Home Made Chicken Soup Will Cure Almost Anything

In most parts of the world, this recipe for Chicken Soup is definitely a cure for the common cold. Pair this with Maddie's suggestion of aromatherapy and you'll be back on your feet in no time at all.

Eucalyptus is my favorite for colds using the "miniature" crock pot style aromatherapy container. Just add water and your pure essential oil and it does the rest. It has holes in the lid that allow the steam to escape. You can pick one up at any Wal Mart in the potpourri section.

CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

3 pounds chicken, whole, cut up -no giblets

1 14 oz can chicken broth

3 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon Jane's crazy mixed up salt

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

This recipe calls for the use of a pressure cooker which gives it a unique flavor and consistency.

If you're going to use the pressure cooker method, combine all ingredients except the rice in the pressure cooker. Follow your cookers instructions, which should be to cook for 20 minutes, remove cooker from heat and let pressure drop of its own accord. After the pressure has dropped, remove chicken pieces, remove bones and skin and dice the chicken. Return chicken to the pressure cooker and add the rice. Bring the pressure back up and cook for five minutes, remove cooker from heat and let pressure drop of its own accord. Be sure and check your cookers capacity and make sure you do not exceed the fill level. Add the water last since you can decrease it without compromising the flavor if you have a smaller cooker. If you have to substantially decrease the water, decrease the rice also.

If you're going to make this in a regular stock pot, the same instructions will apply with the exception of times. You will need to simmer this on low heat for approximately 1 hour. After the chicken has been diced and returned to the pot, add the rice and cook for 30 minutes. This will not yield the same creamy consistency as the pressure cooker method, however, if you wish, you may thicken with cornstarch by mixing two to three tablespoons of cornstarch with one half a cup of ice water, stir to combine and add to the soup, stirring until the soup is thickened. If you don't like rice, substitute egg noodles, but adjust the time since egg noodles take less time to cook than rice. This freezes beautifully, so make a double recipe and freeze the leftovers, if you have any.

This is great served with a crusty roll or saltines.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1 Serving Percent daily values based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. The following ingredients were not linked to the ingredient database and were not included in the nutrition information: Salt and Pepper to taste Amount Per Serving Carolies 97.07 Calories From Fat (11%) 10.27 % Daily Value Total Fat 1.13g 2% Saturated Fat 0.30g 1% Cholestoral 15.44mg 5% Sodium 352.03mg 15% Potassium 209.49mg 6% Carbohydrates 11.66g 4% Dietary Fiber 0.73g 3% Sugar 0.85g Sugar Alcohols 0.00g Net Carbohydrates 10.93g Protein 9.40g 19% MyPoints 1.9