Soup is just a way of screwing you out of a meal.
Jay Leno
I’m going to start this off with something quite serious.
My nephew’s cancer is getting bad. He was admitted to the hospital last night to manage the pain. The chemo is not working and they are stopping. We are waiting to hear about what is next for him.
I can’t even sleep I am so sad for him… for his sister, for Ninja’s brother and his wife, even for my M & F-I-Law. I am sad for Ninja who doesn’t know how to be there for his brother at a time like this. I am sad for anyone who is in a position to know a little child who has been brave their entire life and knows that they are soon going to lose the battle.
I selfishly think of my Mom even more during a time like this. I hate cancer. I hate that Mom was robbed of her golden years, I HATE that my nephew is being robbed of… his LIFE! He hasn’t experienced anything and all he has ever had is pain, fear and sadness.
Should we allow HBear to go to another funeral? This will be 3 in less than a year. 3 family members in less than a year. She once asked me why Aaron is bald like Nana… I told her because he has cancer like Nana did. She said “oh, but kids don’t die right Mommy? Only old people die, right?”
No HBear sadly kids can die too.
“Well I don’t want to play with Aaron then Mommy.”
Sad. She is only just 5 and already protecting her heart from pain. That makes me sad too.
It is all just very sad. There is no good outcome in any of this.
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers… him and his family need positive energy surrounding them more than ever.
Thank you.
On a side note but in the same vein, Aaron always participates in the annual HairMassaCURE in Edmonton. Last year he raised $10 000!! This year he hopes to raise even more, so hopefully one day kids like him can be cured of this horrible disease. Check out his pledge form HERE and please help him to reach his goal J
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| Aaron at HairMassaCURE 2012 |
Today was a soup day! With all that delicious turkey, I made broth and then… SOUP!
Turkey Broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 leeks, dark greens only
3 carrots, quartered
2 onions, quartered
A handful of fresh parsley
A handful of fresh rosemary
A handful of fresh sage
A handful of fresh
Turkey carcass plus gizzards and everything that was inside cavity
2 bay leaves
3 celery stalks, with leaves, quartered
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
*The cider vinegar helps extract ALL the minerals and good stuff from the bones, don’t forget to add it!!*
Put everything in a pot and fill with water.
Bring to a boil and then turn down and simmer for about 4-5 hours.
Strain.
Cool. Skim off fat and portion.
I have made broth before but this is a bit different. I have to say that this broth was AWESOME! It is dark and flavorful and I am VERY happy with it! Not only did I freeze 14 cups in 2-cup portions, I also made 2 types of soup and I have 8 cups to make turkey noodle tomorrow!
Slow Cooker Turkey Parmesan Soup
Adapted from Foxes Love Lemons
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 pound turkey, shredded
3 cups homemade turkey broth
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded… plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
2 teaspoons oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 ounces pasta
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
In slow cooker, stir together garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, turkey, broth, onion, 1/3 cup cheese, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook on high 4 hours or on low 8 hours. 30 minutes before end of cooking time stir in pasta.
You can use any kind of pasta but I used alphabet, by request J
Serve garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.
*I made this for freezing. I portioned it, labeled it and put it in the freezer for lunches but I did sneak a delicious little taste first :)*
Taco Soup
Adapted from Pip & Ebby
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
4 cups turkey stock
Two 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
19 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
19 oz. can black beans, drained
2 cups turkey, shredded
Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and cilantro, for topping
*I used a mixture or diced tomatoes because HBear doesn’t like too much spice and I love the Chili diced tomatoes*
HINT: ALWAYS wear gloves while cleaning and chopping hot peppers!!!! I had to learn this the hard way lol I was making salsa with a friend a few years ago and I scratched my nose… I heard alarms going off, for real lol My nose was on fire!!! I got my friend to call my Mom and she HOWLED, I mean I could hear her through the phone laughing at me! It was so hot I began tearing up, of course I wiped the tears and FIRE!!! My eyes, my nose everything burned!! I sat with my head under the faucet while everyone laughed at me. Trust me, just use gloves J
Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add garlic, bell pepper, green onions, jalapeño pepper, salt and pepper. Cook until soft and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add parsley and cilantro and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
HINT: ALWAYS rinse beans if you are using canned. The sodium content is ridiculous!!! Rinsing helps this a little J
Add the turkey stock, tomatoes, corn and beans to the pot and bring to a boil over
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Five minutes before the soup is finished, add the turkey.
Ladle into serving bowls and top with cheese, sour cream and cilantro.
Garlic Beef Enchiladas
Adapted from Taking on Magazines
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 green onions
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sage, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
SAUCE:
⅓ cup butter
5 garlic cloves, pressed
1/3 cup flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sage, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
6 flour tortillas, warmed
2 cups taco cheese, divided
In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and green onions over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain.
Stir in flour and seasonings.
Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute or until tender. Stir in flour until blended;
gradually whisk in broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through.
Pour 1-1/2 cups sauce into an ungreased 13×9-in. baking dish. Place about 3/4 cup beef mixture off center on each tortilla; top with a sprinkle of cheese.
Roll up and place over sauce, seam side down. Top with remaining sauce.
Bake, covered, 30-35 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle with more cheese!
Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
This was a great meal! Taco soup and enchiladas! The flavors were so good even all congested I still tasted how good it was! My F-I-Law is a great cook and he even said it was great! SCORE!
BTW… When I dropped off HBear this morning I heard a woman say she hadn’t done laundry in 10 days because there isn’t enough hours in the day… Not only did I make 2 pots of soup, portion broth, and make enchiladas and the sauce from scratch…
I also met my friend for coffee, read books to SBean and played with her, volunteered at HBear’s school for Hot Lunch, had my F-I-Law over for dinner, cleaned the oven, ran the dishwasher, helped HBear write in her journal, got the kids bathed and put them down while the guys went bowling, and wrote this post… AND, I even had time to do my make-up.
Just saying.
J
