Natural Homemade Living

                                                                                                   White Chicken Chili Cheese Soup It is a perfect day to make soup in the Midwest! Fall is in the air and our warm weather seems to be leaving us. This yummy soup recipe is another family favorite. 😀 Serves 10. Ingredients : 8 c chicken stock 2 c rotisserie chicken, diced or shredded or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 2 cans (15 oz size) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 2 tsp chili powder Salt and pepper to taste 1 c salsa 1 1/2 c corn 12 oz Velveeta cheese  If you're using fresh chicken, boil it in the chicken stock over medium heat on the stove for 40-45 minutes. Add the rest of ...

Chicken Tortilla Soup The other night as I was trying to figure out something to make for supper and clean out my fridge and freezer at the same time I found a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. It was a quick and easy solution to get rid of my leftovers and clean out the freezer at the same time! Add your favorites and  make it as mild or spicy as you like. Here's what you need: 3-4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts ( I had mine in the freezer and they were shredded already) 3 cups water or chicken stock 1-2 cups salsa V8 juice I used about 32 oz corn chili powder cumin garlic optional: you can also use a taco seasoning packet if you need something quicker than adding separate seasonings black beans, rinsed, (I actually forgot to add these and it still tasted yummy!) Tortilla chips shredded cheese This is one of those recipes I taste along the way, then you can add more or less seasoning, salsa, veggies or whatever you want.  Put in all in a larg...

Cauliflower Cheese Soup If you are looking for a simple, easy and delicious recipe especially for these cold winter days, this is your recipe! Last week in our Bountiful Baskets we received a huge head of cauliflower. I am not necessarily a raw cauliflower lover so I decided cauliflower soup would be a great option. I think living in the Midwest, you learn to love soup when the outside temperatures are hovering below the freezing level. The taste testers absolutely loved this soup, so I thought I'd pass it on. It's great for non-meat eaters and it is also gluten-free. Ingredients: 1 large head of cauliflower, washed and trimmed into smaller pieces 1 medium size shallot (or small sweet onion), diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp butter 2 quarts chicken stock 1 cup milk (I used 2%) 1/2 c plain yogurt 1 c Monterey Jack cheese or your favorite cheese, shredded 2 Tbsp parsley flakes Salt and pepper to taste Directions: I used a large soup pot to melt the butter ov...

Simply the best minestrone soup ever! I decided not to follow an old tradition this year for our Christmas Eve meal. Luckily the guilt didn't last too long - haha!! We usually have oyster stew and a couple of other soups but this year I decided to replace the oyster stew with minestrone soup. I also made cheesy potato and ham soup (for the meat lovers in the family). I baked a smoked turkey for sandwiches, a variety of dips and of course goodies. Most of us still love lefse so I was busy making lefse on Christmas Eve morning. I just don't think I can give up on my lefse! The minestrone was an absolute rock star move on my part (or so I was told). And to top it off with grated Parmesan cheese was the best! My secret for the best flavored soup, use fresh ingredients or frozen from the garden. I know there are many varieties of minestrone soup so substitute as you like. For example, I don't like kidney beans so I use pinto beans or navy beans. I also love that you can make...

Happy New Year everyone! We are freezing cold in the Midwest and nothing can warm you up like a bowl of soup. Our family likes cheese so this soup really hits the spot! You can make this gluten-free also, just change the flour. I couldn't decide on just one New Year's resolution but one of my goals is to work on my organizational skills, especially my project organization skills. In 2014, I have vowed not to be sewing 11 pairs of Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve day! I think maybe I'll start my sewing and holiday knitting projects in June this year! Overall, I'd like to do better this year in many areas of my life, to be more intentional and see what happens. I could go on and on but I won't. Alright, back to this delicious soup recipe... Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef or veggie crumbles, browned and drained 1/4 sweet onion or shallot, diced and cooked with the hamburger 4-5 potatoes, diced 3-4 carrots, sliced unless you use petite carrots (I leave the...

Cold temperatures and hot soup are a perfect combination for what seems like a never-ending winter! It's easy, delicious and filling and you can adjust the recipe for your taste. It only takes a few minutes to put everything together and if you make extra soup, it tastes even better the next day after all of the flavors have blended together. This recipe makes 6-8 servings. Ingredients : 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained 1/2 c diced shallots or onion 1 can (14-1/2) oz diced tomatoes with juice 1 can (14-1/2) oz crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce 1/2 c water 1 can (15-1/2 oz) navy beans, drained and rinsed (or use black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans) 1 small can diced, green chili peppers 1 can drained whole kernel corn (any size can) 1 package taco seasoning 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp hot sauce (I use Tabasco) 1/2 c. sliced black olives Brown ground beef and onions in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.  Heat until...

I picked my last basket of tomatoes from the garden last week and decided with cold weather on the way, I would make homemade creamy tomato soup. I don't usually measure my ingredients for this recipe but I thought you might appreciate an ingredient list and measurements if you are a lover of tomato soup! My secret for this wonderful soup is to cook it slowly. This soup is also gluten-free. Ingredients: 2 T olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 shallot, diced 1 tsp sugar salt and pepper to taste 4 c. peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes (including any juice from the tomatoes).  I used a combination of beefsteak and roma tomatoes, about 12-14 total. (You could use canned, diced tomatoes instead of fresh). 2 c. chicken stock or chicken broth (you want to use flavorful stock or broth) 1/2 c. heavy cream (you can use milk or half-n-half). I start with 1/2 c. but add more if needed. * If you like your soup slightly thick, add 2 T cornstarch...

Since we started our adventure to buy less packaged foods and simplify our lives, we have found some really interesting recipes, most of them we share...some are better not passed along!  I am not a fan of the "cream soups" but some recipes call for them.  I found a recipe for a replacement and so far it has worked for the recipes I have used it in.  These ingredients are equal to 8 cans of cream soup.  I store mine in a quart glass Ball jar. Here's what you need: 2 c nonfat dry milk 2 Tablespoons dried onion 1 tsp basil 1/4 c instant chicken bouillon 3/4 c cornstarch 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp thyme To make an amount equal to 1 can of cream soup, mix 1/4 c dry milk 3/4 t dried onion 1/8 t basil 1/2 T instant bouillon  1 1/2 T cornstarch 1/8 t thyme dash of pepper Combine all ingredients and mix well. Stir or shake well before using. When you are ready to use it in a recipe, combine 1/3 c of the dry mix with 1 1/4 c cold water. Stir over low hea...

This is one of my husband's favorites and it's perfect for a cold, rainy day! It's easy to make and really, really delicious! I used beef rather than veal or lamb but you can choose your favorite meat. Ingredients : 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into small chunks (I use a beef roast - it's cheaper that way) 4 T olive oil (you can use any oil) 1/4 cup white rice flour (this also makes it gluten free) Coarse ground salt and pepper to taste 2 cups stock or broth (you can use chicken or beef) 1 chopped onion, small 2 shallots, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 4 stalks chopped celery 4 large carrots, sliced 1 T thyme 1 tsp rosemary 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (you can used canned tomatoes if you want) You can make this in a crock pot but I like to use a large dutch oven pan for mine.  Heat oil in a skillet or the dutch oven pan. Using a gallon size baggie, pour the flour with some salt and pepper into the baggie and place the cut meat in th...