Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Soup, Glorious Soup!!!
Yes, the weather's gotten colder. We've had our first snowfall. Not enough to stay, but snow nonetheless. The car's loaded up with scrapers and brushes and a shovel. DS wears snowpants everyday. It's enough to send you back to bed. Or at least to the couch with a blanket, a good book, and a cup of hot chocolate. Maybe get a little fire going in the fireplace (if you have one), or light a few candles... Anything that inspires thoughts of warmth.
Lately, I've been making soup. Homemade soup. From scratch. And you know what? It's good.
I've never been a big soup person. Sure, I enjoy a bowl from time to time. I'll eat it if it comes with the meal. I practically lived off soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and fruit when I was pregnant with DS and had perpetual morning sickness.
Soup is supposed to come from a can. Add water if it's Campbell's, don't if it's Habitant. Making soup? Who's got time for that? And it never tastes quite right... Until now.
I don't know what's changed. Maybe I got fed up of checking the labels because DH has a reaction to MSG (monosodium glutamate), and it's in 90% of commercially made soups. Maybe I'm not such a big Campbell's kid after all. Maybe it's because I'm actually using recipes, as opposed to believing my Italian friends who tell me to throw everything into a pot, and voila! soup.
It started with my DGM's (dear grandmother) stew. Growing up, it was the only stew I liked. So, a few months ago, I pulled out the recipe and made it. Then DS reads the story of Stone Soup (if you've never heard the story, there's a version here.) Long story short, DS decides he wants to make stone soup. So, we find a nice smooth rock, scrub thoroughly, and make Granny's Stew (with minimal thickening).
I'm trying to use my crockpot more often. So, next thing you know, I'm making Granny's Stew frequently because I know it works well in the crock pot. And I'm thinking about how similar this is to vegetable soup, and wouldn't it be nice... And here we are.
On Saturday I made a chicken in the crockpot. I was on my way out after supper (to Ladies' Night - see below), and I didn't have the time or inclination to pick the bones. So, I left it in the crockpot, covered it with water, set it going, and left. Come home, turn it off, and set it in my near-zero porch to cool so I can scrape off the fat. Next thing you know, homemade chicken noodle soup.
I think, for me, it's suddenly fun because it's easier to break it down into steps. It's not an all-or-nothing thing. I don't have to dedicate an entire afternoon or evening to making it. Took me 48 hours to get my soup (basically didn't touch it on Sunday; too busy), but it was *so* worth it. It tasted great, I've got enough leftover stock to make another batch or two, and I wasn't exhausted at the end of it.
Okay, it's probably just a phase. However, I've made a great vegetable soup with beef and tomato and barley and alphabet pasta (like Campbell's), and I really enjoyed my chicken noodle soup. I think the next step might be to try to replicate Granny's Chicken Rice soup, which I *love*. And then, crème de la crème: Scotch Broth. Num-a-num. :) Maybe it *is* a phase, but I'm sure the folks at Premium Plus are not complaining.
Lately, I've been making soup. Homemade soup. From scratch. And you know what? It's good.
I've never been a big soup person. Sure, I enjoy a bowl from time to time. I'll eat it if it comes with the meal. I practically lived off soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and fruit when I was pregnant with DS and had perpetual morning sickness.
Soup is supposed to come from a can. Add water if it's Campbell's, don't if it's Habitant. Making soup? Who's got time for that? And it never tastes quite right... Until now.
I don't know what's changed. Maybe I got fed up of checking the labels because DH has a reaction to MSG (monosodium glutamate), and it's in 90% of commercially made soups. Maybe I'm not such a big Campbell's kid after all. Maybe it's because I'm actually using recipes, as opposed to believing my Italian friends who tell me to throw everything into a pot, and voila! soup.
It started with my DGM's (dear grandmother) stew. Growing up, it was the only stew I liked. So, a few months ago, I pulled out the recipe and made it. Then DS reads the story of Stone Soup (if you've never heard the story, there's a version here.) Long story short, DS decides he wants to make stone soup. So, we find a nice smooth rock, scrub thoroughly, and make Granny's Stew (with minimal thickening).
I'm trying to use my crockpot more often. So, next thing you know, I'm making Granny's Stew frequently because I know it works well in the crock pot. And I'm thinking about how similar this is to vegetable soup, and wouldn't it be nice... And here we are.
On Saturday I made a chicken in the crockpot. I was on my way out after supper (to Ladies' Night - see below), and I didn't have the time or inclination to pick the bones. So, I left it in the crockpot, covered it with water, set it going, and left. Come home, turn it off, and set it in my near-zero porch to cool so I can scrape off the fat. Next thing you know, homemade chicken noodle soup.
I think, for me, it's suddenly fun because it's easier to break it down into steps. It's not an all-or-nothing thing. I don't have to dedicate an entire afternoon or evening to making it. Took me 48 hours to get my soup (basically didn't touch it on Sunday; too busy), but it was *so* worth it. It tasted great, I've got enough leftover stock to make another batch or two, and I wasn't exhausted at the end of it.
Okay, it's probably just a phase. However, I've made a great vegetable soup with beef and tomato and barley and alphabet pasta (like Campbell's), and I really enjoyed my chicken noodle soup. I think the next step might be to try to replicate Granny's Chicken Rice soup, which I *love*. And then, crème de la crème: Scotch Broth. Num-a-num. :) Maybe it *is* a phase, but I'm sure the folks at Premium Plus are not complaining.
# posted by SilverFlame @ 12:14 p.m. 
