Follower Friday: Vegetable Soup

Dawnelle is someone I "know of" through my friend Caley.
I have heard amazing things about this girl!  I can't wait to make this soup recipe...
just take a look at the pictures! Yum!  Enjoy the recipe and be sure to check out her blog.

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My name is Dawnelle and I write over on Just Dawnelle about my life, my little loves, and my love for design. I'm super excited to be here with Tiffanie for Follower Friday!

I have a thing for food. I won't lie. Good food... you know the kind that just makes you wish you could start your meal all over gain? I also love cooking. My family cooks together often and it has got to be one of my very favorite things to do together!

So are you ready for the perfect cozy fall soup recipe??

I have a thing for vegetable soup... not the kind with noodles... or the kind with rice... or the kind with beans... but good old fashion hearty vegetable soup just like Campbells! The no fail, super easy, delicious kind! Are you ready for this goodness??

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

3 large carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

6 medium potatoes, diced

1 can peas

1 can corn

1 can green beans

3 cups diced canned tomatoes

12 cups of chicken stock (or water with bullion cubes)

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1 Tbs salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Begin by dicing up the carrots, celery, and onion and saute them in the olive oil. Now you don't have to use olive oil but if you have it, use it... it just makes everything better! Promise!

Once they're all cooked up nice and good (you know so the onion is translucent...) so it's all steamy and loud and smells absolutely amazing... like this (oh if only you could smell it!)

You add the broth. Now let me give you my two cents about the broth... I didn't use actual chicken broth. I usually don't. I used water and bullion cubes. But I won't use any bullion cubes, I only like to use the bullion cubes found in the international foods isle like the Knoll or Maggi cubes. The other thing, sometimes when I make it, I don't use chicken bullion. Maggi makes a tomato vegetable bullion that is fantastic!! Okay... soap box is being put away... 

you add the broth...

and then let it boil! Once it starts to boil, take those nicely diced potatoes (I used red potatoes because I was hungry and wanted the soup to cook faster... and they're a softer potato so they cook faster.)

Let those potatoes cook in there for about ten minutes or so and then add the rest of the beautiful vegetables.

and add those spices... the glorious spices!! Don't you dare forget the thyme... it totally makes the soup! Plus, if you thought it was smelling good before, it is going to be absolutely incredible now!!

Then just let that little... well now... big pot of soup cook away!! Sometimes it needs more broth than others... depends on how thick or thin you like your soup. I like it nice and brothy (is that a word?) so I always add a little extra sometimes.

Check those potatoes after a little while... if you can stick a fork in them... your soup is done!! Eat it up... enjoy it!!

See all those little specks of oil... that's the olive oil I was talking about... they're like little morsels of savory goodness!!

Now... wasn't that easy?! and isn't it delicious!!

I have lots more fun and super easy recipes over on Just Dawnelle like this delicious Blueberry Pie and kid friendly Apple Crisp. I would love to have you hop over and visit!!

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Ingredients

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

3 large carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

6 medium potatoes, diced

1 can peas

1 can corn

1 can green beans

3 cups diced canned tomatoes

12 cups of chicken stock (or water with bullion cubes)

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1 Tbs salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Saute carrot, celery, and onion in olive oil. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and cook for 10 minutes or so. Add the remaining vegetables and seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked (you can stick a fork in them). If you need to, add more chicken stock.

Thanks Dawnelle!

Follower Friday: Taco Soup

Happy Freaking Friday!

Heather, one of my followers, was chosen to share a recipe today.  Heather and I went to the same high school - go Broncos!  We sang in the Madrigal Choir together.  An all girl choir was way too much fun!  She is an absolute sweetheart.  I won't share too much about her because she wrote a nice little bio herself.  Take it away, Heather!

 

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My name is Heather. I am married to Thomas. We have two sweet kids, Eleanor (3) and Thomas (1). We also have a little boy on the way. I love to cook and bake. It is one of my favorite things to do! I hardly ever follow recipes and tweak pretty much every recipe I make. I have a food blog and would love some more followers. I have been a horrible blogger lately between moving, being pregnant and chasing after my two kids, but will be posting another recipe very soon.

 

Check out my blog, Food from the Sellers

 

 

This is one of my favorite recipes. My sweet friend Melissa gave me this recipe and then as usual I tweaked it. Cooler weather is coming and this is perfect for one of those cool days. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have! (At the end I included a homemade tortilla chips recipe. I don't remember where it came from, but my family loves them.)

 

Taco Soup
(based off of a recipe from Melissa Borders)

1 onion

2 lbs hamburger

3 packages of ranch dressing powder

2 packages taco seasoning

2 cans corn-drained

1 can pinto beans

2 cans black beans

1 can red kidney beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomatoes with chilies

 

Brown hamburger. Then add onions, 2 ranch dressing powder and 1 taco seasoning. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Put in crock pot. Add all beans, tomatoes, corn, taco seasoning packet and ranch dressing packet. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve with sour cream, cheese and homemade tortilla chips (see below for recipe). Enjoy!

Homemade Tortilla Chips

corn tortillas

vegetable cooking spray

salt (if desired)

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cut corn tortilla chips into to desired shape (we cut ours into strips) and place on cooking sheet. Spray the top of the tortillas with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven and cook for 10-20 minutes at 425. Be sure to check often, they burn easily. Serve over taco soup.