Zina's Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 large can stewed tomatoes (I use a quart jar of my bottled tomatoes.) Pour off most of the water.
2 cans of kidney beans
2 cans of red beans
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Chili powder

1. Brown the ground beef.
2. While there is still some pink in the meat, add the celery and onion.  Continue browning the meat.
3. Add the salt and pepper.  Taste the meat at this time to make sure you have enough seasoning.
4.  Add the chili powder. 
5. Add the tomato sauce and the tomatoes.  Let this cook on low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
6. Add the beans, both kinds.  Stir them in well and let then simmer on a very low heat for about 10 minutes.  If you like your chili spicier taste it and add more chili or other hot spices.

This should make about 5 quarts of chili.

Drip Drop Egg Soup

This soup is super easy.  It's nice to make on a day when you didn't want to cook.

Drip Drop Egg Soup

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.

Add a package of raman noodles.  I like to break them up before I put them in the water so they are not as long and easier to eat.

Add 1 cup of frozen peas.

Bring this all to a boil and while it is boiling, add 2 eggs and stir quickly.  Cook for just 2-3 minutes more and it is ready to eat.  Add salt and pepper to your tastes.  You can add the flavoring packet also, if you want.

Makes enough soup for two.

Creamy Aspargus Soup

Asparagus Soup

This is the recipe that my youngest daughter wanted to learn to make. She needed to make it while I was gone and so, putting it in Step-by-step form was how it worked best for her.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Chop up:

1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped

1-2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb. Fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped

Put ¼ cup butter in pan and as it melts, add chopped onion, celery and carrot. Saute for 4 minutes. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp flour over butter mixture and stir well.

Add:

4 cups water
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed chicken broth
4 tsp. Chicken bouillon powder
Bring to a boil.

Add: potatoes, asparagus. Simmer for 20 minutes. Puree soup in blender in smaller batches (it would be good to let it cool for a few minutes so it doesn’t break the blender). Return to pot and add Half and Half cream, soy sauce and black and white pepper and salt.

3/4 cup half-and-half
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black and white pepper
salt to taste

Bring it to a boil and don’t burn it. Serve hot. Serves 6-8