We all have those mornings from time to time when we roll out of bed and can’t be bothered to get dressed. We slip our slippers onto our feet, wrap ourselves in our coziest robes, and make a silent mental note to get dressed later. After coffee, breakfast and maybe a few pages of that excellent book we’re in the middle of, our outfit remains the same for way longer than we planned. It might be a planned rest or one of those surprise days my kids love – the unexpected snowstorm that keeps us all at home (and those days are just around the corner!)

And you know what? Maybe that’s a good thing on a Saturday morning when you’re taking a little break. Perhaps we don’t always have to be so busy, disciplined, or rigid in our routines. Maybe (especially as we slip into the cold months) it’s good to take a cue from nature and let ourselves slow down and rest a little. After all, the seasons were God’s design. Are we not allowed to rest when the world is also resting? 

I was talking with a friend recently about the concept of laziness. In a world that tends to glorify busyness, sometimes rest can be misinterpreted as being lazy when that’s not at all the case. During those times when I feel the need to slow down and tend to my inner world, I often choose to bake or cook. I find it relaxing and enjoyable (of course, not all the time), but I love the creativity of it and the pure delight in eating what you have made. I love cooking for friends and family, feeding them things that are nourishing and that taste good, and I love how food can bring people together around a harvest table. 

One of my favourite things to make (especially at this time of year!) is homemade biscuits and chicken noodle soup. It’s a bit of a family tradition, and sometimes, my family gets involved in preparing the meal. Those times are some of my most cherished memories–the coziness of a kitchen warm with baking smells and the show Gilmore Girls bantering in the background. Those moments are somewhat rare, but it makes them all the more special when they do happen. 

Any of you reading this who also loves to make food can relate to the feeling of satisfaction that comes from working through a variety of recipes and ingredients and eventually landing on something that delights everybody. Over the years, I’ve fiddled with many different soup and biscuit recipes, and through experimenting and getting feedback, I have found cold butter is key; folding the dough gently and buttermilk makes biscuits taste delicious, while bone broth adds a depth of flavour and nourishment to the soup that makes it come alive. 

If anyone would like to try it for their own family (or even just yourself!), here is what I do for my chicken noodle soup (a large pot)

 

Chop 1 cup of onions, celery, carrots and garlic (2 cloves, I can’t deny myself here!), then add salt and pepper to taste. Add them to a frying pan with 2 tbsp of butter and stir until slightly crispy. Please don’t walk away and burn them like I did the other night!

Add a ¼ cup of white wine (and pour a smidgen for you; I mean, someone has to test it!) and let that burn off, and then add ¼ to 1/2 cup of cream (or even buttermilk!). If you want a thicker soup, add 1 tbsp of flour to thicken (stir to avoid clumps if adding flour and let thicken), then add 1 cup of sweet peas from frozen is perfect! Oh, if you have a wee one in a highchair, I used to give littles frozen peas to snack on, and it was a hit!

The chicken! You can fry the chicken breast in a pan, place it in the air fryer or throw it on the BBQ (I love to BBQ; ask my husband. I know I’m strange that way). Lightly season it with salt and pepper, then chop it to the desired size and add it to the sautéed vegetable mix (go easy on yourself and feel free to let the grocery store do the grunt work. Grab a deli chicken. I have used deli chicken many times and then used the bones to make broth later).

Add two containers (maybe three, depending on how thick you like your soup!) of chicken bone broth in a large pot and warm it up, then add all the ingredients and bring it to a rolling boil. Then you can add either rice (precooked is best) or pasta of your choice (I love egg noodles) to the pot and let it simmer for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the desired firmness of pasta. Sometimes, I have added two chicken bone broth containers and one Thai-flavoured one to mix it up! 

It depends on the crowd that you are serving, but if you double the ingredients, there would be plenty to enjoy for dinner as well as lunches, freezer meals or share with a neighbour!

You can only have soup with biscuits, at least in our home, so here is one recipe I have used for biscuits from Live Well Bake Often. I don’t know how or when I found it, but it has served me well!

Back to rest…

Rest is also productive and can nourish not just you but those around you as well. Even if your rest-time “activities” are more solitary and have nothing to do with cooking or baking, at the end of the day, when you fill your cup until it’s overflowing, you will have so much more to give to others. So don’t ever chastise yourself on those days when you are still in your jammie shirt because even if you can’t see them right away, brilliant things are taking root just beneath the surface!

 It’s during those moments of rest and quiet when we’re still wearing the jammie shirts that we prepare for the hard work ahead. A form of hibernation is essential because it allows us to nurture ourselves, process and digest everything that’s happened during previous busy seasons, and gather our strength for whatever God has in store for us next. What would the world look like if we normalized mini hibernations? I’m all in for that!