After all these years of keeping my eyes closed,
I looked up from your bed
and realized you are old
and I still love you.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
When Can I Start Wearing That Red Hat?
There is a poem that I've heard of that talks about wearing purple and a red hat. It was written by English poet Jenny Joseph. The gist of the poem to me is that when you're old enough, you can pretty much do whatever you want and nobody can tell you otherwise. In other words, you have the freedom to be eccentric and not be judged as crazy.
My question is, when do I reach this "old age"? The other day I was contemplating the contents of my closet. I was dressing for a family Christmas gathering and trying to decide what to wear. Have you ever had a pair of shoes or earrings that you wanted to wear and so you planned your outfit around it? Well I wanted to wear my heather grey and purple shawl. I made this shawl from a pattern purchased by my daughter as my Christmas gift last year. I am very proud of this shawl and wanted to show it off.
Now the acceptable thing to wear as this was a casual gathering was jeans and a top. Since it is the middle of December, it would require a warm top. When I picked the colors for my shawl, I didn't take into account that I had very few tops that would "match". My mother raised me with clearly defined guidelines i.e. you don't wear plaids with flowers or polka dots; your colors must "match" by either being in the same hue or in appropriate contrasting colors. There is also acceptable attire for specific environments - business attire for work, etc. We all say we don't care what people think, but that's not true when it comes to our clothing - unless you shop at Walmart. (Inside joke for Candy.)
So I asked myself, "Am I old enough to wear purple and the red hat yet? Can I dress the way I feel and not care about what others deem appropriate?" I didn't want to wear jeans. I like loose and flowing, but I don't have much of that in my closet due to the aforementioned expectations. I ended up wearing a very flowy set of pants with a fine wool scarf tied around my hips, a white sleeveless shell covered with a thin grey sweater and my shawl. Very layered and flowy! No one said a word one way or another. Were they being polite? Or am I old enough to wear what I please and just be accepted that way?
By Jenny Joseph
My question is, when do I reach this "old age"? The other day I was contemplating the contents of my closet. I was dressing for a family Christmas gathering and trying to decide what to wear. Have you ever had a pair of shoes or earrings that you wanted to wear and so you planned your outfit around it? Well I wanted to wear my heather grey and purple shawl. I made this shawl from a pattern purchased by my daughter as my Christmas gift last year. I am very proud of this shawl and wanted to show it off.
Now the acceptable thing to wear as this was a casual gathering was jeans and a top. Since it is the middle of December, it would require a warm top. When I picked the colors for my shawl, I didn't take into account that I had very few tops that would "match". My mother raised me with clearly defined guidelines i.e. you don't wear plaids with flowers or polka dots; your colors must "match" by either being in the same hue or in appropriate contrasting colors. There is also acceptable attire for specific environments - business attire for work, etc. We all say we don't care what people think, but that's not true when it comes to our clothing - unless you shop at Walmart. (Inside joke for Candy.)
So I asked myself, "Am I old enough to wear purple and the red hat yet? Can I dress the way I feel and not care about what others deem appropriate?" I didn't want to wear jeans. I like loose and flowing, but I don't have much of that in my closet due to the aforementioned expectations. I ended up wearing a very flowy set of pants with a fine wool scarf tied around my hips, a white sleeveless shell covered with a thin grey sweater and my shawl. Very layered and flowy! No one said a word one way or another. Were they being polite? Or am I old enough to wear what I please and just be accepted that way?
Warning - When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
By Jenny Joseph
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
and run my stick along the public railings
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick the flowers in other people's gardens
and learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at a go
or only bread and pickles for a week
and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
and pay our rent and not swear in the street
and set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
Monday, December 19, 2011
We Can't All Be Doctors and Lawyers and Such
There was a time when high school taught us practical skills. There was home economics where they taught you to cook and sew. There was metal shop and wood shop in which you learned not only to build something with your own two hands, but how to visualize, plan and read a pattern. You learned how to apply those math classes you were required to take. Supposedly due to budget cuts these classes are no longer offered. (They don't teach you how to drive a car anymore either.)
These hands-on classes were replaced with computer classes and preparation for college. They expect young people to know "what they want to be when they grow up". This is a cute question to ask a child when they're young enough to play dress-up, but not a 15 year old adolescent. By the time they graduate, they are expected to have a life plan all laid out and ready to follow. If their parents can afford a college education, they're very fortunate; otherwise they're expected to spend the equivalent of buying a house to finance their college degree. I don't know who thought up these standards, but very few young adults know what they want to do with their future let alone teenagers.
I started working when I was 15 years old. All I needed was a work permit which indicated that my parents approved of me working and that my employer was aware of my age. I worked every summer during high school; so did my brothers. By the time my children were in high school, work was getting scarce. My daughter was lucky enough to get work serving coffee, but my boys couldn't find the type of work they wanted (garage mechanic or welding) because they weren't 18. My oldest son was able to find a Mexican restaurant that willingly trained him to cook. This was actually the end of an era; it's very difficult for a high school student to find work anymore. Those jobs are taken by college students or graduates who either can't find work in their field or don't like the career choice they were forced to make in high school.
About the time I graduated from high school there was a song that was really popular in country music. Some of the lyrics read, "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Don't let 'em pick guitars or drive them old trucks. Let 'em be doctors and lawyers and such." Now I really liked this song, but I recently realized that the expectation or skewed view in America is that we should all be doctors and lawyers and such. We all should get a college degree whether we can afford it or not. We should all aspire to making as much money as we possibly can and this will bring us happiness. The way to achieve this goal is to get a college degree - the higher the better. Some would go so far as to call it "The American Dream".
There are several problems with this ideology. One as stated earlier is the cost. It is so prohibitive to most people and yet we keep shoving our young people over this cliff. Also, expecting our teenagers to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives to make the expense of that college education feasible is ridiculous. I've had at least 12 different jobs in my lifetime and I still don't have a "career title" - and I actually have an AA degree.
Then there's the guilt. Why do we make people feel guilty for not having a college diploma? Or if they get that diploma, why do judge them as a failure if they end up working in another field? What gives us the right to judge at all? I have met so many people that changed their mind about their career choice once they started their college education. Some changed their major (several times even) while others stuck it out and then sought other employment when they realized they weren't suited to the work.
Last of all, we can't all be doctors and lawyers and such. When I worked in the hospital I would often comment, "Sure we need the nurses, doctors, various techs that all required a so called higher education; but how would the hospital function without the housekeepers, cafeteria workers and maintenance crew?" These people were vital to the operation. They worked the hardest and received the lowest pay.
Today I read an article that some of those high-tech computer jobs that were the so-called "wave of the future" are no longer available. In fact I recently heard a report that there are plenty of "blue collar" jobs available, but there are not enough trained people to fulfill these positions. People that would have been taught these skills in high school at one time or maybe received on-the-job training.
So I honor all those hard working people out there, whether you have a college degree or not. I'm proud of my husband who worked as an Industrial Electrician, my daughter the Coffee Barrista and my son who welds on four-wheel-drive vehicles. Hold your heads up and take pride in your work. And while you're at it, spit in the eye anyone who judges you as unsuccessful.
(Disclaimer: I have nothing against doctors and lawyers.)
These hands-on classes were replaced with computer classes and preparation for college. They expect young people to know "what they want to be when they grow up". This is a cute question to ask a child when they're young enough to play dress-up, but not a 15 year old adolescent. By the time they graduate, they are expected to have a life plan all laid out and ready to follow. If their parents can afford a college education, they're very fortunate; otherwise they're expected to spend the equivalent of buying a house to finance their college degree. I don't know who thought up these standards, but very few young adults know what they want to do with their future let alone teenagers.
I started working when I was 15 years old. All I needed was a work permit which indicated that my parents approved of me working and that my employer was aware of my age. I worked every summer during high school; so did my brothers. By the time my children were in high school, work was getting scarce. My daughter was lucky enough to get work serving coffee, but my boys couldn't find the type of work they wanted (garage mechanic or welding) because they weren't 18. My oldest son was able to find a Mexican restaurant that willingly trained him to cook. This was actually the end of an era; it's very difficult for a high school student to find work anymore. Those jobs are taken by college students or graduates who either can't find work in their field or don't like the career choice they were forced to make in high school.
About the time I graduated from high school there was a song that was really popular in country music. Some of the lyrics read, "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Don't let 'em pick guitars or drive them old trucks. Let 'em be doctors and lawyers and such." Now I really liked this song, but I recently realized that the expectation or skewed view in America is that we should all be doctors and lawyers and such. We all should get a college degree whether we can afford it or not. We should all aspire to making as much money as we possibly can and this will bring us happiness. The way to achieve this goal is to get a college degree - the higher the better. Some would go so far as to call it "The American Dream".
There are several problems with this ideology. One as stated earlier is the cost. It is so prohibitive to most people and yet we keep shoving our young people over this cliff. Also, expecting our teenagers to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives to make the expense of that college education feasible is ridiculous. I've had at least 12 different jobs in my lifetime and I still don't have a "career title" - and I actually have an AA degree.
Then there's the guilt. Why do we make people feel guilty for not having a college diploma? Or if they get that diploma, why do judge them as a failure if they end up working in another field? What gives us the right to judge at all? I have met so many people that changed their mind about their career choice once they started their college education. Some changed their major (several times even) while others stuck it out and then sought other employment when they realized they weren't suited to the work.
Last of all, we can't all be doctors and lawyers and such. When I worked in the hospital I would often comment, "Sure we need the nurses, doctors, various techs that all required a so called higher education; but how would the hospital function without the housekeepers, cafeteria workers and maintenance crew?" These people were vital to the operation. They worked the hardest and received the lowest pay.
Today I read an article that some of those high-tech computer jobs that were the so-called "wave of the future" are no longer available. In fact I recently heard a report that there are plenty of "blue collar" jobs available, but there are not enough trained people to fulfill these positions. People that would have been taught these skills in high school at one time or maybe received on-the-job training.
So I honor all those hard working people out there, whether you have a college degree or not. I'm proud of my husband who worked as an Industrial Electrician, my daughter the Coffee Barrista and my son who welds on four-wheel-drive vehicles. Hold your heads up and take pride in your work. And while you're at it, spit in the eye anyone who judges you as unsuccessful.
(Disclaimer: I have nothing against doctors and lawyers.)
Monday, December 5, 2011
Lessons I Learned When I Bought My House
My daughter is house shopping. She's still a little way off from moving in, but they are looking. When we spoke on the phone the other day she commented that she definitely didn't want a "fixer upper" because it didn't fit their personality. I'm so glad she recognized this trait in herself and her husband. After our conversation, I started reminiscing about when we bought our house 21 years ago; and I remember some of the mistakes we made. We were so naive. I want to share a few of the lessons we learned and maybe it will save my daughter and others some hard knocks.
- First of all, be realistic about what you can afford. Your monthly payment is just the beginning. There will be taxes and insurance to pay. There will also be expenses for maintenance. Unfortunately the roof will wear out, the water heater or furnace will go out, the fence may fall down or your sewer may back up. If you are spending every dollar available for your house payment and other daily costs of living, you may end up unable to repair those things that wear out.
- Don't use the same realtor as the seller. They are likely to offer to work for a lower fee, but the bottom line is they'll still make more money if both you and the seller are paying them a fee. One of the reasons you want a good realtor is because they will keep your best interests at heart. If you share the realtor, they will do whatever it takes to make the sale.
- If you are a first time home buyer, either get your own appraisal done or have an experienced home buyer walk through with you. Even though the appraisal is usually required by law, they may not be as thorough as your own appraiser. We ended up having problems with the plumbing in our bathtub that I am still dealing with to this day. I never thought to see if the drains worked well or if the pipes leaked. Go ahead and climb on the roof. Turn the heater on in the middle of summer or the Air Conditioner on in winter.
- Don't borrow money for your down payment. If you can't afford a down payment, you can't afford a house! I maxed out a few credit cards AND we borrowed money from my in-laws. Within a short time my husband was unemployed and we ended up working with a credit counselor to pay off most of our credit card debt. We opted not to declare bankruptcy, but we still ruined our credit for seven years. (They don't always tell you this will happen when you go for credit counseling.) Seven years is a long time when you want to buy a car or furniture. Oh yeah, we didn't pay my in-laws back for a long time and that debt really caused some friction in our relationships.
- Don't buy a house with the thought that you will move in a few years. In fact, buy your house with the intention of living there forever. You never know what hardships or circumstances may arise to prevent you from moving. We bought our house with the intention of selling and moving to the country in 5 years. We heard that we would build enough equity in our house to get a good down payment for a larger property in the country. That was a BIG lie. So don't buy a 2 bedroom if you may someday need a 3 bedroom or 4 bedroom house. Don't get stuck with a tiny house when you know you need a family room, office, hobby room, etc. If you enjoy entertaining or hosting family gatherings, keep in mind the need for space.
- Check out the neighborhood during different times of the day. Also do a drive through on the weekend. A neighborhood that seems quiet during the week may be really noisy on weekends. This also gives you the opportunity to check out the traffic, pets running loose, children, etc. Do NOT take the seller's word that a prospective house is in an ideal neighborhood. Maybe they really want out. Don't assume they are honest. If you get an opportunity to meet the neighbors, that's even better. First impressions are very important.
- Make sure you like the landscaping. If the yard is not landscaped, plan on spending 10% of the cost of the house in laying out your yard. If you don't like to do your own yard work, plan on the cost of hiring a gardener or get a landscape with very low maintenance. If you enjoy gardening, then make sure you have plenty of room to accommodate your hobby. Remember old shrubs and trees can be removed, but it is expensive. Paving and concrete is even harder to remove. If you enjoy BBQing and entertaining, look for a place with a patio, etc. Also ask yourself if the yard is large enough for pets/children if you plan to have either.
- There are some items that can be used for bargaining such as paint and flooring. Point out to the seller if the carpet needs to be replaced or the walls need new paint. Ask them to lower the asking price based on these cosmetic items. Be sure to put enough money back to cover the costs of paint, carpet, etc.
- This leads to the next point - allow yourself time BEFORE you move in to make any changes such as painting and carpeting. It is much easier to take care of these chores when you don't have to move furniture around or sleep in a house that smells like paint. Our house closed on the same weekend our rent ran out. We had to move immediately.
- Keep in mind the cost of appliances, furniture, window coverings, etc. The house may not come with all the appliances such as a washer and dryer. (Make sure the built-in appliances such as the stove/oven and dishwasher do work.) Also, your furniture may not suit your new living space. The cost of window coverings/treatments can also add up. Windows vary in size so much that the curtains you currently own probably won't work for your new home.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Preparing for Christmas
Every year there comes a time when we start to prepare for Christmas. Now I'm not talking about spiritual or emotional preparing here; just what you do to prepare.
Some people follow a set tradition every year. They shop on certain dates; they bake cookies or trim the tree. Maybe they go Christmas caroling. This can be very rewarding and keep you organized but there is a down side. What if an emergency comes up? Or you just get behind? This can add to the stress and anxiety that can ruin Christmas if you're not careful. If you're not a person who can stay on track then I would say this may not be for you. It can also exclude you from new experiences because they're not part of your tradition.
Personally I have such a wide variety of interests that my activities change from year to year. One year I made gift boxes for everyone I know. Another year I only had time to gift the names that were drawn for the family gift exchange. Last year I gave out home canned jams and jellies. This year I'm working on crocheted gifts. This is very time consumig so I may not do a lot of decorating or baking. I kind of roll with the punches so to speak. In the past I would set myself up for failure or disappointment because I would expect so much more from myself than I was capable of accomplishing. It also made it difficult to stop and enjoy the moment.
I do create a mental list of things I would like to do just to prioritize what is most important to me. If I don't get around to those items toward the bottom of the list, there's always next year. Mostly I just want to enjoy myself as I prepare for one of my favorite holidays of the year. There is such a focus on the actual event that sometimes we forget to really experience the journey to get there. If I don't really like what I'm doing than why should I force myself to go through the motions just because that's the way it's always been done.
So what are you doing to prepare for Christmas?
Some people follow a set tradition every year. They shop on certain dates; they bake cookies or trim the tree. Maybe they go Christmas caroling. This can be very rewarding and keep you organized but there is a down side. What if an emergency comes up? Or you just get behind? This can add to the stress and anxiety that can ruin Christmas if you're not careful. If you're not a person who can stay on track then I would say this may not be for you. It can also exclude you from new experiences because they're not part of your tradition.
Personally I have such a wide variety of interests that my activities change from year to year. One year I made gift boxes for everyone I know. Another year I only had time to gift the names that were drawn for the family gift exchange. Last year I gave out home canned jams and jellies. This year I'm working on crocheted gifts. This is very time consumig so I may not do a lot of decorating or baking. I kind of roll with the punches so to speak. In the past I would set myself up for failure or disappointment because I would expect so much more from myself than I was capable of accomplishing. It also made it difficult to stop and enjoy the moment.
I do create a mental list of things I would like to do just to prioritize what is most important to me. If I don't get around to those items toward the bottom of the list, there's always next year. Mostly I just want to enjoy myself as I prepare for one of my favorite holidays of the year. There is such a focus on the actual event that sometimes we forget to really experience the journey to get there. If I don't really like what I'm doing than why should I force myself to go through the motions just because that's the way it's always been done.
So what are you doing to prepare for Christmas?
Saturday, November 5, 2011
I Have a Brush Pile Outside My Window
I sleep with my window open - summer or winter. When it's cold, I can always add more blankets and I sleep like a baby. I like the window open because I get to hear the birds announce the day. In the summer time I hear blue jays and sometimes mockingbirds. I also hear crows which I don't particularly like. They used to fly over on their way to the country, but now they often stay in residence of the neighborhood. I know some people like crows, but I don't. I'll shoot them if I have a chance.
Anyway, I digress. I have purposely stacked small branches trimmed from our trees outside my window to create a brush pile. Why the brush pile? Currently the birds I hear in the morning are sparrows. Recently I added branches from the Lambs Quarters "weeds" that I let get almost as big as trees. They are covered in seed that the birds like to eat. For being fairly plain birds and small compared to others, sparrows have the most beautiful song. I love to hear them sing all day long. Their song is so peaceful and calming.
To some people sparrows are a nuisance as they can eat a lot of chicken feed if they have access, but I don't mind. My Aunt Jackie used to throw wild bird feed to them on her patio and now I understand why. Maybe she was also giving God a hand as the Bible mentions that God sees a sparrow when it falls and that He provides for them. I think it gave her comfort. All I know is that I really enjoy their singing.
If you want to hear some beautiful music just create a brush pile and maybe throw out a little seed.
Anyway, I digress. I have purposely stacked small branches trimmed from our trees outside my window to create a brush pile. Why the brush pile? Currently the birds I hear in the morning are sparrows. Recently I added branches from the Lambs Quarters "weeds" that I let get almost as big as trees. They are covered in seed that the birds like to eat. For being fairly plain birds and small compared to others, sparrows have the most beautiful song. I love to hear them sing all day long. Their song is so peaceful and calming.
To some people sparrows are a nuisance as they can eat a lot of chicken feed if they have access, but I don't mind. My Aunt Jackie used to throw wild bird feed to them on her patio and now I understand why. Maybe she was also giving God a hand as the Bible mentions that God sees a sparrow when it falls and that He provides for them. I think it gave her comfort. All I know is that I really enjoy their singing.
If you want to hear some beautiful music just create a brush pile and maybe throw out a little seed.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Soup Weather!
It's starting to cool down, finally. Here in the central valley of California we are experiencing 70 degree highs and 40 degree lows. For us, that is fall weather. My friend in Oregon said their highs are our lows so they're already in the 30's at night. Brrrrr.
The good thing about the cooling temperatures is that it's time to make soup. Too many people rely on canned soup when homemade is so easy and so much better. If you're a gardener like me, soup is a God send. You can put almost anything in soup and it will taste good, especially if you use lots of herbs and seasonings. The greatest soup failure is that it can be too bland.
Yesterday morning I woke up and decided to make soup for dinner. My husband and I were planning to work in the garden all afternoon and soup sounded so good. Time to raid the freezer. I pulled out some beef chunks that I had previously cut from a chuck roast, a bag of tomatoes, some green beans and corn, some frozen greens. In other words, some of those vegetables I had frozen through the summer.
When we came in from the garden, I brought in some potatoes and carrots. Things were beginning to thaw out and I was ready to start cooking. It turned out that the beef I thought was pre-cooked was raw, so I quickly changed my plans. Stewing beef (chuck or round steak) needs to cook for awhile to get tender and I wanted soup within an hour. If you are in a hurry for soup, use sausage or ground beef. I have used polish sausage or kielbasa in the past, but I had some good German Sausage. (See previous post about my trip with my mother.) The sausage was in casings, but I squeezed it out and made little chunks in a little olive oil in the bottom of my soup pot. After browning the sausage, I added onion and sauteed until transparent. I added a quart of frozen ham stock and then I added potatoes, freshly pulled carrots, frozen greens which included lambs quarters aka weeds, and some shredded zucchini. I salted and peppered and added some cayenne pepper. While the soup simmered, I took my shower and by the time I got out supper was done. I didn't use a recipe and it turned out to be very tasty.
So what did I do with the beef? Well that's the soup I made today. I browned the beef in a little olive oil. I added some onion and garlic and sauteed until the onion was translucent. I added about 2 T of flour and stirred it all up. Then I added about 2 cups of water and about a quart of frozen tomatoes. I threw in a half cup of barley, about 3 medium potatoes, about a cup of carrots, some frozen green beans and corn. For seasoning I put in some salt, pepper, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, horseradish sauce, thyme and bay leaf. In other words, whatever you have on hand that you think will taste good together. I added another 2 cups of water (enough to fill up the pot which holds about 1 gallon). Now as I'm typing this, dinner is simmering on the stove.
My point is you can make soup out of just about anything you have on hand. It doesn't require an exact recipe and will usually turn out pretty good. Just think of the things you might eat together and throw it all in a pot with some liquid. It's great for leftover vegetables or meat. I like the fact that all those vegetables from my garden are being consumed with all the vitamins and minerals intact and not being washed away down the drain. You can also create these great soups in the crockpot and come home from your busy day to a home cooked meal.
I would like to say that Thyme is an essential for soup. My mother told me how her mother always added Thyme to her soups and as I've been studying herbs I found out that Thyme enhances the properties of other herbs it is used with. It seems it works on flavors as well. You may not have room for a garden, but it's easy to grow a few herbs in a pot. Thyme doesn't take up much space and a little goes a long way. I also like to use bay leaf; especially in beef based soups. I'm lucky because I bought my mother a 4 inch bay plant years ago and now she has a TREE! All the bay leaf I can use.
Next time you can't think of something to fix, make soup.
The good thing about the cooling temperatures is that it's time to make soup. Too many people rely on canned soup when homemade is so easy and so much better. If you're a gardener like me, soup is a God send. You can put almost anything in soup and it will taste good, especially if you use lots of herbs and seasonings. The greatest soup failure is that it can be too bland.
Yesterday morning I woke up and decided to make soup for dinner. My husband and I were planning to work in the garden all afternoon and soup sounded so good. Time to raid the freezer. I pulled out some beef chunks that I had previously cut from a chuck roast, a bag of tomatoes, some green beans and corn, some frozen greens. In other words, some of those vegetables I had frozen through the summer.
When we came in from the garden, I brought in some potatoes and carrots. Things were beginning to thaw out and I was ready to start cooking. It turned out that the beef I thought was pre-cooked was raw, so I quickly changed my plans. Stewing beef (chuck or round steak) needs to cook for awhile to get tender and I wanted soup within an hour. If you are in a hurry for soup, use sausage or ground beef. I have used polish sausage or kielbasa in the past, but I had some good German Sausage. (See previous post about my trip with my mother.) The sausage was in casings, but I squeezed it out and made little chunks in a little olive oil in the bottom of my soup pot. After browning the sausage, I added onion and sauteed until transparent. I added a quart of frozen ham stock and then I added potatoes, freshly pulled carrots, frozen greens which included lambs quarters aka weeds, and some shredded zucchini. I salted and peppered and added some cayenne pepper. While the soup simmered, I took my shower and by the time I got out supper was done. I didn't use a recipe and it turned out to be very tasty.
So what did I do with the beef? Well that's the soup I made today. I browned the beef in a little olive oil. I added some onion and garlic and sauteed until the onion was translucent. I added about 2 T of flour and stirred it all up. Then I added about 2 cups of water and about a quart of frozen tomatoes. I threw in a half cup of barley, about 3 medium potatoes, about a cup of carrots, some frozen green beans and corn. For seasoning I put in some salt, pepper, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, horseradish sauce, thyme and bay leaf. In other words, whatever you have on hand that you think will taste good together. I added another 2 cups of water (enough to fill up the pot which holds about 1 gallon). Now as I'm typing this, dinner is simmering on the stove.
My point is you can make soup out of just about anything you have on hand. It doesn't require an exact recipe and will usually turn out pretty good. Just think of the things you might eat together and throw it all in a pot with some liquid. It's great for leftover vegetables or meat. I like the fact that all those vegetables from my garden are being consumed with all the vitamins and minerals intact and not being washed away down the drain. You can also create these great soups in the crockpot and come home from your busy day to a home cooked meal.
I would like to say that Thyme is an essential for soup. My mother told me how her mother always added Thyme to her soups and as I've been studying herbs I found out that Thyme enhances the properties of other herbs it is used with. It seems it works on flavors as well. You may not have room for a garden, but it's easy to grow a few herbs in a pot. Thyme doesn't take up much space and a little goes a long way. I also like to use bay leaf; especially in beef based soups. I'm lucky because I bought my mother a 4 inch bay plant years ago and now she has a TREE! All the bay leaf I can use.
Next time you can't think of something to fix, make soup.
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