Jan here, with another soup recipe!
We had a lovely autumn! Do you remember those days of colorful leaves, gorgeous sunshine, and cool, crisp air?
Well, it seems that autumn has left already and winter has moved in for the duration. The weather doesn't seem to know that it's still October!
The birds are going through their food like crazy in this cold weather (it was 17° Thursday morning when I took Sam for his walk) and the snow just keeps falling. Much like during Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter, we have a storm, then a few days break - or a twelve-hour break - and then another storm front moves through.
Thankfully, the amount of snow has been light...up until the weekend. We got a total of about 5" from Saturday night to Sunday night. And then last night, the temperatures plummeted. As of this writing, the forecast is for -2° overnight. I'll update with the actual temps in the comments below!
But this is what really makes it look like winter:
To remind you, here's what that view normally looks like:
Am I dreading a long, dark winter? Not at all!
It may be a long winter, but it will be one filled with cozy nights by the fire, good books to read, and dogs who are learning - finally - that sitting next to a person for pets and ear rubs is the next best thing to heaven.
It's also the best weather for homemade soup! This is one of our favorites!
You need to make pot roast, first. I make mine in the slow cooker.
Easy recipe:
Pot Roast
ingredients:
one 3-5 pound bone-in chuck roast
4-5 potatoes
2-3 carrots
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 cups beef broth (preferably home made bone broth)
Adjust all the quantities to fit your family!
Brown the chuck roast on both sides, then place it in your slow cooker. Add the peeled and cut up potatoes and carrots, and the onion. Add the herbs, then pour the broth over all.
Cook on low for at least 8 hours, up to 12 hours.
After dinner, pull out the leftover meat, remove the bones and as much fat as possible. Add the leftover vegetables and broth and refrigerate up to five days, or freeze until you're ready to make soup.
No leftover meat or vegetables? No problem. Glean as many bits of beef as you can from the bones and use those and the broth for your soup.
TIP - if you're planning to freeze your leftovers, refrigerate them overnight first. After the leftovers have cooled, you can easily remove any remaining fat before you put them in the freezer.
Leftover Pot Roast Soup
ingredients:
Leftover meat, broth, and vegetables from your pot roast dinner
Other vegetables you like in your soup - we add green beans (canned, fresh, or frozen)
Additional potatoes or carrots, if needed
Additional beef broth as needed
This is what the leftover pot roast looks like after being in the fridge for a few days.
The first thing to do is to remove the fat. This step is so easy because beef fat is solid when it is cold.
Look at that fabulous dark brown broth! That's what browning your chuck roast before cooking it in the slow cooker does. That broth is rich, flavorful, nutritious, and full of gelatin.
Next, cut the potatoes and carrots into smaller chunks if you wish, add any additional vegetables you want to use, additional broth if necessary, and heat.
Bring the soup to boiling, then let it simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until all your vegetables are cooked.
I like to serve this with fresh bread or biscuits, and a bowl of applesauce for dessert is always welcome. :-)
We may be in the middle of wintry weather now, but the prairies are known for rapidly changing weather. We could move back into autumn before winter comes to stay - or the cold temperatures may be here for the duration. We'll just have to wait and see!
Meanwhile, two of my books released last week!!!
How is the weather where you live? Cold and snowy? Or are you still enjoying the fall temperatures?
Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.
