Stay Healthy This Winter

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

While this blog is mainly for home décor, part of homemaking is keeping our families
happy and healthy.  And with winter upon us, I am always interested in ways to keep
everyone around here from becoming sick.

All of us have heard how chicken soup is good "for what ails you", but did you know that,
literally, it has healing properties?  Apart from being soothing, comforting, and warming, it
really does contain nutrients that aid our bodies in healing. 

Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine which thins mucus.  It also keeps our
digestive tract healthy which is the basis for a strong immune system.  The gelatin found in the
bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid--sounds complicated--but it supports proper digestion.
Chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine reduces pain and inflammation.  The amino acids proline, arginine, and glycine have anti-inflammatory properties.  Broth inhibits infectious agents like
viruses that cause colds and flu. 

Making it is easy, and is a sure way to be proactive in your family's health.  I put a whole chicken in a crockpot.  I season it well with salt and pepper and place 5 or 6 cloves of garlic in the cavity of the
chicken.  After letting this cook for 6 or 8 hours, I remove the meat from the bones, leave the bones
in the crockpot and add an onion, carrots, celery, and more garlic. I also add 2 TBS of vinegar as the
vinegar leaches more nutrients out of the bones and cartilage.  I let this slow cook for a few more hours.  Your home will smell amazing, by the way.  After cooking,  take a slotted spoon and remove
the bones.  You will also want to strain your broth.  Yesterday, we ate the chicken we had cooked, and I still have enough left for chicken salad and chicken to use in chicken soup later this week.
Mine yielded enough broth for one good sized batch of soup and a smaller one.  The broth is
very concentrated so you will need to add water.  A friend told me today that she freezes hers in ice cube trays so she can use a little at a time when she cooks.  Great idea!

This was taken late last night but gives you an idea.  The bones I spooned out are in the bowl behind.  They literally cook down to almost nothing.  But that's what you want for all the nutrients!  I'll try and post the recipe for chicken soup later this week.  Stay healthy!