What Are the 11 Herbs and Spices In Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Photo: KFC and YUM

Today the famed 11 herbs and spices at KFC are a closely guarded secret by YUM, the corporation that owns the copywriter to KFC's chicken, but it wasn't always so. According to Colonel Sanders' nephew, the recipe created back in the day by the Colonel was posted in the entryway of the diner he opened. Several years ago the Chicago Tribute published a photograph of what the newspaper called the leaked recipe written in the Colonel's handwriting. In business, if the food is delicious people will come even if they can make it at home IMHO. Because. People do both.

It's more than likely the following is the recipe for Original Kentucky Fried Chicken:

Ingredients:

Photo: The Chicago Tribute

One chicken (or 8 pieces)

1 cup of buttermilk

2 eggs

2/3 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/3 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried mustard
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons white pepper

Directions:

1) Mix the buttermilk and eggs in one mixing bowl then soak the chicken pieces in the mixture for 30 minutes or more. Return the chicken to the refrigerator while soaking.

2) In a 2nd bowl stir the 11 herbs, spices, and flour together and coat the chicken pieces by dipping and turning.

3) Instead of frying the coated chicken (which you are free to do in very hot vegetable oil) why not brush oil on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake the spread-out chicken pieces in a 400-degree F oven for about 25 minutes. Test the chicken at 20 minutes to see if it's done and add baking time as needed.

If the above ingredients aren't Colonel Sanders' original recipe, they are close enough. Making the chicken at home lets you adjust the salt to your tastes and needs. Plus you can bake instead of frying it if you wish. When you don't feel like cooking you can still buy a bucket of chicken at KFC.

In college near the end of the school year, one of our professors decided to teach our class outdoors on campus. During the class, I saw a limo pull up and out walked an elderly Colonel Sanders in his signature white suit. He entered our administration building a few yards away. Here's to the memory of the Colonel, who must have given money to our school.🐔

You may also enjoy:

Beer Can Chicken

Chicken Noodle Soup

Stove Top Roast Chicken With Gravy

America's Test Kitchen's Poulet au Vinaigre

Savon De Marseille Beau Terra Soap

One of my favorite T.J. Maxx finds is Savon De Marseille Beau Terra Soap, also the best liquid soap I've ever used. Why do I love it so? Let me count the ways:

1) It has a lovely and potent smell of roses, the fragrance I selected.

2) When I fancy a product whether it is soap, shampoo, condition, moisturizer, or even household cleaners I love big quantities of it so I can use it without soon running out. Savon De Marseille Beau Terra Soap is sold in a 1L (33.8 oz) size. With daily use, it lasts and lasts!

3) Not only does it clean, but it feels gentle and nourishing so never dries my hands. Marseille soup is made from vegetable fats without coloring, perfume, or synthetic additives. True Savon de Marseille soaps are 72% olive oil (whereas Castile soaps are 100% olive oil).

4) It doesn't have the organic seal, though it's enriched with olive oil, botanicals, and super beneficial ingredients.

5) Usually products made in France are expensive, yet this soap is cheap, and the 1L size makes it excellent value for the money.

I hope I find it again at T.J. Maxx because if you wish to buy it for roughly the price I paid, you need a $100 order to get free shipping, and no matter how much I love it, that's a lot of soap!🌹

You may also enjoy:

POP Beauty

Skincare For French Girl Beauty

Best Drugstore Anti-Aging Retinols

Weleda Offers A Century Of Skincare

Skincare At A French Pharmacy

When in a foreign country I love checking out its pharmacy. There are so many unique and fascinating beauty and personal care products inside that are not found in our home country pharmacies.

Let me introduce you to 3 skincare items you'll find in a French pharmacy that you can also buy on Amazon. All 3 are dermatologists' approved!: 

1) A313 Pure Retinol Cream Top image 👆 - A synthetic vitamin A prescription-strength concentrate you apply at night to reverse the signs of aging. No prescription is needed here!

2) Biafine Act Emulsion Cream - It's a healing ointment containing Trolamine and water to treat skin wounds from chapped skin to light burns including sunburns. Rub it on to protect and mend.

3) Bioderma Cicabio Mains Repairing Barrer Balm - A repairing barrier balm to soothe very dry hands and skin. Users say it also smells divine.

Amazingly these used-in-France offerings are sold at reasonable not outlandish prices! 

Essayez l'un de ces produits pharmaceutiques français si vous souhaitez ajouter quelque chose de très spécial à vos soins de la peau.🇫🇷

You may also enjoy:

The French Braider

The French Slip Dress

Easy French Onion Soup

Skincare For French Girl Beauty

Plastic Food Containers To Repurpose

I have a set of Rubbermaid and a European brand of food storage containers, but the plastic containers I grab most often to store leftover food in the refrigerator or freezer I get for free when buying food. Who knew? Also with the free containers, I don't worry about losing them if I take food to a cookout. 

 

 I bought Healthy Choice frozen entrees for my mother and discovered the plastic bowls they come in are non-stick and perfect for microwaving 2-egg omelets. The eggs cook well and slide right out with less cleanup because you can eat the omelet out of the same bowl. If you wish to wash and reuse the bowl, it's easy too because cooked eggs and cheese don't stick!

Gosh, I bought a silicone microwave omelet dish that doesn't work as well. Without greasing, everything sticks to it. 

By the way, Healthy Choice dinners are as close to homemade-tasting meals as you can get readymade at a reasonable price. For seniors who tend to eat less, they are the perfect portion. Not a bad lunch size for hungrier people either. Sometimes I add more meat or vegetables to them, which is also an option.

Another container I repurpose is what you get when buying peanut butter from a Health Food store or Chinese Food. If needed, you can also buy them from Amazon. Bar none, they are my favorite storage containers. Good to store half a cut onion or tomato, cheese, leftover soup or beef stew, etc. They are durable and can be washed to use time and again. The 16 oz size is perfect! Stackable in the freezer also.

The Rubbermaid containers don't get half the use. In a do-over, I would make do with repurposing the free containers which is also good for the planet.

You may also enjoy:

DIY: Drop Cloth Curtains

What Can You Do For Earth Day?

Diamonds Hold The Earth's Secrets

DIY Bookcase Using Narrow Wooden Crates

Oatmeal is Healthy And Versatile

Royalty free photo

As we wind down the days of nippy (and rainy) weather to enter the balmy sunny days of spring and summer, I find myself eating creamy oatmeal for dinner. I toss 1 cup of dry 1-minute oatmeal flakes and water into a bowl and microwave it for 2 minutes. After the microwave cooks the oatmeal, I add 5 to 6 tablespoons of dry powdered milk to the mixture. Sometimes I also sprinkle in Stevia or honey and cinnamon, but often I don't. It's my favorite way to eat oatmeal. The dried powdered milk adds creaminess and light sweetness. Usually, several hours later I'll snack on hummus and saltines, slices of extra sharp cheddar, fruit, baby-cut carrots, peanut butter on crackers, or Misu soup with mixed vegetables. It varies. 

Oddly enough, I don't eat oatmeal for breakfast, but occasionally as a quick dinner. Oatmeal with milk is an easy-peasy comfort food, relatively filling, and a good sometimes meal without much preparation or cleanup. It contains a decent amount of protein and lowers bad cholesterol in the body. My mother was told by her doctor to eat a bowl of oatmeal several times a week to lower her cholesterol, which she followed and after a time her doctor was able to wean her off of Lipitor, a necessary cholesterol-lowering drug. Oatmeal is a good fiber-rich food to work into a diet.

People make the mistake of buying single packages of instant oats when 1-minute or 5-minute oatmeal flakes quickly cook in a microwave just like the more expensive less healthy instant oatmeal. Knockoff brands from Amazon Walmart or supermarkets are great too and cheap. You can then add healthy ingredients like berries or nuts to it if you wish.

Another way I use oatmeal is in most recipes that call for breadcrumbs. Oatmeal comes in a big size while breadcrumbs come in much smaller quantities. I don't tend to stock breadcrumbs.

Next, I'll have to make this YouTube influencer's savory oatmeal dinner. With chopped vegetables, milk, eggs, water, and grated parmesan cheese, it looks easy and scrumptious!

BAKED OATS (makes 6 slices)

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats (180g) 1/4 cup ground oats, or oat flour (25g) 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy (240ml) 1 cup water (240ml) 2 eggs 1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 cup grated melting cheese - gouda or cheddar cheese (50g) 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (20g) 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 1 small zucchini (130g) 1/3 cup frozen peas (50g) 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (80g) NUTRITIONAL INFO (per slice): 223 calories, fat 7.9g, carb 27.3g, protein 11.4g Preparation: First, saute onions and garlic over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then add sliced zucchini and frozen peas and cook for the next 3-4 minutes. Add rolled oats and toast for 5 minutes, to develop a lovely nutty flavor. While it's cooling down, prepare the wet mixture. In a bowl add, eggs, milk, water, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, grated gouda or cheddar cheese, and ground oats combined with baking powder, and mix it well. Now, add the vegetables and toasted oats and stir well together. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Grease your baking dish with some butter and pour the mixture in. Bake at 350F (180C) for 40 minutes. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then cut into 6 equal pieces and serve with spoonful of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of hot sauce.

Photo & recipe courtesy of How To Cook Smarter

You may also enjoy:

Eaters Beware

The World's Healthiest Cuisines

Healthy Real Food Is Not Expensive

The Five Second Rule For Food Is Untrue

Do It Youself Meal Plans Are Cheaper

As we move into the Spring people think about dropping a few winter pounds, and I understand why some of them turn to meal programs like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. (The latter is the least expensive of the two.) There's no guesswork. Every bite you eat is packaged for you. The cooking and cleanup are light. It's convenient and nutritionally balanced, and if you follow it, you'll drop the weight. Years ago (around 2009), I tried Nutrisystem for 30 days. I wasn't hungry on the diet and remember dropping down to 118 pounds. As a younger woman, my loftier standard of my ''ideal weight'' was much lower. I was a size 6 - 8 for many years (without starving!). Today I'd love to step on the scale at the weight that I started with before dropping down to 118 pounds. THAT number + 20 pounds would be my ideal weight today!:)

At the same time, we also don't want to gain 10 additional pounds each and every year so our weight becomes unhealthy. Unfortunately, even without stringently high (or should I say low?) standards, you can't let yourself go! No, no, never, never, uh, uh, uh.

Today I'm going to discuss the well-known Nutrisystem meal plans. If you were to buy similar food independently and are disciplined not to cheat, but follow the plan, including its portion sizes, you could reduce the cost of the diet significantly. Moreover, I remember not liking all of the Nutrisystem meals, yet ate them because of the expense and my commitment to losing weight.

Breakfasts were a combination of protein shakes, dehydrated scrambled eggs (add water and microwave), protein muffins, and protein bars.

Here's what I think you could substitute:

* 1 dozen fresh eggs

* You're favorite high protein, low sugar meal bars - Clean and Pure Protein bars are examples. Look for at least 15 grams - 20 grams of protein with low sugar per bar.

* Protein shakes - Look for 25 grams - 30 grams per serving with low sugar and minerals. Consider buying protein powder (over liquid shakes) and adding it to skim milk for savings. Also try different brands like Premier Protein, Aldi or Trader Joe's house brands for greater savings.

Lunches consisted of canned soups and you could eat fruit or vegetable sticks that you furnish.

THE SAVVY SHOPPER has recipes for a variety of homemade soups, but this post is about convenience.

So you could buy the healthy choice varieties of any number of soups at your supermarket. Read the labels carefully focusing on low calories, salt, and at least 20 grams (30 grams if you can find it!) of protein. I will give Nutrisystem credit for sending chunky protein-rich soup, trickier to find with supermarket canned soup.

Dinners were frozen meals: meat (beef, chicken, or pork), carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, or pasta), and a vegetable, such as broccoli or peas and carrots).

Look for the many wholesome options of supermarket-carried frozen dinners. They'll likely cost less than what's on Amazon, but I'll link those for educational purposes. At the supermarket, most are half the price of a Nutrisystem frozen meal. I happen to like a brand called Healthy Choice, but there are other options also at the supermarket. Aim to find 17 grams - 30 grams per frozen dinner with 250 - 500 calories per serving. You may have to supplement some meals with a glass of milk to bump up the protein.

Snacks I liked the Nutrisystem protein chips and protein bars. The cookies and cake were good too. I was allowed 2 snacks per day. Protein chips are expensive everywhere. What's more, you don't get much in the costly bag. Consider skipping them as snacks for an ounce of cheddar (or your favorite cheese) on a saltine cracker to lower the price. Still, I'm not against expensive protein chips if they help on a diet. Spend the bucks as needed to succeed. 

I disliked Nutrisystem's dehydrated eggs. The pizza crust was as dry and flat as a cracker (which subsequently may have improved to taste like most frozen pizzas). Nutrisystem's vegetable patty on a bun was not good in taste or texture, and I thought their frozen pasta dinner entrèes were insufficient and expensive. I'll take a lean real hamburger over a Nutrisystem patty any day. It's easy to grill a raw beef burger on a stovetop. Add a slice of onion, tomato, and lettuce with ketchup, and thank me later.

Supermarkets offer all of the above meals for less than $5 - $10 each of the Nutrisystem entrèes. You'll spend far less money plus only have to eat the dishes you like!

When you buy Nutrisystem you still must buy extra fresh fruit and vegetables as they aren't packaged and mailed to you.

Nutrisystem is great at teaching people what they should eat in a day; selecting food with adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber; eating a variety of food; learning portion control; and eating when you're hungry. Also, you should and do consume 1/3 of your daily protein requirements with each meal.

Helpful tip: If you desire to follow the Nutrisystem/Jenny Craig diet on the cheap: Go to the supermarket and buy a full month's supply of alike meals + snacks to follow the plan faithfully. Do not stray from the plan. When you subscribe to the more pricey trademarks, the companies send you a box of food you eat for the month. This will put you in the same mindset for less.

Savings versus Convenience: Finally, if you don't mind paying 3+ times the money, you avoid the work of picking Nutrisystem meal equivalents at the supermarket. The food is shipped directly to your home. Nice! I enjoyed the convenience for a short time. But. After 30 days I decided I didn't need a meal plan, as I had good eating habits and didn't mind shopping or cooking. Sometimes cleaning up seems like a repetitive chore though.

Good luck! Losing weight is hard. The older you are, the tougher it is. Cutting calories is never fun. From time to time, we all go through it. "It's a marathon, not a sprint!"

You may also enjoy:

A Humble Pear

Easy French Onion Soup

My Clean Sweet Snacks List

What Foods Are Always In Your Refrigerator?

The Atlantic Diet Explained

Image: USA Today

Not all doctors are on board with the Mediterranean Diet, but they seem to approve of its cousin, The Atlantic Diet. 

Summed up from USA Today and the Today Show, the Atlantic Diet consists of eating:

• 
  Plenty of unprocessed fruits and vegetables
  
• Lean meat and fish - singling out beef, pork, and cod
• Eggs, milk, and cheese
• Called "Pulses" - beans, dried peas, lentils and chickpeas
• Olive oil and nuts - especially almonds, walnuts, chestnuts and hazelnuts
• Lots of bread, potatoes, rice and cereal
• Red or white wine in moderation

The Atlantic Diet focuses on eating fresh whole foods and is less restrictive than the Mediterranean Diet by allowing you to consume a generous amount of carbohydrates. On the Atlantic Diet, you can have starches 6 - 8 times a day. Still like its cousin, it lowers the risks of heart disease.

The Atlantic Diet seems balanced, doable, sensible, and delicious! No wonder doctors support following it.

You may also enjoy:

Go On A Skin Diet

Fish, Good Or Bad?

Healthy Cabbage-Tofu Soup

Fermented Foods Boost Our Immune System

Turkey Pot Pies With Leftover Stuffing

Thanksgiving sides are delicious! They can include stuffing (called dressing when not stuffed in the bird), green beans, carrots, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and potatoes, along with cranberry sauce. It's what we ate. Although we lacked a crowd dining with us, I wouldn't dream of omitting the Turkey stuffing. This year instead of toasting bread and making a pan of cornbread which would make more stuffing than we desire, I used a box of Stove Top Turkey flavored stuffing combined with a box of Stove Top Cornbread stuffing as a starter then added small amounts of grilled sausage, ham, onion, celery, mushrooms, walnuts, hot pepper flakes and dried sage to it. It came out homemade because all you get in a box of Stove Top are the croutons and seasonings. We still had plenty of stuffing! I know just what to do with our Thanksgiving leftovers:

Turkey Pot Pie - Inspired by the recipe off the back of the stuffing box which uses premade and frozen ingredients. We can use our homemade leftovers to make a different meal without really having to cook again!:

Ingredients - already cooked: 

2 cups of leftover stuffing - Mine has tons of onion, celery and sausage.

2 cups of turkey, diced (also works with chicken)

1 cup of cauliflower or broccoli, diced

1/2 cup of green beans, bitesize

1/2 cup of carrots, sliced

2 cups leftover gravy

Directions: 

Mix the vegetables and gravy in a baking dish. Top with the stuffing. Either reheat it in the oven or microwave. If reheating in the oven, brush the bottom of the dish with cooking spray or butter. Because your food is already cooked, it should only take about 15 minutes to reheat in the oven and less time to reheat in the microwave.

Eyeball the amounts of the ingredients. The above is a guide for making 4 servings. Use more gravy if needed, or other vegetable leftovers if you made them. {During the rest of the year, it works well with either leftover chicken or 3 cans of white chicken chunks, a box of stovetop stuffing, and a 14 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables. If using boxed stuffing, grill and toss in some diced onions and celery.}

You can also prepare the dish for one. Measure out according to appetite and what fits into your bowl, then reheat the single portion in a microwave in about 3 minutes.        

Another leftover we had on Thanksgiving was a bit of an experiment. It's a cherry tart on a digestive biscuit and applesauce crust (as opposed to a gram cracker crust). It has a cinnamon, strudel topping with bourbon-soaked pecans, a few white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, and walnuts tossed on top for good measure. (No added sugar in the crust or crumb topping and just enough butter in the topping to get a crumb texture). The only reason I made it was to use a jar of cherries I've had in my pantry for 1 1/2 years. It had to go! I baked it in the oven for about 20 minutes. The tart was sweet from the cherries yet not too sweet to make you feel sick after eating it. Like a healthy cherry Pop Tart!

Do you have a favorite recipe for using your Thanksgiving leftovers?

You may also enjoy:

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

A Black And White-Speckled Classic

Building A Cheese Platter On A Budget

Ground Turkey Seasoned For Tacos And Burritos

Macy's Black Friday Specials: 10 Awesome Gifts For $10 or Less

Bell de Mar Button Pearls

If you're a high earner it's fantastic to buy loved ones expensive gifts. How lovely for people who have the means to give generously to others. It's equally vital to remember that Christmas was once not the over-the-top commercial holiday it's become. At one time people were content to exchange inexpensive treats like fruit, chocolates, or homemade gifts. So if you're on a tight budget this year don't fret, it really is the thought based on what you can afford that counts. 

Since I promised to create gift guides this year from Macy's Early Access Black Friday Specials I'll select 10 Awesome Gifts for $10 or Less:

1) Bell de Mar Cultured Freshwater Button Pearl Earrings - A very decent size 8-9mm with sterling silver (a precious metal) posts and backs. However according to many reviewers, the backs are flimsy and loose, so plan to use alternate posts you already have in your jewelry box or enclose a few rubber backs in your gift box for your giftee, so when worn an earring won't fall out. Despite their ill-fitting backs, I still think the earrings are an amazing buy and I'd be lying if I say I don't want a pair of pink pearls for myself! I only own white pearls! The button-shaped pearls are available in ivory, pink, grey, and black. Sale price: $8.12.

2) Art+Sound True Wireless Earbuds - The earbuds have a "crystal clear" sound, a comfortable fit, and many positive reviews. Fabulous time to buy them! Sale price: $9.99

3) Art & Cook 2-Speed Immersion Blender - Often I wish I had an immersion blender so I could insert it into a pot on the stovetop instead of pouring soup into a blender to cream it. Less cleanup! At $9.99.

4) Thermal Shirts - for men or women - For layering. Winter is coming! Nice to have warmth without bulk! Sale price: $9.99

5) First Aid Ultra Repair Cream - 2 ounces - A stellar skincare brand in limited edition holiday scents with serious moisture to treat dry skin. Hand/body creams make fabulous emergency gifts if you need a hostess gift or for an extra visitor at your gathering. Sale price: $9 {In the past I've also fallen back on quality scented room candles as an emergency gift which Macy's is offering for $10. A Christmas ornament can be a winning hostess gift.}

 6) Thirstystone Printed Coaster Set - Every home dweller needs stylish coasters to protect their furniture from drips and rings from drinks. There is an assortment of brands, designs, and colors. The sale price for a set of 4: is $7.99.

7) Holiday Lane Shine Bright Collection - Ornaments start at $2.99. In the USA it's protocol for a boss to give employees holiday gifts, but employees aren't expected to reciprocate because bosses make higher salaries. It can be awkward giving a boss a gift, but you can play it safe with either a lovely ornament or homemade Christmas cookies and a festive card. This eliminates dilemmas like wondering how much to spend; is the gift too personal, or appropriate? {I once brought homemade Christmas cookies in a tin to the office that my managing editor at Time ate during Christmas week, until he said, "Oh, please don't bring any more cookies in, I can't gain more weight!" I've published my cookie recipes throughout the blog.}

8) A set of peppermint, cinnamon, and vanilla-flavored lip balm. $8.93.

9) Art & Cook Coffee and Spice Grinder - For the serious home cook or serious coffee drinker who likes to grind her/his own spices or beans. $9.99

10) R.H. Macy & Co. Chocolate Rum Cake - A premium blend of cocoa and dark rum with the flavor of butter syrup tossed in. Cheaper than a cup of coffee and a slice of gourmet cake at a cafe! 1 lb weight. Sale price: $9.99

Nobody should max out their credit cards for the holidays. Instead, give friends and family your time! With a little thought and the help of a Macy's Black Friday sale, you can find perfect gifts that are thoughtful and budget-friendly.🎄

You may also enjoy:

Pearls: The Queen Of Gems

The Twelve Days Of Christmas

Should You Give Money As Gifts?

Macy's For Fine Jewelry ... Yes Or No?

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Photo: Cooking Classy

Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere! In recent times fall is marked by the proliferation of pumpkin-flavored coffee, candy, and desserts. This weekend I'm jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon by making pumpkin soup. Savory and simple, I don't like mixing sweet and savory flavors in a dish, so no cinnamon or ginger in my soup. Here's the recipe:

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

5 cups water

2 large chicken bouillon cubes
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks of celery with leaves, diced

1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
12 turns of the peppermill (= 1/2 teaspoon)

A tiny sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a hint of heat, but short of hot.

1 teaspoon of dried (or fresh) parsley

A sprinkle of Westchester sauce

1 bay leaf

1 cup of milk or 1/2 cup of cream

Note: No additional salt is needed unless you use chicken stock in lieu of water and bouillon to make the soup. If you substitute chicken stock then add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. You have the option of mincing a potato to thicken the soup. A potato adds B vitamins and potassium to the soup. The soup is good with or without the potato. I don't go out of my way to avoid eating starch since starches are satisfying and part of a balanced meal. That said, I also don't go crazy but focus on moderation ... portion size. I know, my lovely readers, don't we all wish we could eat with abandon? 

Directions:

1) Toss the pumpkin puree and water into a blender, or food processor (or use a mixer, emersion blender, or potato masher in the pot itself) to incorporate them. Pour into a saucepan with chicken bouillon and bring to a simmer.

2) Add diced onion, celery, thyme, garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes, and/or a potato (if using) and parsley to the pot. 

3) Simmer on medium-low heat until the onion and celery are tender - about 15 - 20 minutes.

4) Whisk in the milk or cream. If you don't mind the calories, the cream is richer and better, but milk is healthier -- so you choose.

5) Bring to a boil again and simmer until thick and creamy.

6) Taste and adjust the spice (sometimes you need a tad more salt or pepper. You can add more cream to make it creamier and if so heat the soup again), then transfer to a bowl and garnish with another sprinkle of dried parsley.

Slice fresh crusty bread to eat with your soup, and feel free to toss bacon bits, croutons, or whatever you like ... toasted seeds and nuts ... on top of your bowl of soup. 

You could make ham and cheddar or turkey and brie sandwiches with a lettuce, tomato, and cucumber vinegarette salad for a weekend meal. Open a bottle of wine. Bon Appetite! 

♬♪♪♫♪♪♬♪♪♫" Any kind of we-a-ther, soup and sandwitch go to-ge-ther."♬♪♪♫♪♪♬♪♪♫