Sundays have always been a day reserved for chores around the house: laundry, yard work, bathrooms, floors. Yesterday I spent my morning cleaning out flower beds and raking leaves in preparation for winter's arrival. Berkley and Benny incessantly romped in my leaf piles requiring my project to take twice as long as it should have, but the skies were blue and the wind was not blowing. Here in Eastern Idaho, that is nothing short of a miracle. Poor Heather was laid up with a migraine -- the curse of our clan. Beyond that, it was a near perfect morning.

After more chores and some time spent on homework, we made our Sunday pilgrimage to Winco. A brief description of Winco for those who are unaware of the store's awesomeness and at the same time horrificness (yes, I made that up). Winco is kind of like Walmart in the sense that it brings out all walks of life -- the young, the old, the rich, the poor, those missing teeth, those missing brain cells, those lacking birth control, those lacking fashion sense.

I am not ashamed to admit that I am totally broke and need to shop at a store that caters to a low socio-economic group. Thank you, Winco. Not only do you help me with my food costs, but visiting your store is kind of like going to the fair -- you bring out all the crazies and you give out samples!

Along with the risotto that I served the other night, I made the WORLD'S BEST roasted chicken. I put that in all caps to emphasize that fact that this chicken really is the WORLD'S BEST. I give food a lot of hype on this site, but people, seriously, this is out of this world. The best part is that it requires only THREE ingredients: chicken, salt and thyme. Done. I can't take credit for this crisp skin, mouth-watering chicken recipe, as it hails from the one and only Thomas Keller. I make this chicken a couple times a month, as it is so simple and whole chickens are so inexpensive. Plus, as you'll see, you can use one chicken for multiple meals.

There are so many fun things you can do with a chicken carcass. (I just had to pause, reread that sentence and laugh out loud.) The following recipe is a family favorite that my mom made when I was a kid. The smells last night transported me back to her kitchen. She used to have this soup waiting for us when we returned home from ski trips. This soup is so aromatic and flavorful. We served it over basmati rice with a bit of sour cream on top, which I will forever repeat. It was fabulous. You could certainly omit the chicken and use vegetable stock, too, as it would make a lovely vegetarian dish.

If you ever come to visit me, I'll take you on a field trip to Winco. One of the many entertaining aspects of my new life :)

Chicken carcass ready for its transformation into broth.

8 cups of water, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaf.

Allow to cook down for 30-45 minutes, strain:

best chicken broth this side of the Mississippi.

Heather's a much better assistant than Berkley.

My mom gave me this recipe book when

I went away to college, the first time :)

Like I said, only the finest. Royal rice.

Indian-style potato spinach soup with chicken

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups potatoes, cubed

1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and chopped (or in my case, 1 bag fresh spinach, chopped)

1 can diced tomatoes, including juice

6 cups chicken broth

2 tbs curry powder

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

2 tsp canola oil

s/p

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions, garlic, chicken and caraway seeds until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in curry, coriander and cardamom. Cook, stirring constantly, about a minute more.

Stir in broth and potatoes. Bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add spinach to pot along with the tomatoes. Simmer about five more minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.