On The Menu

On The Menu: Comfort food.  Sometimes there's just nothing better.  A warm bowl of soup or chili to warm you from the inside out is all you need after coming in from the cold.  These two recipes are for sure on our menu for the next couple of weeks.  Shaun's not a bug soup person so I have to spread the time between recipes.  The black bean soup, I have already thought, would be perfect for lunch with maybe a green salad or quesadillas. Yum!

As always, click on the picture or the title of the recipe to be directed right to the source.

Chicken & White Bean Chili

Photo and Recipe Credit: thewaytohisheartblog.com                       

Easy Black Bean Soup

Photo and Recipe Credit: abeautifulmess.com                                  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Photo and Recipe Credit: thepioneerwoman.com    

Monday Night Minestrone

Photo and Recipe Credit: me! peppysis.blogspot.com    

end of the week soup

Since it's getting colder out, since we have left over veggies and since I really do enjoy soup, for the last few weeks I have been totally taking advantage of the three and making soup for lunch on Thursdays at the day care.  Until today I was the only one enjoying it.  I usually only make a small amount for myself but when the kids saw me dipping my grilled cheese sandwich in my bowl they got curious and wanted to try.

I tell you, when I was introduced to minestrone soup my life changed.  Tomato based soup with basil accents and pasta floating not to mention vegetables swimming around is heaven in a bowl to me.  When I make green beans, mixed veggies or carrots as a side at lunchtime for the kids there is generally some left.  I would much rather throw them in a pot and gobble up the nutrients than throw them away.

My soup here consisted of about 1/4 cup tomato juice, 1/4 cup left over pizza sauce, 1/8 cup green beans, 1/8 cup mixed veggies, some garden zucchini  1 cup or more of water and 1/4 cup macaroni.  Bring it to a boil before adding the pasta and stir like crazy once you add it.  Mine always wants to stick to the bottom for a reason that I have yet to figure out.  This makes enough for me to have for lunch and sometimes enough to freeze half for a different day.  Who knows... looks like I will be sharing it more!

comfort food

With temperatures dropping significantly this week, my kitchen calls me to make warming, comfort food.  I was home all day yesterday and wanted something in the crock pot to fill our home with the scent of good food.  I made cabbage and polish sausage in the crock pot and topped it off with my Granddaddy's stick cornbread recipe.  I would have and wanted to make PW's cornbread recipe that is my favorite but I lacked enough of one key ingredient in cornbread.... corn meal.  Her recipe calls for one cup and after I had already made some make-shift buttermilk I realized I didn't have enough.  I really didn't want to pour out the buttermilk.  I thumbed through my recipes and found the piece of scrap paper with Granddaddy's recipe on it and remembered the Tuesday evening at his house in 2011 when he taught it to me as he made the recipe that he catered down for himself to only make seven corn sticks which is how many is in one cast iron corn stick pan.  It called for 2/3 cup self rising cornmeal and as I measured out the little bit of cornmeal that I had it perfectly measured out to 2/3 cup.  Thanks Granddaddy... now help with the rest of the recipe that I short-handedly wrote down as you made yours!  Apparently he did because it turned perfect AND it didn't even stick in the pan.   The cornbread and cabbage with sausage was fantastic especially after a cool evening of sitting in the deer blind where I had a two second shot but didn't shoot my first deer.  That is a pretty intense feeling.  I was glad to have supper when we got in the house at least.  I had pictures of the whole crock pot dish but left my camera at home today.  Have a great week!

comfort and joy

There are a few things about are home that seem a little more comfortable right now than usual.  Maybe it is the change of seasons with cooler nights or the sun fading earlier.  Could be the house plants being back inside from their summer on the porches giving the house an almost tropical feel as I have an abundance and adore their company.  A new slight curtain in the form of a lace shawl with fringe that I purchased for a dollar at a yard sale on our bathroom window above the tub.  I haven't fussed over the bed remaining unmade in weeks just merely pulled together inviting it's next rest as early shadows of dusk dance about the walls.  Possibly it is the tunes coming from the record player from old records scored at summer yard sales and forty-fives found in my attic filling the air and rooms with familiar yet not often heard songs that prompt a slow dance in the kitchen while supper is being made.  

Sorry about the wash rags M.E.

Comfort Food

When we left to go to church this morning, our thermometer said 60 degrees.  When we got back.. it was 45 degrees.  Now that's a front.  Two hours, in the middle of the day, dropping fifteen degrees and it's just downright not fair.  I am a summer girl at heart that's for sure.  I would much rather go in to church with it a tad cool and come out to a warm sunny afternoon.  I always have trouble adjusting and it can just downright put me in a mood. 

I did, however, welcome this evening's chill outside with warm, comfort food thoughts.  Several years ago I bought a packet of Corn Chowder mix from a Tastefully Simple party and fell in love the minute I tasted this soup.  Unlucky for me the company took the mix out of it's main line and hasn't brought it back since.  But this fall I ran across an easy and oh-so-good recipe here.  That Pioneer Woman is fantastic.  So tonight I made the chowder along with beer cheese bread that is so easy it's silly and invited a few family members over to eat. 

Oh, P.S. I also added teeny, weeny shrimp to the chowder.  YUM 

Have a wonderful week!

P.S.S.

Isn't this the most lovely looking salt you have ever laid eyes on?!?  It came from a friend who is in a salt club.  Have you ever heard of such?  It looks and feels like sand but tastes like salt heaven.