OH has the Lurgey

Unusually for him has a very bad chest infection and is stuffed up to the gunnels one minute and sneezing and coughing away the next.  I have the starts of it as well (he has been unnecessarily sharing)  so I am trying to fend it off.  There was no way out of it I would have to make some French Onion soup with lots of garlic in as well.  I have found that whenever there is a cough or chest infection this simple concoction helps you feel more comfortable at least.

I made double whammy so that there was potentially enough for two good servings each with some plain bread to dip into it.

I started out with four very large onions and sliced them up, frying them in a mixture of light olive oil and butter until they go golden brown, (the original recipe likes to keep the onions as white as possible but I like a little more colour to  my onions and I think the caramelisation helps with the flavour as well.  I then added three large cloves of garlic minced. Once that was all in and to my satisfaction I then added about 3pints of stock a little at a time so that the onions soak in the stock gently and you do not lose much flavour.  I then left it to simmer for about 40 minutes and then switched it off to go cold.  I think soup is like stew you have to cool it down and then heat it up again for it to develop its full flavour.  What is left is going into a Kilner jar and will be popped into the fridge once it is cold for seconds tomorrow if he wants them.  I know I shall certainly have.  

We both had a large bowl of this for our tea tonight.  It has helped soothe my throat and clear it out a bit and my throat feels soothed as do my pipes.  That will be the antiseptic qualities of the Onions and Garlic coming out.  OH has also been going hot and cold and since the soup he seems to have settled down a little bit. There is no cure for a cold but you can make yourself more comfortable by doing things like this as every little helps.  

One thing I do not have when suffering the effects of a cold is milk.  The Doctors say it is not possible but I find that when I have the milk it thickens up the mucous and makes you feel (excuse the phrase) snottier than ever which is the last thing you want to do when with a cold.  I therefore do not have milk at all whilst in a cold after yes but not when going through it.  OH does not drink milk anyway.

Missy also looked hopefully when I dished up the soup.  We did not think she would eat it but I put a little drop in a bowl for her and she lapped the lot up.  So the three of us for this evening at least are all souped up.  Sometimes its nice to have something simple like this to eat especially when you are hungry but do not want much which was the case with us but this has gone down very nicely.

I just hope the pair of us do not have the lurgey for Christmas.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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