Flu-Fighter Chicken Soup

This soup is easily the most flavorful broth-based soup I've had in a long time. 

Usually between the choice between heavy-cream and broth, I'm like "Give me all the fat I can handle." But when I'm trying to kick an oncoming flu, this one's it. It's the comfort and healthy and yum you need all wrapped up into one. 

I recommend eating this with a cuddly baby while watching Zathura. The combination of baby cuddles and warm soup is excellent. 

Here's the recipe, which is pretty fun to make: 

FLU-FIGHTER CHICKEN SOUP

Adapted from Baker by Nature

Ingredients

• For the chicken:
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• For the soup:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 very large onion, finely diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• Big pinch of salt
• (1) 32 oz containers chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups noodles of your choice, I used rigatoni
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Place chicken in an oiled baking pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with spices. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip over and bake for another 12 minutes or until done. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the soup. After the chicken is cooked, shred into large chunks with two forks. 
2. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over a medium. Add in carrots, celery, garlic and onion, and cook for 8-9 minutes. Add in your pinch of salt, bay leaf, water and chicken stock. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, stir in noodles, and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the pasta al dente. Stir in cooked chicken, dill, and lemon juice. Taste soup to adjust seasonings, then serve it up! Mmm, healthy comfort-food goodness. 

Dinner with the Causeys

There are few things I love more than people and food. When you put them together, it's a recipe for a perfect night (recipe, get it? I also have a love for bad puns). 

A few weeks ago Matt and I spent the evening with Phil and Audrey Causey. They've been some sweet friends of ours since moving to California. Audrey and Phil both have been volunteering with Youth With A Misison, but they're moving back to Texas in January to start a new adventure. 

In the past year or so, Audrey has become smitten with sustainable farming, good food, and being a good steward of what she's been given. Resourcefulness has become part of her daily routine, and I have loved learning from her along the way. 

Our meal was Spaghetti with some delicious broccoli patties on the side. Yum. I could eat those every day. 

Be sure to check out Live Adventurously for more of her recipes! 

Thank you Audrey for sharing your home and heart with us. I can't wait to see what's next for you guys!

Bello Mundo Baking

These are my girls from Bello Mundo. We all got together and spent time baking up some delicious fall pastries for our shop. Kristen, Ariel, and Molly are gems. I am so happy to know these sweet little goofballs and to work with them. Persimmon muffins were among the winning pastries. Although, I think it turned into a cake in the trial runs that followed.

( Molly is a fan of silent films (Buster Keaton is on her sweatshirt). Here is her silent film.) 

A Day's Work

Do you ever feel so inspired by someone that it makes you creative in return?

It happened to me today.

I love following my friend Audrey, who is a wonder-woman of a cook. In the past months she has grown a passion for food (quite literally)--healthy, delicious, ethical food. She just started up a blog with the yummiest of recipes.

I made this today with great joy and love in my heart. Passion births passion, I believe. This is for you, my little Audrey.