Merry Christmas To All!

I just put this on the stove. It's simmering right now. I'm taking a preemptive step. I'm trying to balance the holiday menus coming this week. I've made this soup so many times. Personally, I love vegetable soup that's full of potatoes and corn and beans. With a big piece of cornbread on the side. But this one is also good and has barely any starchy vegetables, thus it's lower in calories. And I'll have a couple of saltine crackers with it instead of cornbread. This time I did use two cups of low-sodium chicken broth as part of the liquid for a bit more flavor.

According to the original source, this soup keeps in the fridge for five days. So I have lunch ready from now until Christmas Eve. It's so much easier to make a healthy meal choice when it's ready and waiting in the refrigerator. 

Not-Quite-Free Soup (photo from months ago)

You might rather hang on to this recipe for after the holiday when you are ready for a reset after maybe too much food. I'll probably make it again then.

NOT-QUITE-"FREE" SOUP

1 16- oz bag frozen vegetables for soup
1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped
1 onion, diced (I only had a 1/2 onion)
1 15-oz can cut green beans 
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 pkg dry Ranch Dressing mix
5-6 cups water
freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Put all ingredients into a pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes or longer, until vegetables are as tender as you like them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here is another favorite recipe when you want to eat lighter. All of this "free" and "zero point" stuff refers to WW (formerly Weight Watchers.) They have changed their system again so I have no idea how you count this anymore. 

I'm pretty sure this recipe would work well in the slow cooker if you don't use an Instant Pot.

ZERO POINT CHICKEN TACO SOUP (Instant Pot) 

        ...recipe from SlapDashMom.com (check her site for other good recipes)

1 small onion, chopped

1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained

1 (15-oz) can light red kidney beans, drained

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

10-oz bag frozen corn

2 (10-oz) cans Rotel tomatoes (I used Mild)

1 packet taco seasoning (I used mild, low-sodium)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients into pot. Put lid on, close and set vent to "seal." Use manual button and set to 8 minutes. Let it "natural release" for at least 10 minutes. (Longer is fine.) Then release remaining pressure, if there is any. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add shredded chicken back into soup. Serve. 

This is more like a chili than a true soup, but it's yummy. It's gluten-free. And it freezes beautifully. You can certainly cook this in something besides an Instant Pot. I used my IP last night and carried it to the dinner in the pot because the lid fastens securely and I could plug it in when I got there to keep it warm.

And I'm closing the lid on my computer now. I'll see you here after the holidays. Take care of yourself in these coming busy days. 

Dinner & TV

Quick Cheese & Herb Flatbread

It wasn't supposed to be a forever thing. It was just our entertainment at the "beach girls" getaway last winter. One friend brought her computer and hooked it to the TV in the house (after a couple of phone calls to her son for tech support) so that we could all watch A Place To Call Home*, an Australian television production, that the rest of us had not seen. She said she knew we'd enjoy it.

Oh, was she ever right. We watched a few episodes each day. And on the last morning—the day we were leaving—the ladies were up and dressed and ready to watch a little more. At SEVEN in the morning! It's the kind of show where it's hard to find a stopping place.

On the way home, someone asked, "How are we supposed to know how this ends up?" And that's how the Monday night "dinner and TV" was born. The friend who brought the computer didn't know she would have us at her house weekly (more or less.) But she does. She provides her house and the TV connection. The rest of us take turns bringing dinner. And we watch three or four episodes while we eat.

This week I took dinner. After all of the wonderful vacation food I'd enjoyed last week, I needed something a little more Weight Watchers friendly. I made chicken taco soup, which I've made many times. And I needed something to put with it.

I found a recipe in a new WW Soups & Stews recipe magazine. Violating one of the rules I live by—always try a recipe before you serve it to guests—I forged ahead. And in my typical fashion, I failed to read the part that said "dough at room temperature." But it all worked out in the end. I think it would have been easier and faster if I had pulled the dough out of the refrigerator an hour before I needed to make the recipe. Learn from me. Plan ahead.

But the recipe was delicious. I made two of the flatbreads. Sixteen pieces all together. I brought home four pieces last night. The five of us nearly finished it all. That tells me it's a good recipe. Here is how I did it.

QUICK CHEESE & HERB FLATBREAD

1 teaspoon olive oil
8 oz. fresh pizza dough (from the grocery store bakery) AT ROOM TEMP!
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use fingertips to spread oil over bottom of pan.
Pat or roll dough out into a rectangle just smaller than the pan. Place dough into pan, and with lightly oiled fingers, press dough to fit a 7x11-inch (or 9x9-inch pan,) going slightly up the sides. Sprinkle with rosemary, parsley, mozzarella and feta.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan a few minutes. Remove and cut into 8 slices. Serve warm, or cool completely.

MY NOTES:

~Because my dough was too cold, I couldn't stretch it out to fit the pan. It kept shrinking back. I didn't have time to wait longer, so I went with what I could do. Instead of a neat rectangle, I got a lovely rustic oval. It looked nice that way.

~The recipe called for more oil. I ended up wiping out a good bit with a paper towel. The oily pan made it even harder to get that dough to stretch to the sides of the pan. I don't think I'll ever use the whole tablespoon it called for. 

~The recipe says you can serve it warm or cooled completely. Because I was taking this from my farm to their farm 20 miles away, serving it cooled worked well. But I did taste it while it was warm. Of course warm was better! The crust was crispy. But room temp was totally acceptable. 

OH...and I forgot the important part if you are counting WW points. (Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.) Each slice is 4 SmartPoints.

And although I've posted this recipe before, I'm putting it here again because the soup and this bread was such a nice combination.

ZERO POINT CHICKEN TACO SOUP (Instant Pot) 

        ...recipe from SlapDashMom.com (check her site for other good recipes)

1 small onion, chopped

1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained

1 (15-oz) can light red kidney beans, drained

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

10-oz bag frozen corn

2 (10-oz) cans Rotel tomatoes (I used Mild)

1 packet taco seasoning (I used mild, low-sodium)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients into pot. Put lid on, close and set vent to "seal." Use manual button and set to 8 minutes. Let it "natural release" for at least 10 minutes. (Longer is fine.) Then release remaining pressure, if there is any. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add shredded chicken back into soup. Serve. 

This is more like a chili than a true soup, but it's yummy. It's gluten-free. And it freezes beautifully. You can certainly cook this in something besides an Instant Pot. I used my IP last night and carried it to the dinner in the pot because the lid fastens securely and I could plug it in when I got there to keep it warm.


*We are into the 6th and final season of this show, A Place To Call Home. You can find it on Acorn TV, a subscription service which is also available through Amazon. It's on iTunes. And one of our local PBS stations is airing it now. According to Wikipedia, the show..."has been described as a "compelling melodrama about love and loss set against the social change of the 1950s"

Snow Day Soup Day

What a difference a day makes! When I drove home from Atlanta yesterday, it was 50 degrees with the sun shining as I zipped up the highway. But the meteorologists said snow was coming. Most of the time when they say the word "snow," it is accompanied by words like "slight possibility" and "slim chance" and "if all the conditions are right." We don't get snow very often.

But this morning, those conditions were right and beautiful snow fell for hours. I imagine most of it will be gone tomorrow. By the weekend, it warms up and we'll only need to put on a sweater to go outside. So you can understand why snow is a cause for celebration for most of us. It lasts just long enough for a few pretty pictures. There might also be a little sledding and maybe a snowman if you have kids. And then it's gone.

Yes, they do clear the major roads, but here in the country, we just wait for it to melt. The cows, on the other hand, do not wait. Daddy-O headed out on the orange tractor this morning as the snow was beginning to accumulate and fed them. They were happy to see him this morning. Looks like we ended up with about 2 inches. That's a significant snow for us. Who knows how long before we will see another one.

When he got back in from chores, Daddy-O asked several times, "Is it time to make snow ice cream yet?" Not all snows will work for ice cream, but this one was perfect. So before lunch was ready, he brought in a huge bowl of clean snow and I stirred up the ice cream, the same way my mother did it when we were little.

There really are no hard and fast measurements here, but this is a good starting point. Today, we even made a second bowl using condensed milk and vanilla. (Skip the sugar here.) Yes, we had a snow ice cream tasting. But both of us like this old-fashioned version best. 

SNOW ICE CREAM

1 large can chilled* evaporated milk

about 1/3-1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)

about 1 tablespoon vanilla

my largest mixing bowl full of CLEAN snow

When snow is predicted, put the can of milk in the refrigerator so you'll be ready. Stir the sugar into the milk until the sugar dissolves completely. Take your time and make sure you don't feel any sugar granules. Stir in vanilla. Taste and adjust to suit you. Then spoon the snow into the milk mixture and stir. Keep adding snow until it "looks like ice cream." It will be soft, so eat it immediately. 

*The milk is chilled so it doesn't melt the snow.

Now while I was stirring up a bowl of snow and milk, I also had a pot of soup going right behind me. For once, we had our dessert (before it melted) before we had our lunch. An upside-down-day as the little granddaughters might say!

The soup is written for an Instant Pot, but you could easily do it in a slow cooker or on the stovetop, too. (You might need a little more water for stovetop cooking, since some liquid will evaporate.) It was a quick and easy soup. In the Instant Pot, using frozen corn and frozen chicken breasts, it took 45 minutes from beginning to end, Not exactly an "instant' but still a very quick way to make lunch. And once the ingredients were in the pot and the lid was closed, I didn't have to look at it, stir it or touch it in any fashion until it was done. THAT'S what makes the Instant Pot useful.

CHICKEN TACO SOUP (Instant Pot) 

        ...recipe from SlapDashMom.com (check her site for other good recipes)

1 small onion, chopped

1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained

1 (15-oz) can light red kidney beans, drained

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

10-oz bag frozen corn

2 (10-oz) cans Rotel tomatoes (I used Mild)

1 packet taco seasoning (I used mild, low-sodium)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients into pot. Put lid on, close and set vent to "seal." Use manual button and set to 8 minutes. Let   "natural release" for 10 minutes. Then release remaining pressure. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add shredded chicken back into soup. Serve. 

[If you are doing Weight Watchers, this soup is ZERO points 

on the new Freestyle plan,according to SlapDashMom.]

Last week I bought a bag of individually wrapped chicken breasts on sale and had popped them in the freezer. I used two of those small breasts for this soup. And I put them into the pot FROZEN. No other changes to the recipe. I'm sure it took longer to come to pressure, but that's the only difference. The cooking time remains teh same. From closing the lid to serving the soup took about 45 minutes. It took 25 minutes to come to pressure. Another time I'll try it with fresh chicken and see how much faster that time it.

Okay, I'm going back to watch this last round of snow falling this afternoon. It could be years before we see it again.

The Older I Get, The Faster Time Goes By

Since I've written the last blog, we've had three cataract surgeries between the two of us (one more to go), an assortment of doctors appointments, had houseguests for a week, celebrated two birthdays, attended a pig show, had an MRI, and spent a week at the beach with the little grandchildren and knitted two pumpkin hats. I evidently don't move as fast as I used to, because that doesn't sound like much. But it has kept us busy.

This week we have the older two grandchildren here for the fall break. But I am determined to catch up here on the blog. Surely I've cooked something I can share. Or, maybe not. During all these weeks we have emptied out all of my cooked foods from the freezer except for two little packs of pulled pork. Just enough to makes sliders one day for lunch.

A dear friend texted me last week to ask what recipes I liked to make and freeze for later. She has knee surgery coming up and wanted to have some ready-to-eat meals tucked away. If I lived closer I would take her a couple of meals. But there are hours of interstate between us. 

So I sent her a list of things that are typically in my freezer. In fact I'm making chicken taco soup right now for supper and have my fingers crossed there will be enough to freeze after I've fed the four of us. It's hard for me to recalibrate my quantities after cooking for two for years.

Here is the list I shared with Betsy. I have frozen many more recipes than these but these are the ones that are on repeat, the ones we like best. And I am well aware that we all have different tastes and expectations. All I can do is tell you what we have enjoyed over the years and hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Chicken Taco Soup  This recipe is written for an Instant Pot, but you could certainly cook it on top of the stove. You just have to get the chicken tender enough to shred. I freeze it in quart containers and pint containers. Some of each, so I can thaw what I need depending on who I'm feeding.

3-Packet Pot Roast  Oh man, we love this slow cooker recipe for tender roast. I freeze the meat in the gravy in smaller amounts in ziplock bags because it's so fast to thaw. Faster than pint containers. Serve it with your favorite quick cooking rice. And I discovered that Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes (in the refrigerated section) taste pretty close to homemade. And it take 5 minutes in the microwave. Yes. My standards have changed as my age has changed.

Baked Rotini This one is tried and true. You can make the recipe in one large 9x13-inch dish, divide it into two square pans and we've even made three smaller pans. Freeze before baking. Thaw. And bake according to directions. I've discovered that when thawed foods come out of the refrigerator it might take slightly longer to bake because the recipe time is written as if you are assembling it and putting it straight into the oven. BONUS: If you serve this for dinner the night you make it, you can freeze any leftovers after it's baked. 

Meat Loaf This recipe goes back to my home economist days. It's one of the rare recipes that goes straight from the freezer to the oven. That means you don't have to plan ahead and thaw before baking. It also makes two one-pound loaves. Sometimes I'll cook one immediately and freeze the other one.

Sloppy Joes A kid favorite that we like, too. A young mom that was in college with my daughters said this is what she always took when a friend had a new baby and also had older kids. Take the sloppy joe meat, buns, chips, baked beans and cookies. She said she usually got a call later asking for the recipe. This is a different flavor from Manwich. Trust me

Chicken Enchiladas These are not covered in red sauce so they can be wrapped and frozen individually. Wrap each one in foil and then put them all in a big freezer bag. I think we microwaved them to thaw and heat. It's been a while since I made them. But they are delicious. 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ The doesn't taste like you made it a slow cooker. It's so good. It makes a large amount, so there will be enough for dinner and more to freeze. This is the only thing left in my freeze right at the moment. We will finish it after Daddy-O's last cataract surgery next week. 

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin (soy, mustard, maple syrup) This recipe is one of the easiest recipes I have on my blog. I made this a couple of months ago and I think I need to make it again soon. So, so easy.

Damn Good Chili I chuckle every time I see the name of this recipe. It's straight from a magazine ad for Presto pressure cookers from decades ago. I won first prize at a chili cook off at our church with it, And Jessica and Todd won first prize in a neighborhood cook off. I almost always double the recipe. Sometimes I'll even triple it. I want plenty to freeze. If you chop the peppers and onions ahead of time, it's really easy to make and let it simmer all afternoon.

Okay. Now you have my freezer favorites. It's time for me to get busy and restock our freezer. It's rare I cook something with the sole purpose of freezing it. With only two of us here, I'm more likely to make a recipe and eat part and freeze part. Make it work for your household!

Betsy, we all wish you well with your knee surgery. ❤️

Easiest Soup Ever

Spicy Black Bean Soup

We made it through Christmas and New Year's and all the meals that holidays and visiting families need. I was lucky that the daughters and sons-in-law did much of the cooking. But after the holidays I felt like I needed a food vacation. We enjoyed so many good meals and desserts and snacks. It was definitely time to back away from the table.

I also have craved some days that don't require cooking. Daddy-O is the best. He never complains if I don't cook or if I what I cook is not his favorite. Like so many of us, deciding what to cook is harder than the actual cooking. On Tuesday I opened the freezer door to see what I could find. A pack of chicken street taco fell out. Literally. Fell out at my feet. It was Tuesday—taco Tuesday! That was the easiest dinner decision ever. And it was as delicious as when we had it over the holidays. Glad we froze the extra chicken

Tonight nothing fell out of the freezer. But I had a recipe I had saved from NY Times Cooking. Many of their recipes are more involved than I want to make now. Or, they call for ingredients that are harder to find in my small town grocery store. This recipe, however, looked easy and I had the ingredients on hand. I wasn't sure if Daddy-O would like tonight's supper, but it's cold and staying home sounded better than going out.  

Such an easy recipe. There is no chopping. No browning. Just dump it all in the pot. Can't get easier. You can see I made cheese quesadillas with tortillas left from Tuesday's chicken street tacos. Perfect combination.

Turns out he did like it. Soup was perfect for the cold evening. I'm giving you the recipe exactly like I made it. The NY Times version made twice this much. But the recipe called for 4 cans, 2 cans, etc, so it was easy to cut it in half. We both had a bowl of soup for dinner and enough left for a small bowl each lunch tomorrow. I always think it's hard to make a small amount of soup. But this was perfect for the two of us. 

Enough chatter. Here's the recipe. 

SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP    makes 3-4 servings

2 (15-oz) cans black beans

1 (roughly 16-oz) jar mild salsa verde

1 (4-oz) can chopped green chilies (I used only 2/3 of the can)

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a 3-qt pot bring all ingredients to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are soft enough to mash easily, about 10 minutes.

Use an immersion blender or potato masher to smash the beans to your desired consistency. (I used a potato masher and left about half the beans whole.)

Serve with toppings such as sour cream, tortilla chips, avocado, etc. 

Notice that I didn't use all of the green chilies and it was plenty spicy enough for us. Make it suit your family.

The Kindness Of Knitters

Finished with love. ❤️

This little heart marks where Bev's knitting ended and the new knitting started. 

We will mark each project like this, to honor the work she did.

I am moving in slow motion this morning after an intense—but totally wonderful—weekend. Two knitting friends drove up from Atlanta to help make and carry out a plan to deal with all the yarn left when our dear friend Bev passed away a couple of years ago. We had all met at a knitting retreat years ago and attended other retreats together. Knitting retreats are meant for learning new skills and making new friends. If you're lucky, these friendships will last a lifetime.  

This was a fraction of the yarn we sorted. If you knit and are like most knitters, you have accumulated a yarn stash. Likely more yarn than you could possibly knit in your lifetime.

Luxury yarns bought on travels around the globe, souvenir yarns, and yarns bought with specific projects in mind. Those were often bagged along with the pattern and needles. So much yarn. And so many memories. We had fun telling stories and laughing about the experiences we shared. 

In addition to sorting the yarns, these amazing friends also worked to complete unfinished projects, like this colorful blanket. There are multiple names for this blanket pattern, but I like the one that calls it "The Kindness of Knitters Blanket." This one truly is. We are still working on some other projects that could be taken home and finished after our weekend was over. But they will all be done soon and returned to her family.

Porch knitting before dawn.

The first night we watched a movie while the blanket knitting was happening. The last morning the knitted started before the sun came up as we raced to complete what we wanted to do. And in between the first night and the last morning, it was non-stop yarn sorting.

    

 

These knitting friends were also wonderful houseguests. They knew we had a lot of work to do. And to make the weekend easier for me, they brought food. Homemade muffins and fruit for breakfast, butternut squash soup and chicken salad for lunches. 

I made these crackers in case we needed an afternoon snack. (We did.) I have loved these! If you count WW points, an entire sheet of lavash made into crackers is 2 points. I never eat that many at one time.

LAVASH CRACKERS

 1 package Joseph's Lavash Bread

 Pam olive oil spray

 Seasoning of your choice, such as Everything but the Bagel or Ranch

Preheat oven to 375º.

Put one sheet of lavash onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use pizza cutter to cut into cracker size pieces. Spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with seasoning. Carefully slide parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned.  

Watch closely because they can burn easily! I rotate the sheet while baking.

These are so crisp and they stay that way. Such a good snack when you want a crunch in your mouth.

There were nearly as many knitting notions as there was yarn. That was all sorted and packaged in to 40 sets to be used for goodies at a knitting retreat.

And while they were hard at work sorting and counting and packaging, I was busy in the kitchen. We took a break in the late afternoon, sharing good memories of our friend as we shared an appetizer.

These ladies brought breakfast and lunches. My job was to provide dinner. I tried to keep it easy and healthy. All of the food I made is here on the blog and I've linked the recipes. The first night I made Chicken Taco Soup and baked the Artisan Bread that I love. (I originally got the recipe from one of these friends!) 

The next night we invited another local knitting friend to join us for dinner. After the baked brie, I made Tuscan Garlic Chicken, roasted potatoes, watermelon feta salad...and these girls twisted my arm and I baked another loaf of bread!

The entire weekend we felt Bev smiling down on us, chuckling from time to time as we tired to figure out what she was doing...forensic knitting, detective work, mind reading. It took all of our skills. And I am sure that she would approve of how we shared the yarn—some went to friends who knew and loved her, some went to high school knitters who have not experienced the pleasure of using "good" yarn, and some went to knitters with limited budgets for indulging their hobby. Another batch was packaged for use later at an event. My dining room no longer looks like a yarn shop. The table is finally empty! 

 

**If you are looking for the lavash, this is what the package looks like. I found it in the deli section, near the pita breads and wraps.

Let's Do The Can Can

Vegetable Chili

We watched the weather news this week as the path of Hurricane Laura aimed towards the Texas/Lousiana coast. I have been thinking about those who will be impacted. One of the widespread problems likely will be power outages. When it covers a huge area, it can last for days.

Which brings me to today's recipe. It's a vegetable chili made from canned ingredients. Now I am totally in favor of fresh foods. And most of us use frozen vegetables to some extent. But canned vegetables have lowly status for many of us. But take a minute and think about it. If you are buying fresh produce, out of season, it may have been shipped thousands of miles to get to your grocery shelf. (Grapes from Chile? Peppers from Mexico? Blueberries from Canada? These foods have traveled more than I have.) So it may not be as fresh as you think. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a good choice as these items are prepped and frozen soon after picking. They will keep in your freezer for months. But our lowly canned vegetables can last for years in your pantry.

Canned foods are good for an emergency stash even if you are not a fan in general. Most canned vegetables will last beyond the date on the can. Google for specific information. The big exception is canned tomatoes. Because of their high acidity. you need to be mindful of the date and use them up accordingly. In fact, good management is good for all groceries. Unpack your groceries and put them away like the stock boy at the market. Put the new items toward the back of the shelf, pulling the older items forward. That's a good habit to acquire. 

If this truly is for your emergency stash, make sure you have a manual can opener. That electric can opener is not going to help you if the power is out. 

Are canned vegetables healthy? Canned vegetable count toward your daily servings of vegetables. They go from field to can while the vegetables are still fresh and full of nutrients. Do they have as many nutrients as you'd get from grocery store fresh vegetables? It depends. The "fresh" tomatoes may have been picked a long time before you buy and use them, losing nutrients as they travel across the country. One big concern is that canned foods are high in sodium. Look for salt free or low sodium items. READ YOUR LABELS. Some cans of beans contain nothing but beans and water and maybe salt. Others have additives to maintain color, etc. But canned vegetables/fruits still can be a better choice than those highly processed "food like substances" or bought fast food. But let's not get crazy from thinking about this. 

We are all suffering from decision fatigue right now. All I'm saying is it's not a bad idea to have a recipe or two or three that can be prepared with ingredients from your pantry shelf. This can be your backup plan if something happens to keep you from going to the store. (Like a pandemic quarantine?) And there are some tasty options. I like to keep an assortment of beans, peas, tomatoes and tomato sauce on hand. And there is almost always 100% juice packed pineapple—chunks, tidbits, and crushed—in the pantry. Canned pumpkin puree is another staple. 

I have been following one of the new WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) plans since the quarantine started. I am not new to WW. This is yet one more time for me. It's one good option to keep track of what and how much you are eating. Makes me pay attention to what I put in my mouth. This recipe started with a WW recipe I found online. A couple of adjustments made it mine. Years ago I often did a much simpler version of this—three cans (corn, kidney beans, diced tomatoes) and a teaspoon of chili powder. This one has a little more flavor to it. And it's still as easy.

VEGETABLE CHILI

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced (I used 1 teaspoon from a jar)

1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes (mine had green peppers, celery & onions)

1 (15-oz) can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-oz) can whole kernel corn, yellow or white, drained

1 (15-oz) can no-salt tomato sauce 

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to your desired level of hot)

1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute being careful not to burn. Stir in remaining ingredients. (It's helpful to measure the spices before you start.) Bring chili to a boil and let simmer 5-10 minutes to let flavors blend. 

Can serve topped with cheese, or over brown rice or a baked potato. 

I made this to have my lunches decided for the next several days. (Did I mention decision fatigue?) This was so much better the next day. So making it ahead would be a good thing. 

Here are some other "mostly made from cans" recipes that my friends and I have made over the years. Carol's Taco Soup even adds canned chicken. And it's yummy! And Missy's Santa Fe Soup has ground beef and onion, but then it's canned vegetables. You will notice the flavor profile of all of these are similar. It's a good things these are flavors I like. This marinated vegetable salad call for celery, onion and green pepper, but it's still mostly canned vegetables. And the recipe for Spiced Fruit Compote has been in our family for so long that I've forgotten where it started. These canned fruits are spiced up and make a tasty side dish. It's good for the novice cook who needs to take a dish to add to the table.  

Getting Ready

I'm getting things ready to head west in a couple of days to visit Little Sister and Big Sister. (And their mommy and daddy.) Daddy-O is still on the mend, so I'm trying to make it easy for him while I'm away.

Yesterday I cooked stew beef & gravy. And while that was simmering, I popped Hot & Sweet Chicken in the oven to bake. That has to be the easiest recipe I know. I packaged everything for the freezer. He can pull out a meal size portion when he's ready. 

Today I made soup. This recipe came from one of my Ravelry friends in Tennesee. She said she likes to make it to freeze and to share. It's really easy (my friend says the hardest part is opening all the cans!) and it makes a ton. And it's good. Can't beat that combination.

I'll be gone less than a week. I may have gone a little overboard with the cooking.

SANTA FE SOUP

2-lb. extra-lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 onion, chopped
2 (.5 oz) packages Ranch-style dressing mix
2 (1.25 oz) packages taco seasoning mix
1 (16-oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (16-oz.) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (16-oz) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (16-oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (16-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (16-oz) cans white corn, undrained
2-3 cups water (more, if necessary)
garnish options:  sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, avocado chunks, cilantro, tortilla chips or strips, wedges of lime

Cook meat and onion together until meat is browned. Stir Ranch dressing and taco seasoning mix into meat. Add remaining ingredients WITH JUICES from all. Add water. Simmer for 2 hours. (If mixture is too thick, add additional water.) Garnish as desired.
Makes about 4 quarts. (It made a little more than that today.)

I put 3-1/2 quarts in the freezer and we had plenty for tonight's supper. I put up some in pints and some in quarts. Glad to know I won't have to cook time I get home next week. There's plenty of this in the freezer.

Maybe I should think about packing now. 

Staying Home

How are you starting your days now? In this shelter-in-place world, I get up, maybe do a few chores, get dressed...and put on an apron. It's like my uniform now. When I put on an apron, I feel like I'm ready to tackle the day. It might be cooking something for the freezer, cleaning out drawers, or checking dates on grocery staples to make sure we use them in the proper order. And then there's the endless laundry to be washed, dried and folded. Not even going to talk about unloading the dishwasher. With all meals eaten at home now, the dishwasher is full every day. I like unloading it first thing in the morning. At least as much as I like that chore at all.

Because every day is almost like every other day, I don't have lots to talk about here. So I'll share some photos of our world right now.

Back when we were out and about—after the virus started but before the lockdown—our local businesses put up encouraging posters in storefronts around the town square. These are a couple of my favorites.

This was the movie that was playing when everything stopped. 

Kind of nice to see these encouraging words on my way home from a grocery pick up.

Y'all know we live out in the country. 

Way out in the country where we see signs like this one.

We have mostly stayed home for the last several weeks. Daddy-O has planted a garden. He will have to replant a few things that didn't survive an unexpected cold night.

But this tomato plant in a pot (it was the leftover plant after planting the garden) promises that we will have tomatoes  eventually.

And our iris are beginning to bloom. The purple ones were planted here by my mother-in-law so long ago. These hardy flowers just tend to themselves year after year. The beautiful coral ones came from friend Missy who sent me a box of bulbs—properly called rhizomes—after I admired the Instagram photos of her flowers. When she divided them, she shared with me. Who doesn't love a friend who mails you a box of iris rhizomes?

A large portion of my time is spent in the kitchen.  I've started putting things like carrot and celery sticks in glass containers when I clean them. They last longer that way. The celery here is in a glass dish with a snap-on lid. Don't want anything going bad. Good habits to continue going forward.

How happy I was to find this recipe yesterday on the counter (that is now all neat and clean.) Carol has made this delicious taco soup more than once for our book club gatherings and she always talks about how easy it is. "You just open all the cans and mix them together in the Crockpot." What good timing to find a recipe that does not call for perishable ingredients. It's delicious AND it's easy. What more could you want? 

I've had fun watching my celery root sprout. As a child I grew sweet potato vines but I didn't know about sprouting celery. Funny what new things you learn during a pandemic...and what now brings us pleasure.

We look forward to late afternoons when we enjoy the beautiful view from our backyard. Take a few minutes and sit down with us.

Sometimes we forget that we don't need to travel to find beautiful places. 

It's been right here all along.