Embracing Him

Winter is here and it’s the perfect time to make soup. Though vegetable soups and chicken noodle soups are delicious, your soup repertoire doesn’t have to be limited to old favorites.

This bean soup is a family favorite. It’s thick, hearty, and filling. Once you add a side of cornbread and a green salad, you’ve got a fabulous meal that’s good for you and satisfying.

Hearty Bean Soup
1 (16 oz) package of dried navy beans
1/4 cup baking soda
7 cups chicken broth
1 smoked turkey wing or ham bone
1/4 cup onion, diced or 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare the beans using the following method. Place beans in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a solid boil for 10 minutes. Remove pot from the heat (do not drain) and set in the sink. Add baking soda and stir until the foam completely disappears. (Do not worry if the foam is green.) Drain the beans and rinse well with cold water to remove the flavor of the baking soda.

Place beans back in the pot. Add chicken broth, turkey wing, onion, pepper, garlic powder, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are soft.  If soup is becoming too thick, you may thin it by adding extra chicken broth. Be sure to remove the bay leaves before serving.

Photo: Courtesy of Roger Smith (Flickr)

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. (Proverbs 31:27)

Our area was hit with a huge snowstorm yesterday, so this weekend the Thorpe family has been enjoying quality time together inside our cozy home. We’ve had a ball making Christmas crafts, playing boards games, and romping in the snow.

Those activities are enjoyable, but when bad weather hits, one of my favorite things to do is cook. This weekend, I’ve made two delicious big breakfasts using my new waffle maker, prepared a fabulously filling bean soup, and I am planning to bake Christmas cookies and cupcakes with the girlies this afternoon.

Though cooking is one of my favorite activities, washing dishes is not.  So as not to risk dishpan hands, I loaded up the dishwasher. Once the dishes were in, I reached under the sink to grab the dishwasher detergent and discovered we had none.

The lack of detergent irked me for three reasons. First, I found myself unprepared. I pride myself on maintaining a well stocked pantry and I have no idea how I slipped up and let the dishwasher detergent get so low! Next, since there is at least a foot and a half of snow outside, no one will be making a trip to the grocery store today. Finally, I wasn’t looking forward to washing that many dishes by hand.

Thankfully, the recollection of a conversation I’d had a few months ago saved me time. While at our homeschool cooperative, another mom and I were conversing about the joys of homemade laundry detergent. (Check out the recipe I use here.) During our chat, she explained that homemade dishwasher detergent works well and she shared the recipe she uses. I  scribbled it down on a piece of paper and stuck it in a drawer once I got home.

Earlier today, I retrieved the scribbled note and made my own detergent. Since the recipe includes some of the same ingredients as the laundry detergent, I was able to locate most of the ingredients in my pantry and laundry room. According to this mom, the salt acts as a scrubber while the citric acid or lemonade mix works to add shine to the dishes. She also recommends adding vinegar to the rinse compartment to at least 1 cup of vinegar in order to combat any haze, buildup, film, or water spots that may be left on the dishes.

I’m now a fan of homemade dishwasher detergent! It worked well and costs much less than the Cascade detergent I used to love!

Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
1 cup Borax (20 Mule Team)
1 cup washing soda (Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda)
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup citric acid or 4 packages unsweetened Lemon Kool Aid

Use 2 tablespoons per load.

Photo: Courtesy of justmakeit (Flickr)

A few weeks ago our family attended a Christmas potluck with friends from our church and our homeschool group. There were plenty of tasty dishes to enjoy, but my favorite part of the meal was a delicious salad. I fell in love with colorful ingredients and contrasting textures. In addition, the vinaigrette that dressed the salad was absolutely amazing!

While at the potluck, I tracked down the creator of the fabulous salad and asked if she would mind sharing the recipe. Andrea happily agreed to share the ingredients and I prepared the salad last night. It was just as good as I’d remembered and when I took it to my MOPS dinner meeting last night the ladies raved about it and ate all but a 1/4 cup! (I’ll be enjoying that little bit with my lunch today!)

Andrea suggests using a light olive oil as she finds the flavor of regular olive oil to be a bit too strong. If a light olive oil is not available, she recommends using 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

When preparing the salad myself, I found a single preparation of the vinaigrette was plenty to dress the salad. When dressing the salad, I recommend adding the vinaigrette a little at a time and tossing the salad in stages so as not to overdress it. Keep in mind that many people have nut allergies, so you may wish to serve the walnuts on the side. Consider varying the salad by using spinach instead of mixed greens and adding a cup or so of dried cranberries.

If you’re really into salad and you want to take yours to a new level, visit the Dole Salad Guy. He will introduce you to the tastes and textures of various salad mixes and provide you with salad recipes and salad pairings for you and your family to enjoy.

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley

In a container combine all ingredients. Cover and shake until blended. Set aside for at least 45 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Shake again before serving.

Mixed Greens with Mandarins and Walnuts
1 bag mixed greens (16 ounce)
2 (15 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 small red onion, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine the ingredients. Toss well to coat with the vinaigrette and serve.

Photo: Courtesy of The Gifted Photographer (Flickr)