January 2, 2021 - A Crock of Soup!
Every morning for a number of years now, I have posted – on Facebook – Laur’s and my plans for the day. I started doing this for our Mom, Granny Marj, because she was on Facebook and she found it interesting. Or at least she said she did. 😊 Later in the day, I posted how the day went – which was often a far cry from what was planned. And this gave our Mom a laugh. She lovingly called us her “nutbars.” At least I hope it was lovingly. 😊
And, because I’m inclined to OCD, I started adding to my morning post. I found this website – http://www.holidays–and–observances.com/ – which listed, no surprise, the holidays and observances for every date in the year. There was always a humorous entry, so I found a picture of a cat to illustrate this one. And there was always a food item, so I posted a vegan or plant–based recipe for it. And then I added a “Thought for the Day” because it’s easy for me to get gloomy. I blame it on my ¼ Irish heritage, but to be honest, it’s easier to be Grumpy than it is to be Happy.
Our Mom died August 25, but I have not been able to stop myself from posting Laur’s and my plans in the morning, and how things worked out or didn’t work out, by the end of the afternoon. I thought maybe January 1st, 2021, I could give up this obsession, but guess what I did the first morning of 2021.
Still, I have decided to change things up a little. Yes, keep the funny cat pics. Yes, keep the positive “Thought for the Day.” But I also want to add two things. One, a link to an historical or thoughtful observance on any one day; I’m an education junkie. And two, a healthy crockpot or slow–cooker recipe. This is to replace the random recipes that no one is likely to even try.
As part of being a Vegan Outreach mentor, I send out encouragement and recipes to my mentees every week. And, on doing this, came upon a wonderful site. It’s called “The Green Loot” and it features – among many things – 44 Easy Vegan Crockpot Recipes (Slow Cooker Soup & Stew). https://thegreenloot.com/vegan–crockpot–soups–stews–recipes/ (And so much more! Including “The Best 37 Vegan Tofu Recipes” – https://thegreenloot.com/vegan-tofu-recipes/ )
EUREKA! I thought, “I will post one of these recipes every day. AND I will make one every day for the month of January!” OK, January and half of February.
As you well know, there is always a difference between what one plans and what happens. This idea is no exception.
A few considerations… And maybe you can relate to some of these.
-I’m a terrible cook. It’s easy for me to be lazy and distracted.
-The only spices we have are salt and pepper and chili peppers.
-I injure myself in the kitchen regularly.
-I never have the right ingredients on hand.
But hubs encouraged my interest in this. Perhaps he gets a little tired of beans, greens, and rice. My go-to meal. If we weren’t vegan, it would be Kraft dinner and ketchup. You know, protein, carb, and vegetable. (Ketchup, according to the Reagen Administration is a vegetable. And who am I to argue with “Ronnie the Right.”)
Laur’s one concern? The chopping part. He has seen me cut off the tip of a finger or make slices into my hands that would make a plastic surgeon’s mortgage payment. And I refuse to go to the emergency room to get stitched up. I will wrap my hand in a towel and let nature take its course over the next few hours or day before I’ll go to a doctor. Thankfully, I have my Mom’s clotting ability – at least for non–life threatening injuries.
So, I thought, OK, I’ll buy a food chopper. And dear friends, when I put a note out requesting your recommendations for a good food chopper, you responded. And I thank you. But then hubs said, “You know… We have a food chopper.” We found it hidden somewhere and blew the dust off.
I looked at the blades and said, “You know, this is not going to end well…” Hubs has offered to do the chopping – at least for now.
OK, problem one solved. Now what to do about spices and other things one should have on hand? I went to Food Basics and bought pretty much every dried spice in stock plus the other dozens of things I would need to have on hand – in addition to fresh veggies. Those I could buy as needed.
I beamed at my cashier as she scanned the items and I said, “I’m going to make soup!” When she totalled the bill she said, “That’s one expensive bowl of soup.” It took three trips to bring everything into the house. Finding storage space for all the cans and containers will be a Sunshine Story in itself.
I decided to organize my spices in a “Jan” sort of way. I took two Dollar Store baskets. Spices A to M in one basket, and N to Z in another. I put them into a kitchen cupboard and the door wouldn’t shut. Hubs remarked, “Now we have THREE kitchen cupboards that won’t close!” Oops.
I could buy a spice rack but that would take up even more space that we just don’t have. And I’d have to fill and refill jars. Resealing wee bags is enough work.
Finally the day arrived to make our first batch of crockpot soup. Hubs chopped up all the veggies the day before and put them in a bag in the fridge. New Year’s Eve morning I threw all the ingredients in the pot and plugged it in…
We were taking Jasper out for the morning so the pot was going to be left on its own. The ingredients came up to the lip of the pot so I put a large towel under it. And I thought, in case the pot exploded, I should put a large towel over the top. But – as I am inclined to be lazy and easily distracted – I forgot.
We got home a few hours later and WHAT?! The crockpot was purring along happily and the soup was burbling very gently. No disaster! HOORAY! The crockpot experiments can continue. As I type, I have some Easy Vegan Baked Beans in the crockpot – recipe from The Simple Veganista. https://simple–veganista.com/healthy–baked–beans–instant–pot/
There are a few tweaks needed in this production line. One, I have to reduce the number of vats I make. I was hoping for daily. But with the quantities produced, it will take two meals to finish any one pot. Hubs says he really doesn’t want the freezer filling up with soup. He knows from experience – his actually – that when you have too much soup in the freezer, you end up have to do a “thaw and flush.”
And we don’t want to eat the same soup two nights in a row. So instead of every day, I’ll be “crocking” every four days.
And I think we need a bigger crockpot. I know that doesn’t jive with what I just wrote, but it is only a matter of time before I put together a recipe that requires that one extra inch of water. I am committed to following these recipes to the letter. I know what happens when I don’t.
If I order today I can get an 8 quart “Pressure Cooker Instant Crock 10–in–1 Pot Pro Series 19 Program 6Q with German ThermaV Tech, Cook 2 Dishes at Once, BONUS TEMPERED GLASS LID, Saute, Steamer, Slow, Rice, Yogurt, Sterilizer” for just under $200 by January 5th!
To quote the cashier at Food Basics again, “That’s one expensive bowl of soup.”
*****
Update: I just bought a 6 quart crockpot for $5 from kijiji. Turns out its only a 4 quart too. Now I have two four quart slow cookers and one four quart rice cooker. Just call me “Janna White.” Is the food in Pot #1, Pot #2, or Pot#3? Chances are, there is food brewing in all three. 😊
And, because I’m inclined to OCD, I started adding to my morning post. I found this website – http://www.holidays–and–observances.com/ – which listed, no surprise, the holidays and observances for every date in the year. There was always a humorous entry, so I found a picture of a cat to illustrate this one. And there was always a food item, so I posted a vegan or plant–based recipe for it. And then I added a “Thought for the Day” because it’s easy for me to get gloomy. I blame it on my ¼ Irish heritage, but to be honest, it’s easier to be Grumpy than it is to be Happy.
Our Mom died August 25, but I have not been able to stop myself from posting Laur’s and my plans in the morning, and how things worked out or didn’t work out, by the end of the afternoon. I thought maybe January 1st, 2021, I could give up this obsession, but guess what I did the first morning of 2021.
Still, I have decided to change things up a little. Yes, keep the funny cat pics. Yes, keep the positive “Thought for the Day.” But I also want to add two things. One, a link to an historical or thoughtful observance on any one day; I’m an education junkie. And two, a healthy crockpot or slow–cooker recipe. This is to replace the random recipes that no one is likely to even try.
As part of being a Vegan Outreach mentor, I send out encouragement and recipes to my mentees every week. And, on doing this, came upon a wonderful site. It’s called “The Green Loot” and it features – among many things – 44 Easy Vegan Crockpot Recipes (Slow Cooker Soup & Stew). https://thegreenloot.com/vegan–crockpot–soups–stews–recipes/ (And so much more! Including “The Best 37 Vegan Tofu Recipes” – https://thegreenloot.com/vegan-tofu-recipes/ )
EUREKA! I thought, “I will post one of these recipes every day. AND I will make one every day for the month of January!” OK, January and half of February.
As you well know, there is always a difference between what one plans and what happens. This idea is no exception.
A few considerations… And maybe you can relate to some of these.
-I’m a terrible cook. It’s easy for me to be lazy and distracted.
-The only spices we have are salt and pepper and chili peppers.
-I injure myself in the kitchen regularly.
-I never have the right ingredients on hand.
But hubs encouraged my interest in this. Perhaps he gets a little tired of beans, greens, and rice. My go-to meal. If we weren’t vegan, it would be Kraft dinner and ketchup. You know, protein, carb, and vegetable. (Ketchup, according to the Reagen Administration is a vegetable. And who am I to argue with “Ronnie the Right.”)
Laur’s one concern? The chopping part. He has seen me cut off the tip of a finger or make slices into my hands that would make a plastic surgeon’s mortgage payment. And I refuse to go to the emergency room to get stitched up. I will wrap my hand in a towel and let nature take its course over the next few hours or day before I’ll go to a doctor. Thankfully, I have my Mom’s clotting ability – at least for non–life threatening injuries.
So, I thought, OK, I’ll buy a food chopper. And dear friends, when I put a note out requesting your recommendations for a good food chopper, you responded. And I thank you. But then hubs said, “You know… We have a food chopper.” We found it hidden somewhere and blew the dust off.
I looked at the blades and said, “You know, this is not going to end well…” Hubs has offered to do the chopping – at least for now.
OK, problem one solved. Now what to do about spices and other things one should have on hand? I went to Food Basics and bought pretty much every dried spice in stock plus the other dozens of things I would need to have on hand – in addition to fresh veggies. Those I could buy as needed.
I beamed at my cashier as she scanned the items and I said, “I’m going to make soup!” When she totalled the bill she said, “That’s one expensive bowl of soup.” It took three trips to bring everything into the house. Finding storage space for all the cans and containers will be a Sunshine Story in itself.
I decided to organize my spices in a “Jan” sort of way. I took two Dollar Store baskets. Spices A to M in one basket, and N to Z in another. I put them into a kitchen cupboard and the door wouldn’t shut. Hubs remarked, “Now we have THREE kitchen cupboards that won’t close!” Oops.
I could buy a spice rack but that would take up even more space that we just don’t have. And I’d have to fill and refill jars. Resealing wee bags is enough work.
Finally the day arrived to make our first batch of crockpot soup. Hubs chopped up all the veggies the day before and put them in a bag in the fridge. New Year’s Eve morning I threw all the ingredients in the pot and plugged it in…
We were taking Jasper out for the morning so the pot was going to be left on its own. The ingredients came up to the lip of the pot so I put a large towel under it. And I thought, in case the pot exploded, I should put a large towel over the top. But – as I am inclined to be lazy and easily distracted – I forgot.
We got home a few hours later and WHAT?! The crockpot was purring along happily and the soup was burbling very gently. No disaster! HOORAY! The crockpot experiments can continue. As I type, I have some Easy Vegan Baked Beans in the crockpot – recipe from The Simple Veganista. https://simple–veganista.com/healthy–baked–beans–instant–pot/
There are a few tweaks needed in this production line. One, I have to reduce the number of vats I make. I was hoping for daily. But with the quantities produced, it will take two meals to finish any one pot. Hubs says he really doesn’t want the freezer filling up with soup. He knows from experience – his actually – that when you have too much soup in the freezer, you end up have to do a “thaw and flush.”
And we don’t want to eat the same soup two nights in a row. So instead of every day, I’ll be “crocking” every four days.
And I think we need a bigger crockpot. I know that doesn’t jive with what I just wrote, but it is only a matter of time before I put together a recipe that requires that one extra inch of water. I am committed to following these recipes to the letter. I know what happens when I don’t.
If I order today I can get an 8 quart “Pressure Cooker Instant Crock 10–in–1 Pot Pro Series 19 Program 6Q with German ThermaV Tech, Cook 2 Dishes at Once, BONUS TEMPERED GLASS LID, Saute, Steamer, Slow, Rice, Yogurt, Sterilizer” for just under $200 by January 5th!
To quote the cashier at Food Basics again, “That’s one expensive bowl of soup.”
*****
Update: I just bought a 6 quart crockpot for $5 from kijiji. Turns out its only a 4 quart too. Now I have two four quart slow cookers and one four quart rice cooker. Just call me “Janna White.” Is the food in Pot #1, Pot #2, or Pot#3? Chances are, there is food brewing in all three. 😊