Loaded Broccoli and Cheese Soup

 September is National Preparedness month.  All month I've been thinking of being prepared.  All I can thinking of is prepared for what?  I live in the high desert of Colorado.  I live on a hill so no flooding here.  Tornado,ummm unlikely.  I do have to cross a bridge to get into town, and if all 4 bridges out of here fail I could be in trouble.  The biggest threat?  A massive blizzard.  That is a real possibility.  We have had snow day's around here.  Wet snow two feet deep.  Not bad, but if the conditions were just right I could have to deal with a blizzard.  So in light of National Preparedness Month I've decided to use some of our prepping items, and then tell you about them.  We love Augason Farms Cheesy Broccoli Soup Mix.  It is wonderful to have on hand, and has a shelf life of 10 years.

Tonight for dinner I used up the last of my Cheesy Broccoli Soup Mix.  I hope you enjoy this recipe for Loaded Broccoli and Cheese Soup. 

Loaded Broccoli and Cheese Soup
4 Servings.
2/3 cup Soup Mix
3 1/2 cups Water
1lb Ground Beef
1 cup Green Beans
1/2 cup Carrots

Mix water and soup mix.  Turn stove on and bring to a boil.
Add green beans and carrots.
Boil 13 minutes.
Brown ground beef. 

Add ground beef to soup.

Enjoy~

I served our soup with Grilled Cheese Pull-A-Parts.  This was a very satisfying dinner!

Canning Stew/Soup Veggies

I hope to be busy teaching classes for my local charter school this fall.  This means lesson plans, grading, and being out of the house.  I thought this would help with some quick meals.  Pop open a can, add some cooked meat and Viola! Dinner!  So here is what I did.
Cube potatoes 2 cups for each jar
Cut tops and tips off of carrots
Snap tops and tips off of green beans, snap into bite sizes
Fill jars with 2 cups potato, 1 cup carrots, and 1 cup green beans.
I though it would be fun fill them in layer.
Fill with water 1 inch to the top.
Wipe rims, add lid and ring.  Tighten till finger tight.  
Process for the longest veggie time.  In this case the potatoes at 40 minutes.  

~I can't wait to use these and give you the recipes I come up with!

Freezing Carrots

 This is one of my bucket list items.  Learning a new way to preserve food.  I tacked freezing carrots.  These little ones are left over from canning both carrots and stew veggies. 

Cut carrots.
Put in boiling water for 2 minutes.
Give ice bath to cool them down
Drain.
Package. 
                                                      Label.

 Yes it was that simple.  I plan on adding these carrots to our noodles to add a little extra flavor.  I'm loving home grown carrots and can't get enough of them.  I love knowing that there are no fertilizers, pesticides or any chemical to grow them.  I love growing heirloom seeds, and the variety that they have.  I love canning, freezing and eating food that I personally grew.  I know every ingredient that went into the jar or bag.  I can't think of any better feeling!

~I hope all of you will catch the canning bug! 

Canning Carrots

 I went carrot picking crazy!  I started just thinning a few carrots, then I thought I would just finish thinning a patch.  I ended up thinning/harvesting the entire patch.  I did leave carrots, evenly spaced every 6 inches.  What I ended up with is 2~ 5 gallon buckets.  What to do with that many carrots?  Can them!
They started with a washing.
Then we cut the tops and the tips off. 
Next pack them in a jar. 
Add 1 tsp salt optional.  
Add water to the 1inch line.  

 Wipe jars.
Add lid and ring.
Load in Pressure Canner
Process for your altitude.  I had to can them for        30min.

After they set overnight I took off the ring and wiped down the ring, and the jar. 
Label.

Save for a few months and enjoy on a cold winters day

Enjoy~

Roasted Veggies!

 This is today's veggie harvest.  I turned it into two of the most amazing side dishes to go with some home-grown, home butchered chicken.  This post if focused on the amazing roasted veggies. 

Oven Roasted Veggies
Beets
Carrots
Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms(optional)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

 

 Wash Beets Cut off the ends and tops.

 Wash Carrots.

 Cut off ends and tops. 

 Save tops and ends for rabbits. 
WARNING:  If you do not feed your rabbits garden scraps often do NOT toss them an entire bucket to them.  It can cause them to bloat and die.  My rabbits have been given garden scraps since they have started eating, and are use to eating things other then pellets. 

My young does loved these scraps, and had a feeding frenzy!

 I cut my carrots in half length wise and cubed the beets. 

 I broke up some mushrooms.  The only veggie not grown here.  Diced a little onion, and added some garlic.  Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sprinkle Sat and Pepper over top.  Bake 350° for about 45 min. 

Finally here is dinner Chicken, Oven Roasted Veggies, and Oven Steamed Green Beans.  

Enjoy~