January is National Soup Month But Let's Start Warming Up Now

Want to read a food quote? 

“Only the pure in heart can

make a good soup.” 

Guess who said that? 
- No it wasn't Jesus Christ. 
- No it wasn't Jacques Pepin. 

Beethoven! Yeah, the famous classical music composer, Ludwig van Beethoven said that! 

So not only was he a genius when it came to composing music, he was also smart when it came to knowing about comfort food. 


January is National Soup Month and in other months of the year, we celebrate days for various types of soups and chowders. Yes, it's September. But why wait until the winter months when you can start enjoying warm comforting soups in the fall?

Our 20 Most Popular Soup Recipes of All Time (msn.com)

Content reblogged from My Blog Stop!













* * *

 

Food Blurb: Sharing a Soup Recipe That Soup Lovers Will Love

The classical music composer Ludwig van Beethoven once said “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”

Do you believe that soup is good food?  I do!  I also believe it's a food of love for families and having a pure heart when you make it for those you love, no doubt adds substantially to the flavor.

In a previous post I shared information about miso, which is a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine.  You can it ready-made off the grocery store shelf or make your own.

Some say the reason the Japanese live so long is because miso is an integral part of their diet. Maybe. Maybe not. I also read that soup should be an important of one's daily diet. They say you should eat a bowl of soup every day. I'm OK with that dietary advice. Even though January is National Soup Month, I could eat soup every month of the year, whether the weather is hot or cold. And I don't mean cold soups, because I'm not really a fan of cold soup. But if I was given only one hot bowl of soup every day to survive off, I could totally do that and be content. 

For me, the best part of any soup is … THE BROTH! 

You could have all kinds of ingredients in a soup … meat or no meat. But if the broth is tasteless, the soup is useless. The broth is all about comfort. Don't you think so? 

That's why I know this recipe which I am sharing is awesome! The ingredients for the broth are: “garlic, ginger, scallions, toasted sesame oil, miso and fermented chile paste”. 

How could you not love this soup? LOL. 

Spicy Summer Miso Soup | 101 Cookbooks

Winter Fun! (or Summer) Let's Have a Party! Who Wants Soup?

It's party time!  Bring a board game and your favorite soup!

A soup party?  Probably never thought of it. Right? But it's a great idea!

January may be National Soup Month but people start celebrating as soon as the autumn season arrives.  A soup party is great fun!  Especially if you live in places where you get to experience the changes of the seasons. That means you don't live in Florida, Texas, or Hawaii or other places with a tropical climate. The climate in these places really doesn't get you in the mood to savor a hearty bowl of steaming hot soup. 

But if you're in Maryland or Virginia and the winter season comes – there's that chilly nip in the air that makes you feel frisky. There's also a light dusting of snow on the ground outside and inside is nice and warm and cozy because you decided it's cold enough to get a fire started in the fireplace. The only thing you need to complete this idyllic scene is the aroma of a tasty pot of soup coming from the kitchen. My spouse says if you grew up in a tropical environment, snow and cold weather can cause depression. There is some truth to that but it does not have to be like that. The winter season seems to make a lot of people cheerful and they get even happier when their insatiable craving for soup is satisfied.

 
So!  Do you want to get together on the weekend with a group of friends and play board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Chess, or A Game of Thrones for hours and hours? Invite them to soup party! 

You prepare your favorite soup. Tell your friends to bring theirs, as if it's a potluck celebration. Make sure there's lots of warm bread or rolls, plenty of salad, and a never-ending supply of tea or lemonade.

Soup party not your idea of a good time? OK. Giving credit where credit is due, it wasn't my original idea either. Got it from a cookbook called Entertaining With Ease. For me, it is fun! Also, this would be great for me because domestic diva/goddess and perfect party hostess, I am not! This book is a Better Homes and Gardens® publication and the copyright is 1984. For decades, it has been my Go-To guide for recipes, cooking tips and entertaining.   For Your Information:  My fave soup recipe must include seasoned chunky chicken thigh pieces, sliced links of a spicy Italian turkey sausage, diced potatoes AND beans (red, black, no matter) OR peas (black-eyed peas, purple hull peas, crowder peas), and a green leafy vegetable; preferably kale, but mixed greens, spinach, or bok choy are all acceptable substitutes (the greener the leaf, the better) . The rolls and salad are optional. There's a recipe in the cookbook for a hot and hearty sausage soup which I varied slightly and made my own.


By the way, you can also use this idea for summer fun.  Do you like cold soups like vichyssoise and gazpacho?

Image credit:  glitter-graphics.com

Do you have a favorite soup recipe?

KOVOT Set of 4 Speckled Ceramic Soup Bowls With Spoons - 22-Oz Each
 

* * *

Foodie Friday: Awesome Food Bloggers in the Bloggy Moms Network

Spotlight on food bloggers who are members of the Bloggy Moms Network

I have been a member of this network since 2015 and receive regular eMails which advertise:

• events and meetings where blogger moms and mompreneurs get together, and 
• paid blogging opportunities.

The BM Network is also a great place to find recipes, cooking tips, meal ideas, and all kinds of food-related information. Below are excellent blog posts. Since the holiday season is here (I start celebrating in September ☺), the first share is about preparing a wonderful and healthy “healthier” Christmas feast. Some of the links were found at the Bloggy Moms site and others at blogs found listed in the blog directory at the BM site. Enjoy!!

6 Recipes For A Healthier Christmas Feast
(Don't worry. The meal is not just salad. But I love that picture! Don't you? If that's a part of the meal, wonder what the rest is going to be!)

6 Recipes For A Healthier Christmas Feast - Bloggy Moms

By Judy Pistolese How do you make your annual Christmas feast? My colleagues at Inner West Orthodontics are convinced that Christmas might just be the unhealthiest time of the year but with minor alterations, you can definitely prepare a delicious and healthy Christmas feast for the whole family!

* * *

How to Cook for a Week without Even Thinking About It

How to Cook for a Week without Even Thinking About It - Bloggy Moms

Here are a few things that give me a serious case of the sads: daily grocery store trips, half-empty boxes of pasta in my freezer, beautiful veggies aging before my eyes. I'm always trying to cut back on waste, especially as the holiday season picks up and time and funds become more limited.

* * *

Colorful Bow Tie Pork – Delicious!

* * *

Soup for Thanksgiving!

Soup for Thanksgiving! - Adriana's Best Recipes

This post is also available in: Español Thanksgiving is almost here and this time of the year calls for old-time favorites and today I am sharing easy Thanksgiving recipes using seasonal ingredients like sweet potatoes.

* * *

Thanksgiving Mini Pies - Bloggy Moms Social Media Influencers, Bloggers, Vloggers, YouTubers

Every Thanksgiving I want all the pies! There are so many delicious pies to enjoy Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Cherry Pie, Apple Crumb Pie, and don't forget pumpkin cheesecake and all the other desserts that come with Thanksgiving.

* * *

Pumpkin Shaped Bread Rolls - Bloggy Moms Social Media Influencers, Bloggers, Vloggers, YouTubers

I received an e-mail from Better Homes and Garden with a recipe link for these adorable Pumpkin-Shaped Meatball Biscuits. Although they looked so festive and delicious I know I do not need another appetizer this Thanksgiving, we always have too much food.

* * *

Treats that are Changing Halloween! - Bloggy Moms Social Media Influencers, Bloggers, Vloggers, YouTubers

Halloween is in the air! Whether you're a trick or treater or not, October rolls around and you don't have to look far to grab a piece of chocolate. In the bank, the doctor's office, all around you are offerings of candy.

* * *

Apple Pecan Chia Pudding – #SecretRecipeClub
(Dessert for breakfast? No wonder it's a secret!)

Apple Pecan Chia Pudding - #SecretRecipeClub

There are not many puddings that can be breakfast or dessert but this is one of them. Apple Pecan Chia Pudding is flavored with maple syrup and apple cider and topped with cinnamon apples and pecans for the ultimate sweet healthy treat. Wow!

* * *