Weekend Report and Soup Recipes

This weekend has been full of activities that have all been blessings in themselves. Friday I went out with a group of girls that I have quickly become close to through girls bible study. We decided to have a supper club where instead of cooking like traditional supper clubs, we go out and eat at new restaurants to get to know the area better. (My kind of supper club!) Fun time had by all.

Saturday I helped at a yardsale the singles group had at the church to raise money for missionaries in Africa, then went to work a few hours to help out my supervisor, and then I went grocery shopping. Whew, Kroger can really get you with that plus card, eh?

I came home and cooked 2 different soups for this week (recipes at the bottom- they are so good and so easy!) while gearing up for the Razorback game, which unfortunately, did not have the outcome I had hoped for. While cooking that soup, I got tickled at myself because it looked like I was cooking enough for a family of at least 6. This morning I got up and went to church and placed membership. I am really getting involved there. So that is a brief, boring report for those of you back home if you were wondering. And here are some wonderful fall soup recipes to enjoy!

Vegetable Soup
There are no exact measurements to this recipe. Cut up any vegetables you want: Enough to feel a big casserole dish. This is what I used this time: 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 orange pepper, 1 carton of sliced mushrooms, 2 zuccini, 6 or 7 little new potatoes, 2 sweet potatoes, 1 onion. This filled the pan to overflowing. You can use whatever veggies you want. Mix some olive oil through the vegetables. (Not too much or it will sit on the top- gross). You can use any spices you want. I use garlic and rosemary and it is wonderful. Bake these veggies for about 1 hour to 1 hour and a half untill they are all tender- mixing them up occasionally. When the veggies are cooked, put them in a big pot on the stovetop. If there are any veggies stuck to the bottom of the pan, use some red cooking wine to get them out. In the pot with the veggies, add 3 cans veggie broth and some cooking wine (red is good- I used marsala becasuse it was all I had.) Bring to a boil on the stovetop and then let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until veggies are good and tender. This is SO good, so easy, and so healthy!

Beans and Ham Soup
Ingredients:
3 (15.8 oz) cans Great Northern Beans
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 T butter or oil
8 oz cooked ham, cubed
1/4 tsp pepper
Rinse and drain beans. Process 1/3rd can of beans and 1/2 of chicken broth in food processor until smooth. Set aside. Melt butter or oil in a big pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and saute 5 minutes or until union is tender. Add ham and saute 10-15 minutes until ham is lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add bean puree, remaining beans, pepper, and remaining chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10-30 minutes.