Wednesday was a cold, windy day. Definitely a soup day. We were going to be gone that afternoon, and so Mom, who always plans ahead, decided to make a soup in the crock pot and cook it all afternoon.

Because of various allergies in our family, we’re trying to cut back on wheat and dairy. We needed to make a soup with a non-milk base. Mom and I looked in the fridge to see what would go well in a soup. We had carrots, celery, and some beef. I found a recipe with some of those ingredients, and we added a few things, and left out a few things, stirred it all together in the crock pot, and hoped it would turn out all right. When we got home that evening, a wonderful smell greeted us at the door. The soup turned out very well  – it was delicious!

Now I just have to share the recipe with you. It’s super quick and easy. You can add or leave out anything in this soup. Tasty additions might include corn, black or garbanzo beans, barley, pasta, rice, other vegetables (fresh or canned)….be creative!

In a large pot, brown 1 pound of ground beef with some garlic salt. Place in crock pot.

Return pot to stove and add with a few tablespoons olive oil:
1 large onion
2 to 3 cups chopped carrots
2 to 3 cups chopped celery

Saute for 5-10 minutes, or until almost tender.

Put vegetables in crock pot, and add:
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 6-oz cans tomato paste
2 14.5-oz cans green beans
1 15.5-oz can kidney beans
6-8 cups of vegetable broth
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary

Stir it all together, and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Serve with warm muffins, biscuits, or (like we did) cornbread. Enjoy! :)

I think we can all relate – our kitchen sometimes accumulates small pieces and heels of dry, old(er) bread that nobody wants to eat. This can be a problem. The bread is too good to waste, but is not in shape to eat. What can be done with this tricky situation?  I have a delicious solution for you! Make baked french toast!

This is a great recipe we got from friends several years ago. It will make your kitchen smell wonderful, and it makes a tasty breakfast, dinner, or lunch! You can prepare it the night before, and bake it in the morning for an easy, but delicious breakfast. For a complete meal, serve with fruit and yogurt or a fruit salad.

Ingredients:

8-10 cups bread, torn into small pieces (enough to fill a 9 by 13 pan).
3 cups milk
8 eggs
2/3 cups honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together the milk, eggs, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt (you can do this easily in a blender). Put a layer of bread in a greased 9 by 13 pan, then pour some of the wet mixture over it. Continue to do layers until everything’s used up. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and dot with 1-2 T butter. Now you can pop it in the refrigerator overnight (or bake it right away).

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees, and cover the french toast with foil. Bake covered for about 60 minutes, or until the center is set. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve with maple syrup. Enjoy!

Due to allergies, my younger brother Austin cannot eat wheat or dairy. Mom and I have been experimenting with some recipes that he can eat. My favorite flour to work with is buckwheat flour. Despite its name, buckwheat is not a type of wheat. It is actually a fruit seed that comes from a plant which is also called beach wheat. It has a triangular shape, and does not contain gluten. Austin’s favorite cookie has always been gingersnaps, and I so made a batch with buckwheat flour. They turned out wonderful! I like them even better with buckwheat than with whole wheat or even white flour!

You can use almost any type of flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, spelt, etc.) in these cookies. I have cut back on the sugar a bit, but you can add the full amount for a sweeter cookie.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Stir together the first 6 ingredients. Combine the remaining ingredients and beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating well (the dough will be pretty wet). Form into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 9 to 10 minutes, until nice and “cracked” on the top. :)
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Enjoy!