It's icky outside so I want some warming delicious soup!  My Minnesota mother-in-law made this soup while we visited her in Minnesota and both my hubby and 4 year-old ate it up so I figured I'd make it today.  I was surprised by my Oregon mother-in-law with a huge bag of wild rice today so what better to do than start cooking!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Wild-Rice-Soup-I/Detail.aspx

Ingredients:

1/4 c coconut oil 1 finely chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup sliced carrots 1/2 pound chopped collard greens 6 cups chicken broth 2 cups cooked wild rice 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt 1-2  teaspoon curry powder, depends on your tastes 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoons Champagne Vinegar Coriander Essential Oil Lemon Essential Oil

Directions

1. Melt coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts until crispy and golden brown.  Remove from pan and let rest.  Meanwhile,stir in the onion, celery and carrots, garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the collards and saute for 2 more minutes. Then add the wild rice and stir well. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until all has been added. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer. 
2. Next, add the chicken, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper, almonds and champagne vinegar. Allow to heat through. Let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Just before serving add 1-2 drops coriander doTERRA essential oil and 1-2 drops lemon doTERRA essential oil.

The soup is a hit again.  If you aren't familiar with essential oils I'd be happy to show you more.  Or you can visit my site : http://mydoterra.com/oilswithangie.

So I have a few limes...

Last night I'm planning goodies to offer for valentines day and I come across a cornmeal-lime cookie recipe in Flour by Joanne Chang.  It's midnight so I figure if I have time tomorrow I'll try them out since I believe I have everything needed to make them.  The next day I round all the ingredients up and give em a whirl.  Oh my yum! They are intense lime deliciousness!

Cornmeal-Lime Cookies

Yield: 14-16 cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 1 cup [2 sticks] unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup plus two tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon finely grated lime zest [about 3 limes]
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice [1 to 1 ½ limes]
• 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lime zest [about 1 lime]

Preparation:

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.

Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar.

Add the lime zest and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute to release the lime flavor. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Scrape the blow and the paddle again to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and slat. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and them nix until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.

Drop the dough in scant ¼ cup balls onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slight with the palm of your hand.

Baker for about 24 minutes, or until the cookies are pale brown on the edge, still pale in the center, and just firm to the touch in the center. Be careful not to over bake the cookies and let the tops brown. [In Suzi’s oven, we were baked at 17 minutes!]

Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to the rack itself to cool to room temperature or just a bit warmer before glazing. [If you try to glaze the cookies while they are still hot, the glaze will run off.]

To make the glaze, while the cookies are cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, water, lime juice, and lime zest until smooth. You should have about ½ cup. [The glaze can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.]

Brush the cookies with a thin layer of the glaze, then allow the glaze to set for about 10 minutes before serving or storing.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days,. The unbaked dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Source: Flour by Joanne Chang