Archive for the ‘Soup’ Category

Mar

Wholesome ‘Mater Soup

Posted by: MotherHen in Makin' Do, Pinchin' Pennies, Soup, Vittles

I haven’t been to the grocery lately. I’m so excited about our move that I haven’t even thought about it. Can’t remember what day I had thought I would go, but we’re starting to run really low on some things. The milk is gone. I haven’t made bread yet this week. Cheese is at a minimum.

We’re down to canned goods and a few odd-ball items. I should make a grocery list, huh?

I remembered seeing a recipe for homemade tomato soup in one of the Tightwad Gazette books. Turns out it’s in the second one. And I had most of the ingredients to make it. No milk, but I still had almost a quart of half and half. Turns out it’s very delicious made with the light cream.

I also tweaked the seasonings a bit. Made a better tomato soup than I have ever had! And who knew it could be so easy! It even looks like Campb*ll’s!

The Tightwad Gazette II: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle

‘Mater Soup

You’ll need:

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
24 oz milk, ½ & ½, or heavy cream (use the tomato paste can and fill it 4x)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp celery salt
¼ tsp (or so) garlic powder

Just mix it all together in a medium sized sauce pan, and cook over medium heat just till it begins to bubble. Maybe a bit sooner if you are using the heavy cream.

This makes enough for a lunch size serving for 4 or 5 kids. We had this for lunch today, along with some crackers and canned chicken salad.

I gotta run! Time to make that grocery list!

3 Comments

Nov

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted by: MotherHen in Soup, Vittles

Reformation Day Resolution!

I hereby resolve to put a dead chicken in a pot at least once a week until Spring of 2010 or longer!

Feel powerless when confronting a viral illness in your family? Get over it and get out your big pot!

Making chicken soup is so easy that we should replace pie with chicken soup in that saying. You know, “It’s as easy as. . . chicken soup!” It’ll only sound goofy the first 73 times you say it. Promise.

Anyway, I don’t think you need any reminder about how chicken soup can cure what ails you. We just gotta do it, make the soup. Make it regularly!

Here’s an easy recipe to get you started. The only thing she forgot to mention is SAVE THE BONES and the skin and the connective tissue.

I know, just say “gross” and move on.

Put the gross stuff in a ziplock in the freezer for the next time you wanna make some free chicken stock. And while you’re at it put all your veggie ends and scraps in the ziplock too.

I paid just over $5 ($0.99 lb.) for my largish bird that is in my pot right now.

We’re making the Chicken Soup for dinner tonight. Makes enough for our dinner and tomorrow’s lunch, too!
Using some of the meat for our Quesadillas this noon.
Used the neck and organ meat with some brown rice thrown in to make Trixie-the-Wonder-Dog some extremely superior homemade dog food. She loves me with all her doggy heart!
And the chicken stock I’ll make with the bones will save me a bundle since I won’t have to buy broth.

All my recent interest in making homemade chicken stock and chicken soup comes from having read a post by a very clever and frugal mama about how she processes the chicken feet for her chicken stock.

What?!?!

The feet?

Yes, I know, say “gross” again. It might help.

She’s got photos and everything, so clicking the link is only for the stout of heart.

But it made me think. (Scary when that happens, ain’t it?) But it made me wonder, what goes into chicken broth that ends up in a can at my grocery store? Are they as meticulous about cleaning as they oughtta be?

Reminds me of a line from a forever-ago commercial about (I think) chicken nuggets. I don’t remember how the commercial goes but the catch line is “Parts is parts.”

Eww!

I don’t wanna think about all the implications of that line.

And I don’t wanna eat factory made broth when homemade is so simple.

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