My family has always enjoyed cabbage soup, but I don't have the recipe written down. This is pretty close I think but I would have to actually make it and take notes to be sure! In a large stock pot, brown a good sized piece of beef - whatever cut of meat you like to use for a soup or stew. It doesn't have to be a good cut since you will cook it for a long time and it will get very tender. I alway add a little salt at this point, but that's personal preference. Once lightly browned and there are some juices in the pan, add a medium cut up onion and cook that for just a few minutes. If you need to you can add a little olive oil. Then cover the meat with water - 6-8 cups - and reduce the heat. Simmer at last an hour. When the meat starts to get tender and breaks apart when you stick it with a fork, add chopped up carrots and celery. Any other veggie you like can be added too. Continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes. Then add cut up cabbage and tomatoes. You can use a couple cans of stewed tomatoes. If you use fresh tomatoes, be sure to add 1 or 2 cans of tomato paste as well, depending on how tomato-y you want it (I use just 1 can). Cook until the cabbage is as soft as you like, at least another 30 minutes. At this point the meat should be almost shreddable it will be so tender. Salt and pepper to taste. (We use lots of pepper). If you want it more stew-like, this would be the time to thicken it with a little flour. (If it gets too thick, pretend you did it on purpose, call it gravy and serve the whole thing over mashed potatoes!) I like it without any other seasoning because I love the flavors of the veggies and the beef. But my Greek mother always added thyme and bay leaf while cooking. My German grandmother thought everything tasted better with a little fennel. Like most soups and stews there is LOTS of room for personal preference here. How many carrots? Depends on how much you like carrots! My carrot to celery ratio is about 3:1 because I love the carrots and just like the celery for flavoring. Hope this helps! Kate

After not having enough T-paper and dog food (with two hugh dogs) during the blizzard in Indianapolis in the late seventies and having to walk 10 blocks to get some to hold us over, I swore that would never happen again so I always have a good supply of both. Then, after we first moved down here to the boonies on top of a high hill and experiencing many power outages while living in a mobile, I decided what I would do and get to be prepared when we got our house built. The first thing I did was research woodburning stoves until I found one that didn't take up all the room in the world yet would provide all the heat we could want, light and plus I'd be able to cook on it. Bought it a little over a year before the house was done and stored it. Then we bought a generator which the one dog tore all of the wiring out of before it could ever be used much. Lesson learned. The next generator we bought is encased. I also started stocking my pantry, overstocking it as DH always complains. I don't think there is such a thing as overstocking it. Also put in a good supply of flashlights, batteries and candles. Since we were on a well, everytime they predicted a good storm or tornado or the wind just got up high, I'd fill the bathtubs and washer plus have drinking water on hand. About two months or so ago we went on county water. Just in time. No more problems with flushing. We heard this storm was coming in and got extra gas for the generator. I'd just bought a 40 lb. bag of dogfood and had my normal back ups of everything else. Didn't need to go to the grocery at all. The ice storm hit but power didn't go out until about 1:30 a.m. so the generator, already set up and filled, was fired up and we already had the woodstove going strong. We watched some weather reports on television for a little while, then on to bed where our CPAP machines worked great off the generator. When we lose power, we also lose our land line, so we make sure our cell phones are always well charged and we can always contact relatives to make sure they are well and let them know we're okay. We do have our backpacking stoves and some battery operated Coleman lanterns as well. When we got up, the house was pretty much as warm as we always keep it. The young man from the place down the road came over to make sure we were okay. He said no one could get up the steep hill that we live on or down it. I heated water on the woodstove for hot drinks and we had cereal and fruit. Later I started dinner on the woodstove, smoked sausage, onions, carrots and potatoes, and the power came back on. This was around 4:30 p.m. Finished cooking on the kitchen stove and its just like nothing out of the ordinary never happened. When we first found out this storm was coming, DH went out to the 5th wheel, put the slide in and started up the furnace. We figured we'd just move into it if the power went out. He'd just had the two big propane tanks filled so we'd be able to stay warm and cook in there. However, he didn't like the way the furnace sounded so decided to turn it off and stick it out in the house. I'd say the first thing we were going to do once we can get out of here was take the 5th wheel to have the furnace checked, but I know better. We were supposed to leave here for a warmer climate shortly after Christmas and kept getting delayed. When we can get it out of here, we're getting in that RV and heading south or southwest. We can get that furnace checked wherever we wind up and our ceramic heater or two will work until then. Something else everyone should think of is sleeping bags. Even with heat and blankets, my DH has been putting his Marmot -20 sleeping bag over the bed. He chills so easily and can't easily warm up. I, however, do not have that problem. Anyway, sleeping bags could be life savers for some and kids love them.

I'm not Ruthanna....but I sure have a recipe for ya. Sautee 1/2 cup onions in 2 T butter....or oil if you choose....or bacon fat if you want to live large. When the onions are soft, add about 4 cups coarsly chopped cabbage,,,,toss to coat with remaining fat, and add 6 cups chicken broth ( or if you cheat...6 cups water and 2 tablespoons of wylers chicken broth powder) and the juice of half a lemon.....as it's coming to a simmer peel 2 or 3 large red skinned potatoes and cut into small chunks and add to pot....add about 3/4 tsp dry marjoram leaves ( more if you choose, I find marjoram goes a long way). Simmer uncovered about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are beginning to break down, and add ( slowly) 1 cup milk whisked with 3 tablespoons of flour....simmer until thickened and no longer tastes raw....then add about 2 T cream cheese....cut into very small pieces and stirred into the simmering soup. Add pepper to taste...I like a lot....and a grating of nutmeg on each serving.... I am making myself hungry! This should serve 8....or 6 with seconds! I use one "box" of broth and t cups of water with Wyler's added....and I freeze my cream cheese and use a potato peeler to shave small pieces into the bubbling broth.

Kale and Quinoa Minestrone Soup (Vegan and GF) INGREDIENTS 1 large yellow onion, diced (2 cups) 3 medium carrots, diced (1 1/2 cups) 2 stalks celery, diced (1 cup) 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups diced, fresh zucchini (from about 2 small) 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch segments 1 red bell pepper, diced3cloves garlic, minced 1 (32 oz) carton unsalted or low-sodium vegetable broth 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 3 cups water 3 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed 3/4 tsp dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3/4 cup dry quinoa 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz) can chick peas, drained and rinsed (aka garbanzo beans) 2 (heaping) cups chopped fresh kale, thick ribs removed 1 Tbsp lemon juice Shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish (omit or use vegan parmesan if making vegan) 1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and saute about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in zucchini, green beans, red bell pepper and saute 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. 2.Add in vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, water, parsley, rosemary, thyme, granulated sugar, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to gently boil, uncovered for about 20 minutes. 3.Add in dry quinoa then cover and cook 15 - 20 minutes longer. 4.Add cannellini beans, chick peas, kale and lemon juice and cook, uncovered, until kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve warm garnished with parmesan cheese. Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Mind Body Green NOTES from bbstx: I was not concerned with the soup being vegan or GF; I used chicken broth. I have an aversion to chickpeas; I omitted them. I always rinse my quinoa well.