Count me in.

.
.
I will continue with homemade stock.  The soup was well worth the, and actually small, effort.  I messed up my sleep pattern, at least for last night.  More from an abundance of caution for a first time effort than from any true need.  Though I think the meat would have been gone if I had let it cook all night.  I was late to start, as well, so I had to edge into what I prefer as a sleep time no matter what.  Making sure that the liquid drops to a simmer is worth spending the time to check.  Though adding water through the night, I think, isn't a bad deal.

The soup ended up being quite good.  The rice took a lot longer to cook.  The one recipe I ran down indicated the rice should take about fifteen minutes.  Being that they didn't indicate which rice was used, and knowing what I know about my favored rice, I suspected they used a white rice.  No issue, just noting that brown rice takes longer.  I planned on twice as long, while it actually took more like three to four times as long.  No problem.  I did add a bit more water to keep the stock at a level flavor and volume, and just cooked until that part was done.  I then added the veggies and meat, letting that all meld and warm for ten minutes.  It was very good.  Chicken soup is not fancy, but it doesn't need to be.  I don't want it to be.  That is, to me, part of it's schtick.  While it takes time to make, it is a humble, if quite variable, food.  And yet, while I can't call it superior, being the cook, I will say that I would happily eat this where I can't eat anything out of cans these days, and rarely do I enjoy even restaurant chicken soup that is not out of a can.  It seems many restaurants, the ones I can afford, aim for a canned chicken soup taste.

I did add salt, though I suspect I have less salt in my whole pot of soup than many have in a bowl.  No, I am not one who favors, or allows, low salt.  However, there are limits both up and down.  I honestly don't want 1,000%, but then neither do I want 2%.  I wasn't sure salt would work, as an after production add.  It did, quite well.  I will be eating much of this batch in the next few days.  Next time I hope to have egg noodles, those thick kind, if store bought, that my mother used to make.  If I can find them.  I'd love to make them.  I have attempted it several times.  I have not been successful.

That is that for chicken stock and my first soup.  Probably the crab stuffed sole next.  Then, if there seems to be another cold spell coming up, I may make the been cassoulete, or whatever.  I will begin experimenting with freezing portions of these things as well.  I think I need to take a good long nap.  Later.