Like today for me.
It was all I could do just to pull myself off the couch and go to the grocery store.
But I went. In pink plaid pajama bottoms, an over-sized gray sweatshirt, and a teal beanie. And brown moccasins. With black and white wool socks.
I looked hot, let me tell you.
At least I now have a fruit bowl filled with citrus and Granny Smiths and a cabinet filled with canned beans and tomatoes. No matter how tiring it is to carry grocery bags up two flights of stairs, there is no feeling quite so good as when you're looking at a freshly stocked pantry.
Am I right?
Sometimes pregnancy is really hard. Kaylie said today that God helps women forget the pain and emotion of pregnancy (and labor) so they'll want to do it again. It's true for me already: First trimester woes are not only things of the past, but only minor rough patches that I could easily get through again.
I'm grateful for this.
Tomorrow will be a new day and I will love being pregnant again.
But today just kind of stunk.
I guess it's only fair; I can't always have dreamy thoughts and surprising energy.
On days like today, all I want to eat is chicken noodle soup (and maybe a grapefruit). I've embraced homemade soup this winter and realized how versatile it can be. This recipe isn't anything you haven't seen before, but it's the one I keep coming back to. Once I had this realization, I started making a pot of soup at the beginning of each week. I highly recommend this practice; it's a lifesaver on blustery days when you're hungry right this minute. You can add Brussels sprouts and Yukon gold potatoes (like I did last week) or keep it simple and traditional. I don't even thaw the chicken before tossing it into the simmering broth. Easy, easy, easy.
Here's to a day on the couch and multiple bowls of warm soup!
Chicken Noodle Soup
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
carrots, chopped
celery, chopped
6 - 8 cups chicken stock + water
juice of 1 lemon
black pepper (chicken stock usually has plenty of salt already added to it)
parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (a dash of each)
4 chicken tenderloins (frozen or thawed)
1 cup homestyle noodles
In a large pot, heat onion and garlic with olive oil until soft and fragrant but not browned. Add carrots and celery, and saute for a few minutes until both are tender.
Add chicken stock / water, lemon juice, black pepper, and herbs. Bring to a simmer, then add chicken.
Let simmer on medium-low for about an hour (or at least 20 minutes). When chicken is cooked through, remove from pot with a slotted spoon and shred. Return chicken to pot.
Fifteen minutes before mealtime, add the noodles.
Serve with a cold beverage and some crusty bread.