Chicken Shiitake and Wild Rice Soup

Not that anyone noticed or cared (except my mom), but I haven't been on my blog since March 26.  That was almost 3 weeks ago.  It feel like it's been longer.  To be honest, I haven't had the desire to do anything related to it, even contemplated deleting it.
Why?
Maybe it's the nicer weather.   Maybe it's the end of the school year and I am tired.  Maybe it's getting darker later and we, like so many other people, have managed to pack even more things into the day.  It's been an emotional season of life for us, so maybe that it.  Maybe it's just a combination of everything.
I know I started a series with the hopes it would force me to be more consistent with blogging, but it didn't.  I'm going to commit a blogging sin and ditch the bread series.  I will still post the main bread recipe (because it is oh.so.good), but I won't be making the rest. Sorry.  If I ever bake the rest, I will post them.

My thoughts are everywhere, on so many things, with no real rhyme, reason, or organization.  Okay, within reason, but they are just all jumbled up.  I'm not even going to start to try and write them out.  One day soon.

In the meantime, here is a recipe for ya.  We loved it, it's healthy, and it cost very little to make.  Story of my life.

Shiitake has two i's.  I made the mistake of putting in one and then saved it wrong and couldn't go back and change it.  I pasted in another I.  Can you tell?  Deal with it.

You can use any pre-cooked chicken and broth you like, but I put a whole chicken in the crock pot while I was at work and took the meat off when I got home.  I love to use whole chickens for soups or meals with shredded meat.  For some reason, it pains me to use whole skinless, boneless breasts that are so pretty when whole.  I always discard any fat or skin.  I used the chicken stock I made and froze a few weeks ago as my broth (those bones from this chicken are making more stock as we speak!).  Instead of wild rice, I used regular brown rice I had on hand.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbsp flour
• 8 cups (64 oz) fat free low sodium chicken broth (stock)
• 1 cup water
• 2 chopped carrots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 cups chicken
• 1.5 cups Wild Rice Blend (I used Brown!)
• 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced (I used button.  You won't know the diff)
• 2 tbsp light sour cream
• salt and fresh pepper

Directions

• Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat, add onion and saute until soft nut not browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and saute another minute.
• Add chicken broth, water, carrots, garlic, celery, and chicken, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add rice, mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste and simmer on low, covered 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add sour cream and more water if too thick, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yum.  We dipped some whole-wheat multi grain Pita bread in it and devoured.  Perfect on a rainy spring night.