My Poor Babes

We've all been sick this week. I've been keeping my own cold at bay since Tuesday, it had overtaken me over the weekend but bit by bit I have been working on sending it packing. A neti pot, sea salt, a supple of Vicks Vaporub, along with a steady intake of clear liquids helped a lot! My poor hubby got it pretty badly and little Miss T. has had it too. As often happens it seems I live two days in one, back to back. I mean the events of each day feel like they repeat themselves. I go the work and nurse someone with soup and broth; I come home, make another pot of soup to nurse my dear hubby. I often wonder if it feels this way when you are home with your own little ones.

I do think I need to cut back some hours from work. I am feeling too pressed for time to come home and not be able to make a dent in getting dinner cooked before hubby gets home. It is also that I have a harder time getting things done as the day winds down. When I started working for my current family it was part time but my job has become full time as their situation has changed. Mrs. T. works a very demanding job and it used to be that Mr. T. took care of little Miss T. after I left in the afternoons. Now Mr. T.'s new position involves a lot of travel and overnights away and Mrs. T.'s job has become no less demanding. While I accepted for a time the increase in my hours, running from work to home with no time to be making my own house a home is not the way I want to choose to live my life.

Anyway, I'm running for now to take care of hubby and home. Oh! I wanted to share, we have potty training success at last! Next time I let you in on what did the trick.

Brothy Soup for Colds

2 quart filtered or spring water
2T Better than Boullion- I use the organic vegetable base but you may use chicken flavor or equivalent in boullion cubes but be aware the cubes usually contain MSG OR replace all the water with homemade broth
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 celery stalks chopped (small if the sick person likes celery, large if they don't)
1 onion chopped or halved to be removed later
2 cloves garlic peeled but left whole to be removed before serving

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional additions:
parsley (1-2 T fresh or 1 t. dry)
a pinch dill
2 leeks sliced
a handful or two of medium egg noodles
3-4 potatoes peeled and cubed instead of noodles
fresh lemon

This soup is about the broth and the disinfecting power of alliums. It should be kept simple and if any textures are bothersome to the "patient" strain them out or cut them large enough to be kept out of the soup bowl. You can also strain out everything and serve up only the broth in a fancy teacup, which is Miss T.'s favorite way to drink her "medicine."

Put all ingredients in the soup pot except for potatoes, noodles, or lemon and simmer until veggies are tender at minimum and keep on low or in a crockpot to drink broth as needed throughout the day. Add noodles or potatoes 15-20 minutes before serving and sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice in the soup bowl as it is served for a refreshing tang if liked and desired. If you simmer this soup for a long time taste test and add more water if it gets too salty from cooking down.