Cheeseburger Soup

About three years ago we went to a church soup and sandwich supper before a revival and this wonderful potato soup was on the buffet line. It was love at first taste! I got the recipe (along with a lot of other people, I’m sure), but I have no idea what happened to that treasured piece of paper. This is the way I have made it for two years—without the recipe.
4-6 cups, uncooked potato cut into chunks
6-8 cups chicken stock
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 lb.  ground beef
16 oz. Velveeta, cubed ( I use the 2% Velveeta)
1 cup, milk
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
dash or two of Worcestershire sauce

FIRST, brown the ground beef. Add the carrot, celery, and onion as the ground beef cooks. When the beef is done, drain and add to the crockpot—or stock pot—I do this recipe either way.
SECOND, add the potatoes and chicken stock to the pot. Let this cook for at least 8 hours in the crockpot on low or until the potatoes are done in the stockpot. (If I have them, this is where I add a bay leaf or two.)
THIRD, turn the pot down and stir in the milk. Add the Velveeta a few cubes at time, stirring them in well. After the Velveeta is melted is when I add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Finish with Worcestershire sauce. I made this one time and my husband added that to the pot and I really didn’t think it would be good, but it really added something special to the recipe.
Garnish with parsley and shredded cheddar cheese. Serves well with cornbread, garlic bread, or really any bread!

NOTES: This is not a smooth potato soup, though I am sure you could puree it if desired. Making this soup in the stockpot actually yields softer potatoes than the crockpot version (my picture was cheeseburger soup from the crockpot). Sometimes I just let it simmer in the crockpot longer and use my mixing spoon to smoosh some of the cooked potato in the pot so there are not so many chunks.
If the soup is too hot, the Velveeta can separate and ‘curdle’. The soup still tastes fabulous, it just doesn’t look as pretty.

ENJOY!!












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Menu Plan for the Week of February 7

Well, I thought last week wouldn’t be nearly as crazy as it was. The kiddos and myself have been having a tougher time than I thought getting into a little routine. The menu that I had planned worked for a few nights, but not having as much time to cook and being more tired than usual hindered the whole plan. Then there was the unexpected afternoon trip to the pediatrician’s office….You know how it is…Let’s see if this week goes better.

Monday: breaded chicken tenders, boiled red potatoes, corn
Tuesday: beef and bean burritos, Spanish rice
Wednesday: lasagna—a freezer meal—(recipe coming), breadsticks, salad
Thursday: calzones (recipe coming) and salad
Friday: Eat out with friends
Saturday: pizza
Sunday: hotdogs, chili, and potato chips (nice and easy)

Sunday Morning Thoughts

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Women In the Word Wednesdays

I have been learning so much in James since this session of Good Morning Girls has started. I love the SOAP method of studying scripture. I can spend more time thinking about each verse and how I can apply it to my life.
This study has come during a hard time in my life. Anyone who has been without their spouse for a while (weeks or months)can identify I am sure. My husband has been gone a little more than a week but it feels like a year or two. Since we started dating in high school, my husband and I have never been apart more than a week. Anytime that we have been apart (usually at a conference for work) we have been able to send texts and call each other. Not so this time. Basic training is a whole new situation. We did get a letter from him yesterday (he wrote each child their own letter--he is so sweet and thoughtful). That helped morale in our home tremendously.
So far, James has dealt with joy in the midst of trials. I am praying about and looking for the joy right now. It will not do me or my children any good to mope around for months on end, nor will it glorify my Lord and Savior.
During these few months, I am recognizing the need to turn to God for help, to have joy, and to read and apply what I am reading and learning from His word. GOD WILL GET THE GLORY!!!

This is linked to Good Morning Girls.

My Chicken Fajitas

One of the few restaurants that we have in our small town is a Mexican restaurant. My family and I love the food, but going out to eat with a family of five doesn’t always fit into the budget—especially if we want fajitas (one of the most expensive things on the menu). After much trial and error, we finally came up with a tasty solution…cumin! Yes, that ground, green spice is a wonderful thing. I’d had it so many times and didn’t realize what it was until a couple of years ago. It was the missing link.
1 lb. uncooked chicken breast, cut into chunks or strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, cut into strips
1 (8oz) pkg. mushrooms
olive oil
red wine vinegar, optional
ground cumin
chili powder
garlic powder
onion powder
tortillas
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese

FIRST, in a small bowl, mix about a tbsp. olive oil with approximately 2tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. chili powder, 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1 tsp. onion powder. Add more or take away according to your tastes. You may choose to add salt here but I don’t because of the BP. This is also where the vinegar comes in. Sometimes, I shake approximately 1 tbsp. vinegar in with the chicken, oil and spices for more flavor. Mix well and let it sit in the refrigerator until you are ready to add it to the pan.
SECOND, heat a large skillet on medium and add about a tsp. to a tbsp. of olive oil. Add peppers and let them sauté for a couple of minutes.
THIRD, add mushrooms. Let them cook a couple of minutes.
FOURTH, add onions. Let them cook a couple of minutes and then remove all veggies from the skillet onto a large plate or medium bowl.
FIFTH, add the chicken to the already heated skillet. Let it cook until the outside is not pink.
SIXTH, add the veggies back to the skillet with the chicken.
SEVENTH, warm tortillas (The last time I made these, I just put the tortillas on top of the fajita mixture in the skillet and put the lid on the skillet for a couple of minutes.) Put the tortilla on the plate and add the chicken and veggies to the tortilla and top with any of the accoutrements you want.
Goes well with black beans, refried beans, or Spanish rice—or even just a simple salad. This is one of my all-time favorite meals .

NOTES:

• You may add more chicken—just add a little more spices. Of course, the more veggies, the merrier. Sometimes in the summer we will add a fresh tomato cut into strips.
• It is important to this recipe that you cook the veggies in the order given. Peppers take a little longer to soften than mushrooms and onions do (onions go fairly quickly)
• It is important to this recipe that you start the veggies and chicken separately. I tried to cook them together the first few times I made this, but the veggies either over-softened or the mixture had more liquid than I wanted.
• This makes a great freezer meal. To freeze, I fix the chicken through step 1. I put it in a freezer bag, get as much air out as possible, label, and store. When I want fajitas, the chicken is already cut and marinaded—all I have to do is thaw and add the veggies!

ENJOY!!