Today’s milestone* is white bean soup, the beginning of winter eats. Mostly I use white beans or split peas, rarely black beans or a bean mixture. I almost always add barley and wild rice, making the soup into a complete protein food. Love assortments of amino acids!
This particular version is augmented with carrots and garlic (out of onions) and seasoned with fresh sage and thyme from my herb garden, plus a few pieces of ham and a splash of worchestershire sauce.
Through the winter, we almost always have leftover soup around, which makes for easy lunches, and a lowered grocery bill.
* This milestone is related to turning on the heat, mentioned yesterday by the Marquis, as a seasonal marker.
22 October 2008 at 1:54 pm
kayak woman says:
I have GRUDGINGLY begun turning on the heat again. 65 for shower and after work (so the mad scientist doesn’t get all crazy), 62 during the day and overnight.
22 October 2008 at 2:33 pm
Sammy says:
We keep the upstairs closer to outdoor temps (cooler in winter, warmer in summer), and temper the downstairs (main living area) a bit more, but still use our heating/cooling less than most folks around here, and keep blankets on the couch, for example, to compensate.
24 October 2008 at 2:42 pm
tom says:
Is it just a coincidence that your posting following this bean soup one is titled, “Windy, breezy”? I made a big damn pot of beans on Tuesday with a ham bone I hauled back from a family reunion weekend in Florida – so, it’s windy and breezy at my house too!
24 October 2008 at 4:33 pm
Sammy says:
Hmm. Coincidence. I’m not as clever as you are…. Yes, beans are the magical treat….