Learn to make great chili…

As a rule, I always add a recipe to the blog on Wednesday’s, so I won’t make an exception here. I’m sure if you look you’ll find my chili recipes somewhere on my blog, I brought it up, because I was amused yesterday when my grandson Trey asked, “Grandma, I’m hungry… can you make chili for dinner?” Now when it’s 9:30 a.m. and having all day to shop, how can you turn down such a request? It’s really cold outside, and it sounded good to me as well. So chili w/ crackers and milk, it was with fudge-cycles for dessert. The fudge-cycles were for Anthony, he loves his ice cream, no matter the temp.

I do make two great chili’s, one using my mom’s recipe & the other using Anthony’s mom’s recipe. Now to be honest, I use Anthony’s mom’s the most, simply because, it’s the easiest. I can make it in 10 minutes. I always toss in some Tabasco sauce since, Steven lives for it. He wasn’t even home last night, but once you start adding things to a recipe, it becomes a habit just like anything else, good or bad, done in repetition, it later becomes a necessity.

We had a great time with our two oldest grandsons’ last night. It’s a treat for any grandparent when the grand’s want to spend the night. Even though we have 4 bedrooms they had to share Steven’s old room. Craigie slept on the roll-away bed. Trey didn’t trust it. I think it was so they could immediately wake the other in the morning, but I could be wrong.  I doubt it.

And mornings mean breakfast but when it comes to eating… Craigie isn’t much of an eater, Trey on the other hand, is. He loves to eat. They both wanted pancakes. I had everything out on the counter ready to start making them with the grill heating; I went to the pantry and discovered that I had no mix. Really? So pancakes were out… and it was doughnuts… all around!

It seems like with kids everything is measured by food, so next up… comes time for lunch and without fail, I asked them if they wanted a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch or something else. Trey immediately asked, “Is there tomato soup to go with that?” I had to laugh. He’s a card. That was a “yes” and it’s one of my favorites, I just have to add potato chips to my soup, but it’s all good.

Soup & Sandwich’s… you can’t go wrong with kids. Well except for Craigie… he hates everything. For now anyway. Trey packed a goodie-bag for himself and everyone in is family before he left. His momma didn’t raise no fool. He got the good stuff. They’ll be back and I’ll be here with a pot of soup, waiting. I love my Grands!

Home is a place where a pot of fresh soup simmers gently on the hob, filling the kitchen with soft aromas… and filling your heart, and later your tummy, with joy. ~ KEITH FLOYD

 

CHICKEN SOUP

(From Left-over Chicken)
Thoroughly broken up carcasses of 2 roast chickens (bones)
1 small onion, sliced
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups water
2 sprigs parsley
¼ cup celery leaves
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons of pearl barley
2 ½ cups boiling water
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup finely diced carrot
½ cup thinly sliced celery
2 Tablespoons parsley

Brown bones and onion lightly in heated fat in soup kettle. Add next 4 ingredients, cover and heat to boiling, reduce heat, and gently simmer for 2 hours (this makes your stock). Strain. While bones are being simmered, drop he pearl barley into the 2 ½ cups boiling water, add salt, cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes. Then add the strained broth, carrots and celery and boil 10 additional minutes. Serve hot with a sprinkling of parsley on each serving. Makes 4 servings.

Dedicate some of your life to others. Your dedication will not be a sacrifice. It will be an exhilarating experience because it is intense effort applied toward a meaningful end. ~ Thomas Dooley

 

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

MEATBALLS:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork or turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

SOUP:
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped or 1 small box of frozen
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
8 ounces soup pasta, (acini de pepe or orzo pasta are good choices)

Directions

MEATBALLS:

Add all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together using your hands until evenly distributed.
Form meat into small meatballs by rolling in your hands.
Place the meatballs on a lightly greased shallow baking pan. Place in an oven preheated to 350°F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.
Note: The meatballs can also be browned on the stove top if desired.

SOUP:

Cook soup pasta as directed on the package. Do not overcook. The pasta should be firm when added to the soup.
Drain the pasta after cooking.
While the pasta is cooking add the chicken broth to a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
If using fresh spinach, add to the boiling broth and cook for 5 minutes or until spinach is tender. If using frozen spinach, drain well before adding to the broth.
Add the meatballs and pasta. Bring the soup back to a simmer.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve.

 

Dr. Cooper’s Soup

1 medium head cabbage
2 large green peppers
1 bunch celery
6 to 8 carrots
6 beef cubes
2 medium onions
2 large cans tomatoes

Chop all ingredients. Add beef cubes. Add water to cover vegetables. Cook 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. This is a soup to lower blood pressure and to lose weight.

Remember: This diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least two weeks in between.

Day One:
Fruit: Eat all of the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For your beverages; unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water.

Day Two:
Vegetables: Eat until you are stuffed will all fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. Try to eat leafy green vegetables and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat all the vegetables you want along with your soup. At dinner, reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter. Do not eat fruit today.

Day Three:
Mix Days One and Two: Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you want. No Baked Potato.

Day Four:
Bananas and Skim Milk: Eat as many as eight bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day, along with your soup. This day is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets.

Day Five:
Beef And Tomatoes: Ten to twenty ounces of beef and up to six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once this day. You may eat broiled or baked chicken instead of beef (but absolutely no skin-on chicken). If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef; for one of the beef days (but not both).

Day Six:
Beef and Vegetables: Eat to your heart’s content of beef and vegetables this day. You can even have 2 or 3 steaks if you like, with leafy green vegetables. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once.

Day Seven:
Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and vegetables: Again stuff, stuff, stuff yourself. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day.

 

Menus

BREAKFAST

Sliced Oranges

Poached Eggs

Toast, Butter

Beverages

LUNCH

Cream of Pea Soup

Soda Crackers

Cottage Cheese Salad

Apple and Pineapple rolls, Butter

Beverages

DINNER

Veal Paprika

Mashed Potatoes

Buttered Corn with Green Pepper

Celery Hearts

Carrot Sticks

Whole Wheat Bread, Butter

Golden Feather Cake

Beverages

 

Menus

BREAKFAST

Tomato Juice

Creamed Eggs

Toasted English Muffins

Jelly

Beverages

 

LUNCH

Chili Con Carne

Bread Sticks

Stuffed Prune Salad

Beverages

 

DINNER

Scrambled Brains

American Fried Potatoes

Creamed Cabbage

Whole Wheat Bread, Butter

Ambrosia

Beverages