It's finally beginning to feel like fall here in the south. Cold nights where the heat has kicked on and crunchy leaves beginning to fall to the ground. It makes me smile and look forward to boots and sweaters and nights in front of crackling fires and hot apple cider in steaming mugs. And vegetable soup.
It makes me nostalgic, really. I keep having flashbacks to harvest parties past and hide-and-seek in the backyard, and roasting marshmallows. It makes me long to go back to Ohio days inside warm houses when the first flakes of snow begin to fall from gray skies. To pumpkin spice lattes warming hands. To chilly shopping trips with mom, and leaves pilled up in backyards. And warm bowls of vegetable soup.
It makes me sad thinking of how many of those things are past. Childhood autumn days won't return. Hot cocoa at the kitchen table while doing schoolwork. Vegetable soup simmering on the stove prepared by a wonderful momma.
But then I smile because these things will happen all over again, Lord willing. My perspective will be different next time. Then I'll be the momma stirring hot chocolate. I'll be raking leaves and keeping the children away from the fire and making sure that they don't hit each other in the head with their marshmallow sticks. I'll be bundling them up so they can go outside and catch the first snowflakes on their tongues. And I'll be the momma making vegetable soup to warm their bellies when they come inside. Just like my momma did.
And it'll be wonderful.
Vegetable Soup
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can black beans
1/2 bag frozen corn
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1 lb. ground meat
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sugar
ground pepper
3 cups water
Bring all to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 3-4 hours.
I love this soup because it is SO easy to make and there is SO little cleanup (literally, I used 1 pot and a cutting board and a tsp). It's delicious and you can pretty much put anything in it that you want to. I doubled mine tonight. I didn't have celery so I didn't put it in. I added a can of tomatoes with chiles because we like it a little spicier, and sautéed my meat with 3 cloves of garlic. I also sautéed some spinach and added that plus a bag of frozen sugar snap peas and a small yellow squash that I needed to use. I didn't have this tonight, but sometimes I also add some barley or occasionally a potato or two. Basically any vegetable that sounds good to you. Enjoy with a little cheese sprinkled over top and some crackers crumbled in!
