Thursday, April 14, 2011

The cold is back in our weather for a bit more . . .

In spite of forecasts to the contrary, we actually had a chilly morning and relatively cool day. Brisk to the point of needing a sweater when we ventured out for some shopping.

A cold, Spring evening called for a hot meal and we went with homemade soup and fresh bread. As I was preparing dinner, I recalled another stand-by recipe that has saved me on numerous occasions. It is a basic recipe that is very receptive to whatever changes you want to make to suit your own family.

Soup From a Jar

1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound sausage meat
1 onion, chopped
1 26-ounce jar your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 ½ cups water, approximate
½ cup red wine
1 pound frozen, mixed vegetables
1 regular-sized can white beans
1 or 2 cups cooked pasta - you decide! (cooked rice is a good change)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground, black pepper
½ teaspoon oregano

Brown the ground beef and sausage until brown and crumbly. Use a large, heavy-duty cooking pot that has a lid. Add the onion and cook just until onion starts to get limp, about five minutes. Add everything else! If the soup is too thick, add more water. Bring to a simmer. Serve hot bowls of this hearty soup, especially, on those miserable, rainy days. Short tempers will start to lengthen and everyone will know mom still loves them.

No comments: