Grandma’s Super Chicken Soup for Your Immune System.

I can’t remember the last time I had a cold or flu. I credit my Grandmother’s recipe and Homeopathy. Here is my Grandma’s chicken soup recipe enhanced with extra ingredients that are known for preventing colds and flus. It is warming, comforting and delicious.

I like to serve a chicken dinner one night and then save the bones and left-over meat to make a soup broth. if you want to skip that whole thing by all means go to the store and grab a carton of organic chicken broth and you are ready!

To make chicken broth here is a great website that explains it step by step. https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/easy-chicken-stock/. This soup will work whether you make your own broth or not.

Here is how to make the Super Chicken Soup for your Immune System

Ingredients:

2 medium to large onions, peeled and diced.

5 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves chopped

1.5 tbsp chopped ginger

3 tbsp grass fed butter

1 tbsp dill & 1 tbsp basil (fresh or dried, double the amount if fresh)

3 peeled & diced russet potatoes

1 tsp of sea salt plus sea salt to taste at the end of the recipe (3-5 tsp)

6 cups fresh or store bought chicken broth

1 tbsp thai green curry paste

1 tbsp miso

1 can of organic coconut milk

1-2 cups left-over chicken pieces or 2 skinless boneless chicken thighs chopped to bite sized pieces.

1 cup red lentils

6 cups of any mixture of veggies in season such butternut squash, cauliflower, zucchini, beans, carrots, broccoli, peas, mushrooms etc.

2 tbsp juice of a fresh lemon

finely chopped coriander leaf or basil leaf to serve on top.

Directions:

On medium heat, saute onions in olive oil until translucent.

Add: chopped garlic, ginger, butter, dill, basil,chopped potatoes and sea salt.

Stir until you can smell a nice fragrance about 3 minutes.

Add chicken broth, thai curry, miso, coconut milk, chicken, red lentils, squash, zucchini, cauliflower, and any other veggies you are using.

Add 3 -5 cups of water if your chicken broth is quite concentrated. If not, add 2-3 cups of water to make it soupy. Add more water as needed. Gently simmer on low to medium heat for 2.5 hours.

Add salt and pepper to taste and juice of fresh lemon and stir.

Serve with chopped basil or coriander leaf on top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Super Chicken Soup for Your Immune System this Season

I have suffered from back pain which puts me in over 50% of the population, according to Dr. Hamilton Hall, “the Back Doctor”. 

My problems began after I forced my body into a yoga pose, trying to teach myself from a yoga book. (not recommended!) This was exacerbated shortly after by a big fall off a horse, and to add more grief to my poor body, I wrenched my back lifting a vacuum cleaner the wrong way while at work and in a hurry. I was debilitated to the point where I stood up to take notes in the entire last year of Homeopathic College because i was unable to sit down. This all went on far too long.

The fall off the horse was the last straw. It resulted in me being forced to be immobilized for two months, and then surgery followed for resection of L5-S1 disk in the year 2000. The surgery got me mobile, but for the next 17 years I avoided any heavy work. Except I had to do gardening which would result in much pain and stiffness the next day. This was not fun! It was hard for the people around me to be sympathetic when there was no blood. 

Homeopathic health care and not sleeping on my stomach have dramatically improved my back pain. However, it would still occur after lifting heavy objects.

The icing on the cake came last year after I joined my friend’s yoga class. I have to admit there was a little bit of fear of movement because in the past movement in certain positions could case pain. Lester Quitzau, my new yoga instructor and friend, taught a class for beginners that was gentle and yet allowed me to stretch my body in classic yoga poses. He said to listen to my body. That this would be enough to produce change. That is was not a competition and that my internal feedback was the most important thing. And change did happen. After the classes I felt relaxed and rejuvenated. 

Eight months ago I started following Ali Kamenova on line at this website: alikamenova.com. I did this not because Lester wasn’t fulfilling my needs but because I started a five month trip away from home and I still wanted to practice yoga and that’s when I found Ali on line.

Today I just feel good! And to be honest I am really proud of what i have accomplished and how my body has responded to yoga. a combination of flexibility and strength, I don’t hurt my back unless i do something stupid and I have muscle instead of flabbiness in areas I never thought I would. 

Starting with a small class gave me the discipline and commitment to continue. As I started to feel better I just realized this was fun and it was important. It means I can work out at home, no matter what the weather is outside and anywhere in the world. I was even able to work out during travels in Europe, and on the small coastal islands in my home of British Columbia. 

P.S. The gorgeous yoga mat in the photo was sent to me by my amazing artist/herbalist friend Danielle Caners. If you are interested in more information about her yoga mats, here is a link to her website: https://ravenectar.com/collections/yoga-mats/products/tree-of-life-yoga-mat.