I want to share with you a cake recipe that is so amazingly delicious, so incredibly easy, so personally affirming to those you make it for, that you will (no doubt about it) be making it for the rest of your life. No joke!, not after you make it once.

I’ve been thinking of writing to you about this cake for a while–first because I recently served it to my family (for the gazillionth time), in celebration of my son’s birthday (Ben), but what made me “have” to write about it was after seeing one of my daughters (Jessie), drive off with a hunk of leftover birthday cake to bring to a friend “just because” she knew it would bring this person real pleasure. Now, you might not think bringing a piece of cake to someone is so special…but, this is an “ice cream” cake and I don’t know what it’s like where you live but the traffic lights in my town take so long to turn that, even if this slice of cake arrived in a puddle, Jessie still felt confident the taste would be a special experience. Thus the reason I felt it was so important for you to know about this cake, because it’s so trusted to make people.

Now, wait a minute! Before you reach for your mouse, roll your eyes up and back, and click your way out of here, even people that claim to hate to cook and/or bake can still make this cake! Why?…

BECAUSE THERE IS NO COOKING OR BAKING INVOLVED!! (Well… maybe making the whipped cream, for the topping…but, you could even fudge your way out of doing that part, if you wanted to…I’ll tell you more later).

So, now that (I think) I have your full attention, here’s the step-by-step process of how to make this amazing “Celebration Ice Cream Cake “–in all it’s decadence…And I suggest reading through the entire process so you can understand fully what you will need (the tools and ingredients) to get this done in a way where everything flows. And, if you want to see me making this cake, take a look at the preview of the video here.

And, just to help you trust that there really is something valuable at the end of all of this, here’s a photo of the finished cake (before creating a personalized message on top).

By the way, this entire cake can be assembled weeks ahead and kept in the freezer…

Here is what you’ll need…

Since this is a “three-layer” cake, you’ll need three different types of ice cream (unless, of course, the person you’re celebrating ONLY likes one kind… (regardless, you’ll need 1 1/2 pints of ice cream per each layer, so purchase 6 pints for this cake).

As far as the brand or flavor of ice cream you choose..THIS is where the cake becomes personalized and can really “talk” to the “person of honor” –the one that you’re celebrating. So, pick the special person’s three favorite flavors (If you don’t know, then ask people who know them intimately… it’s fun.)

What you’ll need to separate the ice cream layers…

When purchasing the ice cream for “the person of honor,” also buy their favorite candy and cookies. This is what you’ll crush up and use to separate the ice cream flavors. You’ll need about 1 generous cup of crushed cookies and/or candy per layer…you’ll see what I mean soon).

For the whipped cream topping…

• You’ll need a pint of heavy-whipping cream, (preferably NOT ultra-pasteurized–you can tell by the date on the container. If the expiration date is any longer than 1 1/2 weeks (about 10 days), it’s been heated to retard spoilage. Although the longevity of cream is extended by the ultra-pasteurization process, some of the fresh flavor is sacrificed. It’s not a BIG deal, but if you can get really fresh cream, do it.
• You’ll also need granulated sugar and pure vanilla extract.
• If you don’t want to make the topping, you could use a storebought whipped topping, although–truthfully, since I never use it, I can’t vouch for the flavor or the staying power of the whipped consistency.

For the crust…

You need a 9-inch spring-form pan. (That’s a pan with a bottom disc with a removable sides, that gets tightened into place (or released), simply by flipping a tab. You’ll need a box of chocolate wafer cookies and a stick of unsalted butter.

OK, let’s put this cake together…

To make the crust, take the cookies (the whole box) and pulverize them in the food processor, fitted with the steel blade. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl. Melt a stick of unsalted butter and pour this over the crumbs (yes, use all of the butter). Use a fork to combine the crumbs…(So far, so good?)

Then, just press a thin, even layer of moistened crumbs on the bottom and up the sides of pan. If crumbs fall to the bottom, just pick them back up and remind them who’s in charge (press firmly!).

Once the crust is fully assembled, place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Lay a piece of plastic wrap lightly over the top of the pan and stick the pan, on it’s tray, into the freezer.

Here’s a picture of the crust fully assembled, chilled and ready to receive the layered fillings.

The inside of the crust doesn’t need to be beautiful, you just want it to cover the bottom and sides. It’s important to coat the sides well (no holes), since the sides will be visible when you unleash the sides, to un-mold the finished cake.

Then, stick the pan in the freezer for a few minutes, just so the crust becomes cold, which will help the crumbs to stay in place while you assemble the cake. Now, is the right time to take your ice cream out of the freezer, to become softened. Now is also when you should crush your cookies and candies to use in between the layers of ice cream (doing things in this order gives you something “to do” while the ice cream is softening…)

The flavors you see are NOT important...What IS important is that you pick the ones that reflect the preferences of the one you're celebrating. The softening process only takes about 20 minutes (depending on how frozen the ice cream was to begin with). Don't go overboard here, you want to be able to spread the ice cream, not pour it...So, when the crust is cold and the ice cream is spreadable...Here we go!...Plop about 1 1/2 pints (about 3 cups) of softened ice cream into the chilled crust...

Spread the ice cream out into an even layer…

Cover the first layer of ice cream with one of the two types of crushed cookies or candy…

Here are crushed Oreo cookies covering the first layer of ice cream (sometimes I use fudge-covered Oreos) but, again, this is not about me, it’s about YOU or whoever you’re making this cake for.

Now, plop the second flavor of ice cream on top of the crushed cookies…

And spread it out into an even layer…

Ice cream layer number two...

Sprinkle the remaining type of crushed cookie or candy over the ice cream…

Crushed Butterfinger candy bars are covering the second layer of ice cream.

Now (believe it or not), on goes the third type of ice cream…

And it’s spread out on top of the crushed candy…

Ice cream layer number three.

Now, place the cake (on the wax-paper lined tray) back into the freezer so it can firm up. Once firm, lay a sheet of wax paper over the top and let it get frozen solid so it won’t melt while applying the whipped cream topping.

The assembled cake, covered with wax paper (in the freezer).

About the timing: The above process can be done WAY ahead and kept frozen until you want to apply the whipped cream topping (which can be done up to 2 weeks ahead–actually longer, but you want to protect (and preserve) the flavor of the cream…

Here’s how to make the whipped cream topping…

• First, you want to freeze the bowl to your electric mixer, along with the whip attachment. (Of course, you could whip the cream by hand, with a balloon whisk, but I promised you that this cake required almost no muscle to put together, and I meant it). OK, back to the whipped cream.
• Pour 2 cups of very chilled, best-quality heavy cream
• Anyway, put your chilled cream into a chilled bowl and beat it with a chilled whip until it begins to thicken. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (there are many variations of this, but this is the classic way to flavor whipped cream and it’s the way everyone loves it…and it’s the way I make it for this cake (always).
• Continue whipping (over high speed) until the cream forms firm peaks–be careful, here. Once the cream thickens substantially, you can overbeat it (especially if using a high-powered machine). So, it’s best to stop a couple of times toward the end, so you can check the peaks. Once you go to far, you won’t be able to spread it easily on a cake, but don’t throw it out (just keep on whipping until completely broken, to create homemade butter for your morning toast!…) Of course, you’ll need to begin again, to make a topping for the cake.

Here’s what whipped cream should look like when it’s ready…

Perfect whipped cream...firm but still soft enough to swoop.

Now you’re ready to apply the whipped cream topping to the frozen ice cream cake. But first, cover the bowl of whipped cream, stick it in the fridge and set up to use part of the whipped cream for piping on a border, which will happen after you’ve applied a smooth layer to the top of the assembled, frozen cake.

Here’s how to set up to fill a pastry bag …Oh, I didn’t tell you …You’ll need a pastry bag, but nothing fancy. Go to the supermarket and you’ll find a box of disposable bags with a set of four tips. This is perfect. Put the star tip inside of one bag, tip down, so the tip drops down and sticks out of the hole at the bottom of the bag.

Now, take a tall drinking glass and put the bag, tip down, in the glass. Cuff the top two inches or so over the rim of the glass and open the interior of the bag.

Looks like this…

The pastry bag is now ready to receive the whipped cream...

Before you fill the pastry bag, apply the whipped cream to the top of the cake, like this:

Now spread it out in a smooth layer and wipe off the rim.

Fill the pastry bag 2/3 to 3/4 full (while it’s positioned in the glass), then remove the bag, unfold the cuffed portion of the bag so it’s straight, push down the whipped cream and twist the bag shut (so the twisted portion is flush where the whipped cream ends).

Now pipe a border of whipped cream around the rim of the cake. (You can do this more than once, going in toward the center) re-filling the bag as needed).

Once you’re done with the border, place the cake into the freezer (uncovered) so the topping can firm up.

How to store the leftover whipped cream: Open the pastry bag and put any leftover whipped cream into the bag. Secure the top shut with at twisty. Place the filled pastry bag back into the glass (standing tip down) and stick this in the fridge… So, now you have ready-made whipped cream, to use as you wish…Hot chocolate is a great place to start!

Then, once firm, decorate the border as you wish, using candies and/or miniature cookies. I often use M & Ms (plain or peanut-filled)…

When using a variety of color candy, to have the colors repeat in a uniform order, set up a pattern next to your work surface. That way you can continually refer to it.

Setting this up (like above) helps you to move quickly when wanting to apply colorful decorations in a uniform way (so you don’t melt the topping!). After applying your decorations, freeze the cake (uncovered) until firm, then cover lightly with plastic wrap.

Then, if wanting to write personal, celebratory message on the top of the cake, do so with writing gel (you’ll find it near the disposable pastry bag, in the supermarket). I suggest waiting to write the message until the day of serving. To cover a cake with gel-writing on the top, stick several toothpicks around the cake (around the rim) and loosely cover with plastic wrap. The toothpicks will keep the plastic off the gel. If writing your message on the day of serving, freeze the cake uncovered.

To unmold the cake: Remove the cake from the freezer and place a hot, rung-out kitchen towel around the outside of the spring-form pan (especially on the latch that secures the pan shut). While securing the cake (under the bottom) with your nonworking hand, use your working hand to unlatch the outer rim and ease it off the sides of the cake. Encourage the outer ring to fall down over your nonworking hand, so the cake will now be free of the sides and will be sitting on the bottom disc. Transfer the cake back to the freezer until ready to present, slice and serve.

Let the assembled cake sit out of the freezer, on it’s platter, for 15 to 30 minutes before presenting and slicing. (The timing here will depend largely on the temperature of the room and on how frozen the cake was to start.

Do I really need to tell you how good this tastes?

A Note From Me to You: I’ve personally made this cake countless times for my family and friends, as a way to celebrate them and to convey my love for them. As a result, this cake has taken on a ritualistic quality that’s anticipated, cherished and trusted to bring pleasure to those who are the closest to me. It also has given me a whimsical way to convey interpersonal understanding.

I’d like to share with you something I found laying on the shelf of my freezer, a few weeks before my son’s 27th birthday …

This note (above) was strategically written by Ben and left in the freezer, so I would know his “current” three favorite flavors of ice cream. Although you might think “bummer, now the cake isn’t a surprise”…that’ s not how I felt, at all. To me, this note (in itself) is a cause for celebration because it tells me that he fully understands why I make this cake. That the annual reenactment of this exchange is to purposely celebrate all of my children, individually–in a way that speaks to them personally, by addressing who they are NOW.

The Point: Regardless of the occasion or the age of the person being celebrated, this cake promises to drive the feeling of devotion directly to their core– While everyone else at the table gets to come happily along for the ride! And, if you start now, you can make it a yearly (and beyond delicious) tradition. Trust me, you won’t be sorry.

A reminder: If you want to see me making this cake (with detailed piping instructions), take a look at the preview of the video here. And, for a formally written and printable recipe, click here.

Tags: birthday cake, birthday cake recipe, celebration cake, how to fill a pastry bag, how to make an ice cream cake, how to make the best birthday cake, how to make whipped cream, how to use a springform pan, ice cream cake recipe, whipped cream

I’m baackkk!! The flu finally left (good riddens…) and I am back, feeling as feisty as ever. While sick, I would collect articles from the newspaper–stories that would normally rile me up to take a stand, but I was too sick to type about it. Oh, I’ve been collecting articles for years; first, for my weekly talk-radio show “Food, Family and Home Matters” and then for the self-mastery course I teach in jail (on Rikers Island), to adolescent guys and girls.

Regardless of the audience, the reason for clipping and collecting articles was (and is) always to help highlight timely issues that I feel are pertinent and able to be used to drive home a point.

This past week, I cut out an article that made me think about what it means to really love someone; specifically a parent and child.

Although I’ve tried to turn away from reading about the plight of Lindsay Lohan, I will admit that I finally succumbed and read the most recent article all about Lindsay and her father. The article was all about how Michael Lohan, hoping that his daughter would finally get help with her well-documented (public and private) self-destructive choices, he apparently taped conversations with her and made them public. He says he did this because he felt this was the only viable way to keep her from slipping away forever. Lindsay, of course, became crazed by this, flinging all sorts of insults and accusations at her father in addition to filing for a legal restraining order and also to try to prevent her father from speaking about Lindsay in public.

Here’s my take...

Lindsay Lohan is clearly emotionally damaged and has become both a public and private mess. She’s stuck (like standing in quick-sand) in a blaming, victim-mentality that she uses to fuel her dangerously self-sabotaging behavior. And, although, I will admit, it might be hard to take when a father reveals something private about a child to the public–But, when a parent in this kind of situation needs to make a choice–after understanding the severity of the problem (and the possible consequences involved) –Is he (any parent) really supposed to care if a kid feels betrayed? Put another way–would you ask a person (anyone) what color life jacket they would prefer when you find them gurgling in dark, turbulent water??

I’ll tell you this: As a parent, I would do anything to help save my children– even if doing so made them so angry that they would never see or speak to me again. To me, that’s real love.

The act of showing love (especially by a parent to a child) isn’t always pretty or neat or about chocolate and roses but it IS about having an unwavering commitment to “do” the things that embody the authentic essence of honest devotion.

Lindsay’s problems are public because she, in her everyday choices, has become the major force in creating her own realtiy–And, although her sense of self (or lack-there-of) is the result of a culmination of many historic events and relationships she, as a “now adult,” holds the power to make daily, moment to moment choices. If these choices prove life-threatening, then those around her have the right and the obligation to help her to help herself.

No matter what flaws Michael Lohan had or has, as a person and/or as a father, he’s obviously had a wake-up call and sees that that the only way to get his daughter to understand the severity (and potentially catastrophic consequences) of her actions is to play ball in the way (and place) that will hopefully get her attention–which seems to be in a public arena.

And, you know what? Even if his motivations were from a neurotic, self-serving place, it doesn’t matter because the only thing that does matter is that Lindsay gets the help to hopefully find her way back. In the end, it will all be her choice.

The Point: With all the (VERY) public evidence of what can happen to a person when deeply involved with drugs, it’s a parent’s right to do what they can to help save their child. No matter what.

Tags: Lindsay Lohan, Michael Lohan, parenting children on drug use, teenage drug use

I have the flu. (Boo-hoo.) I was going to make my son’s birthday dinner this weekend, but I’m just too sick. OHHH, I get so mad when I’m too tired to cook– (OK, so I’ve decided to let you see the over-achiever in me because I’m just too sick to hold it back and play nice). I had it all planned… I was going to make Ben’s favorites!

Oh well–I guess there’s always next weekend.

Since last Monday, here are the three highlights of my cooking and eating experiences ….All of which, by the way, are nothing to sneeze at.

Ta-dahhh…

Ginger-Garlic-Red Pepper Tea: This is AMAZING!! Just put peeled, minced fresh ginger (use more than you think you should) into a pot and add a couple of cloves of minced garlic (use way more ginger than garlic, but don’t be afraid of the garlic, it’s surprisingly delicious in this drink–just be light-handed). Then, cover generously with cold water (Figure about 3 generous tablespoons minced ginger with 2 small cloves garlic and 3 to 3 1/2 cups of water, for a couple of large mugs. You can evenutally increase the ginger (and even the garlic–albeit in small increments), as you continue to make this drink … Having said this, although really delicious (and healthy), you should know that too much garlic,especially for the uninitiated, could give you a sore stomach. Add a nice squeeze of fresh lemon (one good wedge–don’t go overboard here). After squeezing, drop the lemon wedge into the pot and bring the water to a boil, uncovered. Turn the heat down to low and add a shot of cayenne pepper. (Again, start easy … if you can take it, add a bit more the next time around–Sheesh, I’m SUCH a mother!). Simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, then strain (through a fine-mesh sieve) into a mug (or a few), pressing on the solids to capture more of their flavor, and sweeten to taste with honey. Then just slowly chug-a-lug. (This is VERY good for you (and me)!

And…

A big-fat mug of piping hot chicken stock …

Do you notice the dark, gorgeous color of this chicken stock? This indicates an extra savory flavor and it's because of a deliberate move on my part. (READ ON!)

Now, trust me, this is not just any brew. It’s one of the most healing things a person with a cold or flu (or a sad heart) can drink.

Funny…my daughter, Jessie, told me that she told her friend that I had the flu and her friend said “Oh no…who’s going to make Lauren chicken soup??” Actually, it’s not so funny, since I know that many of you who are reading this wouldn’t do what I do (for myself) when sick.

Soooo, here I go, on my soap box about the virtues of always having chicken stock in your freezer…

This is so important because it’s precisely when someone in a household is feeling lousy that chicken stock is so valuable–Yet sometimes we’re just too busy (or sick!) to be able to drop everything (or even stand up, for that matter) and put up a vat of stock… and then strain and chill it..and then wait for the fat to rise …and then, after removing all the fat, to finally have something worthy of you and your family–especially when feeling ill–which is, pure chicken stock or, as I usually refer to it “liquid gold.”

The point is, that if you don’t have chicken stock on hand–then, when you realize that you or someone you love could really use it (by the time you finally get it) the person “in need” is out of luck!

So, although sometimes we just can’t make stock (on a given day) that doesn’t mean that we can’t choose to use some of the time that we DO have to take care of those busy, perhaps extra-needy days (and nights) ahead.

Take me, for instance…I’m sick. So, I could either lay in the bed and die or I could resort to slurping something from a can or I can do what I did– I went to my freezer and, in addition to thawing some stock to drink straight as a healing brew I created my third masterpiece of the week.

Chicken soup with assorted vegetables, over egg noodles...

Although certainly not a “birthday dinner,” this meal made me as happy as anyone can be, whether or not feeling miserable with a cold/flu.

So, take it from one who knows…whether you’re really busy or feeling lousy, homemade chicken vegetable soup, served over a bed of freshly cooked egg noodles is not only incredibly soothing but it’s equally doable– If you’ve set up correctly ahead of time.

So, let’s get down to business.

First: You need to have tubs of de-fatted chicken stock in your freezer.

I keep containers of all sizes in the freezer, but the most user-friendly capacity seems to be quart-size.

Oh, by the way… you can see me doing this (the entire process of making stock, removing the fat, etc.) in an on-line video, or in my DVD series and it’s also in my cookbook and there’s also a formally written recipe in the Great Recipes section of this website. I’ve also done a video on how to do this exact procedure when you need to take a short-cut AND how to simultaneously replenish your stock supply! (Now, you must admit, I get an “A” for effort…)

Second: Although it’s not a big deal to prep a few fresh vegetables, when really busy or when you’re sick as a dog (but want to eat well) it’s a great help to have some cut up aromatic vegetables stored in the freezer, in a doubled-freezer bag.

Vegetables like these…

Cleaned, trimmed and cut up yellow onions, carrots, celery, leeks are all perfect for putting together a quick pot of soup...

Avoid pungent vegetables like cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Their flavor is way too bossy for this. And, make sure to dry your prepped vegetables well since overly wet pieces will likely develop ice crystals in the freezer which can adversely affect flavor and texture. Doubling the bag also helps the vegetables to maintain integrity.

I also usually have cleaned fresh spinach in the refrigerator…

After cleaning and spinning the leaves dry, I wrap them in paper towels and then place them (still wrapped in the paper) in the refrigerator in a sealed heavy-duty plastic bag.

I also always have frozen peas and I usually have some sliced mushrooms in the fridge (buttons, creminis, shiitakes … any or all of them–they’re equally great.)

So now that we’ve covered the vegetables…

Put the frozen stock into a pot…

Frozen chicken stock being thawed and brought to a boil, over direct heat...

Here's that same chicken stock coming to a boil...

OK, OK don’t give up now, just because you don’t have chicken stock, spinach, mushrooms (blah, blah) in the house…You can plan ahead for next time! For now, you can just make a broth with cut up vegetables (onions, carrots, celery and leeks). Just cover them with cold water (add some Italian parsley (not chopped– after rinsing, just throw in the whole bunch-stems and all), maybe a few thyme sprigs and some crushed garlic) and then bring the liquid to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours). Strain out and discard the solids. You now have a clear, delicious vegetable broth to become the base of your soup!)

Now…If you want poached chicken in your vegetable soup, that’s great (you must not be that sick)…

Although technically, you could simmer the chicken along with the vegetables (like when making stock) but, because this is for soup NOT stock, things are different. This is because, when making stock, maintaining the texture of the chicken is much less important than coaxing every drop of flavor from the bird, the bones, the vegetables (from everything in the pot)–that’s the real goal. So, by the time the chicken has offered all of it’s goodness, the vegetables will be overcooked and there would also be all this rendered chicken fat in the broth — not exactly the healthiest way to go. So, the best thing to do is to gently poach the chicken in one pot and make the soup (using thawed, de-fatted chicken stock or strained vegetable broth) in another.

Here’s how: Take a whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds) that’s been halved and rinsed well. (Also, while at the market, as an optional–and extremely flavorful– addition, purchase some bony backs, necks and/or wings and, after rinsing and drying, keep them separate, for now). Put the halved chicken in a 6-quart pot with some of the same kind of vegetables (carrots, onions, leeks and celery) and cover all the solids with cold water. Add some whole black peppercorns and Italian parsley and bring the liquid to a boil, over high heat. Just as the water comes up to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes (make sure the liquid is gently simmering before you start timing). Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Uncover the pot and allow the solids to settle down for 15 minutes, then remove the chicken and allow it to become cool enough to handle. (Leave the pot used to poach the chicken (with the liquid and vegetables) on the stove, on a turned off burner, for now.)

Meanwhile, (back to this optional (and extremely flavorful) step), while simmering the chicken, preheat the oven to 450F. Lay the backs, necks and wings and gizzards on a shallow baking sheet and scatter some coarsely cut up yellow onions over and around the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper and place the sheet into the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Like this…

So, here’s my “pep talk” for choosing to include this step:Browned bony poultry pieces (from chicken and/or turkey) gives an enormous boost to the color, savory flavor and texture of the finished stock. The next time you roast a chicken, after carving off the meat, you can stick the carcass into the fridge (or freeze it) to use as your “browned” component in your next pot of stock. The poultry pieces featured in the photo above are turkey necks mixed with chicken backs…both of which lend real character to a pot of stock. The point I want to stress is that regardless of the type of poultry used, once you brown them with onions and then add this to the pot, your finished stock will be greatly enhanced.

OK, back to the poached chicken, if using…

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the skin and bones. Cut or tear the meat into bit-size pieces and put them aside, for now.

Poached chicken, ready to be added to a pot of soup (also great for chicken salad!)

Place the skin and bones back into the original poaching pot (now is also the time to add your browned pieces and any stray raw backs, necks or gizzards from the freezer. (Every time I bring home a raw bird, after cleaning it, I always freeze the neck and gizzard. That way, I always have some frozen “parts” to use to embellish a pot of stock…Just drop them in, frozen.) Oh…and I don’t include the liver here–they make stock cloudy and cause a bitterish taste–although totally delish when seared to perfection…but that’s another blog, entirely).

If you’ve browned bony pieces, after adding them to the pot, degalze the pan by adding water to the baking sheet and placing it over direct heat (on the stove).

As the water bubbles up, use the flat-edge of a spatula (preferably wooden) to dislodge any caramelized bits of poultry and onions). Scrape all this goodness into the pot. Bring the liquid back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another hour or two, with the cover slightly ajar. You can add more vegetables (fresh or from your freezer bag) to the pot, if they can fit (or you can always transfer things to a bigger pot…). At this point, you are now making stock…to be used in the future, for whatever purpose you wish.

As you simmer, use a fine-mesh skimmer to remove any scum that rises to the surface…

Above is a small pot of stock, being made after poaching chicken to use for soup…

Here’s a bigger pot of stock, simmering and being skimmed…

This grayish substance is just some impurities from the bones being released. Not harmful, just not appetizing...

Here’s what a skimmer looks like…

A new small batch of chicken stock that's about to leave the stove...

Here are two big pots of stock, ready to be removed from the stove (obviously, this is done on a day when you're NOT busy or sick...but doing this will make those types of days much more healing...

Now, all you need to do is to let the broth cool a bit, then strain it, discard the solids, chill the liquid and (after 24 to 48 hours) remove the fat. So, now, you’ve not only just poached your chicken for your soup but you’ve also helped to replenish your stock supply! Stick it in the freezer for the next time you need it bad…

Which is how we began (remember??)

A brief recap, so you remember what we’ve done, so far…

So, if you had chicken stock in your freezer, you now have it thawed in a pot. If not, you’ve got an assortment of cut up vegetables (either freshly done or from your stash in the freezer) and used them to make a vegetable broth and to poach chicken, to use in your soup (the addition of poached chicken is an optional step). If you’ve poached chicken, you now have the cooked meat in one bowl and you’ve used the skin and bones to enrich the broth used to originally poach the bird. If you’ve got some roasted poultry parts (with onions), you’ll add them to the poaching pot (along with the deglazing liquid), when adding the skin and bones. After simmering, you’ll strain and discard the solids, chill the broth, spoon off the fat (which is when the liquid is finally deemed “gold”) and freeze. Don’t season–not until you’ve decided how you’ll be using the stock.

Oh, and you can freeze the rendered fat to use when wanting to make authentic versions of ethnic dishes like chopped chicken liver and matzo balls.

Now, here’s how to make soup…(Which, if you’ve set yourself up correctly, is really quite simple, despite the gargantuan length of this blog…)

If you have the time (and strength), cut up some fresh vegetables (the same ones used to make the broth). Or, if too sick (or too busy), just use more of the vegetables that were frozen.

You now have two choices:

First (my personal preference): Melt some butter in a saucepan and, when hot and bubbling, add the mixed vegetables to the butter. Saute the vegetable just until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes, uncovered. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Or…
Leave out the butter and just add the vegetables directly to the simmering stock (or vegetable broth).

Bring the liquid to a brisk bubble, then reduce the heat to low and, if you’ve got them, add a handful of grape tomatoes (whole) and simmer, covered, just until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and add the cooked chicken meat (if using) and some thawed frozen peas (the best way to thaw peas is to submerge them in a bowl of cold water (not hot water). Hot water tends to leave peas puckered looking… (See, it pays to keep reading long blogs. You get these little juicy tid-bits of info!).

When hot throughout, turn off the heat and add a BIG handful of cleaned fresh spinach (use two handfuls, if dainty) and allow the leaves to wilt,which happens almost immediately. (The best time to add the spinach is right before you’d like to serve so, if wanting to serve later, wait with the spinach until you’ve reheated the soup until piping hot. If serving leftovers, add more spinach–again, once the soup is hot.) Chicken soup should be well-seasoned, and now is the time to do it.

To serve: Eat this soup very hot either “as is” or over a bed of cooked egg noodles or rice …or, if you’re up to it, a light and tender matzo ball couldn’t hurt! (By the way, matzo balls freeze really well…just plop them into a tub, filled with chicken stock and leftovers can freeze in the finished chicken soup). Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat very gently.)

The point of all of this (from me to you): Although we might grow up and leave our parents home, that doesn’t mean that we, as adults, don’t still need to feel nurtured. We just have to do it ourselves. And, if you’re a parent who wants to feel able to, at whim, provide an extremely healing environment for your kids (while also setting a positive “self-nurturing” example), taking the time (making the time) to do things like prepping fresh vegetables and making stock, in advance, are two great ways to help –especially when you or somebody you love is needy. OK, I’m going back to bed now.

But first….

A little lunch....

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