Chicken Soup and Ju-On

Hello friends. The next recipe is Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup (for which I received many compliments). It can be a freeze-ahead meal! But before we get to that, I'm going to talk to you about investment portfolios. I'm new to the financial realm, but I'm really beginning to think about preparing for the future--and so should you. I'm not looking to form an upscale gambling problem on Wall Street, but I would like to have money to retire comfortably one day. I don't want to be working when I'm 75 (unless I magically fall into a job I love and am still nice and spry).

Or if I happen to be leading the Hell's Angels.

I already established a 401k. It's more stable and has less risks than an IRA, so that's what I went with. Yesterday, however, I started looking at investment strategies. I'm not looking for a quick million (though that would be nice). I don't like the idea of risking and losing everything. Thankfully, I came across a very helpful article about so-called "Lazy Portfolios." A lazy portfolio involves investing in anywhere from three to eleven low-cost, no-load index funds that will continue to succeed in a "bull and bear market (a term for the ups and downs of optimism and pessimism regarding the market and the resulting trends)." You don't trade at all. You don't hire a broker. You don't watch the funds like a hawk while biting your nails. Apparently, some of America's most wealthy people follow principles like "Buy quality and never sell" (Warren Buffett). 

I'm willing to listen to this guy. He is at the very least obviously very knowledgeable about milkshakes.

This method absolutely appeals to me. I'm going to begin my research. Of course, I've just now had my first paycheck where my immediate bills didn't completely outweigh the amount of pay received. I won't have a lot of money leftover, but I will have some (for the first time in months). My finances are finally starting to catch up. Once I get all of my debts paid off and buy a few things I need (car repairs, new athletic shoes), I plan on living solely on my hourly pay and putting all of my bonuses (commission) into savings. Once I've saved up a couple thousand dollars, I'm going to start my investing. I'm not going to put an excessive amount in, as I am planning to buy a car by the end of the year. Mine is a bit of a death trap.

At least it's safer than this useless thing.

So, back to lazy portfolios. They say you can easily be a millionaire by the time you retire if you invest intelligently and follow some simple rules. Check out the sample portfolios here. Don't forget to also read the handy dandy how-to. I know what I'll be doing later this year.

Now, the Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe:

"Ingredients

• 2 medium skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
• 4 -14 oz cans chicken broth
• 1 pound frozen white corn
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 carrots pealed and diced
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp chicken soup base or 2 bouillon cubes
• 1 t oregano
• 1/2 t thyme
• 1/2 t pepper
• salt to taste

Instructions

1) Chop 2 pealed carrots, 2 stalks celery and one medium onion.2) Trim and cut 2 medium skinless boneless chicken breast into 1 inch cubes.3) Add veggies, 4 cloves minced garlic, 4 - 14 oz cans chicken broth, 1 1/2 tsp of chicken soup base or 2 bouillon cubes, 1 t oregano, 1/ 2 tsp each of thyme and pepper. Salt to taste. 16 oz package of frozen white corn. Add chicken and mix well.4) Cook for 8 hrs on low.

Details

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 8 hourTotal time: 8 hour 15 minsYield: 8 serving"

I added about 1/2 cup barbecue sauce because it tasted a little bland when I got home from work (I had let it cook on LOW all day). This addition gave the soup a nice smoky, rounded-out taste. I didn't do so, but I suggest using more chicken. It may not be as "healthy," to have more meat, but it adds more substance and I highly recommend it. The taste of the soup is excellent, however. The fellas were positively raving about it. I paired it with leftover Cheddar Bay Biscuits from our date night at Red Lobster.

Now, DON'T buy cans of chicken broth. It's way more cost effective to get the cartons (I think they're 30 oz. each). And it helps with the freeze-ahead...

**MY freeze-ahead method: Only use one of the chicken broth cartons in the freezer mixture. It'll all fit in a gallon Ziploc bag. Freeze it all. When you go to unfreeze, pour the bag in the crockpot. It should come out fairly easily, but I cut the side of the bag to get it out more quickly. Then, pour the remaining carton of chicken broth over the mixture. It'll aid in the defrost.

The night we had this soup, the conditions were perfect. It was freezing cold and we were practically snowed in. I sat down with the fellas, a snuggly blanket, and a bowl of this soul-warming soup. What better to combine with coziness and comfort food than pure terror? We turned off all the lights and watched a Japanese horror movie (which, for the record, can be MUCH scarier than American ones and in my experience have zero scenes of pointless, gratuitous nudity). Say bye-bye to bleach blonde, silicone-infested idiots. Say hello to fear.

The Grudge...the original. The terrifying. The culturally educational.

I do believe I've begun a new tradition. Every meal recipe will be paired with a movie suggestion to match. YES.