Today Mr. Woo is sick.
I hate it when he’s sick.
He is soooooooo boring.
If you poke him, he jiggles a little, but only a little.
He wears this sad little pouty look on his face, and his jaws droop down like Deputy Dog. When he opens his eyes, he barely opens them into these tiny little razor slits.
Quite honestly he looks downright pathetic.
And he’s grumpy, not the least bit amusing, and his eyes run fire red.
Just a lump on a log. A boring, boring, sad looking lump of a hump on a log.
He was sick yesterday too. And the day before that.
So you know what I did? I made him, Chicken and Gravy over rice, or you could call it Creole Chicken Stew if you want to be fancy.
My mom used to make it for me when I was under the weather. So, I made it for him because I’m such a lovely, lovely, wife.
He was feeling better, but then he ate it and got the poots again.
Not good.
“It’s that greasy, greasy chicken,” he says. “I keep telling you, “You don’t realize how greasy gravy is but it is really greasy.”
And I yell at the top of my lungs to this poor sick boy who has been leaking for 3 straight days. . . . . .
“IT’S NOT MY FAULT!!!!!!!!”
To which he says, “Gawsh. Someone is a little sensitive.”
To which I holler from the roof of the house “Gawsh. SOMEBODY SURE IS INSENSITIVE AND MEAN!!!!”
And then I stomp away in a fury of rage as he follows me around the house trying to figure out what in the heck is wrong with me.
Maybe its a lack of respect for an Oldtime Southern Favorite.
Maybe its the fact that two seconds earlier I stood on the scale and realized that I weigh 2 more pounds than I did yesterday.
Or maybe its the fact that he is still sick, and I want my fun friend back who plays with me.
Psycho. Spaz. Crazy Wombat Lady.
I go running. I come home, and he says, “I’m sorry for everything I said. I’d take it all back if I could.”
And I love him again.
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I don’t know what’s gotten in to me.
It’s just that he is such a boring sick person. And I was trying to nurse him back to health not back to sick. And then he just started saying these horrible things about quite possibly the most comforting thing a person can eat.
I mean when you cook it sends wafting smells of onion and garlic throughout the house. The gravy is smooth, silky, and utterly comforting.
The chicken, just falls off the bone and is tender, moist and succulent.
Sure, it’s no fancy pants meal. It may not win you a blue ribbon at the state fair, but it deserves a little respect. And that is why I love it, and I always will, and no pooty pants can tell me otherwise.
Chicken and Gravy over Rice
Ingredients:
4 TB oil (I use Canola or Olive)
3 lbs chicken pieces, seasoned with Creole Seasoning or Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper (I used red because that’s all I had in my garden)
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water or Chicken Stock
2 bay leaves
White Rice, cooked to package directions
Directions:
1. In a heavy pot, heat 2 TB of oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until brown on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes per side. Move the chicken around occasionally so they don’t stick. Once chicken is browned, remove from skillet and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Lower the heat to medium, and add chopped onions, bell pepper, celery, and cook until vegetables are soft and translucent, about four minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute longer.
3. Add remaining 2 TB of oil to the pot, and stir while adding the flour. Continue to stir the vegetable, oil, and flour mixture until it starts to turn a golden brown.
4. Add water to the mixture while stirring constantly, until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Add chicken and any juices that have accumulted in the bowl.
5. Simmer, partially covered, for about 40 minutes until chicken is cooked thoroughly and the meat is falling off the bone. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.
*It tastes even better the next day.
