~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
Woke up to a snowstorm this morning. Even the Christmas cactus thinks it's December again! I have to keep reminding myself this is normal for Michigan in March. I read so many blogs from my southern friends, sometimes I forget that up here March is a winter month. We won't see forsythias or daffodils until the end of May. It's a good day to stay indoors and make a batch of soup.
Waste Not, Want Not Soup
After your meals, instead of scraping your plates into the garbage, scrape them into a stewpot. Yep, everything including the bones, salad, mashed potatoes, etc. Everything, except the pie! I was telling someone about this soup and they said "Ewww! All those germs!" I had to explain to them since, you boil the concoction for 10 minutes it will kill any germs, but I guess there will always be some people that will be squeamish about this recipe. Anyway to continue, along with the scrapings, add the any leftover vegetables, the scrapings from vegetables that were peeled,and the outer tougher skins of the onions that you diced. And the liquid from any canned vegetables that have been drained. You get the picture, anything that might add some food value. Cover this mixture with two inches of water and boil for ten minutes. Cool the broth. Strain and cull any meat scraps and put them in with the liquid. Refrigerate overnight. Remove any fat that has solidified at the top of the broth. I hate greasy soup, don't you?
Now you are ready to make the soup. Take the prepared broth and taste it. What is the dominate flavor? Add vegetables that are compatible with whatever with the flavor of the broth. Tomatoes are nice with beef, I like lima beans with pork. Also add diced celery and carrots. Select a starch; diced potatoes, noodles, or rice. Stir in some spices the last 15 minutes. Sage thyme, paprika and rosemary are good with chicken or pork. Beef is good with Italian or Mexican spices. Add salt and pepper to taste. There! You have a nice soup made from something that might have gone to waste.
I hate to say really but it's a beautiful snow - Lucky we have power though with the rain that turned into ice. You can hear cracking limbs through the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI like the thoughts of your soup-nothing wasted.
Vickie, it certainly is prettier than all the mud and dead leaves. We didn't get the rain, just the snow. Good day to stay inside. That soup got us through some tough times!
ReplyDeleteGrass is always greener on the other side...lol. We so rarely get snow (though this year was an exception) that we're all excited to see it coming.
ReplyDeleteMy mama did a version of this soup when I was a child and I still do the same thing. All leftovers go into a covered bowl in the frig and then when I have enough I round it out with whatever I need. Soup is always better with a variety of ingredients. I don't usually save the peelings and things, but to be fair I usually serve potatoes and things like that with them on.
Isn't that the truth Shara! My son that lives in North Carolina is always calling to tell me that it's a beautiful 75 degrees and he's working out in the garden. I console myself with the fact that when he will be complaining about the heat, we'll have a nice cool 72 degrees with a breeze off the lake. We rarely mention it, but we Michiganders are kind of proud that we are so hardy to withstand all the cold and snow.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane! Hope you are having a nice cozy afternoon. To be honest I wouldn't have minded a few more weeks of colder weather myself. We have such a long hot humid summer, I really enjoy the autumn and winter. They are my favorite times of the year. Your idea for the soup sounds really good. We always made leftover soup too, but didn't use our little scraps. But, it sounds very nutritious and practical. So many young ones these days don't know how to cook or if they do, it isn't in the thrifty/practical way we were all taught. They may know how to make a few "dishes" for company, heat up some mac and cheese or make a pot of spaghetti sauce from a jar. It saddens me because I am concerned for them, if times ever really get tough. It is important to teach the younger ones how to do these things. I love your thrifty tips. You never know how they may help someone one day. I am going to make a big batch of biscuits and cornbread later today and freeze them away for later. I love cornbread. I could eat it every day. (I don't of course... but I could!) :) Delisa
ReplyDeleteYummers soup! Don't you love the fact that everything is used?? Sounds perfect for a cold, snowy day!
ReplyDeleteHi Delisa! These thrifty posts are meant for my children and young friends. Although, I know quite a few older people that haven't a clue on how to be thrifty:) I was just looking up the recipe for pumpkin cornbread today. Guess cornbread must be in the air!
ReplyDeleteMatty, yes, soup is good for a cold snowy day, but I'm getting hungry for a nice salad made from the lettuce from my own garden!
Dear Jane,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you have rhubarb, at least! :) You are so scientific with your soup; I just throw things in without thinking about what goes with what. Isn't it funny how people don't realize that cooking kills germs?
Love,
Marqueta
Marqueta, I'm the most unscientific person in the world, much to the chagrin of my chemist husband. My soups are usually just throw everything-in-the-pot affairs also. That was just a little formula for soup-from-scraps novices.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, it's me again, you got me curious, "pumpkin cornbread", that sounds so good! Does it taste sweet like pumpkin bread or is it a saltier dinner type bread? Have a lovely afternoon! Delisa :)
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