup I made last night for dinner. Chicken soup that literally brought tears to my eyes when I took the first bite- it was that good. Lemon and chicken broth and rice. Of course, I might feel really good today because of the NyQuil I took at midnight last night. Two doses. Oscar was up until eleven because one of his front upper teeth is coming in (it finally "popped through" this morning). Ben was gone until about eleven-thirty practicing for a gig he has Saturday night. When Ben got home he put the baby in his crib, brought me a tall glass of water and gave me four NyQuil pills. I hardly thought twice about taking a double dose, I was that desperate for a good night's sleep. And a good night's sleep I got. I was knocked out until ten in the morning. Ten o'clock! Ben got up with the kids and gave them their breakfasts and I didn't even hear a thing until he finally woke me. All day long I've been in a medicinally induced fog. Needless to say the house looks like a war-zone. I reclaimed our couch this afternoon by folding the mountain of clean laundry that had taken up residence there. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to clean a little more. The bathtub needs scrubbing, the kitchen floor needs to be mopped, closets need organizing, and clutter needs to be dealt with. But for now I'm turning in for the night. A second night of heavy sleeping might be what I need to kick this little sickness to the curb. But before I turn in, I'll share the recipe for that magical chicken soup with you (it was such a hit at our house that Ben actually had me make it again tonight... that's never happened!):

Yummy Chicken Soup with Rice

6 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup rice or tiny pasta
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the chicken broth and rice for 15 minutes. In a bowl, beat the 3 egg yolks and add the lemon zest and lemon juice. When the chicken broth and rice have cooked for 15 mins, scoop out a small portion and add it to the egg mixture, stirring constantly (the idea is to bring the egg mixture up to a warmer temperature so the egg won't cook in chunks when you add it to the soup). Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the broth stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook for 5 minutes. Soup will thicken slightly. Add salt and pepper. Serve hot. Yield: approx. 6 servings.

I added chunks of chicken meat to my soup- it made it a little more hearty. My mom always cooked her own chicken and made her own chicken broth, but because I've been under the weather, I just went the super easy route on this one and used canned chicken broth and a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket (or at least that's my excuse!). Ben thought it was a little too lemony the first night, so I used a little less than 1/4 cup tonight and he liked it better. I used bottled lemon juice, which may be stronger than fresh...

Bon appetit!