Totally Tasty Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

My mother always made the best homemade vegetable beef soup.  Everyone would stop by the house for some to take home, when they knew she had made it.  My mom would have huge pots of soup cooking on the stove, enough to go around, and then some.  I have made it many, many  times over the years, you could never improve hers, just make it different.  I made mine the vegetarian way today, that's right, no beef and all vegetables.  All you need is a big soup pot, a cutting board and a sharp knife, to make this hearty soup for dinner on those cold Fall and Winter nights.  This is how I made it, recipe below.

I started with a base of crushed tomatoes, and vegetable broth, you could also use vegetable stock.

 I got everything going in the huge soup pot that I have.  Doesn't that look good!

 Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 ribs of celery with leaves, sliced

1 turnip, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of  black pepper
6 cups of water
3 medium - large potatoes, cubed, leave skins on

1 - 32 oz. box of vegetable broth or stock

1 - 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 - 15.5 oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed

1 /2 small head of green cabbage, chopped

6 stalks of fresh kale, chopped

1/2 green zucchini, cubed

1/2 yellow zucchini, cubed

1 - 14.5 oz. can of yellow beans, use fresh if you can find them

1 - 32 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

5 - 6 sprigs of thyme, pull thyme off the sprigs

8 basil leaves, sliced

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add the onion, celery, turnip, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add the water, potatoes, broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, cabbage, kale, zucchini, yellow beans, mixed vegetables, parsley, thyme and basil.

Lower the heat to medium-low, leave uncovered.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 - 3  hours.  Serve piping hot with a loaf of fresh Italian bread or a Baguette.  Will keep for 4 - 5 days in the refrigerator.  Also can be frozen, thaw before reheating.  If soup thickens add a little water.

Italian Flag Pasta

A lotta pasta, that's what we eat!  This is for the non-meat eater in the house.  It's simple, easy to prepare and he loves it.  You can use any kind of shape, he likes his made with linguine.  I call it the Italian flag pasta, because it's red, white and green.

Start a pot of salted water on high heat to cook 1 pound of pasta.  Saute 4 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Add 8 chopped sun dried tomatoes, that are packed in oil, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  If you like a little heat add some crushed red pepper flakes. Add pasta to the boiling water and stir.  Cook to your liking, we like ours al dente.  In the last few minutes of the pasta cooking, add 1 cup of  petite frozen peas to the water.  Drain the pasta and peas, toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sun dried tomato/garlic oil mixture and 5 leaves of sliced fresh basil.  Serve piping hot.

Cozying Up To Fall

Yes, it is my favorite time of year!  I love everything about Fall, spicy aromas of burning candles, fire pit bonfires, pumpkins, corn, candy corn, corn stalks, mums, sweaters, boots, scarves, the fresh smelling cooler air, all of it and more.  I was a winter baby, but am drawn to this season for some reason.  The temperatures and leaves are dropping here in the east, and it won't be long before the snow appears.  I already started looking in my closet and putting together outfits for the season.  Check out what I pieced together.

White jeans, you can now wear all year round!  No season banning for this staple in your wardrobe.

I paired them with a long camel tunic sweater, riding boots, a rust and leopard print scarf, and gold jewelry

 Dark wash skinny jeans, sequined olive, black and gold tank, olive jacket, gold scarf and brown moto boots

 Boyfriend jeans, white snake skin embossed t-shirt, black leather studded jacket, houndstooth black and red scarf, black open toe shoeties

Peas And A Pasta

We eat a lot of pasta in this house and make all kinds of sauces to go with it.  Not just your old red sauce and meatballs here.  You can do so many things with a box of pasta.  It's inexpensive to buy, I always get it on sale, and have a stockpile of it in the pantry.  My daughter now makes her own homemade pasta,  it's so good,  she doesn't buy it in the grocery store anymore.  I haven't ventured that far yet, although I have made it once or twice in my lifetime.  Here is a new favorite of mine, Pasta and Peas.  It's quick to make, filling and easy on the budget.  Recipe below.

I started with a little olive oil in the pan, 1/3 cup of diced pancetta and 4 large cloves of  minced garlic.

 Saute it together in the frying pan, be careful not to burn the garlic.  I used linguine for my dish, but you can use any shape pasta you like, and I used 1 1/2 cups of petite peas.

 Drain the pasta, pour on the sauce, toss with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

 And it's dinner in about 20 minutes.  Serve with a garden salad, warm bread or garlic bread. Yummy good!

Pasta and Peas

Ingredients

1 lb. box of your favorite pasta

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of diced pancetta, can also use bacon, cook until crispy

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

1 1/2 cups of frozen petite peas

salt and pepper to taste

Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese

Directions

Start a large pot of salted water on high heat for the pasta.  In a saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (from the 1/4 of oil) heat on medium- high.  Add the pancetta, saute for 5 - 7 minutes or until crispy, turn the heat down to medium, then add the garlic and saute together until the garlic is fragrant, but be sure not to burn the garlic. Turn the heat down again to a simmer, add the remainder of the olive oil and the Italian seasoning. Stir to combine with the pancetta and garlic.

Add pasta to boiling water and stir.  In the last few minutes of cooking add the peas to the pasta water to cook them quickly. When pasta is cooked drain in a colander then transfer to a serving bowl.  Toss with the pancetta and garlic sauce, salt and pepper, and grated cheese.  Makes 6 - 8 servings.

EEEHA! Jewelry Roundup

Went into Charming Charlie's last week, I can't resist their clearance racks, I always find good things there.  Reasonably priced jewelry that always looks good.  Your eyes and feet go crazy in that store, because there is so much to look at, and you don't want to miss anything.  Everything is color coordinated - necklaces, earring, bracelets, scarves, handbags, shoes, wraps, clothing - it's all there, neatly on the display counters and racks for you to choose.  But it's always so hard, I want everything, but I control myself before I even walk in the door.  These are a few pieces I found on clearance.  Check out Charming Charlie's for all your jewelry and accessories, you won't be disappointed.

Genuine leather cuff bracelet ,with stamped leopard horsehair insert, and turquoise studded trim $7.99

Silver wire, red faceted and wine colored beaded oval earrings $8.00

All Natural Applesauce Cake

Trying to make desserts for a vegan is hard!  Almost everything you bake or make has butter, eggs or milk in the recipe.  My son, who is the vegan, does not eat any dairy products at all.  He drinks almond milk, and substitutes butter with coconut oil.  I do have a very good chocolate cake recipe, that he loves (check this blog for my Chocolate Dessert Cake featured for Mother's Day) that is all natural, but other than that I was at a loss as to what to make.  I now have this new recipe someone shared with me to try.  No mixer was required to mix it, just a whisk and 3 bowls.  Easy as that and good to boot!  This cake proves, you do not have to give up anything by not using dairy in baking.  It is full of flavor, raisins and walnuts.  If you don't like raisins or walnuts just leave them out.  You can top this cake with a glaze that is also non dairy.  So pull out your fork and enjoy a piece, or two or three, with a cup of coffee or tea.  This is certainly an Autumn, sit on your porch and watch the leaves fall, kind of dessert.  A little something extra - the house smells fantastic as it's baking!  Recipe below.  To print this recipe and other recipes in this blog, click and highlight the recipe then send to your printer.

All of my ingredients for the cake.

 Dry ingredients in a large bowl, then whisk them together.

 All the wet ingredients and the sugar in a medium bowl and mix together.  Dust the raisins and the chopped walnuts with flour in a small bowl.  This is so they do not sink to the bottom of the cake.

 Spray a Bundt pan with Bakers Joy, or grease with oil and flour.  The cake is baked and cooling.

Perfect Bundt cake full of raisins and walnuts, and so moist.

Glaze, cut and....

Enjoy! Rich tasting, moist and delicious.

Vegan Applesauce Cake

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups of unbleached flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

2 1/4 cups of unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar

1/2 cup of canola oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 cup of raisins

Maple Syrup Glaze 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan with Baker's Joy, or grease with oil and dust with flour. Tap the pan to remove any excess flour.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Whisk together.  In a medium bowl, combine the applesauce, brown sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla.  Whisk together.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not over mix the batter.  In a small bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of flour, and coat the raisins and the walnuts.  Fold into the the batter.

Fill the prepared Bundt pan and spread the batter evenly.  Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, depending on your oven, until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.  Rotate the cake halfway through the baking process. Remove from oven and let cool before turning out of the pan.  Loosen the cake around the edges with a knife and invert on to a cooling rack.  If you are glazing the cake, let it cool completely before frosting. Transfer to a cake plate to serve.

Maple Syrup Glaze

1 cup of confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

1 - 2 tablespoons of water

Mix together, using 1 tablespoon at a time to your desired consistency.  Drizzle over the cake.

Falling Over FALL!

This is my favorite time of year, always has been.  Brings more structure to everything in my life, kids go back to college, dinner at a reasonable hour, more sleep, who doesn't want that?!  Cooler days and even cooler nights which I love, because I can get snuggled up on the rocking chairs on the deck with a blanket, and watch the leaves fall from the trees.  The bonfires in the backyard have already started and the smell of burning wood is in the air.  I was not going to decorate for this season, but it got the best of me and I did it.  I took a trip to the country to buy all my outdoor Fall deco's, they are less expensive out there.  I only decorated a few things, but it still makes me so H-A-P-P-Y!

I found this wood bottom metal basket at Marshall's this past week, so I dressed it up with all things Fall.

 One of my favorite things to do is burn candles for the fragrance of the season.  Little pumpkins, oak leaves and acorns fill in the basket.

 I fell for this black and ivory checkered pumpkin at Home Goods and had to bring it home.

 I picked up this rustic oval metal platter for decorating, at The Old Candle Barn, in Lancaster, PA, for $17.99.  It measures 22" long and 14" wide

 I filled it with all things Fall too!

 The velvet fabric pumpkin I found at Marshall's, oak leaves at Walmart, little white pumpkins and the acorns at  The Old Candle Barn.

 I've had this Jack-o-Lantern for over 20 years, he lights up.

 Odd pumpkins, mums, kale, millet and cornstalks, I purchased at my favorite Amish fruit stand.

The entryway all done and ready for harvest time.  The cat is checking it all out.

 Hay bales, mums, corn, scarecrows and pumpkins at the sidewalk.  This guy at the side door greets any guests.

 This is the millet at the front door, the birds love it.  The stand that I go to leaves the corn on the stalks, but pull the corn down to expose it, then wrap it to secure to the stalks, a little something extra.  I do not keep the corn on the stalks near the front door of the house because of the squirrels.

And Christmas is in the stores now too.  I couldn't resist, so I picked up these two small wreaths, made of white pine, pine cones with flocked snow and iridescent glitter for $4.95 each.

 

 Glistening bird nest  for $4.95.

 It is on a long branch and perfect for a mantle.  Both wreaths and the bird nest branch were purchased at King's.