Mortality. Webster’s dictionary defines mortality as: 1. The condition or quality of being mortal. 2. The death of large numbers, esp. by war, disease, etc.  There are a few others listed but the first two are what has hit home for me this past year.  I started this blog what seems like ages ago and I haven’t posted in what seems like ages ago, mostly because of this mortality thing I speak of.  I have spent quite a lot of time this past year being reminded of my own mortality, the mortality of my family and friends, and the world in general.  Life is fragile and fleeting, gone in an instant what once was, never to be again.  I’ve been thinking a lot about this mortality thing for quite some time now.  Lately with all the goings on in the world around me there are days I’m afraid to turn on the TV but then again I’m afraid not to, because if the evil is coming for me I want to know.  Right?  I shake my head  day in and day out, wondering what on this earth has gotten into everyone?  The first of this year we buried my father-in-law.  Then my own father had a brush with near death as well.  In the midst of all this, my son married a wonderful young lady.  It was an extremely happy occasion seeing these young ones starting a bright promising new life together.  I’ve found as I age that living life moves at a break neck pace with no brakes. You see, this mortality thing will find you where ever you are, you can’t hide from it and you can’t deny it,  and you can’t live your life worried about it all the time.  Through all these trying times there is one thing we tend to gravitate toward and that is the comfort of home and the comfort of food.  No matter the weather or time of year,  big hot pot of made from scratch chicken noodle soup is what my family asks for.  It can bring you together with friends and family, it can soothe the sick, it can make that news report a little easier to deal with.  However, it can not cure everything or mend the problems of the world, or stop mortality from coming for you, but it can comfort you in times of trial and tribulation.  I’ve found in that comfort there is rejuvenation, hope and the strength to carry on in spite of it all. Besides, you can’t out run mortality on an empty stomach!!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Approx. 6 -8 chicken thighs (boneless is OK but you want skin on to make a good broth.) * I also throw in a couple of breasts

4 good size stalks of celery (with leaves)

3 or 4 carrots

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoon rosemary

Salt & pepper (for broth and to taste for soup)

8 oz Egg noodles

Making good soup is a two day process. It can be done in one day but you must start early. Chop the onion, 2 of the celery stalks with leaves & 2 of the carrots. Put in a good size stock pot or other heavy cooking pot. Peel the garlic and add to pot. Put chicken into pot and cover with water. Add rosemary, salt & pepper. ( I like to use a combination of seasoned salt and plain salt) Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is done.  When chicken is done, remove from pot to cool. Once cool, you can remove skin, etc and chop. Set aside for later. (refrigerate until next day)  Cool broth, then place into refrigerator over night. The fat will solidify and can be easily removed before finishing soup. ( you can do this in one day or use store bought broth or use a fat skimmer) Next day, skim off fat and strain broth.  Place strained broth on stove, bring to boil. Chop remaining celery and carrots. Put into the boiling broth and boil until they are tender. Taste the broth, season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the veggies are tender, you can add the chicken back in and the noodles.  Taste again for seasoning after adding the chicken and noodles. Let simmer until noodles are almost done. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for awhile. Noodles will finish cooking during this time. Serve with croutons or crackers. This will taste better if it sits for awhile and even reheated the next day. You can adjust the batch to number of servings you would like. Once you have made your broth, you can add some water or store bought broth to increase the number of servings. Less is more on ingredients, it’s the process that makes it taste so good. Remember: practice makes perfect. The more you make this, the better & easier it will get.