Homemade Chicken Soup

Ok, so as you all know, the kids and I have been sick for about 2 weeks now, on and off. One of my favorite things to cook when we are ill is Homemade Chicken Soup from scratch. It is so easy to make, and it will definitely get those juices flowing out of your stuffy noses! It is also very inexpensive to make, for those of you who have to feed a big family on a not so big wallet. You don't have to use all these ingredients I use, some can be taken out. It just depends on what you like. This will feed a family of 7 for a day and a half :)

Ingredients:
2 packages of Chicken pieces (one package of thighs, and one of drumsticks) or 2 whole chickens, cut into pieces
3 large carrots
5 large potatoes
3 sticks of celery
1 chayote squash
5 whole corns, cut in half
1 pound of green beans
2 cups of broccoli cut into pieces
1 green bell pepper
1 cilantro bunch
1/2 an onion
2 garlic cloves
1 cup of rice
1 half cup of pasta (i use shells or alphabets for the kids)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, knorr chicken bouillon(either cubes or powder)

Ok, to start, get a pot big enough. Get your chicken cut, peel the skin off (you can leave the skin on the drumsticks and wings), wash it. Put your clean chicken in the pot and fill the pot up with water almost all the way to the top. Make sure you put enough water to make soup, but leave room for the vegetables you will be adding later. Your best bet is to fill the pot 2/3's. Put the pot to boil on a high fire. While the chicken is boiling, in a blender, put half a cup of water with the onion, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro cut up. Blend this together. Put it to the side. When the chicken boils, turn the fire to low. As the chicken boils, it will let out this white residue at the top of your pot. You will need to remove all of this as the chicken is cooking. Take a big spoon and scrape this stuff out and dump it in the sink. Once all that stuff is cleared, you can pour the mixture in the blender into the pot. This is when you will add your salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and chicken bouillon. You basically will just add to your taste. It depends on how salty you like your food. Cover it and  leave it cooking. Peel your carrots and potatoes. Slice your carrots a little thick and cut your potatoes into big cubes. Put that in the pot. Now peel the chayote and cube it. Put it in the pot. Now you take the green beans and cut the ends off. When all the ends are cut off, you break the green beans in half. Wash them, and put them in the pot. Now take the corn, clean them up and cut them in half. Put those in the pot. And lastly, you wash the celery sticks and broccoli. Slice the celery and cut the broccoli into pieces. Throw those in the pot. Now you have all your veggies in there. Let that cook for about 20 minutes. Then you wash your rice and pasta. throw that in the pot. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes. Stir it often so your pasta and rice wont stick to the bottom. When the rice is cooked, you are done. Turn the stove off and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

My family really loves when I make this. While it is cooking you will get this aroma going in your house. It is really good, and it makes you feel better when you are feeling sick. Even the most finicky eater will eat this...