Happy New Year!!!!!

Sorry I have been gone AWOL, but this new job has me out of the home more than I would like. However, if I am to pay the bills, it must needs be done. Hopefully, I will be home soon and have more time.

We are all well here, no sickness thank the Good Lord! Honey has been busy, busy, putting up sheet rock and insulation, putting in a new garage door and working some overtime as well. I have been busy working and keeping up with the housework, too.

Amidst all of this busy-ness, we still find time for God. You know, many people say they don't have time to go to church or worship God, but he gives us 24 hours a day - every day. Can't we take just an hour or two out of that to devote to him? And don't get me started on tithing! The money that you "save" by not tithing will be paid somewhere else - many times to a doctor or an "unexpected" bill. So let's show our Lord some love this year!

I am looking forward to the new year with great anticipation. I am not going to diet as such - just eat more sensibly and exercise more. I may not set the world on fire, but I will enjoy my life. I will pray more, get into the Word more, be more in tune with God!

I mentioned earlier in my blog that I had a Christmas tea party for the ladies in my church. As usual, fuzzy headed me forgot to take pictures whilst everyone was here! But I do have the soup recipe from the party - ummy yummy! I am also going to share the recipe for friendship tea - everyone's favorite!

Mexican Chicken Soup

4 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1 can chicken broth
1 can Rotel
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 Tablespoon chili powder.

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and slowly simmer until hot.


Friendship Tea

1 (18 oz) jar Tang
1/2 to 3/4 cup sweetened lemonade mix
3/4 cup instant tea
2 (3 oz) packages apricot or peach Jello
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of cloves
3 cups sugar

Mix and store in airtight container. To serve add 2 heaping teaspoons tea mix to 1 cup hot water.



As you can tell, I did mix-n-match snowmen for decor and it worked great! I used the tablecloth that I had left over from a work party, then the napkins were from my great friend, Marie. The plates and cups I found on sale at Dollar Tree. The great thing about living in the country is you don't have to be too fancy! I served the cranberry cake with hot butter sauce for dessert and we had finger sandwiches.

I wish everyone reading this a most blessed new year!

Soup - Again??

Yes, I love soup. I am officially the soup Nazi! Mess with me and you will not get any soup at all! We have been having cold and snow here, so once I again I shifted into soup mode!

However, I had to go grocery shopping with Honey, so DS took over and he did quite a nice job, too! We ended up having to add some chicken broth as I forgot to tell him to only add 1/2 the bag of tortellini, but it was delicious, especially after slogging through the slush and snow and cold!

This is a super easy soup for a busy night!

Tortellini Meatball Soup
Serves 4-6

1 regular-sized jar marinara sauce
1 jar water
Frozen meatballs - as few or as many as you like
1/2 bag Barilla 3-cheese tortellini (or whatever kind you like) I used dried, but can use fresh also

Pour sauce in largish pan. Fill jar to same level with water, put lid on and shake well. Pour into pan and stir. Heat to almost bubbling, toss in meatballs and tortellini and cook until done - ours had to cook about 14 minutes or so. I thinned mine down with a can of chicken broth as we used the whole bag of tortellini.




He also made breadsticks with some frozen bread dough, brushed with butter and sprinkled with garlic powder, parmesan cheese and italian seasoning. Mmmmmmm!

Comforting

There is just something about soup that is comforting. Hot, steaming in the bowl, it is just friendly. To slurp or not to slurp, that is the question! We eat a lot of soup when it is cold outside.




Today turned off quite cold, after being warmish yesterday. We are supposed to get some snow tonight, I can't wait!

We received a blessing this past weekend: Apparently one of the potato chip companies had refused some potatoes - not the right size or something, so they were giving them away. My Dad called and procured 350 pounds for the church. We have some widows, so that is great for them. We ended up with 20 pounds. I felt that potato soup was in order.

Country Style Leek and Potato Soup
Serves 2 hungry people or 3-4 not so hungry

2 nice leeks, washed and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons flour
1-1/2 cans chicken broth
3-4 medium potatoes, diced
6 ounces kielbasa or smoked sausage, sliced or diced
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in heavy pan - saute leeks approximately 15 minutes. Sprinkle over flour and stir and cook about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high, whisk in chicken broth gradually. Add potatoes, reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered until potatotes are tender. Stir in kielbasa. Turn heat off and let pot stand 10 minutes. Season with salt (lightly) and pepper. Can add 1/2 cup of milk or so, I did. I served with rolls and butter. Would be good with some shredded cabbage tossed in, too.



This is great for people who are lactose-intolerant. I think it would be good for gluten intolerant, too, just leave the flour out or use rice flour.

Little Green Peas

In autumn, there is nothing more comforting than soup. On a cool day, with a breeze nipping at your nose, how good it is to come in to a warm house and smell a pot of soup bubbling! Add to that some homemade bread slathered with fresh butter and a tall glass of iced tea or milk?

I promised lots of soup recipes this fall and winter! There is something just wholesome about soup. You don't have to worry about cutting it. It will stay warm and not lose its texture. It reheats wonderfully and is often better the next day. You can incorporate left-overs into soup and often no-one will notice. It is nourishing for your body. It is good for those on a diet - fills you up sooner. The varieties are nearly endless - you can mix and match to suit your tastes. Substitutions are so easy to live with!

When my son was little, his favorite vegetable was peas. He would pick them up, one by one, smoosh them and then eat them. Occasionally he would offer someone else one - no thanks! While I am not overly fond of peas (especially smooshed) I do like split pea soup.

I made this the other day and we had it hot with bread and butter - MMMMMM.

Split Pea Soup

Approximatley 3 quarts of water - can use low-sodium chicken broth
Ham bone or package of ham hocks
bay leaf
coarse ground pepper
14 oz. split peas (green or yellow, I prefer green)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
olive oil
2 medium onions chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

Place ham bone or hocks in soup pot. Add water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours. (I added some ham bullion, too)

Remove bone from pot and let cool. If there is any meat on it, dice and reserve. Discard bone - or if you have a dog, give it to them. Add split peas and thyme to pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer 15 minutes more. Add potatoes to pot. Simmer another 15 minutes or so.

Saute vegs in olive oil (I used a combo of oil and butter) until they are good and caramelized. Add garlic at the end to avoid burning it. Add vegetables and ham to soup pot and simmer 10-15 minutes.



You can also puree this soup before adding the ham, add 1 cup of whipping cream, serve with a dollop of sour cream and you have potage St. Germain. I really like it that way! Leeks are a great addition to split pea soup, they have such a depth of flavor. Also a bit of diced turnip, or some diced tomatoes, drained. I like to add some shredded cabbage in with my other vegs to saute.

Tomorrow - Giveaway time!

Friday Musings

Happy Friday!

God has been so good this week! I have had such fun visiting all the new readers to my blog! So glad to visit you all! Stick around, you never know what might happen around here.

Plans for the wedding are going well, I think we will close on the house next Friday! Exciting times, then we have to shampoo carpets and do fall cleaning before moving everything in. Mom and Dad have taken over plans for the reception and I have found the perfect suit. No white dress for me, I want something autumny, so I can wear it again! Not only did I find just what I wanted, it is on sale and 40% off of the sale price! God is awesome.

Other than that, just working going on here.

I want to share with you a wonderful recipe I made last night. Sorry no pics, camera is being a pain.

Actually I took some and here is what I got:


So we will have to use our imagination today. This chowder is very good, if not very calorie-conscious.

Easy Clam Chowder
Makes about 2 quarts

2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large spanish onion,cut into medium dice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cans minced clams, clams and juice separated
2 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice
3 medium potatoes, preferably red, cut into medium dice
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup heavy cream
minced fresh parsley
salt
Ground black pepper

Fry bacon over medium heat in large soup kettle, about 5 minutes. Add onion and saute until softened. Add flour, stir until lightly colored, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in clam juices and 1 cup water. Add potatoes, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until potatoes are tender. Add clams, cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Heat thru and serve.

Ruth in PA: I live about 90 miles or so north of Springfield, about halfway in between Springfield and Kansas City. I would LOVE to correspond with you!

Maryellen: So glad to hear from anyone else who has wooley-worms! :o)

If anyone needs to get in touch with me or would just like to e-mail me: moodiesmum at yahoo dot com. Just sub in the @ and the .!

Soup of the evening, beautiful soup

Let's face it - I like soup. In fact, I would say that there are not many soups I don't like. Soup is easy, soup is comforting, soup reheats well . . . I could go on and on. We eat a lot of soup in the fall and winter, but I like it year round.

When I was expecting my DS, I craved cream of tomato soup. Weird, becuase I never liked it before then and I don't exceptionally care for it now.

French onion - who can live without French onion soup? Bean soup. Mulligatawny soup. Chicken noodle soup. Minestrone. Clam chowder. and on and on and on!

One of the greatest reasons I like soup is that it is versatile. If you don't have something, use something else. Or you can throw other things in, if you have them, sort of a bonus!

This soup I am giving you the recipe for is very versatile.

Smokey Veggie Soup

1 pound smoked sausage, sliced in rounds (I used the lower fat turkey)
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
1 carton (32 oz) beef broth
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups frozen O'Brien potatoes (I subbed 2 medium-large potatoes, diced and some onion and green pepper)
Pepper for seasoning

Put all above ingredients in slow cooker, season with pepper and cook for about 5-6 hours on low. Or, cook on top of stove. I added in some fresh zucchini for about the last 1/2 hour of cooking. I also added in 4 nice, fat cloves of garlic, minced up fine. This recipe is easily halved or doubled, depending on your needs. It smells wonderful in the house on a cold, rainy day. Serve with hot, crusty bread for sopping up the juices. Cold milk or iced tea - or hot cider! Very versatile, you can use fresh veggies if you have them, or canned even. Just be sure to get a good mix - corn, carrots, green beans, peas.



Also, as promised . . . a picture

Country Cookin'

I like ham-n-beans. It is comfort food for me. We usually serve it with hot cornbread, dripping with butter and some honey, home-fried potatoes and onions, some pickled peppers (we drizzle a little of the vinegar in the beans) and perhaps a piece of sharp cheddar cheese. A big glass of milk or sweet tea - now you're eatin' country style! Maybe some greens in there as well? A real stick-to-your ribs meal.

Some folks put ketchup on their beans . . . or mayonnaise. However you want to eat them, beans are a great source of fiber. We usually soak ours all night and simmer them slow the next day. As for myself, I prefer navy beas. My oldest brother likes Pintos. My Dad likes Great Northern. The rest of the family I really don't know that they have a preference. We found a great buy on some Anasazi beans the other day and they are really good.

Ham-n-Beans

1 pound dried beans (about 2 cups)
Carrot
Onion
Celery
Garlic
Ham hocks

The night before cooking them, before you go to bed, wash and sort your beans. (Sometimes you find small rocks.) Put them in a big pot with water to cover them and let them soak. The next morning they will have swelled some. Pour any water off and cover them with fresh water. (Water amount is your preference, we use at least a quart, maybe 2) Throw in some diced carrot, celery and onion - how much is up to you. I usually use 1 carrot, 2 stalks of celery and at least 1/2 of a medium sized onion. Throw in a couple of cloves of garlic, minced. Let this simmer over a low heat.

Now for the ham hocks. You can use a ham bone from a baked ham the same, or if you are crunched for time, used some diced ham. What we do is cook the hocks separately from the beans. Just put them in a pan and cover with water and simmer for a good while. Then take them out, pour off the water (they usually have a lot of preservatives) take the skin off and the bones out and chunk up the ham. Use as much or as little as you like.

Put the ham in with your beans and taste for seasoning - take it easy on the salt, as the ham is salty. DO NOT put the ham in until the beans are most of the way done, as the salt will prevent the beans from softening. We use lots of fresh cracked pepper and a little thyme is good, too. If you want your beans a little thicker, take some and puree them in a blender and add back in.

Cook at a slow simmer until you can't stand it any more (make sure your beans are good and soft - after the overnight soaking, they should simmer at least 2 hours). You can cook them longer after you put the ham in, just make sure they are not boiling.

Pour you a big glass of cold tea, butter your cornbread and EAT!


Sorry for no picture, but this didn't stay around long enough!

Good ol' Mater Soup

I like tomato soup. I do not, however, care for cream of tomato soup. Oh, I will eat it, it just isn't my favorite. Now what is weird is that when I was pregnant with my son, I craved cream of tomato soup. I could make it and eat the whole can all by myself. Usually with Sour Cream and Onion Pringles or buttered Ritz crackers. So guess what DS's favorite food is? Cream of tomato soup. Now, I would not even touch it up until I was pregnant with him and although I will eat it now, it is not my favorite. A spoon or two will do me.

I do like just plain ol' tomato soup. Usually with rice. I like it with chunks of tomatoes in it. Now DS will eat a ton of cream of tomato soup, but he does not want any chunks of tomato (or any other veggies) and he does not like just plain tomato soup. Except for my homemade. This is the one soup that we can agree on.

This soup is great to make, very easy, and will warm you up on a rainy day. Or have a cup on a sunny day. It is made mainly with staples, the one thing that you might not have around would be the fresh tomato but you can do as I do sometimes and sub part of a can of diced tomatoes for that.

Tomato Rice Soup
Serves 4-6

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 (14-1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth (I used a 32 ounce box and it worked fine)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (can use 2 (8 ounce) cans)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup rice, uncooked
Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute the celery, onion, garlic and tomato in the butter, which you have melted in a saucepan. Let it cook for about 10 minutes or so over a lowish heat. Add the broth, tomato sauce, sugar, basil, oregano and parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Strain out the vegetables and discard. Add the rice to the remaining tomato liquid. Add salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, until rice is cooked.



The original recipe comes from The Cat Who . . . Cookbook by Julie Murphy and Sally Abney Stempinski. I have given it my slant, just a tidge.

Now, if you are cooking this for picky folks (like DS) you strain the vegs out as stated. If doing this, I recommend chopping them into large chunks to make it easier to fish out. If not doing it for picky folks, leave the vegs in, but chop them smaller. You can also throw in a can of diced tomatoes or some fresh chopped ones if you like.

The best thing to serve this with is a grilled cheese sandwich, which I will be posting later on this week! (My special version, of course) Also this week, be on the look out for lime jelly, red-n-white cookies, old-fashioned beans and ham and cornbread.

Gallic Lily Pottage

I love pedantic proverbs. You know, those silly things where you take an ordinary saying and make it all verbose like saying: Members of an avian species of identical plumage congregate. Or in plain speak, birds of a feather flock together. Just another one of my curious personality aspects, I guess. I like word puzzles.

I like a challenge. Something, that when you have mastered it, you can sit back and say "Wow, never thought I would be able to do that." Something that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling. So you can say, Hey, I stretched myself, got out of my box, and I DID IT!!!

Sometimes our greatest challenges in life come from within ourselves. We have to challenge ourselves or we just drift. This blog was a way for me to challenge myself. I am normally a very private person (my DS says I am a hermit). I just don't feel comfortable sharing everything with everyone.

But sometimes, we miss out on great treasures by not sharing things with others. Sometimes we miss a blessing by not blessing others. That is why, dear readers, I am sharing this recipe with you today.

Gallic Lily Pottage (Otherwise known as French Onion Soup)
Serves 6

6 large onions (I used Vidalia), sliced thinly
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon good olive oil
6 cups beef broth
Fines Herbs to taste
Fresh ground black pepper
6 slices French bread, 1-inch thick
Garlic butter
Shreddedd Parmesan and mozarella cheese, about 1 cup

Melt butter with oil in large stockpot. Add onions and cook SLOWLY until onions are caramelized, about 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. As you are cooking them slowly, they should not burn. Slowly pour in beef broth and add Fines Herbs and pepper to taste. Simmer to let flavors bloom, about 1/2 hour or so.



Butter bread with garlic butter. Top with cheese and broil at 450 degrees F, until lightly browned.



Ladle soup into bowls. Slide bread onto soup and serve.



I know, I know. Purists will say - what???? Well, I used fat-free chicken stock and I do not have the requisite oven-proof bowls that you are supposed to use. Also, we were out of Swiss cheese. But it was delicious nonetheless. Also, as I was crunched for time, I sweated my onions a bit to hurry them along, so they did not caramelize as well.

Hope all of my readers have a Happy Mother's Day! I will be back on Monday!