M.I.A. {But soon to be back!}

Some of you may have noticed that I have been missing for a while!  That is because, today I am on day 18 of the flu!  Not the stomach flu, but the "sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy-head, fever, but can't take NyQuil because I'm pregnant" flu!  What started out as what I thought was allergies, turned into a full blown flu!  This Mama hasn't been down like this in a LONG time!

So, last Sunday I decided I was feeling well {and not contagious} enough to brave church.  While there, a sweet friend of mine, Kelley suggest this "soup" for my congestion.  Later she sent me an email with the recipe.

Church completely knocked me out...and I've been up and down since.  So today, I braved the local grocery store to pick up the ingredients I would need to make this sworn by concoction!

Oops...garlic not pictured!

I have to say, with a full head of garlic {meaning about 15 cloves}...this thing better work!!!  All of my kiddos have come through the house and mentioned, "What is that smell?"  Even my neighbor who delivered my mail asked what was cookin'!

Smell?  I'm so congested I can't smell a thing!  Seriously, not even a hint of garlic or cayenne!

Here's the recipe:

(All writing in green is what Kelley actually sent me...I skipped a few optionals...noted in black!)

{Notice the warning not to eat this like actual soup!}

Dr. Zinment's Chicken Soup

1 quart chicken broth

1 garlic head- about 15 cloves, peeled

5 parsley sprigs, minced (I add half a bunch)

6 cilantro sprigs, minced (I add half a bunch)

1 tsp lemon pepper (better to substitute with fresh squeezed lemon 1/2 - 1 whole) 

1 tsp dried basil, crushed, or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp curry powder

Optional: hot red pepper flakes (I prefer cayenne pepper) to taste, sliced carrots, a bay leaf or two

{I simply wasn't up to peeling carrots, so I skipped them, no bay leaf and used 1 tsp. of cayenne}

Place all ingredients in a pot without a lid.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes. (If the soup is for your own personal use, carefully inhale the fumes during preparation as an additional decongesting treatment.)  Remove the solid garlic gloves and herbs and along with a little broth, puree them in a blender or food processor. (I use a Kitchenaid submersion blender right in the cooking pot). Return the puree to the broth and stir.  Serve hot.

 Dose: Take 2 Tbsp of Dr. Zinment's Chicken Soup at the beginning of a meal, 1-3X a day.  (If you feel you want a little more than 2 Tbsp, fine, but do not exceed more than 1/2 C. at a time.)

 Caution: This chicken soup is a medicine and is not to be eaten as one would eat a portion of soup.  Please follow the dosage instructions.

The above is all straight from the book.  Below is how we think it works best...

For me it works best to take it before bed, when I get up the next day, and once at some point mid-day.  I do this until all congestion is gone.  I normally take about 2 1/2 Tbsp.  If you want it stronger you can add some cayenne pepper when you heat it up.  We keep it in the fridge until we need it and then only heat up a single serving.  We also add in all of the optional ingredients.

{I just finished taking 1/2 cup of this...we'll see how it works!}

Thanks for stopping by!  Be Refreshed and Well!!!