Homemade Vegetable Soup

This is a soup recipe that has evolved over the years. It is made primarily for my hubby who is known affectionately as "sweetman". He eats this at least once a day. He does not care for sandwiches but loves soup for his "light" meal of the day.

Now I want to address this recipe especially to my 8 grandchildren, 7 boys and 1 sweet girl. Most of them are on their own and doing most of their cooking. There will be days or weeks when the cash is a little low. You will find soup to be a great meal during those times. And who knows, someday Pa-Pa may have to visit you and you can make this for him.

Rule #1--Boys, pay attention--wash the top of those cans before you open them.

Rule #2--Open cans, drain juice in can and then rinse vegetable in can with water. It gets all of that "canned" and preservatives taste out that was used in the canning process.

Rule #3--Cook slowly

Rule #4--Those leftover vegetables and small pieces of meat you had from earlier meals, put into a plastic bag and freeze. You can use them in this soup.

You will need the following:

2 cans of mixed vegetables

1 can of small lima beans

1 small can of green peas (or if you love peas, buy a larger size)

1 can black eyed peas

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can chicken broth (or beef broth if you prefer)

1 can crushed or diced tomatoes. (This is optional as some people (like Pa-Pa) do not care for tomatoes.

1 teaspoon sugar

Any leftover vegetable or meats, cut small

In crockpot or large boiler, place all of the above ingredients. Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients. If you like lots of liquid in your soup, add a little more water.

Add the following.

1 bay leaf (And don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving soup into bowls. One bayleaf in the throat is not a good thing!)

1 tablespoon of minced onions (Don't tell Pa-Pa. He thinks he doesn't like onions. Little does he know!)

1 teaspoon celery salt. (If you have fresh celery in house you can chop up one stalk and add to mixture.

Salt and pepper to taste.

If cooking in crockpot, cook on slow 4-6 hours. If cooking on top of stove, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook about two hours.

Serve and enjoy.

Pound Cake

I love this pound cake recipe. It is so moist and versatile. It was given to me by one of my co-workers when I worked at Sears Commercial Credit Department. So to Miss Pam, a big thank you as our family has enjoyed it for years.

Pre-set oven at 350 degrees

3 cups plain flour (I like White Lily--for you non-southern ladies, it is a flour made in the South)
But just any plain flour would probably work.
2-1/2 to 3 cups sugar. I usually use 2-1/2 cups.
2 sticks soften margarine or butter
6 eggs
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon flavor (optional)

Spray tube cake pan with Pam
Flour cake pan
I cut a piece of wax paper the size of the bottom of my cake pan, fold into fourths and cut the center out--just a 1/4 circle. Place in bottom of pan, spray and flour.

Cream butter and sugar. Alternating, add one egg, mix in, then 1/2 cup flour, mix in. Do this with the 6 eggs and 3 cup flours, ending with flour. Add vanilla and lemon flavor. Slowly add in whipping cream. Beat just until incorporated well into batter

Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes . I like to check to make sure it is done with a toothpick or bamboo skewer. It should come out clean. Remember every oven is different so I would start checking after an hour of cooking. When done, let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to cake plate. You have to take it out of cake pan and then turn it upside down so it will sit on cake plate correctly . Remember to remove the wax paper on the bottom.

We love to have crushed strawberries over our pound cake.
Hope you enjoy.

5 Cup Salad

This is a wonderful tasting salad and so easy to prepare. But you have to enjoy all the ingredients as none should be omitted. You can add, but can't take away

1 - 20 oz can crushed pineapple--well drained. Save the juice
1- 15 oz can mandarin oranges--well drained. Cut in half crosswise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup flaked coconut (I use the coconut in a can)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans. (These can be omitted)

Mix all together, well. I like to add some of the leftover pineapple juice back to the mixture to make it like a thick ambrosia.

Options: Add 1 - 8 oz container of Cool Whip
Refrigerate until used. This will keep in the refrigerator up to a week.