So you want some chicken soup.....

I'll make this a short post, but I have been feeling under the weather the past few days with a summer cold.  Being pregnant as many of you know the doctor doesn't want you to take a lot of medicine, just drink fluids and get rest.  So after two days of hot tea with honey and resting when i can, a little saline spray in my nose and some vicks on my feet and chest at night I decided it would be  a good idea to make a big pot of grandma soup!  In my house growing up this was always a way to make you feel better when sick, warm on a cold winter day or just because it was yummy!  

As i have mentioned before when you see something in China you should buy it because you never know if you will see or find it again when it comes to food.  This may not hold true for a frozen chicken but I wasn't sure so when i saw them frozen at the store I purchased two thinking ahead in case one of us was to get sick.  I bought two "frozen spring chickens" as the package said in English and placed them in my freezer.  The packaging while I didn't take a photo looked something like this.



I pulled out the large pot I purchased at Ikea for such a necessary occasion and added some water, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper and my chickens.  Thinking nothing of it I boiled them for over an hour while the amazing smell filled the house!  After boiling they needed to come out to pull apart then place back in the soup and add vegetables and seasoning.  What to my wondering eyes should appear....NO not miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer...but two chickens with the head, feet, and all the insides still attached!!!  AHHHHHHHHH.  OMG OMG OMG!  I can't believe this I just boiled two WHOLE chickens, I cooked them, and now they are laying on my counter....I couldn't take it, I left the chicken on the counter and walked out of the kitchen.  Now don't get me wrong, I understand that when I eat any type of chicken it was at one time a live animal with a head and feet and guts, but I don't usually have to admit that to myself while cooking it. (And no i did not notice this when i put it in the pot, I took them straight from the freezer, cup open the package and plopped them in the boiling water, the head and feet must have been tucked in.)

So......I waited about 15 minutes and it was noon, my Ayi would arrive.  This is very normal in China, you buy a live chicken, have it plucked, eat the feet, and maybe leave the head I am not sure about that one.....she wouldn't mind doing the dirty work for me. :)  When she arrived I typed into my phone translator "I need your help, the head and feet are still on the chicken and i only need the white and dark meat."  She giggled a little and then with no hesitation went into the kitchen and cleaned up my chicken mess leaving me with just what I had asked for and discarding the rest.  Whew!  What a relief now I can go about making my delicious and nutritious remedy!

Now my soup is cooking with the shredded chicken, vegetables and seasoning and I am waiting for it to make me feel better.

I hope this gave everyone a laugh today, I spoke to my parents right after and they found this to be hilarious. Welcome to China....