Well, they weren’t messing around when talking up this blizzard in Chicago. Lake Shore Drive was shut down last night (and still is!) leaving almost 1000 vehicles stranded and other roads were shut down. We have 6+ foot snow drifts and white-out conditions. Needless to say most people are taking a snow day today. Here is a cute little video of our husky Keenan enjoying the aftermath of the snOMG blizzard:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smn1UTJ4ALo]
I was going to pound out another 3 miles on the treadmill today but shoveling the sidewalks took 2 hours and was a great workout in itself! What else is there to do on a snow day?
Let’s warm up with a big pot of soup.
Chicken Shiitake and Wild Rice Soup
Adapted from Gina’s Skinny Recipes
1 Tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon flour, whole wheat
8 cups (64 oz) fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 cups water
2 chopped carrots
2 celery stalks
4 skinless chicken breasts, whole
4.5 oz long grain rice and wild rice combo, packaged (I used Rice-a-Roni)
1/2 cup barley
3.5 – 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
salt and fresh pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute until soft nut not browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and saute another minute.
2. Add chicken broth, water, carrots, celery, and chicken, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add wild rice mix along with it’s seasoning, long grain rice, mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste and simmer on low, covered 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove chicken from pot and shred with two forks, return to pot, add more water if too thick, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Nutrition Notes: The Chinese have used Shiitake mushrooms medicinally for over 6,000 years. An active compound contained in these mushrooms called lentinan is known to have numerous benefits – strengthening the immune system, helping to fight infection and disease. Lentinan has been shown to be even more effective than prescription drugs when fighting the flu and it even improves the immune status of individuals infected with the HIV virus. Shiitake mushrooms have also been shown to protect against heart disease, stomach cancer, and lower cholesterol.
Taste Test: The husband said “This is the perfect after blizzard dinner” haha! He also said it was one of the best soups that I’ve ever made and I agree! It was hearty, warm and absolutely delicious.
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I know I said that I made my favorite bread in my bread maker a few days ago, but I found an even better one:
Honey Oat Bread
Adapted from All Recipes
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup organic raw honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup bread flour
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
Directions:
1. Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
2. Select Light Crust or Basic setting, and press Start.
I found this honey at Trader Joe’s and it’s amazingly yummy!
The husband says this was his favorite bread so far too and I agree! This was a damn GOOD cooking day! Enjoy!
Well, they weren’t messing around when talking up this blizzard in Chicago. Lake Shore Drive was shut down last night (and still is!) leaving almost 1000 vehicles stranded and other roads...
