ILONA ANDREWS

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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Gloomy Friday

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It is gloomy here in Texas. It doesn’t quite rise to the levels of blustery, but it is definitely grey, overcast, and slightly chilly.

Mod R is out today for a medical procedure, so you have to put up with me prattling on about random business and life nonsense.

First, I have some great news. We’ve met with our agent team via Google meets yesterday and both SOTH and Magic Tides sold very well. This allows us to have a bit of leeway with longer projects and lets us know that our plan for the year is on the right track. So yay!

You should see some updates to release schedule around February.

Also, Graphic Audio found Curran and Doolittle will be voiced true to Gullah roots. So a win all around.

Our January sucked on so many levels, mostly health related. Let’s just say that I’m the last woman standing, flu is awful, and antibiotic-resistant infections are a horrible, horrible thing, especially when they happen to your child. So I’m fuzzy and tired, and today might be the store design day. We need to put two more design product lines up and I have been cooking and brewing Theraflu instead.

Speaking of cooking, today also might be a take out day. I’ve been making things like soups, stews, and shepherd pies, (cottage pies, technically, since it’s beef not lamb,) but I’m super-tired, and I don’t think dealing with the open flame today is the best idea. I’m going to get more caffeine after I write this. Hehehe.

I thought about Instapotting a Mississippi roast, but I’m not sure if Gordon is sick of potato-beef combo. For those of you who never made one,

  • 1 chuck roast,
  • 1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch mix,
  • 1 packet of Au Jus mix,
  • 1 cup of beef broth or water

Sprinkle the mix over the meat, put it into Instapot, pour the broth on the side, cook on high pressure for about an hour. Can also be slowcooked for about 6-8 hours on low or high heat, either way works.

It’s a set it and forget it. The meat falls apart and you serve it with potatoes, while the left over liquid makes a good gravy.

Update: Gordon read over my shoulder and informed me that he isn’t sick of beef and potatoes, so Mississippi roast it is.

Now it’s your turn. What’s your go-to “somebody is sick” recipe?

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Comments

    • Be careful eating your favourite things when ill.

      When I was a child I had a very delicate stomach and vomited easily and was a very fussy eater. Whenever I was sick my nan would feed me soup from a specific chicken noodle packet mix because it was my favourite and I would eat pretty much only that with bread dipped in it for the duration.

      Unfortunately one time it stopped being so lucky for me.????????
      It was a disaster of epic proportions. My nose suffered a humiliation. It went on and on. A veritable tsunami ensued. I was well punished for my fussiness.

      The incident was scarring.

      Traumatising in fact.

      I cannot stand chicken noodle soup to this day.

      • Same for me with chicken and dumplings. I don’t even remember if I was sick when I ate it, it was a while ago. I just remember spending most of the night in the bathroom and alternating between sitting on the toilet or sitting on the floor throwing up on the toilet. I have never eaten it again and have no deserve to do so in the future.

    • Chicken soup of almost any kind. Campbell’s is good, but my favorite is Chick-Fil-A chicken noodle soup.

  2. No husband, no kids. I always have leftovers and freeze them in space saver suctioned bags (called “air sucker-outer”). So, when not in the mood to cook it’s an eat from the freezer week.

    • My little one had a stomach bug, so we all had to eat potatoes and macaroni for a week, for the first time in my life I had to hide from the kids to eat some cold sausage, but if they have cold or flu it’s chicken soup or small meatballs soup (it’s a thing here and my big boys favourite): I make a lot of really small meatballs – pork mince, black pepper, salt, a fistfull of rice, roll them in flour, than I make the broth with onions, peppers, carrots, some spices, salt, half a cup rice and water, when it begins to boil I put the balls carefully in one at a time and after 20-30 min boiling it’s ready, you may or may not put chopped parsley when serving. Some people put potatoes in the soup, but it is too much starch, so I don’t. Without flouring the balls the broth is clear, it’s optional.
      When I am sick I love to eat spacy instant noodles with catchup. And linden tea.
      Be well, I’m vary happy that the books are doing good. Thay deserve it.

    • scrambled eggs and toast. good for a gippy tummy 🙂

      hot diluting orange juice with honey if it’s a cold.

  3. Peppery beef stir fry oddly enough lol. It is made with both black and cayenne pepper and just seems to help clear out the sinuses as well as be flavorful enough the sick person can taste it.

  4. Lemon Chicken & Barley soup. It is very hearty but it has both cream and butter in it, so it is basically comfort food.

    Which reminds me, I need to make some and freeze it (without the cream which goes into the hot soup at the end) because who wants to cook when they are sick?

  5. Depending on who’s sick, either “soup from a jar” (broth from powder), weak tea with honey, or coffee – because some people are never too sick for coffee ????

  6. I make and will be making my homemade chicken soup. I Starr with a roux because we like a thicker soup, then chicken stock, seasonings, onion, celery , then I add a bone-in chicken breast, mostly because it’s less messy and and less food than a whole chicken. I let it simmer for 3-4 hours, until it’s falling apart. I remove the chicken breast, let it cool, de-bone it, chop it into pieces sonic can go back into the pot with whole baby carrots, then let that simmer so the carrots cook. About an hour before serving, I add Reames egg noodles. It’s a good soup, most of the family loves it. Today, it’s for my daughter and my mother, they are both coming down with colds. I am almost done with mine. I hope! Here’s hoping all of you bounce back quickly!

    • If you want the “whole chicken” but not that much food, I sometimes make my soup or chx & dumplings with a cornish hen … smaller but you get both white and dark meat.

      Kudos to you for making a proper roux! My great aunts would be proud.

      • Roux making is a skill I learned from my very southern mother. I happily passed it on to my wonderful wife (aka Darth Mom).

    • It sounds wonderful. I am in impatient cook, so this would be a challenge for me, especially the roux. But, my taste buds are whispering in my ear to woman up and give it a try.

  7. We do a slightly different take on the “Mississippi Roast” by adding a packet of spicy Italian dressing. It adds a fun flavor to it. Highly recommend.

    • I like to add pepperoncini peppers (which is from the original recipe, I think). My family doesn’t particularly care for them but I love it.

      • I keep having to up my game on the number of pepperoncini peppers I use since my family fights over them. Made this dish last night with thick mashed potatoes. The thicker potatoes hold together in a bowl swimming with the gravy and beef.

      • We do the pepperocini peppers (and some of the brine) too! I think it adds a nice flavor without making it spicy. I’ve never had anyone complain about the peppers, even those that don’t like them. In fairness though, I make sure they don’t get any on their plate. People tend to not complain about things they don’t see. ????

  8. Real bone broth. The stuff made with veggies and meat that takes 6 hours on the stove to cook. The fats soothe my throat, the flavour can be adjusted to accommodate palettes and tummy sensitivities. It’s fluids and protein. A little bit of sourdough bread or rice or cooked veggies (carrots!) alongside it is golden.
    Broth is easy to reheat, you can drink it from a cup, and can keep your hands warm when you have chills.

    Phó is really good, too.

    • Oh, but if you’re not with a fevered stomach bug then I recommend a lot of fruit. Nurtient dense fruits with all sorts of micro and macro minerals. Bolthouse Farms Amazing Mango juice is my drink of choice

  10. I’m a soup and stew person myself. Favorite easy (and tasty) soup is packaged Bear Creek Vegetable Beef, with ground lamb added (and maybe some extra carrots). Lamb is a lot easier on the digestion than beef, at least for me. This post reminded me that I had some leftover lamb stew in the freezer and I just took it out for lunch.

    And yes, I did Campbells chicken noodle this week when I was feeling poorly. Also Cream of Mushroom (when I can find the regular kind, not the “Healthy” or low fat, low sodium kinds).

    Have a nice piece of sockeye (salmon) for dinner and will probably make a white-sauce/cream sauce for the leftovers tomorrow with rice. That is always comforting and gentle on the system.

  12. I will try the Mississippi roast — used to do that with potroast and dry french-onion soup mix w/ cream of mushroom soup … the ranch dressing mix sounds like it would be good. And I’m long on potatoes so must use them…

  13. So sorry you’ve got a sick kid. My daughter got Measles, pneumonia, and MRSA all between the ages of 9 to 12 mths. When she gets sick now I start spiraling a bit. She’s 16 now but I dont think the worry ever goes away.
    Chicken pot pie soup is my go to for sick days. Basically just the pot pie ingredients not baked into a shell. I throw all ingredients into the crockpot and let it work its magic, add cream at the end. I usually do some biscuits on the side as well, my youngest loves bread.
    I make the pot roast as well but also add baby carrots in there too. Enjoy the food, hope kids feel better.
    I promise to stop asking about the store and trust you guys to let us know when its ready ????

  14. take out Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. This place uses elbow mac, chicken, veggies, and just the right spice combo. I get it, and sometimes a banh mi, when ever I start feeling off.
    Sometimes I need to make more elbow mac to add to the remaining broth.

  15. Sorry you folks are and have been sick. Ilona, I hope you manage to stay well. I and two of my roommates are recovering from Covid. Our fourth roommate stayed healthy and has been staying with brother and SIL while awaiting the birth of her nephew. We think we got Covid from our fifth roommate, who didn’t move in with us but was actively ill and coughing on people during the move out from the old house. Whee.

    As there is rarely anyone taking care of me when I am sick, sick food is whatever takes little to no effort and that doesn’t repel me. That often doesn’t leave much. Ensure and tea is often all I can handle, and sometimes yogurt. As I have no one to care for when they are sick, I have no sick foods I prepare for others. The roommates and are are overly autonomous.

    Be well everyone! Even “mild” cases of Covid are awful. My asthma started up and I had to get a new prescription for a rescue inhaler, but my brain was so foggy I didn’t figure it out for a few days. It was a little scary.

    • I make chicken soup from scratch, but I add a whole head of garlic and 2 sweet onions. the garlic and onions are supposed to really good for you

  16. Pastina in brodo (pasta in little shapes cooked in vegetables broth) and mashed potatoes!

    This year the flu is terrible.
    Spent 10 days around Christmas with high fever and cold, still have coughing fits now.
    First week of January I tried to take a short vacation trip and received news that my mom had to undergo emergency surgery (now she’s almost good) so…
    Thanks your writing juices for Magic Tides!

    Hope everyone in HA and Mod R will get better soon. ????
    Hope to see you on Sunday ????️

  17. I had the flu before Christmas and it was nasty. My dad struggled to heal up from an antibiotic resistant infection at one time, so challenging. I hope people are healing up at your house. Hope you get more rest too!

    If I’m not sick but family members are, my go to is to make Chicken soup. Lately I just throw some packs of boneless chicken in the pot with chicken broth and water, cook the chicken down till it breaks apart, add potatoes ( if I’m in a hurry I’ll cook the potatoes separately and then add them). Then add onions, carrots (make sure to cut carrots small and add early enough that they get done by the time you are ready to eat), cooked rice, and spices (oregano, salt and pepper, garlic). I throw a couple of dried cayenne peppers in early on in the process. They add a nice flavor to the soup without making it spicy hot (just don’t accidentally eat the peppers!).

    If I am sick, I just heat up canned chicken and rice soup or Tom yum gai (hot and sour soup). Or eat baked potatoes! In this last bout of flu, once I started eating again, my husband was great at fixing dinner for me.

    Exciting news re SoTH and Magic Tides. Your books and this blog are bright spots in my days!

    Take care, all of you!

  18. About the store (wow – I am chatty today) — had a dance practice at my home last night and one of the attendees asked about my “Ripper Cushions” pillow.
    🙂
    Makes me smile every time I see it on my sofa.
    Very nice quality on the materials, inner stuffing, zippers, etc.

  19. Just sending you love.
    I don’t live in Texas anymore, but their grey days are really depressing. Add a sick household to it and … bleh!
    Take care!

    We are a homemade chicken soup family when sick.

  20. For upset tummies, my family’s go to was always jello water. Mix a tablespoon of your favorite jello powder into a mug of hot water and stir. For general ickiness, I make chicken and rice. Take 5-6 chicken thighs and season to your taste. Cover with water and simmer until done. While that’s on, make a pot of rice in the rice cooker. When the chicken is cooked, pull it out of the broth and cool until you can debone and cut into bite-sized chunks. Add the cooked rice to your broth, along with the chunks of chicken. This can be served as is, or with shredded cheese and sour cream. The seasonings I like are salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, chicken bouillon, and some times steak seasoning for a kick.

  22. I am absolutely not original. My go-to is “Jewish penicillin” aka chicken bouillon. Just chicken, celery root, carrot, parsley root, onion. If they are too sick, they are drinking it, when they are getting better, I am adding whatever veggies strike my fancy at the moment, more colours the better.

    Speedy recovery to Mod R and to everyone!

  23. Tater tot hot dish (aka casserole). Browned ground beef or turkey, condensed cream of mushroom soup, whatever frozen vegetables you like or have on hand—I like corn, green beans, and carrots for the color mix. Put the mixture in a casserole dish, top with tater tots, and bake until hot and the tater tots are golden. Simple and easily customizable, and if you’re tired, you can break it into easily mangled steps. I made it yesterday in between bouts of snow shoveling.

  24. Beef stew with dumplings is our favorite cozy stew. It feels like a warm hug and guarantees a deep sigh of contentment.

  25. Our go to is Chicken and Noodles. I make it with a shredded rotisserie chicken and the Reames frozen noodles. My kids always ask for it when sick. It’s a simple quick meal but tastes really good.

  26. My go-to’s when sick are soups made in the Instapot because there are just 2 of us in the house and if one is sick, both are. So easiest is best. Usually I do either school soup (veggie-beef) or chicken and rice. Last night I used the Instapot to cook turkey tenderloins (Aldi 2-pack). Seasoned with salt, pepper, minced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning blend and cooked in maybe 2 cups of boxed chicken broth. Scrumptious! Leftovers will get turned into soup with more broth and 2 bags of cauliflower rice.

  27. Chicken soup from most Mexican restraints. A little jalapeño ????, just a little helps clear my congestion.
    I’m sorry you’re ill.
    Get well soon!

  28. Homemade Chicken and Noodles. It’s a recipe that has been in my family for generations. Number one request when anyone in the family is feeling under the weather. It takes about three and a half hours to make but the effort is worth it.

  29. Homemade chicken noodle soup which is chicken broth, chicken, egg noodles, carrots and/or celery if it is on hand and as much turmeric as I can get into the pot.

    Lemon water with honey to drink

  31. Yay for the merch store and great sells! I hope you all feel better soon! We just went through three weeks of sickness at my house too. First my husband and my son and then when they were feeling better I started showing signs of it and ended up sick too. I ended up making this chicken soup the first weekend they were sick and then repeated it again per request the next weekend. It was a big hit in my house. I used lower sodium broth to reduce the sodium content and it was great. I also didn’t add lemon since we aren’t big fans of it.

    For leftovers, I strained out the noodles and stored them separately so the noodles wouldn’t swell up and absorb all the broth. They have examples on the bottom of the recipe on how to make different soups by changing a few of the ingredients. We are thinking of trying chicken tortilla variation next.

    Recipe – https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/the-ultimate-chicken-noodle-soup/

  32. well, I’m just now getting better after 22 days of illness. It took antibiotics to get over it and I didn’t eat for over a week because my throat was too sore. when I could finally eat, I made french onion soup, but without the cheese. Cheese and other dairy are not a good idea with bronchitis. Anyway, I used lots of onions and let them cook down very slowly until rich and dark with bay leaves and thyme and then added my liquids. It was so nice how it warmed up my sore throat.

    Otherwise, duet Limeade from Sonic. I love that strong lime flavor and the ice is so wonderfully crunchable.

  33. I have a co-worker is out sick with COVID, RSA, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Apparently she’s an overachiever. Or she’s really trying to destroy her lungs.

    The last two times I had a cold, I didn’t have any NyQuil or orange juice in the house. So I was lazy and had them delivered from Target with a couple of other odds and ends. I love delivery service.

  34. Glad to hear that the books sold well to keep on writing this year. Yay!

    For me it depends on what I feel like cooking, if at all. If my stomach is acting up, and I have it, I will drink Schweppes ginger ale. I find Canada Dry and other ginger ale to be either too sweet or not enough pucker.

    I have a small leg of lamb defrosting in my refrigerator. I don’t use the rosemary and olive oil mix on my lamb. I use a combination of light and dark brown sugar with salt and pepper mixed into the sugar. I put the sugar mixture on the top and bottom of the lamb and cook it in either a roasting pan or an oval dutch oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes a pound. For this small leg, it will be about 3 and a half hours. Yum!

    Pot roast, I like carrots cooked with the roast and beef broth. The carrots come out so nice and soft. The beef broth makes the carrots taste better. I use organic carrots since I can taste the pesticides in the non-organic carrots. Yuck. 🙁

    Sorry to hear about everyone being sick, Ilona. Also, Mod R, get well after your procedure too. At least the sun is trying to peek out in Fort Worth, so it’s not all doom and gloom here.

  35. Doordash is my go-to recipe when I’m sick, if my bank account can handle it. But I make a very simple Chicken Tortilla soup. It’s seriously one of those where you dump all the things in, season with cumin and salt and just let it stew. And if I don’t feel like eating, having certain drinks like iced tea, diet coke and whatever diet orange soda I can find.

  36. My go-to is Vietnamese congee (chicken rice porridge). It reminds me of childhood with my mom. Hope everyone feels better soon!

    • Me too, Dallas! If I’m feeling especially lousy I make a peanut butter sandwich instead, no chance of burning myself or the food that way!

  38. Chicken soup from non-gmo non-steroid chickens (local farmers whom you trust.) Organic chicken broth (Costco,) Healthy low-glycemic index, high-potassium, veggies. As much as I love potatoes — and I adore potatoes — they don’t make the cut. And LOTS of healthy fats.

    Repeat servings as needed.
    It hydrates, nourishes, rejuvenates micro-nutrients, and doesn’t trigger insulin very much. Healthy and delicious!

  39. For a sore throat, hot lemonade. Lemon juice, honey, hot water, and a cinnamon stick swizzle/straw.
    For general ickyness, soup any kind.

  40. I bake a good sized potato, then load it with a bit of butter and milk to soften it, add cheese, peas, and any leftover meat I have…if any.

  41. Soups of different kinds depending on who is sick. Usually they are a chicken type soup.
    When my husband gets a cold he likes to have my salsa/taco soup which is essentially some chicken, broth, vegetables, one small can tomato sauce, at least a cup of salsa and seasoning. If I have to cook the chicken I usually season it with some chili powder. Top soup with cheese and crushed corn chips and or other favorite taco toppings. Easy and my husband feels like the spice helps open his sinuses.
    Hopefully everyone starts feeling better

  42. Since I live alone now, no-one to care for and no-one to tack care of me. That being said, my go to if I’m moderately sick is take out egg drop soup. I had a really bad case of the flu right before the pandemic so door dash wasn’t really a thing yet and my local Chinese restaurant has a $25 minimum for delivery. Let me tell you, I ended up with a gallon and a half of egg drop soup which I lived on for two weeks. Everyone tells me that my other thing to eat if I’m really sick is totally strange but it’s what I’ve always wanted if I’m just miserable. It is chocolate pudding and orange juice. Even when I was little, if I was really sick that would be the only thing my mom could get me to eat.

  44. Japanese beef curry is our default. It’s more or less beef stew ingredients plus cut-up chunks of apples and S&B golden curry sauce mix. Throw it all in the Instant Pot on the beef stew setting, then serve over rice. Easy-peas.

  46. Lemon, ginger, and honey hot drink

    soup is our go to, usually lemon chicken soup. We add something, maybe rice or noodles or lentils or or or… whatever I have the energy for and can find easiest in the cabinet

    There’s something about the lemony zing that seems to help with colds and stuffy headedness.

  47. We make chicken and dumplings, with homemade stock. Seeing the pot simmer all day just fills me with happiness, which is always the best medicine. Then dinner can be completed within 20 minutes, anytime you’re ready. I keep a broth bag of veggie scraps and bones in the freezer so I can regularly make it, or when sickness strikes

  48. Blue Cheese! Give me nature’s penicillin, lol. A holdover from the days of being too poor to afford cheese on a regular basis so giving yourself a little treat and easy meal when sickly.

    • What makes my head shake is that I’m allergic to penicillin and all its family members, but I can eat blue cheese. My favorite, when I can get it, is stilton blue cheese.

  49. We need a BDH cookbook. I would buy it 1) because yum and 2) I can’t keep track of all the comments. A Mod R project for the store. Who needs a mouse pad when they can have another book of devouring!!

  50. Personally, my go-to sick food (if I am eating–and I have to be at death’s door to not be eating) is mostly anything sweet, crunchy and/or carby.

    Unrelated, but a book topic. Has anyone expressed interest in SOTH as a cartoon feature? I listened to the audiobook and it all sounded so colorful and just visually rich. If I had any art talent, I would draw the characters and scenes. I think animating it all would be fun.

  51. There is a wonderful Chinese restaurant in my town that uses chicken broth for their wonton soup. Others in my area use vegetable. Good but not when I’m sick. I can get a quart of just broth with just a couple of wontons or as many as I want for about $2.50.

    Hot tea with honey or crystallized ginger. Ginger Ale. Baked potato. Rice (minute rice cups are great). Toast. Soda crackers. Chicken and dumplings.

    Fixed a tri-tip roast the other week. Seasoned with salt and pepper, seared one side in a hot, oven proof skillet. Flip the roast and put in a pre-heated 400 degree oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes or about 10 minutes per pound until it reaches your preferred level of doness. 120 for rare an so on. Slice across the grain. Remember a tri tip has two grains. The one from the point to the bend in the roast should be sliced straight across. At the bend the grain changes direction so turn the roast 90 degrees, then slice. Makes wonderful sandwiches, fajitas, steak for salads, or whatever you want.

    Hope everyone gets well soon. Adored Magic Tides!

  52. I feel your pain, my husband passed right before Christmas and I finally got a death certificate to move forward but if you have never had to deal with all the things that need to be done it can be daunting, let alone draining……..Auto Pilot most days for the win……..I find days that cold, chilly or just pain not in the mood to deal will always benifit from a hearty soup….you can have 4 or 5 items and basically throw it together and still end up with something that is warm and can make you smile in it’s goodness……..I love all your stories and hope the rest of your year is kinder to you than it is now……

    • Sorry for your loss and big hugs. The stuff one needs to deal with when you don’t want to deal with anything at all is overwhelming. I hope you have some support as you go through it.

    • I’m sorry for your loss. ((Hugs))

      Death at any time can be hard, but I think it’s especially hard around the holidays. Please remember to be gentle with yourself and take whatever time you need to get things done.

      I hope that each day brings you more peace. ????

  53. I make carrot ginger soup and keep it in the freezer for when I have “cold” type sickness or just want a bowl of comfort. Which reminds me I need to make another batch. For anything stomach related I tend to go for plain butter noodles when I start to feel like eating again.

  54. Grilled cheese and tomato or chicken soup with crackers and 7up. Everyone feel better soon. It’s actually sunny but cold in my part of California today. There’s rain, snow or gusty winds. People have been going out of the building for lunch today.

  55. Chicken and gravy over rice. Either canned or left over chicken (from a roaster chicken or something), simmered in chicken gravy (along with veggies of your choice, we usually throw in frozen corn and carrots) for about 20 minutes. Then serve over rice. Simple, quick, easy, and you can have all the ingredients on hand in the freezer/pantry…. and most important for the sick, it’s easy on the stomach.

  57. I’m stuck at home for the week with pneumonia. My partner is at a conference in New Mexico. Home alone sick me (a chef) has been living on door dash Miso soup and instant ramen with an egg cracked into it.

  59. Our go-to sick recipe is either chicken and gnocchi soup or butternut squash and red lentil dahl. We are from Louisiana so this amuses me. I hope everyone feels better soon!

  60. I try to keep chicken noodle soup in the freezer in the winter so I don’t have to cook when I am sick. If I don’t have any I will make buttered noodles.

    Sending all the positive thoughts to you and the fam.

  61. I crave saltines and ginger ale when sick, even if it isn’t a stomach ailment. Or chicken noodle from a can.I know it’s because it reminds me of my mother. Oh the days when I could be sick and catered to.

    I can’t imagine anyone getting sick of meat and potatoes. I want to make that roast.

  62. I make a killer (well, anti-killer really, it’s so good) chicken soup with matzoh balls. It’s what my kids and husband and I want when we are sick. I’m still fighting off the flu myself, and I have never been so glad that I canned a bunch of chicken broth up for times like this.

  63. It is a gray day here in MI too. I would much prefer snow to the blah that is happening. For general ookiness, my favorite is egg noodles with salted butter. Sore throat/cough either hot lemonade or hot apple cider (if in season).

  66. Instant Ramen, I dress it up or down depending on illness. I love to put freah ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce or fish sauce, fresh lime, thai basil, hot sauce (for those that like heat), sesame oil. Chop up whatever veggies I have and add chicken.

  67. I’m cup of chicken soup type of person. My son always wants bouillabaisse when he is sick. It is the only dish he compliments me when I make it

  68. I make soup soup, which is a fast and easy minestrone soup. Soup soup because minestrone is Italian for soup. If I have time I start with an onion and garlic softened in olive oil, otherwise I add dried minced later. The core soup is broth, frozen mixed veggies, a can of white beans and a can of diced tomatoes and ditalini pasta. I also like to make garlic noodles which is made by sautéing fresh garlic in olive oil, too much plus a clove will do, and tossing cooked linguine in the oil with a ton of black pepper. It’s good for head colds and the like.

  69. Chicken Pho with extra ginger. It fixes whatever ails doesn’t matter if it’s physical or mental. <3

  70. Chicken soup — the Greek kind. Avgolemono, with beaten tempered egg & lemon.

    That and delivery. The delivery is when I’m sick because cheese toast represents the upper limit of my husband’s ability & willingness to cook.

    We called the beef version of Shepherd’s Pie Cowboy Pie when I was growing up. It does make me nuts when restaurants keep calling it shepherd’s pie when it’s beef. But then a lot of things like that make me nuts.

  71. Homemade chicken and rice soup, always the requested meal when someone feels bad. If I’m the one sick it comes from a locally owned restaurant that is famous for it.

  72. Plaatkoekies or vetkoek with what ever filling – sweet or savoury for either – the sick person requests, except my preemie that reverts to a plain pasta of some sort whenever ill.

    For dreary days my grandmother use to make a thick soup with beans and marrow bone, my mother would make pancakes with hotdog sausages rolled inside (not American style pancakes) and when we lived in Durban nothing was more of a comfort for than bunnychows. We use do buy them from a place called Some like it Hot where I’d have it plain as even the mild was too hot for me!

    http://www.grouprecipes.com/41304/plaatkoekies.html

    https://lifewithclottedcream.com/2020/06/22/traditional-south-african-vetkoek/

    https://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/pannekoek-south-african-crepes-with-cinnamon-sugar/

    https://www.foodleclub.com/bunny-chow/

  74. Sorry things suck health-wise, but yay for the book news. I loved and appreciated both. ????

    I have a fantastic recipe from a Susan Powter (remember her?) cookbook: chicken barley (or beef barley) soup.
    -Chicken (I use rotisserie)
    -Onion, carrots, celery, garlic
    – 1/2 cup dry whole barley
    -28 oz can diced tomatoes
    -6cups chicken stock/broth
    – 1-2 tsp Mrs Dash (I use original)
    – 1/8 tsp white pepper
    – 1 tsp thyme
    Sauté onions, garlic, add carrots, celery
    Add everything else in large stock pot. Simmer ~ 1 hour

    Lends itself to vegetarian nicely with veg broth
    Yum!

  75. I always have my chix noodle soup in the freezer. I start with a store-bought rotisserie chicken, and boil the whole thing. The seasonings for it add a great flavor to the soup, and being pre-cooked, it makes a great bone broth very easily. Add celery and carrots, and boil for hours. Then let cool, strain the broth, pick out the skin and bones that are left, add the meat, and thick homemade style (Amish) noodles. My sisters all bug me for some when I make it.

  76. I live by myself so if I’m sick it’s usually „whatever I don’t have to put effort into.“ But depending on my degree of „I want comfort food“ vs. „I don’t want to move,“ I might make Lipton noodle soup with extra macaroni noodles added. Unlike my grandma, from whom this „recipe“ stems, I like mine with some version of vegetables; usually some kale or microgreens. If I’m REALLY ambitious, I’ll make dumpling soup, which again for some reason my family makes with literally just potatoes, homemade dumplings, and broth (water, butter, and onion powder). I usually add mushrooms, carrots, kale, and sometimes beets, sometimes radishes. Most of my family refuses to eat my recipe, but I’ve made it for pot lucks before and I never have leftovers so I think they’re just being babies about me messing with Grandma’s recipe (my family likes vegetables usually.)

  77. Hope all are feeling better soon.

    For my family it’s homemade chicken noodles soup, but I cheat and use rotisserie chicken????…also I juice fresh carrot, apples, oranges and ginger. It gives our bodies that boost we need when not feeling are best. Also tea….lots of honey,lemon and tea.????

  78. Sorry to hear pestilence has been making the rounds in your family! When I was a kid the go to was Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup and flat 7-Up. Now that I’ve been adulting for quite some time (go me!), my husband knows to bring me egg drop soup from the local Chinese restaurant and flat 7-Up for when the plague hits! Hope everyone is feeling much better soon!!

  80. I order in, because my hubbie thinks sick people want to eat grocery store roast chicken with a side of raw broccoli and dip (which is what he’s reduced to when I don’t cook. Bless his heart). Xochil chicken soup from a fave local restaurant has a clear broth, lots of cooked (thank you) veggies, and a splash of lime for some snap. I’ll order multiple giant bowls. If you Google this soup, you’ll find recipes if you don’t have a Mexican place that has this restorative wonder on its menu.

  81. Chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya is my first choice followed closely by shepherds pie (when I can find ground lamb). Since we’re all well, I will be prepare grilled chimichurri lamb chops with garlicky mashed potatoes and a big salad. This will be served with those lovely crescent rolls that come in a can.

  82. You should try the Mississippi pot roast over mushroom risotto! It’s mouth watering and oh so delicious! ????

  83. Egg drop soup. 2 eggs beaten well with a fork. Boil 2 cups water, add 2 teaspoons organic chicken Better Than Boullion paste. When it has dissolved stir the liquid and slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs. Keep stirring as you add the eggs. Serve when the eggs are cooked. There are some months I’ve gone through a jar of the boullion in a few weeks. It’s fast and easy and works for colds and gastric stuff too. Maybe serve with crackers. I hope everyone feels better soon!

  84. Green chile potato soup. It IS Texas after all…and this recipe is from our Junior League Cookbook. lol

  85. Chicken broth/soup with noodles. Always a winner in my house when there are sick folks. Lots of garlic and ginger and long cooking times. Hope you all feel better soon

  86. Takeout won ton or egg drop soup. I had stomach surgery and couldn’t have solid food for 2 weeks. Nothing but protein shakes. You won’t believe how much you’ll crave something savory. Egg drop soup was allowed, and a life saver.

  87. We usually keep ramen, mac and cheese, and a soba noodle dish (easy to microwave, from costco) around at all times. Sometimes we have chicken noodle soup around as well.

    We’ve both been sick over the last couple of weeks, so we oddly enough have smoked pork belly at the moment. (Planned dinner before we both came down with this crud.) It helps that we live in a decent sized city, so if we have to, there is the doordash no contact delivery button 😛

  88. I hope you guys get to feeling better soon.. Being sick kicks rocks..
    My “everyone is sick” food is old fashioned potato soup. It is very simple. Diced potatoes, onion, ham/bacon, simmer until everything is cooked, thicken with water/flour or milk/flour and simmer a little longer I like to add rosemary and Cavenders greek seasoning to mine.

  89. Hot buttered rum (you.can figure out ingredients from name plus water and cinnamon) and lemon and honey in herbal tea.

  90. Tom kha kai,
    In a pot- add 2 cups strong chicken broth)
    Start with chicken broth (bone broth, what ever you call it)
    galangal (rhizome similar to ginger – I use a chunk about the size of the thumb)
    1 or two Thai chilis – or similar ????- Thai chili has some sweet in its heat
    1 stalks lemongrass
    Kefir lime leaves (2+)
    Fish sauce- (2tbs)

    Simmer….
    strain out the chilies, leaves, grass

    Here is where you decide, are you making for everyone & eating within a day or two?
    I usually make this broth, then store in the freezer for when ever I may want it.

    Because I can pull out .5 cup, add some coconut milk, chicken, and simmer to cook the chicken. Then, once hot, pour over rice noodles …

    It’s warm happiness & love in a bowl/cup/ straight in the pot!
    (What? When I’m sick, the pot means no dishes!)

  91. my family actually makes a roast very similar to yours, except instead of au ju mix and hidden valley, we do lipton onion soup mix and a can of tomato sauce. the rest is the same. sorry you are sick and I hope your February is better.

  92. My library originally purchased 7 Magic Tides. I just received an email they purchased 10 additional copies, yesterday.

    Go to’s for sickness:
    Depends on the illness.

    For the flu/nausea it’s flat ginger ale, crackers, and sour hard candy. Eventually some real Coca Cola. The kind made in Mexico with real cane sugar. Eventually a little rice and plain chicken. And bananas.

    For a sore throat, gargling with original listerine. The alcohol content kills the pain.

    For a cold I drink lots of tea. NyQuil at night. My homemade chicken soup. But I have not had a cold in a very long time.

    I’m lucky. My household has not had any illnesses for several years. The new kitten (adopted in June) arrived with eye conjunctivitis. That’s it.

    I hope everyone bounces back quickly.

  93. Just tried the Mississippi roast recipe for the first time on Saturday. We loved it. My recipe called for pepperoncini peppers too. Mine were medium hot, so had just a tiny bit of heat.
    Loved Magic Tides!!

  94. Sorry to hear about the antibiotics resistance! Hoping kiddo is feeling better!!
    I had severe ear infections every winter when I was very young – I have my hearing thanks to antibiotics. Got flu shot in October and the newest version of Covid booster in December – still had something in early January.
    Can’t cook – no skills. Soup go-to is chicken rice or chicken noodle from Campbell’s. During the blahs in January, lots of sparkling water (all flavor, no sugar/sweetener or caffeine) and regular water with lemon juice. My mom used to swear by lemon juice shots for a sore throat. Tried it a few times, works better if you catch it early.

  96. I like beef/barley soup or Japanese udon for sick days. I love egg drop too, but I don’t like any of the recipes I’ve tried and there are no Chinese restaurants within about 4 hours of where I live. People don’t believe me when I say that, so I posted a picture of my parents’ house on my blog this week. We live seven miles from them. I took the picture after I drove through the mountain pass and was on the flat probably another 3 or 4 miles to their house. Snow in the background. We are DEFINITELY blustery today. High winds, clouds moving in. The clouds are not supposed to be here today. Neither is the wind. Apparently they were not notified in a timely manner!

    I hope you feel better soon and that everyone becomes instantly healthy. The pot roast will be delish!

  97. Hearty chilli.
    My chilli is loaded. I make it Panera style. I start with celery, carrots onions and green peppers, garlic, Thai red chillies and bay leaves as a base. Then add with 2 boxes of lean turkey mince, tomato paste and canned diced tomatoes. I add 2 packets of Old El Paso chilli seasoning and a whole box of low sodium chicken stock. let it simmer for 30 mins and then I add a can of a 6 bean medley.
    My husband and I can eat this for days!

  99. I am eating what I am calling Immunity Soup (but really, it’s just a chicken noodle soup)

    1 white onion, diced
    1 entire bulb of garlic, peeled and each clove diced — yeah, that’s right — the whole bulb!
    7 or 8 baby bella mushrooms, diced (or more; measure with your heart!)
    shredded carrots (measure with your heart)
    2 or 3 stalks of celery, diced
    1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
    chopped fresh parsley (measure with your heart)
    Juice from 2 lemons
    Spices: red pepper flakes, black pepper, poultry seasoning, turmeric, maybe chicken bouillon powder (if you’re not trying to be vegan)
    Veggie broth
    small amount of pasta
    1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
    Chicken (optional)(diced small and cooked first, set aside, then added to the soup near the end)

    Sautee all the veggies and spices in some olive oil for a few minutes. Add veggie broth and lemon juice. Add pasta. Once the pasta is nearly cooked through, add the beans (and the cooked chicken, if you’re using that)

    To serve:
    I’ve been chopping baby spinach and putting it into a bowl, then ladling hot soup over it. Then I sprinkle with a little Pecorino Romano cheese. I’ve also been topping my soup sometimes with a fried egg and some egg roll noodles (egg roll wrappers cut into small strips and lightly fried until crispy).

    The soup is light and bright and absolutely loaded with antioxidants and anti-viral, nutritious foods.

    Picture is the soup in its spinach nest, topped with the fried egg, crispy noodles, and grated cheese.

  101. My go to has become your Slow Cooker Carnitas, easy to do and i double the recipe so it lasts most of the week.

    It wasn’t illness but my father passed last week and I made it for my mother, sister, and I. It’s just so easy to use on a sandwich, by itself with potatoes, or heat up some rice and taco shells for tacos. I’ve been eating it all week in different forms 😛

    • I’m so sorry….take care of yourself. I remember how hard it was when I lost my dad (almost 15 years ago.) Everything is very off center for a while, but it gets better and eventually you will remember the good times more often than the sad ones. Hang in there…

  102. When I’m sick I never want to eat but I do drink this a lot: Turmeric, ginger, garlic, and lemon. I swear I feel alive after drnking it. My family swears by it.

  103. Sending hugs!

    My whole family has been stuck in the “who has Covid” cycle, so we are becoming very familiar with easy cooking between naps, and it’s basically all about the soups where we can drop a bunch of pantry/freezer stuff, and/or leftover veggies into the pot and leave it to simmer until it’s done. ???? Leaning heavily into the spice rack, which has the benefit of things like powdered ginger and garlic that minimize chopping and prep time.

  104. I’m a firm believer in feeding my minions soup till the germs retreat.

    Hot and sour soup
    (What’s in the pantry version)
    Feeds 8 people twice

    Thinly sliced carrots, celery, onions. Sautéed in browned butter and soy sauce and sesame oil (if I have any) . (Carrots first, etc)

    2-3 handfuls abandoned baby carrots
    2 stalks celery
    2 medium sweet onions

    Minced frozen fresh ginger if I’m not out between the carrots and celery. 2-3 tablespoons of ground ginger if not.

    Once it’s almost soft I take 2-3 large tablespoons of either miso paste or fermented soybean paste and mix it in to the veggies. Then add about 6 -10 mashed boullion cubes.

    I add the family approved amount of gochujang hot pepper paste. For us about 1/2 a tablespoon

    I add half the water it calls for based on my miso paste and boullion cubes and bring it to a heavy rolling boil for 10 mins.

    I then add the rest of the water except for three cups less.

    I bring it back up to a boil and then add frozen broccoli and snow peas if I have them, partially drained, canned cut up, water chestnut, baby corn, bamboo shoots, and thinly chopped kale or cabbage.

    I add either rice wine vinegar or lemon juice for acid

    I taste and adjust salt and pepper and spice. (We like something between eye watering and mouth on fire catching at your throat level of heat)

    I bring it to another heavy rolling boil and take 4-8 beaten eggs and drizzle them into the pot as I stir briskly.

    I turn it off and as soon as it’s not bubbling I serve it over rice or noodles with hot tea on the side.

    It should be slightly salty with a rich broth a gingery sour finish and enough peppery heat to sear slightly on the way down.

    It’s a good batch if everyone is mopping their eyes and blowing noses.

    It takes an hour if someone helps me chop. Two if the whole house is out of commission.

    My soup varies because I use whatever I actually have to hand.

    As written this makes 12-16 quarts.

  105. I get a rotisserie chicken and make chicken and dumplings. For a sore throat I make tea. 3/4 a boiling water 1/4 very hot lemonade for the liquid (one bag mint, one bag chamomile), add a teaspoon of honey. Yes,a very very long time ago I worked at Starbucks. I rotate it with ginger beer/orange juice/emergen-c concoction. Sometimes I switch up the dumplings with chicken and rice (when I make the rice, the liquid is water & bone broth plus the chicken from the rotisserie in the rice cooker)

  106. Today, it‘s chicken soup.

    When I was a child, it was my mother‘s noodle soup; the broth was made from beef she cooked for hours until it fell apart. It was not made with the most expensive types of meat, but something like, for example, tongue. She also put bones in there; of course these were removed later. I also liked to dip pieces of bread in there and let them soak up the broth…

    I could be sick as a dog, but I would always have an appetite for that soup.

  107. If I’m feeling congested I place an order for penne arrabiatta. The spice clears up the congestion and then its clear soup. if I have a tummy bug its applesauce, bananas and mint tea.

  108. You can also wrap potatoes and carrots in foil and place them on top of the roast in the instant pot – no need to cook separately!

  109. Vietnamese chao (sp?)

    rice in enough liquid (mild dilute broth) to almost be thick soft soup but not too liquidy, has flecks of chicken pieces & carrot & something green! tastes mild, a little salty & a bit of rice/chicken too.
    basically a rice porridge to settle the stomach after throwing up or to give support during a flu/cold!

    My mom is French/Vietnamese, this was a childhood go-to.

    …also the spoon of flat 7-UP.

  110. Lately my go to is seaweed soup. It’s fairly simple recipe but tastes wonderful. Though typically made with beef, you can add technically use whatever protein you have on hand. I usually make a big batch and will often use the soup to make a warm rice porridge. It’s also great when you’re not feeling sick.

    I hope you and your family are improving and stay healthy!

  112. I always find it very amusing when Mississippi roast comes up somewhere, when I grew up in Mississippi and never heard of it until I moved to Texas in my 30’s. The pictures do look similar to the pot roasts my mom taught me, but she never used ranch mix. It got doused in Worstershire sauce instead. It is an excellent meal to set and forget in a crock pot or instapot, though.

  113. We’ve all had the lurgies these past few weeks in my family too. The go to nourishment in times of illness is stew/casserole/soup stuff, easy to mass produce and reheat, always with extra garlic for immunity; if congested with some added spicy kick to clear it out or if it’s a tummy trouble just super plain.

    On a side note I suffer from migraines and in recovery mode I really yearn for potato products.
    Most commonly I’ll have chips minus vinegar (which I normally drown them in) but ready salted crisps will do (so loud and sharp though), fresh hot mash is ok or very hot boiled potatoes (as they cool they taste ‘wrong’ – oddly not an issue for chips and crisps).
    I don’t know if it’s just psychological or if my body actually needs carbs; but I stubbornly didn’t buy frozen chips for a bit and that is why I know all those other things work too. But they are all way too much effort after a migraine – so now I always buy chips!

  114. Potage à la Ménagère or kimchi soondooboo jjigae. Manna from heaven.

    All good wishes to you and yours and to ModR too.

  115. If the husband is sick, I find myself putting a whole chicken in water in the instant pot, shredding the meat off the bones, and adding to it until the whole thing answers to soup.

    When I’m sick I just scrounge out of the fridge

  116. Grandmas Spinach and meatballs. (Kind of a stew)
    Meatballs (homemade preferably-chicken, beef or a mixture) browned in heavy Dutch oven and set aside. Wipe excess grease out.
    Sauté some onions and garlic in the pan. Add a couple large cans of San Marzano tomatoes, small can or a couple cups of homemade broth/stock. A can of tomato paste if you have one.
    Toss meatballs back in and simmer (stirring often with flat bottom wooden spoon).
    If you have one, toss in a Parmesan cheese rind.
    After a couple hours, of slow low shimmering, add in batches of washed spinach leaves. Four 10 ounce bags! Yes. Four!! Stir and simmer until spinach is all wilted in. Serve it up with a healthy heap of Parmesan, crusty bread if you want. I swear this will heal what ails you! ????
    (I’ve made a version with frozen spinach and premade meatballs in the instant pot on a weeknight. Almost as good.)

  117. I always make my kids chicken Rice Congee in my instantpot and they also request it. Easy on the stomach, chicken fat for the sickness. 2 frozen (or non-frozen) chicken legs in the instant pot, 1.5 cups of rice (usually 1 cup Jasmine, 0.5 cups short grain Japanese rice), 1 T salt, 10 cups water (for a thicker 7:1 ratio). Instant pot – porridge setting – up the time to 30 minutes. Natural release for 30 mins (turn off the keep warm when it’s done or it takes forever). Pull out the chicken legs, debone, deskin, put the meat back in the pot, stir and done. Season to taste and add whatever other congee condiments you’d like.

  119. Last week the flu ripped through all four adults in this house, so I really, REALLY empathize. {{HUGS}}
    We don’t cook anything special (folks in this family completely lose their appetites when they’re sick) but we DO start sucking on Horehound Candy like it’s the nectar of the gods.
    We went through 2 pounds of it last week, and I just ordered another 5 pounds.

    Superbugs are absolutely horrifying. I hope the Kid was able to kick its ass and is doing better!
    I just read an article on LiveScience claiming that “Bacteria hiding in indoor dust could spread antibiotic resistance.” (If anything could get me to do the absolutely pointless activity of dusting, THAT is it.)

    I am hoping so desperately that for Curran, Graphic Audio found someone with an actual deep voice. Sean’s narrator did a fine job, but the whole “deep, growly” thing was sorely missing.

    Mod R, we’re pulling for you!

  120. My mom’s minestrone is always in the freezer as are Raymond’s bake at home baguettes. Hot soup and freshly baked bread. Can’t beat it when you have a sick household.

    Get well soon to all Chez Andrews.

  121. Hope everyone makes a full recovery over at HA and a speedy recovery to Mod R as well!

    I am from the island of Trinidad and when I’m sick I love making the national dish called callaloo. I modify the recipe because some of the ingredients are hard to find in the USA but the taste is the same. Its my ultimate comfort food!

  122. I am from the “chicken noodle is the ultimate cure” camp, but my family is not. So I learned to make Tom Kha Gai from scratch following a recipe from She Simmers, and I make it by the gallon the instant anyone sniffles or coughs. I can’t always find the lemon grass, lime leaves, or galangal, but regular ginger, lime juice and lemon juice work in a pinch.

  123. Sorry your peeps are out with the flu, it’s the absolute worst. ::hugs::

    If you’re Cantonese, congee is the ultimate sickroom food. Nothing beats it. 1 part Jasmine or short grain rice, 9 parts water, boil on as high as you can get without it boiling over. Cook until the rice is all bloomed, meaning the rice has exploded inside out and all the starch has made the congee thick. (There’s a congee function on instapot too, but you have to sauté it for another 10 minutes to get to the right consistency)

    When I was little, that was it, no salt, no seasonings, no nothing. I’m not a sadist, so I’ll marinate some chicken or pork, and when the congee is ready, you cook the protein in the congee and serve. It works without fail.

    When my friends are sick, I will always make them congee, no matter their culture, it always helps. Your whole body warms up, and you sweat out all the toxins and you’re better in no time.

  124. It’s either Chinese chicken soup with lots of ginger, garlics, green onion and whatever veges I have in the fridge, or else kimchi/mushroom sundubu (tofu stew). I don’t know how to make it from scratch, so I use the flavor packets you buy at the Asian markets. I always have soft tofu, kimchi, and mushroom on hand so I throw it all in.

  125. Hot & sour soup is #1 for illness. Worst case, add vinegar & hot sauce to any canned soup (except chowder).

    All hail the instant pot. Beef is also good with a full jar of pepperoncinis incl. juice. Or chicken with green enchilada sauce.

    Raining here too, but still in drought.

  126. I see someone has already said Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup. It’s a staple around here. Egg and cheese omelettes are also a go to dish.
    I make a pot roast in my crockpot. A Chuck roast, package Lipton’s Onion Soup mix, 1 cup red wine, 1 cup beef broth. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Last one I separated the meat from the juices. Put leftovers in frig. Was able to remove all the fat as it congealed on top. Put leftover meat, soup stock, precooked 1 potato, added cabbage and frozen mixed veggies. Made a great soup. Put left over soup in two containers and froze them. So from one medium sized roast, we will have gotten at least four meals for two people. There is always some soup left so I get a bit for lunch as well.

  127. My easy eat is roasted turkey thighs— 2 turkey thighs w/ 1 cup apple cider, some whole cranberrys cooked covered at 300 for 4 hours. Flesh will fall off the bone.
    This will make 3-4 meals for me

    • Turkey thighs in the slow cooker with sweet potatoes are my new favorite. Unfortunately turkey parts are hard to come by right here and now due to avian flu. As soon as I see some I’m grabbing them.

  128. Dear Ilona and Gordon,

    I feel like both of you are dealing with Imposter Syndrome! Almost every book release I think I read you guys say “I was worried about X book [sales] but it did much better than expected!”

    You both are amazing writers, please believe it 🙂

    Your Fan,
    Sleepy

    P.S sorry to hear of all the January sickness blues, sending good health vibes your way!

  129. I’m the weirdo that doesn’t want soup when I’m sick. For a flu, I usually start with Ritz crackers and then move to mashed potatoes. I’m not picky on my potatoes either when I’m sick, homemade, instant, microwaved, whatever! Once I start feeling a bit better, I REEEEAAALLLY want a Famous Bowl from KFC (mashed potatoes, corn, popcorn chicken, brown gravy, and shredded cheese). It’s probably a good thing that I don’t live near a KFC, so I don’t usually get it. ????

    For others, I’ll make whatever is requested, but kiddo usually wants mac and cheese and hubby wants soup.

    Mod R, hope your procedure went well and if there’s any recovery, that it goes smoothly and quickly!

    Best health wishes to all with House Andrews, Mod R, and everyone else with the BDH! ????

  131. Chili, if I have the ingredients.

    Canned tomato soup, Saltines, and grilled cheese otherwise.

    It’s been a pretty terrible January all around (so far we’ve had two deaths–young cat and extended family–and, older, in-law health issues left and right).

  132. Homemade chicken noodle soup. The ingredients are always around my house though sometimes I use elbow macaroni instead of regular noodles. It’s a throw in the pot kinda deal. Some grilled cheese sandwiches and good to go!

  134. My mom’s recipe for homemade chicken soup always fixed everything. She passed the recipe on to me and I now make it for me, for my sisters, family or friends. It’s an Italian version that includes really tiny meatballs in it. It’s so popular that I now get requests. And every time I make it, memories of my mom warm my heart.

  135. Chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles. My Pennsylvania roots are still strong. Before my sister’s knee replacement surgery, she made sure I would have the noodles made in advance so she could have chicken soup when she got home from the surgery. It still amazes me that they do knee and hip replacements as an out patient surgery.

  136. Turkey sandwich with some good, chonky bread. Something about that carb/protein combo just works.

    Otherwise, I take Vitamin D and Zinc every day. Typically, if I do get a cold, it’s gone in a day. But mostly I just don’t get sick very often since I started doing that.

    Good luck! That Mississippi roast sounds really good. Gonna try that.

  137. Seriously, I love y’all and and don’t worry about us f the BDH. We understand. Can I just sy, “Magic Tides” kicked ass!!!????❤️

  138. Something spicy, with tons of garlic, ginger, and onions.
    We love to eat ramen when we’re sick because it’s easy to throw together with our preferred additions. Tsp of miso paste too and mmmmmmmm…

  139. Our sick food is congee. So easy to cook in a pot or rice cooker, can be flavoured with chicken or ground meat. Can be cooked in broth or water. Good for tummy problems, colds, or sore throat (add ginger). It’s the Asian version of chicken noodle soup.

    I hope House Andrews gets better soon! Sending some luck over the lunar new year!

  140. We have what my kids call “sick pasta”. When sick my kids have very sensitive stomach and can vomit at any moment. Add in that I’m always sick with them. So it is just a box of pasta cooked and drained add in a can of cream of (whatever is in our cupboard). And that’s it. Nutritional? No not really. But something that usually doesn’t set off their stomachs.

  141. Instant, easy meals, take out, and if there’s a lot of congestion, pepperoni pizza. I have next to zero tolerance for heat/spice. Love the flavor, but a little feels like a burn your tongue challenge for me. Pepperoni pizza is great for when I have a cold and need to clear my sinuses. My nose will be running after and I’ll feel like I can breathe just a bit better.
    Otherwise it is instant soup, because making homemade soup in my house somehow mean leftovers going bad in the fridge and random bits of veggies no one likes eating on their own, with some good ol’ chicken broth, and/or easy take out that is rich in fats. I got the stomach flu recently and didn’t eat for three days. When I finally wanted and could keep down food, all I wanted was high calorie/high fat foods. I ordered delivery because I was still too tired to cook. It was delicious and I don’t regret it a bit.

  142. We’re vegan, but my go-to is no chicken soup; sometimes with basmati and sometimes with pasta.

  143. French fries and orange Hi-C from the golden arches. I f I ask for that, my hubs knows I’m sick.

  144. scrambled eggs with cheese or tuna sandwiches and Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup or grilled cheese with Campbell’s tomato soup or a spinach omelette for me and my daughter.
    For the boys, it’s generally eggs of some sort or mashed potatoes with cheese. both of my boys are vomiters. So if they were sick it was soft, easy food.
    my husband wants soup. any kind of soup.

  147. one of our sick meals is German bologna sandwiches. We eat mostly vegetarian these days and dont eat deli meat, but when we are really sick that hits the spot. or we get Chinese noodle soups as another go to sick meals.

    We have been having a sick January as well, we both have had low grade fevers and resulting being very tired,almost mono levels and bouts of coughing. We got sick with what we thought was food poisoning between Christmas and New Years,and since then have been dragging. I actually had a couple of sick days from work, that is really rare that I take 1 sick day, let alone 2.

    All kinds of crud going around, at work ppl coughing and the like.

    Finished Magic Tides and the only thing wrong with it was it ended! Reading it was like having dinner with an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time and yet it seems like no time has passed at all. I can still hear in my head Hugh laughing when Kate tells him she told the head of the Order she was an ex Ironic Dog and left because she didn’t like following orders!

    A question I thought of: do you or Gordon ever have a nightmare where zombie like members of the BDH show up en masse at your front door ahs demand books?

  149. When I or my family need to convalesce my favourite soup is chicken dumpling, with lots and lots of dill in the broth.
    Usually short cut with a Costco chicken(or two!), strip meat and cook the bones for 90 minutes with 2 quarts of water. Then I strain the soup to get the bones out, let the bones cool so I can pick all the meat off to add back in, and cook the broth with onions, celery and carrots, diced. Add lots of dry and fresh dill, a bit of salt and pepper.
    Dumplings are 2 cups of flour, 1-2 eggs, pinch of salt and add enough milk to make slightly runny, then drop small teaspoonfuls into slow boiling soup.(too big and they don’t cook through)
    If feeling lazy, I put soup noodles in instead, but I prefer dumplings!
    Sometimes I even add the breast meat to the soup, if chicken sald doesn’t appeal at the time.
    Makes for a wonderful smelling kitchen too!

  150. Since if “someone is sick” the “someone is me” applies…

    Cooking tend to not happen and food is whatever that’s on hand that can be eaten without much prep work and that my body will not reject right away.

  151. Homemade Roasted chicken soup, with either long egg noodles or I put sm pasta. Carrots, cilantro, italian parsley, garlic, celery, roasted chicken chunks. Ahh, so good, with buttered Italian twisted loaf.

  152. Besides tea and toast, one of our favorites is tortilla soup. I make a nice brothy one, and everyone can add what they want to their bowls. Not great for upset tummies, though with the tomatoes.
    Hope you are all on the upswing and feeling yourselves soon!

  153. My go to sick recipe is homemade chicken noodle soup. I have made the Mississippi roast with basically the same recipe but mine called for pickled pepperroncini to be laid on top of the roast after the seasoning packs are put one. Sorry about the spelling, I am trying to get over a cold I have had for 2 months. Take care.

  154. I spent a week with my kid in the ICU right at the start of the year, so yeah, sick sucks. (She’s doing good now; still deciding if it’s an Omen, or we just disaster-proofed the year…)

    Don’t have a ‘somebody is sick’ recipe; we have tea. When I’m sick, it’s a mint/black tea called “Nana Tea”. Reminds me of the tea my grandma made when we were little, out of the mint plant behind her house. When the kid is sick, I drink green tea and she has this fruit tea that just appeared one day. ::Shrug::

    If I’m the only one standing, I have a black tea that I forget the exact name of that calms my nerves. I really need to start looking for a replacement…. Or figure out what it’s called….

    • I think there’s a lot of tea lovers on here (????‍♀️), maybe you could post a picture and a description and we could play “Name That Tea!’. ????

      (If that’s allowed! Sorry if it’s not!)

  155. Chicken soup! Chicken broth, chicken meat (fresh or leftover rotisserie) potatoes, celery, carrots, onions. Over pasta because carbs = life. Made it recently for a friend who was sick and they asked if it was magic because their congestion cleared right up afterwards. Not saying that it was the soup buuuuuut ????????‍♀️

    Have a speedy recovery!

  156. Chicken and Noodles using the Reames frozen noodles recipe. Carrots, onions, celery, diced. two teaspoons minced garlic, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1 bay leaf. Boil 6 chicken thighs in 32 oz low-salt chicken broth with vegetables and seasonings until tender, then remove chicken and add noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender while deboning and shredding the chicken, and add it back to the pot. May use water instead of broth if desired.

  157. In Singapore, we are a motley bunch, tradition-wise but our own family fallback item when one is unwell, is rice broth with a variety of seasonings eg sea-weed, nutritional seasoning, bits of this & that.
    …And Campbell Cream of Chicken soup with crackers!!

  160. Chicken and noodles – not soup, more like a gravy. When I was a kid, my grandmother would make it with my sister and I – we made homemade egg noodles from scratch. We’d roll out the dough, cut it in sections, and then slice it into noodles, coat them in flour, spread them on a baking sheet, and leave it in the radiator to dry out a bit.
    I’ve found a couple of Instapot recipes that make something every similar, using frozen egg noodles. I love having a shortcut (start to finish, about 30 min) to a meal that takes me back to my childhood.

  161. Homemade chicken noodle broth. Everything straightened out so it is literally just chicken bouillon and then add egg noodles in.

    If stomach is upset, then saltines. The original kind. Plus, Ginger ale, usually flat, as others have suggested.

  163. My sweet big idiot dog was attacked today by an off leash shepherd thing. I released my chokehold too soon and resorted to repeatedly and ineffectually punching the shepherd in the head with my tiny lady fists while also screaming like a banshee. Three dudes in a truck came to my rescue chasing off the shepherd. I somehow wound up with his collar and was able to at least confirm he was up to date on his vaccinations but we still had to make a spontaneous visit to the emergency vet to treat and staple the wounds.

    I was too shook up to cook and ordered in instead and gave my traumatized pup some bits of fish skin for being the bestest goodest boy ever. I also gave myself wine. Lots and lots of wine.

    • I’m so sorry that happened. People who let their dogs off leash without an excellent always obeyed recall command are horrible. Happy your good boi wasn’t seriously hurt.

  165. Sorry to hear you’ve all been sick.
    My comfort food is actually tea. All the tea! Especially Indian masala tea (bonus made by someone else).
    For colds: hot water with honey, lemon, ginger and turmeric (yeuch but it’s good for you).
    Food would be an Indian food called khichiri which is basically lentils and rice cooked in the instant pot with seasoning and a pinch of turmeric and maybe some ginger. Eaten either on its own or with khadi (soup made from chickpea flour and yoghurt). Healthy and hearty

  166. Here a bit of German well wishes: Gute Besserung!

    My get well recipe is chicken soup (whole or at least something with bones) with turmeric, ginger, chili and other spices I favour that moment. Cook for 3 to 4 hours to get the healthy stuff out of the bones.

    It is said to have anti-inflammatory effects.

  167. Manuka Honey. Proper New Zealand kind with high Manuka content. Might work on the antibiotic resistant infection.
    And when I’m sick I crave oranges and mandarins. And hot tea. Peppermint more so than lemon and ginger.

    • Manuka Honey from NZ for everything! Particularly good if you chop fresh ginger slices and lemon slices into a jar with the honey and leave in the cupboard. One Teaspoon of that in hot water as a tea does wonders.
      Also the honey straight on burns for the duration of the healing time is better than anything on the market.

  170. I can’t say I have a go-to for Someone Is Sick days; when I’m getting over something that’s messed up my stomach I choose Campbell’s Cheddar and Broccoli. For blah winter days I have a few. Red Beans and Rice using a milder version of Paul Prudhomme’s recipe in his “Fiery Foods That I Love.” On other such days I might go with ‘Smokey Beans & Sausage Soup’, recipe #36092 at Food. com, or acedarspoon. com/moroccan-red-lentil-soup. Which, surprisingly enough, is recipe for Moroccan Red Lentil Soup.

  171. Coming from an Asian background, my go to when sick is congee (rice porridge). I do chicken congee in the slow cooker – it basically cooks itself.

  173. I make my mom’s chicken soup with dumplings. Unless… I’m sick too in which case it’s buttered toast for everyone. And ice cream for the feverish. (I know that’s counter intuitive, but when I’ve got chills it’s not cause I’m actually cold. I’m actually hot so getting cold things into the insides seems to help.)

  174. Sorry to hear you’re feeling yucky. Home made chicken soup is my go-to when sick – no salt added. Pressure cook chicken thighs and carrots (separately) using chicken stock as the liquid (you’ll use the leftover liquid in the soup). Shred the chicken, making sure to NOT discard any bits of fat (it provides flavor, I chuck any skin). Sauté chopped onion and celery till clear. Add all together (including the cooking liquid, which adds flavor), toss in as much pepper, rosemary, bay and basil as you want (or any other herbaceous thingy that tickles your fancy), fill with more low sodium chicken stock (you can of course make your own), flip on the pressure cooker, and eat when done. I serve mine over rice. It hits the spot, and always makes me feel better when I’m sick. You really don’t miss the extra salt. Almost all meat you buy in the grocery store has been brined or injected with saline for flavor, anyway. It will be salty enough (you can always add more to the bowl). Feel better soon!

  175. I grew up with milk soup. Sauté a little onion for flavor, add milk and a handful of pasta. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the pasta is done. Pepper to taste. There’s no recipe, just whatever amounts you like.
    My husband likes baked potato soup. Bake 3 potatoes. Cool, peel (save skin, especially if it’s crispy). While potatoes cool, cook 2 slices of bacon (or more because bacon), drain and save 2 Tbs grease. Mash 2 of the potatoes in the grease and dice the 3rd. Add milk to the mashed potatoes and combine to desired consistency, heat. Add the diced potatoes. Serve with grated cheddar, crumbled bacon, and top with chopped potato skins.

  176. I love whipping up a big pot of egg drop soup. I’m not big on broth, but if I add a few drops of sesame oil, I suddenly love it. I also go for a hot Arnold Palmer, heavy on the lemon.

  177. Good news indeed about the sales! So happy for you!

    Very sorry to hear everyone down and out this month! Please be sure to get enough sleep or you will be joining them. Being exhausted definitely affects the immune system.

    Hope ModR doing ok!

  178. curried winter squash soup, there isn’t a lot of curry powder in the receipe, but its just enough heat to help my sinuses…i make mine by steaming the squash with an apple before pureeing with vegetable broth and half/half or heavy cream…i may throw in a dash or molasses for some vitamins and what not. I make up a batch and then freeze in individual servings that can be sipped out of a mug if necessary

  179. If you have a sore throat and haven’t eaten much in a day or so, my Mom always made Jello and we drank a small cup while it was warm.
    Otherwise I’m making myself chicken soup like my great-grandmother did.

  180. Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup, poached or soft boiled eggs and dry toast. For stomach bugs, Saltine crackers.

  181. Amy’s Tomato Bisque Soup and Daves Killer Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich. My go-to sick day meal. Vegetarian comfort food.

    I used to eat Campbells tomato rice soup as a kid and during all illnesses, but since I have gotten health conscious, I can’t tolerate it anymore. And as for reading the Campbell’s soup ingredient label, it’s no fun at all.

    Sending you wishes for good health and sunny days at House Andrews.

  182. Scrambled eggs, with cottage cheese. Fluffy and creamy and hot.

    Or spicy chicken & rice soup. When I make it, I make too much so I can freeze it in ziploc bags in mugs. That way, there are single servings available to reheat at a moment’s notice.

    But now that I’ve found what works, there is always tea.

  183. My Hubby makes the most amazing chicken soup. He works at home permanently, so he is able to do meal prep when I’m not feeling well. Tuesday I had a crown fall off a back molar, and now I can’t eat solid food for three weeks. He had started on the soup the day before, so I was able to have broth that night. Pure bliss in a mug.

    I don’t remember the whole recipe off the top of my head but I’ll try.

    Sous vide two chickens until the meat is tender. Cool, refrigerate until the next day.

    Prepare vegetables of choice: chopped carrots, celery, sliced mushrooms.

    Next day pick the meat off the chicken bones. Put the meat in the fridge. The bones go into the instant pot with garlic, four bay leaves, a few peppercorns, and cold water. For a richer broth you can add a store bought cup or two of broth, but we seldom do that. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.

    Use the valve to vent the pressure. Strain the soup, put it back into the instant pot. Add veggies and cook until they are tender. Check seasoning. Add the zest of one lemon, and the chicken meat. Stir. Let soup simmer for about ten minutes. It’s best eaten the next day, but we’ve never been able to do that. Hubby uses a small spoon to defat it and we have a bowl anyway.

    This soup once it’s been fridged overnight, should look like gelatin. Skimming any fat off it is easy at that point. A large pot lasts us a week when we’re well, and three days if one of us is sick. (Because it’s eaten for every meal, then.)

    I’m sure I don’t have the all the ingredients he uses here. If someone wants me to get it and post the whole thing later, I can.

  184. There is a soup my mom and grandma from Shanghai always made, which I make too now—especially if anyone is sick. Funny story, my mom called this “Lusoong Tong” (tong means soup) and in 1991, I’m in Russia and my host family serves the same soup and I’m stunned. I call my mom (on a pay phone! With a calling card!) and tell her I had the Lusong soup in Russia. She very calmly explains to me that “Lusong” is a transliteration of the word “Russian”. So it turns out the big family recipe we have been eating for 3 generations is some kind of borscht. ???? shown here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CnX35awPCB9/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

  187. after two years of avoiding it, i finally came down with covid. it started with swollen tonsils, and then on the third day i woke up feeling like i’d been hit by a bus. just utterly exhausted. like lifting my arm to change the channel on the remote control is too much effort exhausted. after 8 days the fever is gone, and it seems to have shifted into a sinus infection and coughing up green stuff. i’m still beyond tired. and i worship the god of mucinex right now.

    my go-to sick food is cambells soup, with only about half the recommended water added so its a thicker soup. i like the double noodle, and the beef and barley. and i’ll do grilled cheese with either of those if i’m able to stay upright long enough to make a grilled cheese. with the swollen tonsils, yogurt and ice cream are helpful.

    my dog has been extra attentive while i’ve been sick. of course, her idea of helping is 45 pounds of dog standing on my chest and sniffing my breath while i cough.

  189. I like adding peppers ???? to the Mississippi roast. I just pour a small jar of the yellow/green ones in, it gives it a nice kick.
    I also make turkey and rice soup with the leftover broth in the freezer and the leftover rice from takeout ???? Indian food…

  191. First, I am so sorry about the sickness. All December into this month I have been sick with a head cold and the flu … twice. My son got the flu – he’s a picky eater and in denial that he can ever be ill.

    So our go-to was to eat nothing for a couple of days. Then I had saltine crackers and ginger ale and my guy had … water. After that he graduated to blueberry toaster waffles, water, and apple juice. I have been living off chicken noodle (or lemon chicken orzo) canned soup. He went back to pizza and craved Doritos. When I felt better, I used up the past their prime pears and delicata squash and made a purèed soup with a chicken broth base.

    When I cook, it’s only for me. I saw a recipe for Baked Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese that I am going to try out this week. I can eat it with rice or mashed cauliflower. They will also pair well with a salad. Cold, warm, or reheated, I can combine them several ways over at least half a week.

    I hope you are all starting to feel better. I know. I am – and an updated Release page and additions to your store? Even better – thank you!

  193. I’m so sorry to hear illness is rampant in HA. We’re finally starting to feel human again in our house (after fighting COVID and resulting bleeech since just after Christmas.) I wish I could send you all good health, energy, warmth, and light!

    When we’re not feeling well, I make homemade soup in the crockpot. Ingredients depend on how we all feel and what our tummies can stand, but ideally it includes broth, onions, and lots of garlic (all great for boosting the immune system) and a protein. I am vegetarian, so if I am the one who needs the soup, I use veggie broth, white beans for protein, onions, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, fresh parsley, a bay leaf, herbes de Provence (or other herbs depending on preference: oregano, basil, marjoram, etc), and often grated ginger and lemon (also great for the immune system.) I’m sorry I can’t give you amounts but I don’t measure when I cook…I just add things until it’s ‘right’.

    Feel better soon and take care of yourselves! ????????????

  194. To drink, Vernors ginger ale. Far better than any other ginger ale.

    To eat, pastina made with a little sautéed onion and tomatoes. Don’t drain the pasta, but eat it as a soup.

  195. I’m a singleton so my go-to sick food is soup. And more soup. Trader Joe’s creamy tomato is a favorite as well as many canned flavors. Soup that doesn’t need water is also a perfect thing to go in my earthquake stash (So. Cal) so I’m usually pretty well stocked. Anything like homemade soup, stew, or the Mississippi roast (which I’ve never tried) I portion up and freeze. Hope the sun comes out for you – literally and figuratively- very soon ????

  196. My go to somebody/everybody is sick recipe- it’s kind of a take on a certain Italian chain food place;
    Zappa Tuscany
    1-2 lbs Italian sausage -either spicy or sweet, cooked and mashed into a ground state.
    One pkg Fresh kale or spinach
    Onions! I prefer the red/purple kind but go with whatever you like
    4-6 cups chicken broth
    1 pint – 1qt of Kroger heavy whipping cream-trust me, it’s the best I’ve ever tasted!(if anyone is lactose intolerant then skip the cream and add a few scoops of mashed potatoes instead-it thickens the soup a little so it’s not so watery. You can also sub a pkg of any type of country/white/peppered gravy mix)
    6-8 decent sized Yukon gold potatoes quartered then sliced up to 1/2 inch thick
    Oregano
    Chili peppers (the kind that’s dried and ground up as for pizza)
    Lots of your favorite Italian spices and herbs
    Definitely garlic

    Brown and crumble the meat (I usually add most if not all the spices at the end of this step and let them all get to know each other). Add prepped potatoes, Meat, and greens to the broth. Bring to a simmer, stir in mashed potatoes or gravy or heavy cream and let simmer about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.
    Serve sprinkled with parm and serve with a salad and or a good crusty bread.

  197. If it’s a cold or general woeful-awfuls (what we call it around here when you just feel icky or tired and sore) we make grilled Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches. Gooey and decadent.

    For touchy stomachs, yes, Campbell’s chicken noodle soup and Coke with everything, meaning caffeine and real sugar.

  198. You’re weather sounds like our Seattle winter. I’m glad everyone is on the mend and sending you healthy vibes that you stay the last woman standing! Speedy healing to Mod R as well.

    Listening to SOTH have about 2 hours left. I am excited foe the ending, but also want to savor the story and characters. But! Magic Tides is waiting for me, too! Such a delicious dilema ????

    Mississippi roast sounds yummy. I think I can get the fam on board with that. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Go to dish when people are sick… My hubby and kids are pretty easy and usually just want plain bagels. I personally enjoy soups of all kind (especially chicken Pho). But if it’s me who is sick, it would be from a can or take out.

  201. Scrambled eggs with spices as the spirit moves me is my go-to when I’m sick. But it is only me, so I do what I like.

  202. We have a weird chicken stew that originated in Northeast Georgia called “chicken mull” and it’s my kids’ favorite anytime, especially when they’re feeling a little down. Boil a chicken with celery, onion, carrots. Debone chicken and mince fine. Strain the broth and put minced chicken back in. Add milk (we like about a pint), salt and pepper and butter and just before serving, crushed saltine crackers to make it the consistency of well-cooked oatmeal. It’s flavorful but not too much. When my kids aren’t sick, they add hot sauce.

  203. Go-to when someone is sick here depends upon 1. What they will eat, that 2. won’t make symptoms worse.

    So for respiratory issues, I steer clear of milk products, because they increase mucus production. Chicken soup or pho are favorite.

    For gastric issues, as long as there’s no milk allergy, plain or other mild yogurt like peach, and green tea with honey or Gatorade to drink. Ginger ale or lemonades mixed with ginger or peppermint tea are also good: to 8 ounces of water or herbal tea, add a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of lemon juice, and maybe a teaspoon of ginger juice.

    For intestinal ones, I do know the BRAT (bananas/rice/applesauce/toast) diet is recommended for humans, but am not a fan of bananas or toast. So as a former vet tech, I go with the time-honored cooked rice mixed with an equal amount of cooked lean ground meat. Because I’m lazy, I brown the meat first and drain the pan if necessary. Then I throw the uncooked rice right on top of the meat in the pan, add the appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, and cover to simmer until the rice is done. If the patient can tolerate some greens, I add a pound or so of frozen chopped kale or whatever on top of the rice before I cover the pan. That adds to the cooking time but also to the flavor and nutrition. In normal times I would also throw some herbs and spices into the mix.

    Right now I am well and truly screwed because I have what feels like an ulcer, but my GE assures me is merely functional dyspepsia. So basically I can’t have anything that tastes good. No ginger, no peppermint, no peppers. Any oil or fat, other than olive or a very small amount of butter, screws up my gut. Only whole grains. I just finished eating the remains of a skillet of ground turkey, kale, and brown rice with no seasoning whatsoever. It lasted me for six servings over three days. Supper tonight will be rice, green beans, and plain shrimp. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are fine as long as they’re plain. This sucks; do not recommend.

    • Didn’t mean to post that just then. What I intended to add: I hope everyone feels better as soon as humanly possible. And thank you so much for Magic Tides, which has distracted me nicely for a bit.

    • Just realized I lied about the lack of seasoning. As usual, I didn’t drain the ground turkey once it was cooked, and I did swap in a quarter cup of low sodium tamari in lieu of that same volume of water for the rice. So functionally the rice-cooking water was broth.

  204. When I’m sick I like to have Tom Kha Gai soup, a coconut broth soup with chicken and veggies and a little spice-helps clear out my congestion, and the ginger feels good on my stomach. Since it’s coconut broth, it doesn’t upset the stomach like a milk based broth might.

  205. Question? How did they get to Gullah for Curran? I get regional, but their family was isolated, right? and I’ve always thought of Gullah culture as being a result of remnants of the slave trade combined with the geographic isolation of the region. Did I miss something in Curran’s family history that explains this, or did you mean Jim?

    • “ Doolittle will be voiced true to Gullah roots” -emphasis mine. The reference in the blog post is to the honey badger shifter doctor of the Pack, not Curran or Jim. ????

  206. I made a large batch of chili. I do this and store single serving sizes so I can heat it on work days without having to cook. It’s pretty healthy. I use ground turkey, Northern beans, and Canelli beans and add roasted red bell peppers. I can’t eat vegetables like a normal person. It’s a texture thing. I have to cook and purée everything. And why am I telling you all this?
    I’m so looking forward to tomorrows online author’s session.
    I will have myBDH mug ready along with my Cutting Edge phone case.
    Also reading more about Katy and crew is a dream come true.

  207. I am so glad that everyone jumped on the new books in a big way. You knew the BDH would, of course, but mainstream customers are really helpful.
    (We aren’t a big enough group to float all your books alone, though we love to…)

    Hopefully, your kid is recovering from her infection. Drug resistant infections are scary.

    I am sharing the Texas weather with you, but not the crud. (Had that earlier this winter.)
    The male tolerance for meat and potatoes in any combination is truly amazing. My late husband thought that a meal with out potatoes was not a meal until I convinced him that rice and pasta also worked. Even 6 years after his death, I miss him every day, but not the potatoes.

    It’s just as well. I am on a “pre-diabetic”diet and pretty much any carbohydrate is not allowed. I have just enough to keep me out of ketosis – my old kidneys don’t deal well with extra stress.
    Of course, my “crud diet” ignores the restrictions. My go to for “I feel like crap” is PopTarts and hot tea with a but of sugar. As I get better, I will have baked acorn or butternut squash with butter and salt.
    The acorn squash is punctured well and microwaved whole, then wrapped in foil and allowed to finish cooking on the counter. I scoop out the seeds, then the squash is scraped into a bowl with butter and salt to taste.
    Butternut squash is available cubed, fresh or frozen at HEB, so I usually roast it and toss with thyme, salt, and butter.
    Left overs are good for a day or two, assuming I have any.

  209. Glad both books sold well, I love them to bits. Your books are always , addictive and amazing. I usually get 2 copies, E-book or paper & audio. I cherish both. ALWAYS.

    My sister in-law spent almost 3 moths in hospital including Christmas with leg infection with antibiotic resistant infection and I was worried she would lose it. So I agree they are awful. I am so sorry your family went through it also 🙁

    Sending good wishes and happy thoughts

  211. Pho or various other Asian noodle soups from a really good neighborhood Vietnamese joint if I’m the one who is ailing. Chicken and rice or chicken soup if I’m cooking for others. Hope everyone bounces back soon. And very glad (though not surprised) to hear SOTH and Magic Tides are doing so well.

  213. My go to is Vietnamese congee. One of my closest friends is Viet and when I was really sick once, she came over and made it for me. It’s my go to sick/comfort food now for like ten years. ????????

  215. It’s got to be Wild Mushroon and Chicken Soup in my family.
    One whole chicken popped in the pot, a few potatoes, carrots and a medly of mushrooms (Enoki, King, Shiitaki etc- go wild), a hefty handful of pearl barley, a tablespoon or so of Herbs du Provence (or a bundle of the fresh if you have growing- much better) a packet of Pho mix and chicken stock to almost cover the chook.
    Bring to the boil, then drop to a low simmer for about 60- 90 mins, depending on the size of your chook, then when dome, lift the bird out, remove the bones and plop the meat back in the soup.
    A 2-3 kilo bird will last our family for 3-4 days, so it get us through the worst of it. Towards the end, we add a bit of Wild Rice to beef it up a bit as we’re feeling more inclined to solid food.

  216. Yay! So glad they are selling well.
    My husband and I both love soups and I make a different one every week so that it’s always available. Also, I have Crohn’s disease so soup is a mainstay for me.
    Our favorite is based on a soup that we had a long time ago at Olive Garden called Zuppa Toscana. Mine is very thick and spicier though. Start by caramelizing some onions, add spicy Italian sausage (HEB is our favorite brand of course:) and stir until the meat’s almost cooked through. Add chicken stock and 3 large, peeled potatoes thinly sliced. Cook on a low boil for 1-2 hours until the potato falls apart creating it’s own thickener. Add a bunch of chopped kale during the last 5 minutes of cooking and finish with heavy cream. I like a little freshly cracked pepper as well. Serious comfort food!

  217. when using the Instapot, is it a slow release or quick release when the roast is done?

    My go to is Ramen in chicken broth and I add my own Umami and veggies.

  218. We threaten people with my sister’s chicken soup. They get well just hearing about it.

    I hope your January gets better and the rest of the year is great.

  219. If I’m the one who is sick, I cheat & open a can of Campbell’s chicken rice soup, saltine crackers & a glass of Canada Dry gingerale. Must be Can Dry only, other gingerales don’t work for me. And I go to bed. Shadow my tuxedo cat knows when I don’t feel well & jumps up on the bed & cuddles.

  220. For sick and/or gloomy rainy days. Packet of Ramen chicken noodles, add chicken tenders diced, cooked ham diced, small potatoes diced, baby carrots diced, some frozen veggies. Once chicken is done. enjoy. Makes the house smell delicious.

  221. Chicken noodle soup is my go to for sick days. My husband, like Gordon, is never sick of beef and potatoes.He has been known to eat food with hot chilies to “clear out his head”.
    I have grown to love to listen to Graphic Audio on Hoopla. Unfortunately Graphic Audio is no longer available on Hoopla.☹️

  222. So the potatoes are made separately?

    My go-to for being sick (or just an easy comfort food) is jook/congee. Here’s an easy recipe to start: https://thewoksoflife.com/20-minute-congee-recipe/

    But you can really just toss in anything you like – eat it plain if your stomach is upset, or put ginger, garlic, seafood…one friend does corn ????????‍♀️ It’s the Chinese equivalent of chicken soup when you’re sick.

  223. Hiya, I just thought to mention that a slow cook would be more beneficial for you all, it’s rich in collagen, immune boosting and teamed with some extra vitamin c is the way to go. Hence chicken soup (slow cook) is a cook of what bed remedy. Just note other ways of cooking meat is carcinogenic ie inflammatory. Knowledge is power let food by your medicine. I have a strong healing background and invested interest in you all. Get well live and love long . NO ONE thinks or writes like you. You’re world treasures in my world and in many others lives.

  225. My mother-in-law makes an amazing everything but the kitchen sink chicken and rice soup. It tastes like a savory hug. She always makes it for me if I don’t feel well. I really lucked out with my in-laws, my husband’s family is awesome!!

  226. When I’m too sick to fend for myself, I order large containers of egg drop soup from my local Chinese restaurant and have it delivered.

  227. English muffin pizza.

    1 English muffin cut in half
    canned tomato sauce
    cheese
    Cook in toaster oven till cheese is melted and slightly crispy

  228. Simple Chicken soup:
    put a whole chicken, ginger, scallions or leeks, chicken broth from a carton/can & water – slow cook for 3 hrs or Instapot. Add salt & it will be delicious.
    It’s also Lunar New Year for several countries & cultures Sunday – let’s hope we all jump out of the quagmire of this triple-whammy winter & hop onto greener pastures in the Year of the Rabbit!

  229. https://youtu.be/DYKmdvwvyV8

    This is my family’s go to recipe whenever someone feels slightly off. We eat it with ethiopian/somali injera which is really soft and not hard to swallow or digest when everything hurts.

    Hope it helps and enjoy

  230. Chinese minced chicken and green onion congee. Soooooo yummy and warm. Hope y’all all get better soon!

  231. I make instant pot congee (also called jook or rice porridge):

    1 cup rice
    6 cups water (or 3.5 cups water 2.5 cups chicken broth)
    1 tablespoon of ginger – fresh or powdered
    2 chicken breasts cubed.

    Rinse the rice, and put it in the instant pot, then add the cubed chicken, water /chicken broth, and ginger.

    Cook on high for 30 minutes in the pressure cooker, stir to serve and then you can add additional seasonings after. I add a little bit of salt and a good amount of pepper because that’s what I like to do.

    I make this for myself and it’s dog safe too, so sometimes I share some with my doggies too.

  232. Hmmm… my mom always did Campbell’s chicken noodle soup with saltine crackers and then I’d drink Sprite or Gatorade. I can no longer stomach Sprite or other lemon-lime sodas. Nowadays? I make homemade chicken noodle or this really tasty cannellini bean soup that is just different enough from the regular chicken soup to be filling and tasty and easy.

    https://www.feastingathome.com/brothy-tortellini-soup-w-spinach-white-beans-basil/#tasty-recipes-32364-jump-target

    I use regular noodz instead of tortellini but this always hits the spot!

  233. I had a bad day the other day and came home to my daughter’s home made egg drop soup. Simple and delicious, we serve it with a little rice. I am most grateful for my daughter anyway, but on days like this, she is awesome!

  234. Tortalini soup is great when sick assuming we can stand the thought of cheese. Ham hock soup (can use neck bones instead) is our goto for blustery days though. So thick and filling.

  235. Swedish meatballs with gravy and mashed potatoes. Meatballs can be time consuming so I make lot and freeze. Ready when needed

  236. Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup. The recipe uses potatoes instead of noodles. I also add about a standard soup spoon worth of frozen apple juice concentrate. Makes a standard crock pot full so 10-12 servings.

  237. Living in San Diego when I’m sick I get someone to bring me wor wonton soup. It’s a Chinese soup with wonton, vegetables, pork, shrimp & chicken. Some Ramens are great as they can be just a little spicy (or more spicy if you want).

  238. My family liked chicken and dumplings — easy on the stomach but a bit more filling than basic canned soup. 3 versions depending on how tired/sick the cook is.
    1. Long way. Boil a chicken until meat will fall off bone. ( I sneak sliced carrots in at this point.) Take the chicken out and debone. Divide meat in 3 portions. Save 2 for other use. Add 1 portion of chicken cut or shredded into bite size pieces to the broth. Make Bisquick or other type drop biscuit dough. Bring broth to boil. Drop teaspoon size biscuits into boiling broth. Cook til dough is done.
    2. Medium time. Debone a store bought rotisserie chicken. Bring a pot of broth to a rolling boil. Cut can biscuits in quarters and drop in broth. Add bite size chicken and cook til biscuits are done.
    3. Everyone is in bed and can barely crawl to door. Call a delivery service to bring a bowl of Dairy Queen chicken and dumplings, one per person.
    Single empty nester, I opt for option 3 these days.

  239. Hope you all feel better soon!!! We like to get takeout chicken pho when someone is feeling ill. We love when it comes with fresh lime & thai basil, jalapeno slices, mung bean sprouts, hoisin sauce… all on the side so we can customize our bowls of soup. Consider a nice basmati rice whenever you are tired of potatoes with your roast & gravy.

  240. Homemade chicken noodle soup. My husbands mom’s recipe. It’s delicious sick or not! Hope you guys feel better soon!

  241. depends on who is sick. if mom is sick I’ll cater to her tastes. if I’m sick, I’m throwing a frozen pizza in the oven and going back to bed

  242. We add 5-10 Pepperoncini peppers and it gives it a nice flavor. It’s a little spicy depending on how many you add, but it’s so good!

    When someone is sick I usually make a chicken (with carrots, celery, onion) noodle soup with the wide egg noodles. I make mashed potatoes, add a scoop and then ladle over the soup and it blends into the chicken noodle soup. So good! Perfect comfort/sick food.

    Such wonderful news about Sweep of the Heart and Magic Tides! I loved both books!

  243. Estou cansada e precisando de um emprego novo. Enquanto não posso ir a pra do Francês em Alagoas/ Brazil vou lendo seus livros. Ja disse isso um milhão de vezes, mas só para garanti….EU AMO A KATE. Fique bem, feliz ano novo e meuita saúde para todos.

  244. I’m confused. I can understand Gullah for Doolittle. But Curran? Gullah Geechee are an African American ethnic group. I’m sure you know that. Your research is impeccable. I am truly just confused as to what I missed and if I have somehow gotten Curran all wrong!

    • Hey Alicia,

      There’s a bit of a misunderstanding here: only Doolittle has Gullah roots ☺️. The phrase is made up of two separate sentences. Graphic Audio found the right voice for Curran- first sentence. And Doolittle will be voiced accurately by someone with a Gullah accent, second sentence.
      I hope this helps.

  245. Chicken soup the way my mom made it, rich broth, lots of vegetables, herb de provence, and lots and lots of garlic! I like to use butternut squash, fennel, string beans, zucchinni, onion, leek, red bell pepper, carrot and whatever else is in my veggie drawers. For extra flavor preroast the root veggies. Yum

  246. I love chicken soup! I make it with garlic and scallions and jasmine rice. And anything I have in my fridge. It’s a great comfort food!

  247. Sick meal: Homemade chicken noodle soup! Chx bone broth with chx parts (your choice, we prefer thighs.) with celery, onion and carrots. Cook on low simmer until the chx meat falls apart. Season with salt, pepper and garlic.

  248. I love chicken gnocchi soup ala Olive Garden style or a Korean style chicken and dumplings. I need to try the Mississippi roast but I saw a recipe that added 3-5 pepperoncini to the pot too. So I’m going to try that. That instant pot is great for when I don’t feel like cooking.

  251. I know I’m sick when I crave soft boiled eggs with toast and orange juice. It’s wonderfully simple and I never crave orange juice otherwise. Then I go for the chicken Ramen and add extra water for extra broth. yum:)

  252. Ouf! Hope everyone’s feeling better soon. When TheHubbs is feeling a cold coming on he asks me to make what he calls kimchi soup — tbh it is more like a cross between a lazy Chinese hotpot & Korean army base stew (budae jjigae). It’s hot & spicy to help clear out his sinuses but also has lots of salt, fluids & easy to chew/swallow foods on a sore throat. Make a broth by stir-frying really old & well-fermented kimchi in a bit of oil with some onions lots of garlic until soft. Add about 2L water to cover then add a good amount of the fermented kimchi juices plus whatever fave ingredients you have onhand. Our go-to freezer stash: korean rice cakes (tteok), any assortment of chinese fishballs for hotpot, tofu puffs, firm tofu, sliced hotdogs, and finish off with a couple pucks of Chinese egg noodles or an instant ramen noodle brick (no seasoning packet). If you want it extra spicy add gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes). Leave it to simmer about 15 mins then eat, drink, rehydrate & sweat out all the baddies, then rest & recuperate.

  253. My grandmother’s chicken vegetable soup. Either on the stove or in the slow cooker.

    If I have time I boil a whole chicken, the soup is so much richer and better tasting if you make your own base than just using bought broth. When the chicken is cooked, bring it out of the pot and set it aside to cool. Meanwhile dump in a variety of veggies. I do the classic carrots, sweet corn, green beans, green peas, onions, a large can of crushed tomatoes and add in usually some rice, black-eyed peas and whatever else I have on hand.
    Meanwhile de-bone the chicken, discard the skin and bones, shred the meat and put it back into the pot. Simmer until the flavors come together. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

    The soup is very adaptable. I have used everything from cabbage, mushrooms, turnips, to sweet potatoes cut into chunks, etc in it.

  254. I just got over the flu, which some of my family members came down with it at the same time. With constant nonstop runny nose, sneezing, body aches, headaches and weakness within 24 hours, I dragged myself to kmart and bought 2 different flu meds. Allergic to one. 2nd one sent me constantly to the restroom. Next day after morning work, I went to the pharmacy and bought 2 different flu meds. 3rd med was the jackpot… my go to flu buster: Gel cap flu pills, chicken soup, naps and most important constant gargling of salt water. I had a mild flu and was over it in 3 days with some lingering hoarse throat.

  255. Hope you guys feel better soon. There are so many ‘crud’s’ going around!

    This time of year I take a pint mason jar and fill it with one to two sliced lemons, I then add an inch of fresh ginger sliced and cover it all with honey. Put it in the refrigerator and let it meld. I put a spoonful of the juice in my tea. Good anti inflammatory and good for scratchy throats. It keeps in the fridge for a long time.

  256. Mississippi roast sounds like my forgotten roast. Potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, roast with cream of mushroom soup and dried onion soup mix, cover and bake. Set oven to 250 and leave for 4 hours. So good, makes its own gravy.

    Home everyone in the house feels better soon.

  257. I found that hot lemonade or Sprite for those people in the USA, is great, it’s a lemon soothing drink if you don’t want tea or coffee but need something hot to drink! My daughter ow swears by it! A hug in a mug!

  259. I just finished Magic Tides and absolutely loved it. I don’t want to ruin anything for those who haven’t read it yet, but I felt a distinct nod to the movie Labyrinth at one point. it could be totally coincidental, but it made me grin.

    Go to sick for is my Granny’s Jewish Chicken soup. Full of root veggies and flavor will cure any illness IMHO. 🙂 I am definitely going to try that Mississippi roast though. Sounds delicious.

  262. I put a bunch of veggies (mostly potatoes and butternut) through a mandolin into an oven pan, season a chicken and put it on top of the veggies, cover with foil and chuck into a preheated oven for 40min @ 180°C. Remove foil and grill for 5min and we’re done. its the fast prep time that does it for me, and the fact that I don’t need to mess with it whilst it cooks. I’ve got a million other things to do when one of is is sick after all, anything that basically cooks itself is a winner.

      • Mandolin in this case is a v-shaped slicer that is adjustable for thickness of slices. Usually has a safety cap that holds the veggies while slicing and keeps your fingers safe.

  263. We are rarely sick – the joy of living on a farm – but if someone feels a bit off I make the normal chicken broth: chicken in a broth which has also fresh ginger, fresh garlic, fresh sage (very important!), some drops of sesame oil in it .. and a few extra herbs to taste including sambal olek (chillis) for the adults. Originally it should have onions in it – I don’t like it so I skip it. Served with some splashes of thin soya sauce and lemon …. lots of anti-inflammation stuff in it – it helps your immune sytem, has lots of liquid and warmth … usually you feel much better afterwards. All the best to you and get better.

  264. My kids love lemon chicken soup. Very delicious requires some work, but it’s my kids favorite sick soup.

  266. The flu is so bad. Hope you all get some good rest. We had it here but the hubs was way worse. The man is never still and he slept during the day for hours and hours. I kept checking on him to make sure he was breathing. Our go to is chicken and dumplings. Stuff a small chicken with celery and onion roast it. Pour off broth and remove fat. Get a big pot and pour in broth, add 2 to 4 cups of water, and one can low sodium chicken broth. Throw your de-boned chicken in and some celery and carrots. Cook for a few hours on low heat, adding water as it boils down. dumplings: 1/3 cup shortening, 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cut together till like cornmeal. Add 3/4 cups milk. Mix it till dough. Form little balls and drop into the chicken broth mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. It’s really good. Better the next day. Freezes well.

  267. Another super gloomy Sunday here in England.

    Unfortunately, I’ve never had a Mississippi roast, so I cannot say whether I like it. I’m more a tomato soup and grilled cheese person.

    Can anyone recommend a good book/series – something similar to books by Ilona Andrews/Jennifer Estep/Jessie Mihalik/Nalini Singh/Patricia Briggs? Thanks!

  268. barley-lentil stew.
    * 12 C broth, or water/bullion to taste
    * 1 pkg onion soup mix
    * garlic-either diced or chunked (be generous)
    * 2 C lentils
    * 1 C barley
    * at least 1/2 lb pre-browned sausage – either ground or sliced
    * chopped carrots
    * other veg and spices to taste. I like oregano and half of a sweet onion.

    Bring to a boil, dump, stir, turn down to low and barely simmer at least an hour or until stew is thick and lentils are tender. Stir occasionally.
    (this freezes well and makes great leftovers)

  270. Garlic grits for me. I use an entire head of garlic. Probably because I’m sick and can’t taste it otherwise.

  271. My go to recipe to make for a sick person is Homemade Chicken Noodle soup. I get a Rotisserie Chicken shred the meat into a mix of 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups chicken or turkey bone broth, 1 medium fine chopped onion, 2 or 3 finely diced carrots and celery, 2 cloves garlic dash of pepper and a bag of frozen Rames Noodles boil til noodles r cooked and serve with saltines and ginger ale or gatoraide. When I’m sick I just have chicken Ramen, lol!

  272. my favorite comfort soup is mulligatawny soup, basically a pot of bone broth or chicken broth w chicken, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, curry, cayenne, apple, rice n cream. just 8 minutes in the instant pot. n some salt as needed.

    I typically add whatever extra veggies n ginger i feel like. i.e. bok choy n water chestnuts or broccoli.

  273. There’s a good Moroccan chicken slow cooker recipe on allrecipes that has sweet potato chunks and some good spices. Chicken is three hours max in the slow cooker, you put in the boneless breasts, all the spices, and sweet potatoes (set and forget) and then pull apart the chicken and serve over rice. Yum!

  274. I start with tea — anything similar to Traditional Medicinals’ Ginger Aid tea to quiet an upset tummy, then chicken broth made from a lower-sodium broth base, like Better Than Bouillon® Roasted Chicken Base (Costco has the best price for a jar of bouillon base).

    I have to watch my salt intake these days, so if it’s not salty enough for your sickling, add a sprinkle of table salt.

    After I’m sure the broth will “stay down”, I add udon noodles to the broth. If that works out, the next is a little roasted chicken, or canned chicken breast meat, and chopped carrots — leave out any onion as it may upset a sensitive tummy.

    Saltine-style crackers and plain white bread, or dinner rolls, with or without butter, are good sides. (Avoid margarine… it can upset your tummy.)

    For dessert — your favorite flavored gelatin. (Okay, okay, it’s Jell-O®, but don’t get me in trouble with the food brand censor!)

    DRINK: Lots and lots of water, or mild herbal tea, with the occasional mild ginger ale soda pop, like Schweppes’ or Canada Dry ginger ale — other brands, like Barritts, Bundaberg or Trader Joe’s Ginger Beer are brewed too strong and spicy and may cause more irritation to your tummy. Stick with ginger ale as it is usually the milder of the two styles.

    SLEEP: If you can, get lots of rest. According to some AMA researchers, your gut is a “second brain” to your body and needs as much rest as the one between your ears.

    Cheers! And get well soon… need more books to read!

  275. When I’m sick, I barely eat, so don’t have a go to meal.

    For the Mississippi Roast, I learned it with a stick of butter instead of water, and 6-8 pickled peperoncini peppers, cooked all day in the crockpot on low.

  276. I made a big pot of chicken and rice soup for my friends this weekend. We were all at various stages of recovering from flu or Covid. No one was contagious anymore, but some people were still feeling tired or just tired of being cooped up in their houses alone. We laid around in our pajamas, ate soup, and talked the day away.

  277. Last week my best friend and her whole family got the flu. So I tried making a pot of borscht. It turned out okay but I’d love to get some experienced perspectives.

  280. Lipton’s Chicken soup. Its dehydrated so you can keep it in your “just in case” cupboard and use it when needed. The noodles are tiny, and the broth on the salty side. Good with 7-up or sprite. Oh, and with saltine crackers if the patient is beginning to tolerate solid food.

  281. I made your Mississippi roast but had to use flank steak instead of a roast so it didn’t fall apart but I added some fingerling potatoes and it was so yummy. It cooked in my baby crockpot all afternoon. Great recipe!!

  282. Pork loin, French soup dry mix, and beef broth to braise with chopped potatoes, baby carrots, and onions thrown in. Cover with foil. In oven at 400 degrees for an hour and a half.

  283. I understand. I just tested positive for COVID last Tuesday. It was hell. I’m on the mend, but yikes.
    I like congee. It’s a rice porridge. 1 cup rice, 8 cups water, favorite part of the chicken of your choice, chunk of ginger, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp salt. Slow cooker on high for 2 hours. Then finish it off overnight on low. It’s very bland but you can top it with anything. So warming and easy on the stomach.

  284. I make Civil War Citrus Tea for the sick. There’s an actual recipe, but I do it 4 parts black tea, two parts orange juice, one part pineapple juice, half a cinnamon stick, teaspoon vanilla, 5 whole cloves and three whole allspice, sweeten to taste. I sweeten it with brown sugar so it’s just this side of syrup.

    The name makes no sense, since I feel like neither oranges nor pineapples were plentiful during the civil war, but it’s the best thing if you have a chest cold.

  285. I hope everyone is on the mend. You deserve all the happiness for delivering this magical surprise. Magic Tides made me realize that it may be time for my 7th series re-read. I could not be happier to obsess over Kate and Curran again!

    I make matzoh ball soup, aka Jewish Penicillin for most ailments. Sometimes I will pick up homemade bone broth from my favorite authentic Chinese eatery. I will freeze it and keep it on hand for an illness. Then I use it as a shortcut and just add rotisserie chicken, carrots, onion and celery plus some bouquet garni for flavor. Its mostly homemade. Then I add the matzoh balls. Yum!

  286. My go to is to put chicken, either chicken breast or chicken thighs with skin on into a pot with uncle Ben’s wild rice, with the recommended amount of water and flavor. In the oven for 90 minutes at 325^ and dinner is ready. Or there’s always Dominoes.

  287. Go to cheer up meal is homemade tomato soup.
    Lots and lots of grated garlic and very finely chopped onion sauteed in butter, add a small tin of anchovy fillets, and stir till dissolved.
    Then add two kilos of chopped fresh tomatoes or two or three large cans of your favourite brand of tomatoes. Pulp any large pieces.
    Add orange juice to thin mixture if necessary.
    Cook for about ten minutes to combine flavours and season with grated pepper, a dusting of chili flakes, and a splash of lemon juice.
    Blitz to desired consistency, pureed or chunky, then serve with a dusting of fresh torn basil.
    This is high octane flavour with lots of acid edge to cut through the blahs!

    • Homemade Tomato Soup:
      Serve with lots of buttered toast, or cheesy garlic bread.

      Otherwise classic chicken soup.
      Really rich broth served with lovely chicken and ginger dumplings, and chopped chives.

  288. Golden vegetable soup (pumpkin, kumera, carrot, yellow/orange/red peppers) chopped finely and browned with diced onion and crushed garlic, then cover with chicken or vegetable stock, add cumin, turmeric & ginger (plus other warm spices according to your preference). Simmer for at least an hour or put in a slow cooker overnight. I always have some in the freezer

  289. Tried your Mississippi roast today — it was fabulous!!! And with the extra bonus that it made the house smell great with the lovely cooking smells (used a crock pot). Thanks!!!

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