Overacheiver

At the present moment:

A quick or "dump" cake is in the oven, filling the house with the smell of chocolate goodness.

A huge pot of chicken with wild rice soup is simmering on the stove.

Laundry load one of two is at the spin cycle.

The cooking/baking prep dishes are done.

I'm about to go back to the French lesson I quit to do the food prep.

Never mind that four of the five items above should have been done much earlier this weekend. I fully plan to fall into a coma in front of the television tonight, but only after the dinner dishes are done, lunch is packed and clothes sorted out for tomorrow.

After a weekend of nothing much, my energy suddenly (and temporarily, I think) came back. I met a friend for coffee, dropped some DVD's at another friends and sorted recipes and quilt magazine pull outs this afternoon. Truth to tell, I'm avoiding real cleaning.

The chicken with wild rice recipe is fairly easy, if you happen to have both leftover chicken and already cooked wild rice. It's pretty bland, but you can spice it up any way you'd like.

Chicken with Wild Rice Soup

6 Tbs butter or margarine
1 Tbs finely diced onion
1/2 cup flour

Melt butter in large pot. Add onion and cook a couple of minutes, until onion is translucent. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for a minute or two. This takes the raw edge off of the flour.

Add:
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, simmer and stir several minutes until thickened (this happens quickly, and it will be quite thick).

Add:
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
2 cups cooked wild rice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can evaporated milk (or evaporated skim milk-tastes the same either way)

Optional add ins:
Grated carrots
Mushrooms
Celery (add with onions to soften)

Heat just to serving temperature - do not boil after adding milk.