Cartoon, My Buggy Life,

I just stole this cartoon from How To Geek as I thought it was so appropriate. No doubt they did too.

Sadly I have to report that our bug problem has NOT gone away. Sunday night/Monday morning I was bitten at least half a dozen times. We sprayed everything in sight in the hopes of eliminating the problem. Being a holiday of course nobody can get hold of anybody - the control people would say don't spray, but I am the one being bitten, not them. We had got as far as unpacking our china and glass but have decided to stop until we have some kind of response.

Because of these bugs, our foot nurse couldn't come to see us. Today I decided I had better cut my toe nails at least. I haven't done so since my hip operation some years ago. I ended up making myself bleed. Duuh. I knew my finger nails were brittle, hadn't appreciated that my toenails were too. Guess I should check up on what the cause is. I take Vitamin B7 which is supposed to help one's nails. Seems I might need something else.

No bowling either, because of the holiday. They cancel the league as they have lots of kids who want to bowl. OK for the kids but what about us league bowlers? Matt and I will, of course, be bowling on Tuesday this week.

Who doesn't like chicken soup. It is a real comfort food.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Cooking Light

Chicken noodle soup is probably the top comfort food of all time. You'll need to start a day ahead to prepare the tasty homemade broth. A serving of this soup provides about 200 micrograms of vitamin A, just shy of one-third of the RDA.

• Yield:8 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups soup)

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
6 cups water
1 1/3 cups chopped carrot
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons salt
8 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges (optional)
Coarsely cracked black pepper (optional)

Preparation


1. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Place chicken in a large Dutch oven. Add 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaves) to pan. Add 6 cups water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.

2. Remove chicken from pan; place chicken in a bowl. Chill 15 minutes. Discard skin; remove chicken from bones, discarding bones. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces; cover and chill. Strain broth mixture through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool broth mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours. Skim fat from surface; discard.

3. Add enough water to broth to equal 9 cups; place broth mixture in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 1/3 cups carrot, 1 1/4 cups onion, 1 cup celery, and salt to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add reserved chicken, and simmer 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add pasta to pan with chicken and broth mixture; stir in parsley, rind, and juice. Garnish each serving with lemon wedges and cracked black pepper, if desired.

Have a great day