Beee-utiful soup

One day last week I watched Dr. Oz.  He had 28 recommendations, one for every day in February, I guess, and one of them was "No canned soup"!  I kept thinking about that.  Why ever not?  Too much salt?  Well, there are reduced salt versions.  I looked on the back of a can in my own pantry.  Hmmmm, not too many vitamins.  I thought about soup.  My Mother-in-law, Mary William (her father had hoped for a boy)  also known as Dot because when she was born, prematurely, she fit into a cigar box,  always said that beef vegetable soup was not so much flavored by the beef, but by the variety of vegetables put in, and she recommended at least 10.  I see clearly that the canned soup doesn't have such a lot of vegetables.  In fact, when we ate it that night for supper, it seemed to consist mostly of flavored slightly thickened water.  Not offensive,  but I remember Mary Bill's soup  . . .but of course we can do that again!

Here is what I put in:
1 pound of stew beef, cut small
1/2 onion, minced
1 or 2 stalks celery, leafy tops included, minced
1 or 2 carrots, minced
1 medium potato, minced
1/4 small head of cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 cup frozen or leftover peas
1/2 cup frozen or leftover corn
!/2 cup frozen or leftover lima beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup barley
6 cups, about, water or beef broth
6 teaspoons beef boullion if you used water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 or 2 shakes of Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon parsley
I started this soup in my crockpot at 11 am, to be eaten at 7 pm.  I'll be posting here at noon so you'll have to read my next post to find out how it tastes but I'm pretty confident it'll beat the canned soup all hollow.  I've left some room to add water if it's too salty, at 5 o'clock and I'll taste for seasonings.  I've made about a gallon so it will serve for 4 meals, at least.  I'll freeze it in canning jars with only the rings screwed on with a piece of waxed paper or plastic bread wrapper under them.  Otherwise the glass will break.
As to the expense, I don't think it is appreciably cheaper than canned soup on sale is, but that's not the point here, quality is.


On New Years' Day I made the house and kitchen tidy, filled all the salt containers and watered and arranged the plants.  My Son and Daughter-in-law had given me an Amaryllis to force so I got that out.  One should always have something to look forward to in the winter.  I was surprised to find the bulb already sprouting.

I made a mess soaking the peat and getting it in the pot and planting the bulb.  "Put it in a warm place" it said so I put it on a stool near the stove.  Here it is 24 hours later!

Look how it has stood up and is leaning towards the heat.  Today it is noticeably greener and taller.  Amazing!


I've been thinking too, about Resolutions.  Not necessarily New Years' because you can make them any time.  But my Buying diet has only just gotten started.  I took a year to really get used to it.  I have learned a lot more strategies for not spending money unnecessarily this year.  So I have decided to renew my resolution for another year.  I will be dieting foodwise as well, in earnest now because I am being treated for Diabetes.  No more room for cheating now.  Not if I want a long life.  It is very motivating.