Soup Du Jour
My dear children are big soup eaters. From the time they could manage a spoon, I gave them soup often.....usually several times a week. Now whenever I have a pot of bubbling soup on the stove they are delighted and look forward to a savory bowl of hot soup for lunch. It seems there is nothing more comforting, more stress relieving and more satisfying than soup. Also, we are sure to get plenty of vegetables in our diet when we include soup routinely in our menu. Whether I make a creamy chowder, a chicken noodle, or a hearty bean soup we all enjoy and usually go back for seconds. When I prepare soup I rarely use a recipe. If I do use one it is only a guideline to be modified and "tweaked" to suit our palates. We like our soups flavorful and hearty so we often add more vegetables, more garlic, more cumin, more celery, more "whatever" than the recipe calls for. I mean why bother adding 1 clove of garlic? I don't get it. I usually decide what soup to prepare based upon what I see when I open my refrigerator and cupboards. What do I have on hand? What leftovers? What vegetables? What legumes? I always keep a supply of good chicken broth or at least a flavorful bullion in the pantry at all times, so making a pot of soup is so very simple. It reminds me of the children' s story of "stone soup" minus the stone of course. A delicious and satisfying soup is simply a matter of combining the ingredients you have on hand with a good broth. It's experimental , but I don't think I've ever prepared a bad soup. They've all been good, just some have been "yummier" than others. Secondly, I think about what we are in the mood for. If I have leftover rice in the refrigerator, I'll consider chicken with rice or maybe a Mexican rice and meatball soup. Perhaps a creamy wild rice soup would be a good choice. If I have any ham left over I'd almost always make a split pea soup or navy bean. If I am craving a hearty chowder, I'll combine potatoes, corn, onion, and peppers, and make up some cornbread on the side. If I feel like Mexican I'll combine chicken, celery, black beans, corn, plenty of garlic and cumin and serve this with warmed tortillas. You can even garnish this with some cilantro, cheddar cheese and fresh onion. YUM! If you ever have any left over tortillinies or pasta you can make a delicious minestrone type soup by adding some beans and canned tomatoes with your chicken broth. Garnish this with some good parmisan cheese. The possibilities are endless and never boring. When I make soup our home smells delicious, our tummy's are full and we are warmed and comforted. I don't think we'd get all of this from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or chicken nuggets. Making a pot of soup is a blessing for you and your family. I hope you'll make some today. Here are some ideas to try. For cream of Broccoli soup combine frozen chopped broccoli with chopped onion, chicken broth, and milk...thicken with flour. You can even add a can of cheese soup to make it a broccoli cheese. Don't let this boil once you've added the milk. Experiment and taste. For vegetable soup I add carrots, celery, onion, any other vegetables I have on hand with chicken broth. If I have any rice or pasta I'll
add these. You can even make a creamier soup by adding milk and thickening with flour or instant potatoes. Easy and good. For split pea soup Ill chop up leftover ham or even bacon and fry with garlic, onion, I'll add chopped up carrots. and celery. Then chicken broth and about 2 cups of split peas...an inch of water over the peas too. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour. Taste and season to taste. Get some more ideas on the recipe site and don't forget to give me your ideas for more soups!!!
Brenda
My beloved mother passed away one year ago this January. As I reminisce about her, I am realizing more and more that she had her priorities in order. My mom was not a very organized person, nor did she have an immaculate house. She would say that our home was "lived-in". She did not have a schedule book or even a calendar hanging in the kitchen. In spite of this, she always practiced hospitality. She would never "schedule" someone in to invite for dinner, but welcomed all who crossed her path to come in , relax and eat. For certain, practicing hospitality was a lifestyle for her. I'm really not sure how this was accomplished but we seemed to always have folks over. If mom made a pot of chicken soup, or spaghetti, she would make extra to share with someone in our neighborhood. She was not a fussbudget about her table and our dishes were not lovely or even matching. I don't think she even noticed. She was just so delighted to have a full house. (well I should say, a fuller house because there were already 6 of us in a small 2 bedroom apartment). Nearly every Sunday she made a special dinner. Often it was her "New England Boiled Dinner." She'd boil a ham or corned beef, add cabbage, potatoes, some small onions, carrots, a bay leaf and a turnip or two. The aroma of the beef and vegetables boiling seemed to make it a special day. You just knew it was Sunday because something especially yummy was on the stove. Most of the folks who ate with us were not actually invited in a formal way. Neighbors would drop by from our apartment complex, or my brothers college friends would be over. One neighbor Evelyn would stop in every time my mom was frying liver and onions. My mom would warmly welcome her. On occasion, my dad would have a friend from work whom we called "Uncle Bill." If she did not have supper started when folks come over she'd just "throw" something together. One time my brother had several of his friends over who were visiting from Japan. I was old enough then to worry a bit about how to entertain them. I wanted to make an impression. I wanted to serve on pretty dishes a "highfalutin" meal. My mom was not concerned at all but just happy to have them in her home. Before I knew it out came last nights spaghetti...bread was buttered....vegetables warmed....maybe a salad with Thousand Island dressing prepared. Whatever she had, it was on the table and the guests seemed pleased. They loved sampling American cuisine and ate plenty. I remember feeling relieved that my mom could pull this off and began to delight in the company as well. Bless her heart. I don't think any of us children realized then that she was the one who had her act together. She cared about people more than anything else. It was not a chore for her but a joy to open her humble home and her heart to others. I miss those days. I miss my dear mom and her hospitality. All of a sudden I have a strong urge to prepare a "New England Boiled Dinner." This Sunday I think I will. Hopefully we will have folks over too. I hope you will join me in preparing this delicious and comforting meal. If only my beloved mom could join us. Here's the recipe. 
with the meat in the middle. This will prevent the vegetables from getting soggy. You can butter the vegetables if you want and add some nice fresh ground pepper. I like to put on some nice music while I cook but it should be just as good without it.