Friday, February 23, 2018

Soup's On!

Thought for the day:  The lore has not died out of the world, and you will still find people who believe that soup will cure any hurt or illness and is no bad thing to have for the funeral either. [John Steinbeck, East of Eden]

Who doesn't like soup? A dainty little bowl before an entree is swell, but I enjoy a good hearty soup as the main course, too. (I'm not positive, but I think February is National Soup Month, so talk about perfect timing...)

Anyhow, I'm pleased to be participating in the Souper Blog Hop today, which Chrys Fey is running in support of the release of her mother's first book Pea Soup Disaster. (That's right! Another author in the family!)

First, I'll share a spiffy soup recipe with you, and then I'll share info about the book, okay? (For those of you who don't give a diddle about preparing soup from scratch, don't worry. I'm gonna tell you about a terrific CANNED soup, too.)

SUSAN'S YUMMY SPINACH SOUP
This soup is my own concoction, so I've never had a recipe for it. But this week, I made a point of writing down how much of everything I was using so I could translate my wing-it style of cooking into something you guys could use. I made a smallish pot, enough for Smarticus and me to enjoy at two meals... with biscuits. So you can adjust the amounts accordingly.

INGREDIENTS
2 bone-in country style pork ribs
32 oz. chicken broth or stock
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1/3 c. chopped onion
heaping 1/2 c. instant barley
2 5-oz. bags of triple-washed baby spinach
splash of milk

1. Place ribs in pot, salt and pepper to taste, and cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until meat is tender. (~1 hour) (If you use regular barley instead of instant, add it to the pot after about 40 minutes)
2. Remove meat from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return to pot and add chopped onions and cubed potatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes. If using instant barley, add that now, then simmer another 10 minutes.
3. Add spinach and stir until limp and cooked to your taste. Add a drizzle of milk (or half and half, whatever you have on hand) and season to taste.
NOTE: I usually prepare soup and then refrigerate a couple days to let the flavors "marry." Not necessary, though. It's already plenty yummy at this point. Enjoy!


Don't want to go to all of that trouble? How about the best-tasting canned clam chowder you've ever tasted? That would be Tony's.

We first tasted this award-winning chowder at Tony's restaurant in Cedar Key, Florida. their chowder is a three-time winner of international clam chowder competitions, so ya KNOW it's gotta be good. We enjoyed it so much, we bought a case of it from the restaurant to bring back home with us. Natch, the canned isn't as good as the nectar they serve fresh in the restaurant, but it is reeeeeeally good. Add a blob of butter and some half and half to this concentrate, and your tummy will thank you. If you want to fancy it up a bit, add some chopped chives or chopped onions and a bit of crumbled cooked bacon. Either way, it is a soup that'll make you say, "Mmmm! Mmmm! Gooooood!" Some grocery stores around the country sell it, and you can also order it from the restaurant via the internet.  Just look up Tony's clam chowder.

            So what's YOUR favorite soup?








Okay, I've done my easy-peasy part for this blog hop. Now it's time to move on to check out Elaine Kay's new book... featuring PEA soup.


















BLURB: Gregory Green loves his mom’s pea soup, but when he eats it at school, all of his friends make fun of how it looks. He doesn’t think it looks like bugs, and it tastes good! Then at recess, his friends run from him, screaming, “He’s a monster!” Gregory doesn’t know why his friends are being mean until he sees his skin is green. The teasing gets worse until an unlikely friend comes to the rescue—his teddy bear, Sammy. Sammy usually only comes to life for Gregory and his family, but Sammy has an important lesson to teach Gregory and his classmates.

Available in Print:




ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elaine Kaye got the idea for Pea Soup Disaster from her son who loved to eat her homemade pea soup. Pea Soup Disaster is the first of many fun stories featuring Gregory Green and his teddy bear, Sammy, as part of the Gregory Green Adventure series.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher's assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.

Find Elaine:
Website / Instagram / Litsy - @ElaineKaye


Sounds good, huh? Here's wishing Elaine much success with her new series. Like daughter, like mother...

                           Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

P.S. The other participants will be doing their Souper posts on Monday. (Chrys was nice enough to let me post mine on my usual blogging day.) You can find a link to a list of other Monday-posting participants HERE



107 comments:

  1. Sounds like a good read. My fave soup is chicken with noodles. Or is it pea soup? Or perhaps potato soup with salmon? Or....? I LOVE soup. I've got veggie soup for lunch today. Hugs, Valerie

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    1. HA! I'm with you. I love all KINDS of soups.

      Hugs back atcha.

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    2. Thank you, Valerie-Jael.

      Potato soup with salmon? I've never had that before. Hmm...

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  2. That sounds like a great children's book. I used to make split pea soup every winter, but now there's just me, it isn't worth all the bother. I'll make chicken vegetable soup which is faster to cook.

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    1. It's never too much bother to fix yourself something you enjoy. If you don't pamper you, who will? I used to make HUGE pots of soup, but I learned how to control my urges. (It wasn't easy! HA!) Now I make smaller pots. So can you!

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    2. Thank you very much, River! I have an easy recipe on my blog if you don't mind Campbell's Condensed Green Pea soup. It's quick and easy. :)

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  3. I haven't had soup in 25 years lol never was much of a fan. Her mom's book looks grand though.

    haha good tip. If you are about to be eaten by cannibals, pee in the water.

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    1. Wow! No soup in 25 years? What... since you were in the womb? HA! I'd think you'd be a huge fan of hot soup while stuck in the middle of your cold winters. That'll teach me to think!

      Abso-doggone-lutely. If cannibals ever throw me into a pot, that's what I plan to do. :)

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    2. haha never assume...been a few years longer than that since I was in the womb

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    3. Yeah, I figured as much. Just thought I'd yank your chain. :)

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    4. No soup for 25 years? I have some a few times a week for lunch. :) Thank you for your kind words, Pat.

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  4. Congratulations, Elaine!
    I'm not much for soup but I do enjoy a good clam chowder. And fresh is always better.

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    1. Absolutely, fresh is always better, but that is without a doubt, the BEST canned chowder I've ever eaten.

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    2. Thank you, Alex! Even people who aren't soup fans can find a coup or two they enjoy. :)

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  5. I'm a chicken noodle fan, and I like minestrone at Italian restaurants. My brother ate pea soup every day as a kid - that bright Campbell's fake green color. Congrats to the author for making a cute book with a pea soup base. Fun!
    and Happy Friday to you. We've got to stop meeting like this - ha.

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    1. I like chicken noodle, too... and turkey noodle. One of the best things about roasting a bird is the soup that's made from the carcass. Olive Garden serves a reeeeeally good pasta fazoule. (Not sure about that spelling, but you know what I mean...)

      Happy Friday back atcha. Hey! I don't WANT to stop meeting like this! :)

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    2. I use the Campbell's Condensed Pea Soup in my soup recipes. It's actually good. Or at least I think so. :)

      Thank you very much, Joanna!

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  6. Soup is the best sustenance - I love it more than coffee. Your recipe has made me hungry! And any book that promotes soup is going to get my approval. I like to make a big batch and freeze up tubs for easy meals on busy hot days. Or cold days, gazpacho is yummy too! :-)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I love it more than coffee, too. It's probably a toss-up when it comes to tea... :)

      I love making big batches of just about anything, so I can freeze some to pull out later to make life easier. Feels like money in the bank.

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  7. Old Jewish joke:
    At a funeral a voice is heard from a little old lady at the back: "Give him some chicken soup."
    Minister: "Lady, where he's going, it can't help him."
    Little old lady, after a pause: ".....well it can't hurt."
    I am a soup lover but as a main course because as a starter it's too filling!
    Good luck to Elaine!
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s unlikely Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. HA! Yep, it can't hoit!

      I agree. Soup's supposed to whet the appetite, but it hits mine over the head and kills it.

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  8. Soup is best when we are on a diet. We have vege soups daily.

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    1. Depends on the soup. Some rich seafood bisques are loaded with calories. (And worth every one of them, too!)

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  9. There's nothing better than homemade soup and - you're absolutely right - a hearty soup makes a delicious meal in itself (my relatives are all soup-crazed Hungarians).

    Your special soup sounds delicious and, of course, really great homemade soups don't need to strictly adhere to a recipe. And the flavor definitely improves after a few days in the fridge (if you can wait that long...).

    I LOVE clam chowder - quite possibly my favorite.
    My mom used to make a fantastic barley soup (among others).
    I make a great homemade turkey soup.
    Gobble, gobble.

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    1. This time of year, we eat a lot of homemade soup. Then again, we enjoy it in the summer, too. Just different kinds. Crab soup is my favorite in the summer, when so many fresh vegetables are available. But clam chowder and fish chowder? We enjoy them all year round.

      You're right about recipes. For soup, we don't really need one, but a lot of people aren't comfortable winging it.

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  10. Our weather is a little 'soupy' right now....rain and fog..... my favourite soup homemade ham and pea.

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    1. I like pea soup with ham, too, but I haven't made it in a long time. I like it gooooood and thick. With a slice of buttered rye bread on the side and a glass of milk. Hmmm, I foresee a pot of pea soup in our near future. :)

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  11. I used to make lots of soup when the children were still at home. But I would us a can of cream of mushroom soup or chicken broth the add whatever I had at hand, usually chicken with barley or potatoes plus veggies. The soup never tasted the same but it was good.

    Love the Pea Soup story, Good luck Elaine !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Packaged broth sure does make soup-making a lot easier, doesn't it? :) Using whatever's on hand is classic soup-making at its best. If it's always a little "different," it's never boring.

      Cheers back atcha!

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    2. I use cans of Campbell's soups all the time and add to them. It makes really good soup.

      Thank you very much, Pasnip!

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  12. Hi Susan - Vischoisse - the simplest, tastiest zupe! I love a really good fish stew ... full to the brim with fish ... and I used to make a cold lettuce soup, and while we're on the subject - gazpacho ... and borscht ... I think I'd better stop!! The book sounds like lots of fun - ideal for the youngsters ...

    Wonderful header photo - cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi-ya, Hilary. Hmmm, I think I'm getting the picture... you like soup! :)

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    2. Another Vichyssoise fan here - and a good fish soup is great...and gazpacho. Mmmmmm

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  13. Well, I love soup big time - especially during the winter. However, I tend to survive on sandwiches, and the only time I "cook" anything is when I throw it in the microwave.

    That being said, I do always keep plenty of Ramen noodles stashed in my cupboard for emergency purposes. Chicken Soup for the Kitchen Challenged Soul. I pretend it is good for me, plus you cannot beat the price.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. You've inspired me to check out chicken noodle soup in a can: At least it's a step in the right direction!

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    1. As much cooking as I do, I think I could get by quite happily by subsisting on a diet of sandwiches. Unfortunately, I believe my husband would consider that cruel and unusual punishment.

      Ahhh, Ramen noodles. Every college student's best friend. I love your description of it. Funny, but kinda true.

      If I've inspired you to move on to canned soup, my mission here is complete... :)

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  14. Oddly enough, we just (as in five minutes ago) had home-made cream of chicken soup! We enjoy our soups and would have a lot more variety if our kids were a little less fussy eaters.

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    1. I know what you mean. The diversity of our diet (and our waists) expanded quite a bit once our nest was empty.

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  15. The pair in the pot are Kate and Sidney. Big chief say. " long time since we had Kate and Sidney pudding".

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  16. I prefer stew to soup, though there are some nice thick soups like this tomato bacon soup my mom used to make. Damn that was good!

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  17. I'm a soup of any kind, person. Very rare I don't like a soup. The book sounds fun.

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    1. Yeah, like that commercial used to say, "Soup is good food!"

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    2. I eat soup a lot and love all kinds, too. Thanks, Jo!

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  18. Greetings Susan. A well-written piece that I enjoyed reading. I love soup, and homemade pea and ham soup is my favourite. I used to suffer from migraines, and enjoyed my soup during those hard times. I even buy packet soups. The book sounds like a good read. Blessings to you.

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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    1. Greetings, Andrew. Sounds like quite a few people like pea soup. (And I'm one of them!)

      Since you said you "used to" suffer from migraines, I sure hope that means you don't get them any more.

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    2. No, I don't get them anymore - thankfully. The psychologist attributed my migraines to missing my Father, who left us at a young age. I used to get them for weeks on end, and could keep down my bowls of soup! I do like pea soup. Peas are my favourite vegetable. Blessings to you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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    3. I'm glad to hear that. I used to get them when I was in college, but (knock on wood) not much trouble with them since. (And THAT was back in the dark Ages...) :)

      Blessings back atcha.

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  19. I'm a chicken-noodle woman. I order it from Panera. They sell some of their soups in grocery stores now. I found them yesterday in Target, but chicken noodle wasn't among them. The book looks cute.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Panera makes excellent soup.

      Thank you very much, Janie!

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    2. Huh. The only thing I've ever eaten in Panera is a sandwich. I guess this old broad needs to broaden her horizon. :)

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  20. Congrats to Elaine Kaye! I love 2 - and even 3-day split pea soup, but Tom makes rude noises, so I'm left to discover mom and pop establishments that might offer it by-the-bowl.
    I don't recall ever having tasted barley, but we adore spinach and pork ribs. Sounds like a winner!

    PS - I love hearing you say 'swell.' It reminds me of my grandmother. :)

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    1. If I only served food that didn't cause anyone to make rude noises, we wouldn't be enjoying nearly as much good food. :)

      P.S. Um, guilty as charged. I tend to use quite a few "grandmotherly" expressions.

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  21. Congrats to Elaine!! So cool that Chrys and her mom are both writing!
    Your soup sounds really good to me! I don't really have a favorite although chicken and rice is one that comes to mind. Hate clam chowder though so I have to pass on Tony's - no offense to him. :D

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    1. Thank you very much, Julie! Chrys gets her writing talent from me. ;)

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    2. Yum, I like chicken and rice soup, too, with a mixture of white and wild rices... and mushrooms. I rarely have it, though, because Smarticus prefers noodles.

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  22. Delightful. Norma's split-pea soup was not why I married her, but one of many reasons I remained. Haven't seen Tony's clam chowder in California but will remain vigilant.

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    1. HA! Like the old Pennsylvania Dutch saying, "Kissing don't last; cooking do." Um, then again, there's nothing wrong with the smooching, either, is there? :)

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    2. Pennsylvania Dutch are known for their skill at understatement. With proper scheduling, nothing is lost.

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  23. Soup sounds good. Never had Spinach soup. Will have to try it.

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  24. I like to eat soup for my main entree all the time. Yum!

    Spinach soup is good. And you can add spinach to any soup, too. :)

    Clam chowder is one of my favorites.

    Thank you so much for participating!

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  25. Love the cartoon. I eat soup all the time. Some of my favorites are my mom's, but hers have long lists of ingredients, so I don't usually bother to make them at home.

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    1. My guess is your mom's as happy to see you enjoy her soups as you are to eat them.

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  26. Hi, Susan! Thank you for joining in and sharing a recipe with us. And thanks to your followers for their comments. I enjoyed reading them. :) I add fresh spinach to a lot of my homemade soups if I have some on add. A nice bit of green and freshness.

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    1. Hi-ya, Elaine! It was my pleasure to participate in the blog hop. I wish you LOTS of success with your book

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  27. That soup sounds delish--already took a screenshot and will buy ribs on my next run to the store. I cook the same way--just throwing stuff together. I have a hard time giving recipes because I never measure.

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    1. Cool! If you fix the soup, I hope you enjoy it. In our house, it's genuine comfort food. (Filling, too!)

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  28. Sorry that I just got here, Susan, but things are happening and I have fallen behind I am trying my best to do catch-up.

    I am a souper. I love making them and my favorite is La Madeleine’s tomato soup. I never make enough of that. I think I like it best, not only for it’s taste, but because I make the least mess with it. Cleaning up after one of my gastronomic marvels is not pretty. I have printed out your recipe and may try it next week.

    Elaine’s book sounds beautiful and one that many parents will want to read to their children. However, grownups can learn a lot from children’s books also.

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    1. No need for apologies. Any time you show up here is the perfect time. No such thing as being late. I hope those happening things are all good.

      Ha! Making a mess. I'm a queen at making a royal mess in the kitchen when I cook. I try to clean up as I go along, but not all menus allow for that.

      Cool! If you try it, let me know. :)

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  29. That soup looks so good! Thanks for sharing!

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  30. Your soup looks good. I'll have to try it. I love the pee soup comic. Too funny!

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  31. Am speechless at this time, friend Sue ... but thank you for your comment ... Love, cat.

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    1. You're welcome, dear cat. Sending lots of positive thoughts your way.

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  32. Your soup sounds delicious. I love anything with barley in it. Loved the reference to Cedar Key. We spent some time there. Such a cute little town. It partly inspired the book I'm currently working on.

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    1. If you ever go to Cedar Key again, you've GOTTA try the chowder at Tony's restaurant. I guarantee you, it's fantabulous. And if the town partly inspired your current book, you owe it to yourself to go back to, um, do some research... :)

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  33. A souper fan that is tempted by your spinach recipe and remembering decades of wonderful soups from all the comments. Delish...

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    1. No need to settle for merely being tempted. It's easy enough to make. :)

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    2. Dang! Sorry, but your blog will NOT allow me to comment. (I don't have a Google+ account, so I think that's why.)

      Anyhow, your black bean soup sounds really good.

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    3. Try on my Wordpress site - I'm Writing Wings on the Bloghop and it's Wordpress.

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  34. I love soup and make a meal of it many times. Nothing like cooking up a gallon of a thick, hearty soup in the crockpot on the weekend and then eating it for lunch all week, and sometimes for dinners, too. And then there's still enough to freeze for meals much later. My favorite is lentil soup (I am German, after all!).

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    1. Me, too. Having leftover soup in the fridge (or freezer) is like having money in the bank.

      I'm German on my mother's side, but I've never had lentil soup. (gasp!)

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  35. Clam chowder is my 2nd fav soup. (I share my fav on my blog.) I'm going to check out Tony's. Thanks. Congrats on your new release, Elaine.

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    1. If you can find Tony's chowder, I don't think you'll be disappointed. :)

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  36. Your soup recipe looks delicious. My personal favorite is a thick, hearty soup my mom makes (also without a recipe) using lamb bones, lentils, veg, maize, and basically anything else on hand. :-D

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  37. I do love a good bowl of chicken noodle soup when ill. Keep several cans in the cupboard all the time. Oh, you're talking homemade... it's been awhile since I've made soup. Used to be my go to practice on the first real fall day and every other week during winter to make a pot of soup. Fed hubby and the boys for a few days. I've gotten lazy...
    But pea soup used to be a favorite.
    Congratulations to Chrys and her Mom, Elaine. What a great mother daughter venture!

    Hi, Susan, it's Spring like in my neck of the woods. How about you?

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    1. My hubby likes canned chicken noodle soup, too. He likes homemade better, but he's perfectly happy with a big bowl of Campbell's... with buttered white bread on the side. I think it reminds him of when he was a kid.

      It's felt like spring here, too. Lots of flowers and trees in bloom and temperatures near seventy. It's been nice enough at night to sleep with the window open, but that may be coming to an end. It's supposed to dip down into the 40s tonight. (sigh) But it won't last long. We'll be growling about how bloody HOT it is before we know it. :)

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  38. Clam chowder is my favorite soup of all time. Thanks for sharing this!


    www.ficklemillennial.com

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  39. I like your cartoon; what a play on words. I find that I'm funky about clam chowder, not sure why. When it's good it's good, but when it's not, I seldom hold it down.

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    1. If I were funky about any kind of food like that, I don't think I'd eat it. Not worth the risk.

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  40. Your soup sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe. Congratulations to Elaine!!

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  41. Mmm. Your soup sounds good.

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