Soups, they are a wonderful meal!!

I absolutely love cooking soups. They are easy, cheap and make a lot. I got into this before Emily was born as I wanted to freeze a lot of food so we would have meals ready.

Here are some of my favorites - (Just remember think about what is on sale and you don't always have to use as much meat as they call for either to save money) -

Vegetable Beef Stew
I actually don't use the flour part of the recipe and normally use about a pound of beef stew. I also added celery last time too.

Lentil and Sausage Soup


Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 small onion
1 cup shredded (cut up) carrots
5 cups water
1 pkg. fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice (Uncle Bens)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1-( 8 oz.) loaf of Velveeta (I actually used shredded cheese or a block of cheddar and broke it up )
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Saute' onion and carrots over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of water, seasoning packet from rice and chicken.

Bring to a boil, stir in rice, reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese (cut into cubes) and soup; cook, stirring constantly 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Makes about 19 cups.

Baked Potato Soup
4 Large Potatoes(bake 350/400 for 1 1/2 hrs, Mash away the lumps and peel off the skin)

1lb Bacon - Fry it or Bake it
Green Onions(cut up)
2/3 cup butter melt in pan slowly
2/3 cup flour (whisk it)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Add 5 cups of milk, little at time
Heat slowly medium slow heat. Whisk away lumps and add potatoes.

Ham Bone Soup
Cook Ham Bone - fill pot with water and boil for two hrs
Take meat off of bone (most should fall off and take the bone out of the water)
Add the following ingredients
Squirt of Mustard
8oz Tomato paste
2 Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
2 cubes of Chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Coriander or Basil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 Cups of Mixed Vegetables (Green Beans, Carrots, Celery)