I am rounding out my Soups & Stews recipes with a variation on the classic tomato soup. By adding a few simple ingredients, this becomes an Italian take on the original. Also, this easy tomato based soup can be converted to a vegetarian version by simply replacing the chicken broth with a vegetable broth. For vegan, try substituting rice pasta shells.
0 Comments
Here's the second version of a potato soup, as promised. This one is easier to make than the one given in week 6. It's also a crock pot recipe, but the ingredients are already prepared with the exception of the bacon which needs to be cooked (although I'm sure you could use Bacon Bits as an alternative if you don't want to do that, or leave them out completely.) Just dump everything into the crock pot and let it go. Super easy and super delicious! Here is one version of a crock pot recipe for a potato soup from Family Circle magazine. Next week I will post another potato soup recipe using completely different ingredients. Both are good. This first version is very creamy and is especially good leftover. There is no meat or chicken stock used in this recipe, so it is good for vegetarians. It does require a bit of prep work, though. If you consider cutting potatoes, onions, and broccoli too much work you might prefer next week's version instead. This soup is truly delicious and will get added to my permanent recipe collection. It reminds me of a clam chowder in terms of being a thick, white, milky soup. The celery and onion provide a crunch, the spinach and carrots add a touch of color, the bits of chicken are unexpected, and the gnocchi is addictive. There is a small amount of prep, but I've included a few shortcuts to try if you are short on time. Here's a hearty soup for the bean lovers to help get through the cold weather. Most bean soups only use one type of bean, but this one uses seven, which is kinda fun to see all those shapes and sizes and colors. Start with 4 cups mixed beans. I used 1/2 cup each pinto beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, split peas, black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas. Place in a large pot and add water 3-4 times the amount of beans. I'm going to guess that this is a recipe most people have not run across before. It's one of my favorites, direct from West Africa. True. When I was growing up my family hosted a group of folks from different countries as part of a church event. I remember two of the people we had visit our house. One was from Australia who spent a major part of his day watching the squirrels out our back door because he had never seen one before. The other was from West Africa (sorry not to recall the exact country, but maybe my mother remembers) who showed her, my mother, how to make this native dish. Ground nuts are simply peanuts. So, this is a peanut stew. HAPPY NEW YEAR! I don't know about you, but I tend to think of January and February as the best months to make soup. Nothing like a good hot soup to warm your bones when it's so cold outside. So, this month, and maybe next, I plan on making a few of my favorites. Some to eat, some to freeze, some to share. First up, chili! |
I remember the excitement of visiting the public library as a child. The magic and suspense of reading favorites like The Velvet Room and The Secret Garden tugged at my imagination. Biographies of George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross allowed me to see the lives of those who came before me and to appreciate their accomplishments. Poetry collections like my favorite The Tall Book of Poems, which I took with me on sleepovers, introduced me to a range of poetry where I could consider how the placement and rhythm of words affected your mood – sometimes bouncy, other times melancholy. Plus, I really loved the way that book felt in my small hands. My goal in writing children’s books, I think, is an attempt to recreate those feelings, those early years of reading books where everything seemed possible.
I received an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and won the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award from SCBWI. I worked as a Children's Librarian for 20 years and still prefer to read books written for young people. I have two Cavapoo dogs named Prince Albert and Daisy Wu, and a black kitten named Mortimer. I am married and split time between homes with my husband Rod in Dayton, OH and in Cadiz, KY where we enjoy our pontoon boat on Lake Barkley.
Categories
All
You can find more detailed information about me by clicking a link below:
Archives
February 2024
|