On the Mend: Mushroom Soup Gratinée

Today marks three weeks since I've been sick as a dog, and I finally, finally feel like my old self, minus a bit of a dry cough at night and the odd sniffle.  But, I feel about 97.66% normal.  Fist pumping the air, as we speak.  I'm still trying to take it easy, and will continue on my strong Vitamin game, as well as oil of oregano, and my handy dandy neti pot.  I've also been drinking this little elixir I've been making with powdered reishi and chaga mushrooms.  There's a store in our Farmers' Market which has all sorts of health products, and mushrooms, especially these two, are known for their strong anti-viral properties.  I just stir the powder into hot water and drink up.  It certainly has helped kick the virus' butt.  Yay mushrooms!

A New Year and Chicken Noodle Soup

Happy new year, friends.  I hope so far 2017 is treating you well.  It's always hard going back to work/school/routine after the holidays.  I already miss those Baileys in the coffee mornings, the guilt-free chomping on Toblerone (it's the holidays!), and the merry-making.  Christmas chez Renée was super fun.  My lovely mom helped me make dinner on Christmas Eve, where my handsome beau was also an attendee.  My tiny dining room was all aglow in candlelight and the food, well, the food was delicious.  For future reference, if you don't already brine your turkey, I highly recommend you do so.  So flavourful!  So juicy!  My mom and I both swear it's the best turkey we ever tasted.  And that counts the year that she wrapped the bird in bacon.  Afterwards, we opened gifts and the cats had the best time in the boxes and wrapping paper.  So easy to please those furkids.  New Years was quiet, just me and the guy.   Movies and homemade pizza.  Cuddles and champagne wishes/kisses.  New Years Day we went for a long walk in the cold, though popped into a fancy hotel for boozy hot chocolates halfway through.  Time spent with your perfect person is really the best gift.  And then I got sick.