Taste of Italy Soup

Ahhhh, soup, how my soul loves thee.  Seriously, what is better that the little wafts of steam that come off of a hot bowl of soup?  Or the soothing warmth soaking into your fingers when you wrap your hands around a mug of savory goodness?  I don't know about you guys, but for me, soup/stew is the ultimate cuddley feel-happy-to-be-alive comfort food.

And thankfully, even when you're eating in the box, you can have this supremely blissful feeling.  And it's so darn easy!  (And I'm easing back into this blog thing with a simple recipe...but hey, I don't know if you guys have tried this yet, and you really need to!)

So this is your assignment, should you choose to accept it:  take a break from the holiday bustle, sit down in a comfortable chair in a warm and quiet living room, and let the lights of your Christmas trees twinkle your worries away as you enjoy your meal.

Taste of Italy Soup

Ingredients:
1 HMR chicken parmesan entree
1 HMR chicken soup packet
5 ounces very hot water
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder (I like garlic...feel free to add or subtract this to suit your tastes)
1/8 teaspoon of Italian seasoning plus a pinch for garnish

Mix 5 ounces of very  hot water with the chicken soup packet.  I use a whisk and beat the tar out of it, because I don't like lumps.  I also use boiling water from a teapot so that I'm sure that my soup is HOT when I'm done.

In the meantime, microwave your entree for 60 seconds.  Spoon the entree into the mixed chicken soup, being careful not the splatter any hotness onto yourself or your counter.  Mix thoroughly but carefully.  You don't want to mix it up so hard that you break up the noodles or the chicken.  I don't use a whisk for this.  I use the spoon that I'm going to eat it with.

Add garlic powder and Italian seasoning, stirring them in until incorporated.  Sprinkle a little Italian seasoning on top of the soup, because, as we should know by now, presentation is EVERYTHING.  Enjoy!

Counts as an entree and an extra shake* on Decision Free.

* An extra shake cannot count towards your prescription.  For instance, I'm supposed to have three shakes and two entrees per day.  If I have a chicken soup, I still have to drink three normal shakes, or a cereal and two normal shakes, etc.  The soup can't go towards your minimum.  This is not as complicated as I'm making it sound...consult your coach if you're hopelessly confused now!  

Thanks for hanging in there with me!