Mama’s Beef Soup – The Original

Ok…so now I’m hungry again!

For years, this has been the staple soup in our house. I am not a huge fan of chicken soup, as it was about the only way my father would willingly eat any foul. Chicken was cheap, not to mention we raised them (and butchered them, ourselves) so plentiful. My mother only made roast chicken when she was particularly angry at my dad. My sister and I loved roast chicken. If she was only a bit annoyed with him, she would concede some by serving “Spanish rice” with it, a rice based with tomatoes, which I decidedly loved. Otherwise, it was mashed potatoes and gravy.

But…I digress…I was going to speak about my beef soup. I got inspired by a local restaurant that made a very tasty beef vegetable soup. I tried and tried, and finally came up with this recipe:

1 beef bone with extra meat attached

1, 3 lb. chuck roast

1, large, sweet onion cut in half and sliced thinly

6 cups water

Cook on medium-high heat until comes to a boil. Turn it down to low heat and let simmer for several hours. (Mine cooked for about 7 hours!) Pull out the meat and bone and set on a large plate to cool. Turn up the broth to medium-high heat and add the following:

1, 12 oz. package of frozen green beans

1, 12 oz. package of frozen carrot slices

1, 28 oz. can diced tomatoes and juice

4 cups chopped cabbage

4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. granulated onion

1 Tbsp. turmeric

Let this all cook for about 1/2 an hour, or until vegetables are soft. When meat has cooled pull it from any fat/gristle/bone and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Add it back into the pot and heat everything through. Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: Not only is this a very tasty soup, but by cooking it with the beef bone, it adds many nutrients and seems to be very healing to me! I love this soup!

The Balancing Act

Photo by Marcelo Moreira on Pexels.com

Tonight I was reminded of the delicate balancing act I perform every day. Earlier today I spent some time with Child #2 as Children #’s 1, 3, & 4 stayed home and did chores. It was nice to have some special 1-on-1 time with Child #2 and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

When we returned home, things were relatively calm and I breathed a sigh of relief. No one had argued or fought; all was good. Whew!

Oh, but I spoke too soon! After showers for the twins, an argument broke out. I was unavailable in the bathroom and things escalated. Finally, I heard the back door slam. Uh-oh!

It seems that Child #3 had been trying to annoy the younger (by a minute!) Child #4. Mission accomplished. All that they needed to do was keep talking!

Here is the issue: Child #3 is the “older” twin, but their mind is only around the grade school level. While Child #4 is a full-fledged teen. Yeah. So picture “Big Twin” acting like a child to “Little Twin.” Right. Balance! Balance! Don’t drop anything!

So I ended up talking to both of the twins and reminding them to respect each other and from where they’re each coming. Mmmhmm… that’s what I did tonight!

Some days I feel like a full-fledged member of the circus! Why do you think I pray so much?!! How was your day? Did you end up balancing or did you fall off the high wire? I hope you’re safe.

Trauma

I had a lovely chat with a librarian today. We were discussing many things, but did get around to trauma. How many people have trauma; how no one’s trauma is worse than another’s trauma. It’s all just trauma.

No matter what you have been through, I want to make you aware that you are not alone. Someone out there, probably someone you least expect, shares your pain, if not your exact experience. Trauma is horrible. It is, by it’s very nature, traumatic.

Maybe you had a traumatic childhood. Maybe you were abused. Maybe you had a lovely childhood and then you married an abuser, as I did. Maybe he charmed everyone into thinking that you were insane, gaslighting you into questioning your own mental capabilities.

No matter what it was, you can overcome it, or if not yet, you will. Maybe you feel like you have no strength left. Maybe you can’t imagine ever getting over it. I was in your shoes.

First, I thought, this is all I’ve every known, from childhood on. I married someone who seemed wonderful. I should have known, but I didn’t. I should have seen the pattern. I didn’t see it clearly and then I believed I could love him so much that he would change. Young and stupid.

I tried to leave. Really I did. But then I had to consider my kids. I couldn’t leave them behind. I would rather die. So, finally, in the end, it was my children that foresaw the death of my marriage, but my rebirth. I couldn’t stay. I just couldn’t. Not to have them grow up under his dictatorial and evil rule.

I couldn’t do it anymore. For many, many years I had suffered, asking God for reprieve. Finally, one night, it was the final straw. He came home drunk, again, claiming that the wine he had was for me, though it was already half gone, and he tried to finish the rest. That night he threw Child #1 against our metal front door, as she tried to intervene after Child #2 kicked him in the only place she could think to and he went for her. The night he pulled me off the couch after I had just come home from a nursing home after my hip was shattered and my kneecap cracked in half, and smacked me so hard that my glasses flew off my face and punched me in the stomach for good measure. The night I began to live.

So, you see, I hear you. I see you and I’ve been there. There is no excuse for traumatizing another person. Absolutely not. It is unacceptable and God sees all! And with that, I am able to turn it over to Him. I can move on and truly begin to live!

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Chicken BLT Salad with Garlic Croutons

Our salad and croutons – mmmhmm!

While making the monthly dinner menu for our calendar, I decided to try a new salad. Child #1 mentioned it and it sounded really good. I did add chicken breast (that we had already cooked for a previous dinner!) and garlic croutons. Yummy! Here’s what you will need to make this fabulous salad:

Chicken BLT Salad

1 head of iceberg lettuce (we had this leftover from wrap sandwiches that never got made!) You could use romaine instead, since it has many more nutrients, but far be it from me to waste food!

4 oz. fresh spinach

4, smallish tomatoes, chopped (or fewer larger ones if that’s what you have!)

My fresh from the garden tomatoes!

1, green onion (scallion, just the green parts, chopped)

3 oz. of black olives, sliced

1, English cucumber, quartered and sliced

2 cups shredded or finely chopped cooked chicken breast

1 1/2 cups real bacon bits

1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese

Start by removing the base and core of the lettuce. (If you’re using iceberg lettuce, just smack the base/core and pull it out.) Rinse lettuce and coarsely chop. Rinse spinach and chop with lettuce until it is in small pieces. (a rocking salad chopper makes easy work of this!) Add tomatoes, green onion, olives, and cucumber to salad. Put in the chicken, bacon, and cheese. Stir to combine. Plate up on five big dinner plates full of this delicious salad.

Garlic Croutons

Ok. I may have stolen one or two (or more!) before they got to the salad plates! Can you blame me?

2, 6.2 oz. gluten free baguettes (I used Schar brand)

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

Preheat oven to 400° F. Place a piece of aluminum foil over a jellyroll pan and spray with your favorite cooking spray. Slice the baguettes into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices and then into four or six croutons. Place the croutons onto the prepared foil on the jellyroll pan and spread out well. Melt butter in a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup. Add the minced garlic and stir in. Pour mixture over bread pieces. Mix bread and butter mixture with your clean hands to ensure that every piece has butter and garlic on it. Bake, stirring once halfway through. Pull pan from oven and distribute the croutons over the five big plates of salad that you have prepared. Top with your favorite salad dressing (I used creamy ceasar, but you could use whichever dressing you favor!)

Money Saver: Plants (Part 1)

Time to get your hands in the dirt!
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Ah, plants! When Fall rolls around every year (and I’m not admitting that it’s actually Fall yet!) my thoughts turn to my plants that have remained outdoors all Summer, soaking up the sun and thriving in the lovely Summer heat and humidity. (Well, lovely for them, anyway!) What will I save for next year? Well, of course, there is the purple heart. That must come inside. Also, the spider plant, which has happily made many babies all Summer. Do I bring in the impatients? Technically, they are annuals. However, I have saved them a few times from year to year.

It is possible to save plants, even annuals, from year to year. They just need a pretty pot, a little dirt, some fertilizer, and a lot of love.

I like to buy pretty pots when they’re on clearance, sale, or at resale shops. There’s nothing wrong with an old pot, as long as it’s sturdy and can be scrubbed clean. Stay away from cracked ones though, no matter how pretty – it’s a disaster waiting to happen. After bringing home your treasures, scrub them clean and let them dry thoroughly. I usually use some dish soap, hydrogen peroxide (to kill anything living there that you don’t want!) and a green scouring pad, along with a little hot water. Scrub! Scrub! Scrub! Rinse and dry with a rag and allow to air dry completely.

Now, you can use the dirt that is currently in with your plantings, but you will probably also need to buy a bag of dirt. Fall is usually when they discount these, so be on the lookout. A couple of years ago I got a huge bag of high-quality, name-brand soil for a fraction of the original price because a local discount store was trying to get rid of their stock to make room for new stock. O.k. Don’t mind if I do!

I have scrubbed a couple of really nice pots with bases, but which still do not look great. So, I will traverse to the garage and find some spray paint to give them new life. Hey, it’s worth a shot and if I can fix something and make it pretty, why buy new? That, my friends, is a waste of money!

So, save your plants and stay tuned for the next Money Savers for Plants, when I cover clippings and starting new plants. Yay!

You’re Mean…I Love You!

Smile!

Yesterday (and yes I apologize for not writing on my scheduled Thursday!) I was hanging out with my two oldest kiddos. Child #1 hugged Child #2, who immediately struggled to get away. Child #1 then said to Child #2 “You’re mean …I love you!” Now if that doesn’t sum up their entire relationship, I don’t know what does!

From the time Child #1 could speak (at 1 year in complete sentences!) she had been begging me for a sister. “No brothers in her house!” was her demand! I was not in charge of that, but somehow she thought I was!

So, after the devastating loss of a child in utero, I had Child #2, our “rainbow baby.” This refers to a child born after a miscarriage, who would not have been possible if the child miscarried had survived and been born on time.

Child #1 doted on Child #2, born 3 1/3 years after her. She, actually was the reason I stopped breastfeeding Child #2, as the baby couldn’t concentrate when Child #1 came zipping into the room and Child #1 was always zipping!

By the time Child #2 became a toddler, it was obvious that she wanted her own space and did not want to be hugged and slobbered on by her older sister! I actually have pictures of Child #2, chin jutting out, as she glares at her sister for some small infraction! It’s adorable!

Fast forward a few years (o.k. more than a few – several!) and we have the scene from yesterday! Hysterical! I just couldn’t believe it! Some things never change! I so love them both!!!

German Farmer’s Breakfast

Yummy breakfast!

When I was a child, my mother used to make this breakfast on Sundays once in a while instead of cooking dad’s favorite “sunny side up and smiling” eggs with sausage or bacon and toast. This is a heavenly combination of bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns. Why it was a breakfast for a German farmer, I have no idea. My dad was a farmer, but not a German one! Things to ponder! Anyway…I decided to take a shortcut and use bacon bits instead of frying up actual bacon. Yeah, I’m all for good food, especially if it doesn’t take multitudes of time! I also substituted potatoes O’Brien for the potatoes my mom would take lots of time to dice and cook. So, here’s what you’ll need:

1 large frying pan

1/4 cup canola oil

1, 28 oz. package of frozen potatoes O’Brien

1 cup real bacon bits (please no fake bacon bits)

10 eggs, scrambled

Put the canola in the frying pan and heat it up on medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until softened and browning, stirring frequently. Add the bacon bits and continue to cook for another five or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to between medium and low. Add in eggs and cook until they are done, stirring frequently. Serve and enjoy.

NOTE: I thought I had finished and posted this last night. I did the writing, but didn’t put in my pic! Oops! So here it is.

My Interview with Pooja of lifesfinewhine

Yeah, that’s not me or Pooja either, but the picture is nice!
Photo by mentatdgt on Pexels.com

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by one of my favorite bloggers, Pooja of lifesfinewhine. The interview is linked below so you can check it out. Pooja’s blog can be found at lifesfinewhine.com Have fun and happy Monday!

https://lifesfinewhine.ca/2021/08/16/blogger-interview-with-rita/

10 Years and Change

Dad.

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of my dad’s death. So many things have changed. My children have grown up. My oldest is no longer a preteen, but rather an adult. My second child is also an adult. The twins are almost driving age (not that #3 is ready to even think about getting a license! And to be honest, neither am I!)

I am no longer married to an abuser. I am independent and a much better example to my kids. I am a published author. I am at peace. I hope you are too, dad.