Phew……I made it out alive folks! Last week the storm of the flu took this house down and I managed to remain unscathed and healthy. This is now the second time this year a virus has hit the family and I slid right past it. I thanked my lucky stars for my sturdy immune system seeing me through because when all of us go down at the same time , it’s utter chaos. I was able to devote my time to bringing everyone back to life with big pots of chicken soup, and lots of mama love.
I received a couple of beautiful messages after I sent last week’s note out about being in the eye of the storm and taking a little break from the weekly newsletter. The responses that I received let me know that there is no need to apologize for my family being sick and taking a break from work to care for them. I appreciate these words and needed the reminder. We are ALLOWED and SHOULD prioritize our well-being and our family’s care. What is crazy is, the old me would’ve powered through and made it happen on little sleep and by all means necessary. With age comes the gorgeous gift of wisdom, and one thing I’ve learned is you can’t do it all and in fact when you stop believing you should or have to, you are rewarded. Our spirits and bodies give us little messages all the time, and we shouldn’t send them to voicemail. Being a yes to life is awesome but the power of no or “not now” is tremendous too.
What are you favorite self-care practices that have shifted your life and your well-being?
Last week, I had the idea to make a comforting chicken and rice dish. We were over the chicken soup, but I had a good amount of chicken stock leftover that I needed to use. I looked on the counter and saw 4 lemons and got to work and came up with this one pot dish that is so nourishing, comforting and best of all simple. If you don’t eat meat you can sub chickpeas for the chicken and it will be super delicious.
Greek-ish Chicken and Rice has been born out of a need for something warm that uses broth and has enough protein to be substantial. I would serve this with roasted asparagus, which can go right in the oven with the pot or a lovely green salad. The kids enjoyed it and it made enough for leftovers which is always so helpful during busy weeks where you don’t even have the bandwidth to think about what to cook. I had some fresh dill and parsley in my fridge but don’t fret if you don’t. It’s a nice bowl of cozy comfort to enjoy.
If a one-pot dish is up your alley, check out this Chicken Burrito Bake or the One Pan Pumpkin and Kale Lasagna.
Greek-Ish Chicken and Rice
By Lisette Bustamante
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
For the marinade:
1.5-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-2 in pieces
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