Another Stuff Soup:

Winter is the time of year that I find myself scrutinizing the number on the bathroom scale when I stand on it. I have found that it matters not if I stand on it everyday or if I stand on it at random times or if I stand on it once a week, it always reports the same thing. A lot of food has gone into me and only a small amount did not stick to my skeleton.

I like to eat. I admit that. Debbie and I have been eating out more of late. Much of that is last week’s trip to Florida.

RFK jr. and the boys say I should eat more protein because I am older. His math reports 127 grams (4.5 oz.) per day. A handful of peanuts, I like roasted peanuts and I have roasted my own, contains about an ounce (28g) with about 170 kilo calories and 8g of protein.

The tasteless skinless gargantuan frozen chicken breasts I have in my freezer come in at 200 kilo calories and 38-ish grams of protein. This comment, “A standard 3.5-ounce (85g) raw breast has about 102 calories and 19g of protein” from Google’s AI made me laugh. The chicken breasts I have are much more robust than this assessment, so I cut them in half before freezing them. I have often wondered if the chickens that I have purchased were able to walk upright.

Chickpeas (46 kcal/3g) per 28g and beans (36 kcal/2.3g) of any kind are generally a good source of plant protein with the added benefit of fiber to fart with and feel full.

I detect some soup coming on. Chicken noodle soup with chickpeas and veggies. All of my home made soup recipes fall into the category of “stuff” soup, as in, find some stuff and make soup. Or empty the left over fresh veggies in the fridge into a pot and make soup. It is a remarkably easy process.

For this version:

• 3-4 oz. Chicken breast – skinless and uninteresting
• 12 oz. Can of peas and carrots – also uninteresting
• 12 oz. Can of chickpeas – leftover from a hummus experiment
• 32 oz. Box of chicken broth
• 10 oz. Bundle of Thai wheat noodles – from another cooking caper
• 1 tsp. cardamom – a great background spice for chickeny stuff
• 2 chicken bullion cubes
• salt and pepper as needed – taste it for this step (Do not burn your tongue!)

Dump the stuff – except the noodles – into a dutch oven or other suitable pot with a lid. Lid on. Thirty minutes or so to simmer after bringing to a low boil. Chop the chicken however you like it. After the thirty minutes toss in the bundle of Thai noodles (lid back on) and wait another ten minutes or so before tasting and adjusting the salt and spices. Leave the lid off and bring to a low simmering boil for twenty minutes or so.

Oranges are low in kilo calories and protein but I ate one while waiting for the soup to simmer to the end.

Lunch is ready. Crackers are good with this soup. Almost no protein in crackers.

Maybe I will stand on the scale tomorrow.

Carpe Diem.