Split Pea Soup

This is an inexpensive recipe. If you are lucky enough to have a bread maker you can set it up to produce a fresh loaf of bread to go with the soup. It is a filling meal and it can serve anywhere from 6 or more depending on appetites. It reheats well but should not be frozen.

Split Pea Soup

Wash well and soak so they are covered,

2 cups split peas, yellow variety

Drain the peas after 20 minutes, saving the water. Add enough water to make up 10 cups. Then add ham.

1-2 cup(s) inexpensive cooked ham from your grocery’s deli department.
I get mine slice in a slab about 1 to 1 ½ inch(s) thick and then cut it into spoon size chunks.

Adding peas again cook on medium for about 2 ½ hours. Stir occasionally making sure temperature is not too hot to burn soup

Add and simmer, covered 30 minutes longer until tender:

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup pre-washed baby carrots, cut in length if too long
1 clove garlic, pressed or sliced to small pieces
1 each bay leaf
1 dash cayenne pepper
½ tsp thyme flakes

If soup develops a foamy substance on top just remove with spoon. Continue cooking until carrots and onions are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve with bread or croutons on top. If soup looks too watery you may place it in a blender to smooth it out but then it needs to be reheated.

Personally our household enjoys chunky soups. Taste it before you blend and then decide if you want to do the extra work of washing the blender.




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Carrot Cake

Today’s recipe is at least 50 years old. I first tasted this cake when I was a teenager in the ‘70s. I had gone to friend’s family cottage and spend the time with members of her family, one great-aunt who turned out to be the mother-superior of a large convent. Mother-superior baked this convent cake for us as a treat and I requested the recipe.

One of the magical things about this cake is that when I had my first child I had complications and a specialist was called in. We didn’t have insurance nor the finances to pay for the doctor. My husband baked this cake as a thank you to hospital staff and when the doctor came to check on me he asked for a piece of cake. We explained our financial trouble and wanted to know if we could pay him in small installments over a year or so. He smiled and said, “That’s quite all right, I’ll just take the cake in lieu of payment” and he did.

Because of new facts about fat, one recommendation I have is for the substitution of water for part of the oil. The cake remains light and fluffy. Enjoy!



Carrot Cake

1 ½ cups salad oil (CHANGE TO ¾ oil and ¾ water)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
4 each eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together oil and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beating until creamy. Beat in sifted (I NEVER SIFT) dry ingredients. Fold in grated carrots and vanilla. Pour into greased 9" x 13" x 2" pan. (I USE EITHER MUFFIN PANS AND PAPER LINERS –Makes 24 or a BUNDT PAN). Bake at 350F degrees 40 – 50 minutes. (CHANGE to 35 min if MUFFINS PAN). When cool ice with the following.

1 pkg. (4oz cream cheese softened) (I normally double this)
¼ cup butter (softened)
1 cup icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in icing sugar and vanilla until well combined after that ice cake.

Cake made and decorated by Elizabeth.

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Elizabeth's French Onion Soup

Today is a dreary day where I live and I heard that my friend Elizabeth is down with the flu. I searched all over for this recipe she emailed me years ago. I wished I lived closer to her so I could make it and bring her some.

Here is Elizabeth's soup - GET WELL SOON, ELIZABETH

French Onion Soup

I Spanish onion - cut up
2-3 garlic cloves - sliced thin
1TBsp balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar will suffice)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 OXO sachets beef bouillon 35% less salt
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (I grow tons of this and freeze in ice - the flat is sweeter than curly leaf) Use 2 TBsp of dried for a substitute
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Lots of fresh ground black pepper
3 cups water

Stovetop - Bring above to a boil. Cover. Simmer for 40-45 minutes.

Divide into 2 large soup bowls Let stand.

Spray a piece of tinfoil with veggie spray - whatever. Place two handfuls of seasoned croutons (any will do - or make your own earlier -mix 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil with 2 large crushed garlic cloves and brush on cut up pieces of bread - into the oven at 200 for 15min- rough guess - Better yet - just buy some. I digress. OK - croutons on sprayed tinfoil - one handful for each bowl side by side. Cut slices of mozzarella and place on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Provolone is the best cheese but it is sooo expensive. Broil until cheese gets medium brown.

The reason for setting the soup aside was to let it cool a bit - this way the croutons will stay nice and crunchy. Now the secret ingredient. Before sliding the cheese croutons onto the soup - put 1/2 tsp of Jack Daniels bourbon in each bowl and stir. The bourbon (other brands just won't work - we tried - you can get a small bottle for $6.00 and it will last) pulls the flavors together and I guarantee - you will love it.




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