Manhattan style beef stew

2 lbs of beef stew meat seasoned with uncle Chris seasoning
1 cup each chopped onion, celery, carrots
4 small red potatoes chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
Salt pepper to taste
Brown the meat in butter, add the veges stew with the lid on medium temp, After 10 minutes add 1/2 c  sour cream, let stew for 5 minutes or until the potatoes can be cut with a fork. Add 1/2 cup cheese on top( I like the 4 cheese combination ) let melt on top and serve!

big D says this was the best stew he has ever had and I better write it down!

Chicken soup for the body

In your largest pot combine the following

3 lbs of frozen chicken parts-hopefully they are not stuck together
1 chopped onion-made at least 1.5 cups of onion
1 chopped bunch of celery-at least two cups of chopped celery
1/2 cup minced garlic
Chicken boullion-I like the big green jar of granules (1/2 cup- or more)
basil
thyme
chicken montreal seasoning
Water to cover it all
1 generous handful of wild rice(uncooked)
1 generous handful of brown rice(uncooked)

Hopefully all of you wash your hands a gazillion times like I do when I am cooking

Bring to a boil- turn down the heat to a simmer

Big D said it was delicious! I would have to agree. And if you are not feeling well, D said it hit the spot for his upper respiratory infection.

Broccoli Bacon Chicken Soup-FAST

Frozen Broccoli-I used about 2 cups of frozen chopped Broccoli
1 C cream of Chicken
1 C of milk
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup of grated irish cheddar cheese
dash of tobasco

Put it all together in a deep glass bowl and nuked it in the microwave.

Stir after about 3 minutes. Nuke again for about 2 minutes. stir. nuke one more time until it is bubbly and heated to the temp you like your soup.

This literally took less than 10 minutes.

Tasted like I had taken all day to make it!

Pasta Fagioli ala Mento - revisited again

It seems no matter what kind of changes I make to this Pasta Fagioli due to necessity or desire, it turns out awesome.

1 lb ground beef CHANGED TO thinly sliced into bite size pieces of beef tenderloin
1 lb italian sausage CHANGED to 1 lb of beef/venison sausage-thinly sliced
1 C bacon cooked-crumbled
14 ounces baby carrots
1 + C onion chopped
1 C bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 C Chopped Celery-Golly didn't have any added 1 and 1/2 cup finely chopped baby spinach and 1 C of sliced okra
1 quart homestock tomato soup or 1 quart tomato juice
48 oz diced canned tomatos with garlic and basil
2 Cans dark red kidney beans
1 Can light red kidney beans
1 quart Chicken Stock-add as needed to the thickness you want it
Italian seasoning to taste
minced garlic to taste
Kosher Salt- to taste
Pepper-to taste
black olives are totally optional...I just love them.
1 lb ounces dry pasta (salads, shells whatevers)
couple dashes of tabasco

cook beef, sausage, bacon till browned. add veges.

Just start throwing in everything---EXCEPT the pasta. That is last if you are cooking for a long time.

Serve with grated parmesan on top.

If making the soup a day ahead- wait to put in cooked pasta until 1 hour before serving.