 Don’t forget that today is the last day you can comment to enter our Fall Giveaway for the bread mixes!! Drawing is tomorrow!! I did a small show on Friday night in Edmond, OK and debuted the soaps. I was very pleased at the response and of course, the Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ was a hit. It was a fun time. Last night, I had to cook for 25 young people, and considering that over half of them were young men, I figured that was the equivalent of 40 mouths. Guys eat – alot – I know that well. And what better food to fill 40 mouths on a cool night than soup? But not just any soup. This had to be a soup that would please the taste buds of the potato chip munching, coke guzzling, pizza party crowd. I found a recipe online that looked interesting, but when I made it, I was left kinda blah. Just not much taste. It was pretty, but that was the most I could say for it. So, in my usual “Let’s just dump the frig into the pot and call it supper”, I took the recipe and made it my own.  By the time I was finished, I had pizza in a pot – and I might say a really, really, really big pot. I made close to 20 quarts. I figured THAT should hold them!! So here is the result of my craziness. I have broken it down into a more reasonable amount for you that makes enough for about 8 people. Oh, and just a side note, I used my dehydrated veggies instead of fresh. They worked great. Supreme Pizza Soup Ingredients: 3/4 lb Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage (can use the turkery or chicken sausage too) 1/2 – 1 lb ground beef 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 medium green pepper chopped 1 small onion chopped 2 tbsp. minced garlic 8 cups chicken broth 28 oz Red Gold diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil (other brands are fine too) 1 tbsp sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 can Hunts 4 cheese Spaghetti Sauce 2 1/2 cups large macaroni, farfalle or your favorite pasta Parmesan Cheese Note: You can thicken this soup with cornstarch and cold water if you prefer a thicker soup. Make it first and then determine if you want it thicker. Add cornstarch mixed with cold water into boiling soup, stirring constantly to thicken.  I actually started the day before because I was going to be making so much, but you don’t have to do that. I browned the Italian sausages on both sides in a large skillet and then placed them on a baking sheet to bake at 350º for about 20 minutes. They were taken out of the oven, cooled and then put into a plastic bag in the frig to cool all the way down. This makes them easier to slice. All of the sausages were sliced realatively thinly and put into a bowl and set aside.  Brown the hamburger, mixing in salt and pepper and fennel seed before browning.  In a stock pot, add all ingredients except for the Italian sausage. All of the herbs here were grown in our garden and dried and are so pretty in the soup! Simmer on medium heat for two hours. Bring to a low boil and add sausage and pasta. Cook until pasta is tender, stirring occassionally to keep pasta from sticking to the bottom.  Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of the soup. Add some Italian bread and you have a meal!!  |
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Posts Tagged ‘soup’
Supreme Pizza Soup
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012
A Tasty Bisque
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
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Remember!! Comment at the end (below the blog box where it says in little blue letters, “comments” click on that and it takes you to comments and a comment box) in order to enter our giveaway. Drawing is Feb 13th. This time TWO people win one of the two identical packages – Pie tin set and First Out Pie Spatula. So comment early and comment often because every single time you comment, your name goes into the pot!!  In my last post, I was waxing a bit philosophical and I discussed my understanding about finding joy in the mundane stuff even when things don’t seem all that great. I told you that I had discovered that joy is an attitude of choice. And as I have been contemplating that state of being for the past few months, I have also discovered another attitude of choice: Contentment. Now, I looked up that word and there are a number of definitions with lots of educated descriptions, but as I have been thinking about it, I’ve come up with my own explanation of the state of “contentment”. As I see it, a life of contentment is a life without resentment. Heh..that kinda rhymes, doesn’t it?! It means gracefully allowing the stupid driver who cuts in front of you to be wrong or the store manager trying to stiff you out of a return to be dumb or a lady with a fur and fancy car to be rich or a long-haired youth, marching with a sign to be vocal. In other words, it means, “being satisfied with one’s self and one’s situation, not comparing one’s self to anyone else or expecting others to live up to one’s perception of fairness.” It hasn’t been that long ago that I was in a state of poverty according to that government definition. That’s a whole ‘nother story in itself, but the gist of it is that we had very, very little money. The strange thing is that I never felt poor. I honestly felt blessed and it could have been that I was in a very small town with other people in the same boat, but some of my friends were very wealthy too and so I should have felt like maybe life was lacking something. But I didn’t. And I think that it is because I had discovered the verse in Phillipians 4:12 that says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” I had lived in abundance and then I was poor but that state only dealt with money and contentment deals with the heart. Now, today, I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination, according to those government definitions, either, but I am richer than I was in those days now past. And I have found that more money does not give more contentment. There is always more money than one has at any given time. And it isn’t because the world or the people around me are all behaving themselves and living right lives. That just doesn’t happen. There are people who cheat and steal and even kill, but those people can’t steal my contentment. We are told in Psalm 37:1, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;…Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” The greatest desire of our heart is to be content in God. No need to be angry that others have made more money or that others have more skills or that others say things hurtful. Contentment means to just relax in that with which God has blessed us and to remember that each of us is so special that we are not like nobody else! And of course, one way I relax in what God has blessed me with is to cook it! There is one way toward a contented tummy and that is with a comforting soup on a cold day like today. This recipe is one that a friend and I made up from top to bottom and has been a secret since the late 70’s (except that the original is in the cookbook at the shopping page!), but I have decided to share it today and I hope you find it to be a blessing! The story behind it is that this friend and I used to treat ourselves on special grocery days in the big city (from the country) by going to a particular restaurant. That was in the days before children. This restaurant was very expensive and since neither of us, being farmer’s wives, had much money, we would order the only thing we could afford – soup and salad. But that was all we wanted because that soup was incredible. Finally, she and I decided to try to figure out how to make the soup. We would eat there and discuss the flavors that we were getting in each bite. We went home and started experimenting and the base of this soup was developed. Then, in later years, I added more ingredients that I thought were missing and the following recipe is the end result. I usually make it with fresh crab, but the canned baby clams work just as well and in the off-season are best used anyway. If you want to use crab, just get some snowcrab, steam it and remove from the shells and chop. I sure hope you enjoy it!! 4 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp onion, grated 3 Tbsp flour 3/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp mace 1/8 tsp nutmeg dash of pepper 1/2 tsp. fresh chopped parsley 1 cup canned milk 1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 tsp granulated bouillon 2 cups shredded crab meat or 1 10oz can of baby clams 1 1/4 cup half and half 1/4 cup sherry (if you are using cooking sherry, cut back on the salt) 1/2 tsp lemon zest 1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes  In a large sauce pan on medium heat, melt butter  Add onions and saute for 30 seconds  Add flour  Stir to blend and make a bubbling roue  Add nutmeg and mace together and stir  Add canned milk and bouillon. Stir until bouillon is dissolved  Add half and half and continue stirring on medium heat. Do not bring to a boil. Lower heat if the soup is getting too hot.  And crab, or in this case a can of baby clams with the juice.  Add sherry and stir to mix well  Put in lemon zest  And add tomatoes and stir. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.  Serve hot and garnished with parsley and black pepper. Yuuuuuummmmmy!! This post is linked at Deborah Jean’s Dandelion House Friday Blog Hop |
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Creamy Chicken Veggie/Noodle Soup
Monday, May 2nd, 2011
 I don’t know about where you are, but here in Okie Land, it’s just downright cold. Last night, we had a low in the 30’s and it appears to be making a repeat performance tonight. A wonderful rain has continued the entire day, totally breaking the drought for sure. We even had a little pea-sized hail for good measure. The ground is soaked and that’s a good way to be!! A neighbor even burned trash this weekend – something that has been forbidden in these here parts. And so, though this is the first of May, and though we normally have warm weather by this time, I decided to “soup” up my basic chicken soup recipe and make a meal into which Mr. Fix-It could sink his teeth. By his third bowl, I figured that he liked the results. There’s leftovers for tomorrow too! Here is my new concoction! Soup Note: You can substitute dried veggies, canned chicken and canned milk if you want to try your hand at ‘sustainable’ cooking.  Pour one to two tbsp olive oil into a large stock pan or pot.  Add 1 tbsp flour and on medium heat, stir until flour is fully incorporated to make a light roue.  Add 2 quarts chicken broth and 1 bouillon cube and stir. Simmer on medium heat  In a skillet, add one tbsp olive oil and sauté 1/2 cup chopped onions until soft   Chop three large button mushrooms  Add chopped veggies to sautéd onions and toss  Pour vegetables into simmering broth  Add 1/8 tsp thyme  And 1/8 tsp sesame oil  Add chopped raw chicken breast  Add a fresh orange peel. We love this. It makes all the difference, but it is optional  Stir and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes and then remove orange peel  Add 1/2 cup chopped cabbage and simmer, covered, for 10 more minutes  Uncover and add 1/2 cup half and half and stir well  Bring to a boil and gently sprinkle in homemade noodles while stirring to keep from clumping. We much prefer the homemade noodles to packaged and they are so simple to make. They are much more tender, but you can use the packaged. Simmer until tender. The noodles will naturally thicken the soup, but if you want it to be any thicker, just add cornstarch that has been mixed with cold water. Note: If you plan to can this soup, leave out the noodles. Just open a jar of soup later and add noodles prior to serving. Noodles get mushy when canned.  |
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Dehydrating Series Pt IV
Monday, January 24th, 2011
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I’m sitting here listening to my sweet hubby laugh his head off as he is pulling up YouTube videos of “Carl” (Billy Bob Thorton) from the movie Slingblade making prank calls to restaurants and asking the clerks for “French fried pertaters and biscuits and I like some mustard with those biscuits, uh-huh”. The clerks are attempting to take this order with as much grace as possible. I have to admit that I’m laughing too. I guess I’m remembering the phone calls I used to make, from our church phone on Wednesday service nights no less, to Weigel’s Dairy Store in Knoxville, Tennessee to tell the clerk, in high pitched squeals, “Your cows are out!” immediately hanging up the phone. Real smooth, huh? Kinda like the phone calls my grandparents used to receive in the ’30’s, at their grocery store, where a voice asked if they carried Prince Albert in a can and with the answer in the affirmative, young voices would yell, “Then let him out!!” We are so brilliant when we are young. However, it seems that Mr. Thorton is still brilliant – he’s entertaining my husband, anyway!  There is nothing I enjoy more than putting a piping hot meal before Mr. Fix-It after a long day’s work. I especially love him because he loves soup and that is one of my favorite things in the whole world on these cold days. But I’m weird. I love it on warm days too – homemade that is. When I go to Olive Garden, I’m the “Never Ending Soup and Salad” kinda gal. Therefore, it is really pleasant to have all of the ingredients for soup right at my fingertips, dried and ready to reconstitute for any quick, hot meal. In this fourth and final in my series on dehydrating, I’ve got a recipe for broccoli cheese soup that will leave you craving more. Let’s go! 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Tbsp dried celery (1 stalk fresh chopped) 1 tsp dried bell pepper (tbsp fresh) 1 Tbsp dried onion (2 Tbsp diced fresh onion) 1/4 tsp dried garlic (1 tsp fresh, chopped garlic) 1/3 cup dried potatoes (1 cup cubed fresh potatoes) 1/2 cup dried broccoli (1 1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli) 4 chicken bouillon cubes 4 1/2 cups water 1 can milk or 3/4 cups half and half 1/4 lb Velveeta Cheese + or – 1 Tbsp corn starch + 2 Tbsp water              |
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Mama Mia! It’s Good!
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
I woke up this morning to cold air! It is only the first of October and the chill is already on in Oklahoma. 55 degrees! It truly feels like Fall now and with the cold, rainy and overcast days, I feel like soup, soup, soup. I love Fall and Winter because the cold always offers an excuse for a big bowl of soup. Homemade soup is special because it is filling but doesn’t have to be loaded with calories and it offers a wide range of veggies that I don’t always eat by themselves.
When I go into the kitchen to make soups, I rarely stick to a recipe. I might use one as a base, but I always wind up adding my own twists along with the kitchen sink! I have gotten into the habit of writing down every step I take and every ingredient I toss in or out because, invariably, the hubby will say weeks later, “Let’s have that soup you made a few weeks ago.” All I can do is look at him sheepishly and admit that I have no clue how I made it. Hence, the notes now.
Since it is flu season and since all good mothers know that chicken broth is the quintessential cure for what ails you, I have included below, the steps, recipe and instructions for my own version of Italian Meatball Soup with chicken broth as its base. It uses pork for the tiny meatballs, but ground turkey works just as well. Leftovers freeze very well. I apologize that the photos are a bit dark from using incandescent light, but the wonderfully overcast skies offered little natural light through the windows.
MB’s Italian Meatball Soup
1/2 lb ground pork or ground turkey
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fennel seed
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
3 russet potatoes (new potatoes work fine as well)
1 large Onion
1/2 cup Hormel Picnic Bacon Bits
4 cloves garlic
2 cups fresh spinach or 1 3/4 cups frozen spinach
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can whole or skim condensed milk or 1 cup heavy whipping cream (depends on how much you care about fat content)
In a food processor or blender, add ground pork or ground turkey, salt and fennel seed. Process until meat is finely mixed. (and of course, use the top which is off for photo purposes!!)
Make 1/2″ meatballs by taking a pinch of meat and rolling it in your hands.
Spray large skillet with olive oil spray and brown meatballs. Set aside.
Cut potatoes into large, bite-size pieces.
Dice Onion
Press or dice garlic
Add 1 tbsp olive oil into stock pot and saute onions and garlic until just clear. Do not brown. Add 4 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add potatoes and water. Return to a boil and allow to simmer until potatoes are tender.
When potatoes are tender, add meatballs.
Add bacon bits. I like to use the Hormel Picnic bits because they are lower in fat. Stir and return to simmering.
Add milk or cream and pepper and stir
Add spinach and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes longer.
Serve with garlic bread spread with pesto and toasted. There will be no chill on a cold day in your home!!
And the Sourdough French Bread shown here is an original recipe for another post soon. Enjoy!
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