Friday, February 08, 2008
Chicken Potato Veggie Soup for the Soul and Stomach (of my just a little under the weather friend)
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Have a bowl of my chicken potato and vegetable soup that I made for last Friday night. Above I had some leftover soup Saturday at noon along with a coke and my meds.
Half was for my just a little under the weather friend and the other half for Mrs. Jim and me.
It starts our with a basic Potato Veggie Soup and you can change yours from there. I'll show you how I made mine and what all I did to the basic recipe (not much).
The recipe and directions are a couple of pictures down.
[large picture] [super size]Here are the basic ingredients to the recipe except the chicken which I added.
Peal and chop carefully and you won't have big a mess in the kitchen.
Now for the recipe. Glance at it in large size, then go to a super size picture to get it ready for copying. Or you could just cook from it right here.
Although the recipe is for basic potato and vegetable soup, you can add whatever you wish. I added about a cup and a half of cooked chicken here.
I also bought some sausage to cook and add a little of it but Mrs. Jim thought it would be too robust for the under the weather person we were making it for.
[large picture] [super size]All set now. I boiled the potatoes separately with a little salt and started them a little later. I didn't want them to get mushy on me while waiting for the celery and carrots to cook.
Variations by Jim:
>> I used four large raw potatoes, peeled instead of frozen hash-browns (the five large carrots I had made plenty).
>> I added about a fourth teaspoon salt to the potato water, salt is not in the basic recipe.
>> No hot red pepper sauce. (Mrs. Jim doesn't do this anymore either, it doesn't add that much and probably wouldn't sit good on an under the weather person.)
>> Don't spare the nutmeg, Mrs. Jim says that brings out the flavor a whole lot.
>> I wouldn't buy any bacon just for the little this soup calls for. I did get the sausage but didn't put it in. With chicken I think the bacon is not needed anyway.
>> One and a half cups of cooked chicken made it hardier.
After the potatoes were finished, I drained and washed them. I know, I threw away a lot of vitamins, but I take a Kroger brand Century Senior equivalent every day so that isn't an issue with me.
Really, I drained and washed the potatoes because I am cutting out my starches. If you don't drain them, and still cook them separately, put half the liquids in with the potatoes and the other half in with the carrots, celery, and other stuff.
Originally it was in the Houston Chronicle Food Section on-line, but it isn't there anymore. At least I can't find it. Look around though, they have a lot of other good Texas recipes!
All work and no play makes Jim a dull boy. That's what I was watching while I worked.
I sure do like this guy a whole lot better than I did Bob Barker. I think the ladies liked Bob Barker better, but hey, he has a reputation for being a ladies' man.
Here you can see the chicken pieces floating on the top. The potatoes are added and it is ready for the cook's sample dish.
Ah! For the effort I put in, it really came out good. I can't wait till supper when will have this and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Half this soup we are taking to an under just a little the weather friend. Mrs. Jim generally makes the soup but today was Ladies Day and we needed to take it in the evening. So I made it. I love to cook, but just don't make anything very hard very often. This soup isn't hard to make.
Labels: Eating, Family, Food, Friends, Jim Bunch Eats, Jim Does, Procedure, Recipes
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Tuesday Morning -- Here in Bentwater, our subdivision -- It's Ladies Day
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Other ladies who don't want to play all 18 holes or the beginners with handicaps higher than 36 play only nine holes. Both groups have a very good comradery.
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Mrs. Jim has played in both groups, the last few have been with the 18 hole group. But today she wasn't a part of this group that we have seen above. She and her friend, Ellen, played by themselves on our other course. Mrs. Jim generally plays with the group on Tuesdays and with her golfing buddies on Fridays.
Then there is this group of ladies who don't play golf so much. They are on the tennis courts today.
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Or some go for a nice walk. More than half were wearing shorts on this nice warm spring day.
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Congregating on the street is nice too. Do you think these ladies might be exchanging the latest in neighorhood gossip?
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Adi had a nice walk also. We went on a different route yesterday, and got to see a lot of different sights than we usually do on our fairly set routine.
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We met this fellow and the dalmation. Adi and I exchanged greetings, Adi and the dalmation declared they had enough, both growled a bit and raised the hair on their necks and backs. They went on their way.
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Then there were these ducks. Just minding their own business, aren't they?
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If Adi could have her way, those ducks would be hustling along out of there.
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Do you think Adi could play golf? And that I could be her caddie? She directed me to get her Big Bertha Light. Wait a minute, that's my driver club she wants!
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All's well that ends well. We had a bowl of my left-over chicken potato and vegetable soup that I made for last weekend. And a coke and my meds (in the wrong case) for me.
Labels: Adi, Animals, Dogs, Eating, Food, Golf course, Humor, Jim Bunch Eats, Routine, Walk pictures
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Looking Up
"You are driving ... at a constant speed. On your right is a two-foot drop-off. On your left is a fire engine traveling the same speed as you are. In front of you is a galloping horse you can't overtake. Behind you is a zebra. You, the horse, and the zebra are all traveling the same speed. What must you do to safely get our of this highly dangerous situation?"
"The answer: "Plead with the man to stop the merry-go-round, and let your grandkids ride by themselves from now on."
Cross picture courtessy of Andrea's Thought of the Day (link) .
[Can we find ourselves when we are lost in the crowd? In ElPaso, we could look up to the west, Mount Franklin was there for our orientation. In a strange city, we can look up and see (hopefully) the tallest building we know. From the hilltops in Nebraska, we could see the antenna farm lights of North Omaha. Etc, etc.]
"Are you turned around, lost, on a merry-go-round to nowhere? Are you on a strange path that ends in dark places? Look up."
"The cross will guide you home." Luke 15:11-31 (borrowed) From Dr. Charles Watson. First Baptist Church of Conroe (Texas) January 20, 2008, newsletter. (link to church Web site)
Labels: Church, Preacher friends, Sunday, Things to know
