SOUPS Love them when the weather starts to be cool in the evening!  Through the years I have changed up a couple to make them more calorie friendly or start with fresh chicken stock.  That is one thing about soups, you can add and remove to suit what your family likes.  But here is a WARNING; Watch your salt. With soups you can get carried away with it. Taste as you add ingredients.
Creamy Potato Cheese Soup; Chili Soup; Irish Stone Soup; Split Pea Soup with Ham

First one up is a Slow-Cooker Soup. You can start this the night before in the pot and before work poop it on.

Creamy Slow Cooker Potato Cheese Soup

Prep Time: 30 Minutes; Cook Time: 5 Hours; Servings: 18

4 slices bacon, cooked and drained, crumbled

1/2 white onion, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups chicken broth

¼ teaspoon Celery Salt

1 minced garlic clove

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup half n half

1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

4 -6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 bay leaf

8 oz. Sour Cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook bacon until crisp in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove and drain bacon and save. Cook onion in bacon oil until translucent. Stir in flour until smooth, and then gradually stir in chicken broth, celery salt, garlic, salt, and pepper. Heat through, and then stir in half n half and cream of mushroom soup.

Place potatoes in slow cooker, and pour heated mixture into potatoes. Place bay leaf in pot.

Cover, and cook 5 hours on High, or 8 hours on Low. (This is what I do.)  Remove bay leaf.  Use your potato masher and mash; be careful soup is hot in the slow cooker. Whisk in cheese, sour cream and bacon until cheese is melted.

Second is one of those lower calorie soups, Chili Soup w/ Veggies no meat. But you can add 1 pound of ground turkey, browned.

CHILI SOUP

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes

3 cups diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups water

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Blend sun-dried tomatoes and 1/2 cup diced tomatoes until smooth, set aside. In a large pot, heat olive oil over high heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in jalapeño, celery, peppers, and zucchini and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add blended tomatoes, remaining diced tomatoes, beans, and water. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

Third is a tradition we like to do around March 17th with family and friends. You can have lots of fun with this one.  Google the Irish folk story of the "Stone Soup".

Irish STONE SOUP

1 River Stone, cleaned (no limestone)optional but fun

1 pound of beef, roast is best

1 pound of beef sausage, cubed

1 pound of new potatoes, cubed

1 pound of frozen mixed vegetables

1 can of Black Beans, drained and rinse

1 cup onion, chopped

1 envelope Onion Lipton soup

2 cups of cabbage, chopped fine

1 bottle of Ale beer

1 can of chopped roasted tomatoes

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoon Beef bouillon

5 cups of water

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Thyme

1 teaspoon Paprika

Cook roast in oven wrapped in foil. 350* for one hour.

Take river stone, wash with soap and rinse, add to a large cauldron.

In a large cauldron add onion and onion soup, tomato, garlic, bouillon, thyme and paprika (No heat yet).

Let roast cool trim all fat and cut meat into cubes.

In large cauldron add potatoes to mixed spices add water and salt and pepper. Cook on medium low, 30 minutes.

Add vegetables, beans, sausage and roast.  Stir in beer and cabbage and cook 30 more minutes. Taste to see if you need more salt and pepper. Potatoes fork tender.

Serve with biscuits.

Fourth soup is so good during the Christmas Holiday's with left-over Ham. Don't snarl at it because it says pea's, try it!!

Split Pea Soup with Ham

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    1 chopped medium onion

    4 carrots, thinly sliced

    3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

    1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

    Coarse salt and ground pepper

    1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth

    1 bag (16 ounces) green split peas, picked over and rinsed

    Ham bone plus 2 cups reserved ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

    2 tablespoons butter

    4 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

    1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

    In a Dutch oven or 5-quart heavy pot with a lid, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.

    Add broth, split peas, ham bone, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and partially cover; simmer until peas are soft, 30 to 45 minutes.

    Meanwhile, make croutons: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bread and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

    Remove and discard bone from soup. Working in batches, puree only 1/2 the soup in a blender (don't overfill); return to pot. Add ham cubes, and simmer until heated through. If necessary, thin with water. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve topped with croutons.