kids sick..cleaned out the freezer and made soup!
 

With a winter weather warning moving upon our area of Indiana as well as a house full of sick kids (just a minor cold..but still..), I decided to take the opportunity to clean out the freezer and fridge a bit and make soup. Now the house smells super and I have more space in my freezer. :)

Here is what I did.


from freezer,
6 (2 c. containers) of homemade chicken stock
1 (2c. container) of shredded zuccini from last summer's garden
chicken breast that I had cooked and stashed in the freezer..about 4


from fridge,
leftover yellow squash, chopped
leftover chopped asparagus
sm. white onion, chopped
bag of organic carrots, sliced thin
bag of organic celery, sliced
liberal spoonfuls of minced garlic

from pantry,
couple handfuls of pearled barley
salt
pepper

I stuck the frozen blocks of chicken stock in my huge stockpot w/ the shredded zuccini and let it melt/cook over med. heat. Once it had melted I turned up the heat to bring it to a boil. I added the carrots and potatoes and frozen chicken. Once that was cooked I took the chicken out and diced it up. I added it back in, along with the barley and other misc. veggies..simmered until done. Sooooo yummy. Served whole wheat honey banana muffins for dessert...tons of leftovers to boot!

I love the various concoctions I can make when I clean out my fridge and freezer--I never get bored b/c it is different each time.

Re: kids sick..cleaned out the freezer and made soup!
 

That sounds so good. I'm terrible at buying veggies, but I remember reading in a book that its a good way to use leftover veggies.

Re: kids sick..cleaned out the freezer and made soup!
 

I wax and wane at how good I am at buying veggies.. right now I am making an effort ..and with the cost of food, I HATE waste! Even just a bit here and there adds up.. (and makes for a really yummy soup!) Besides, with a large family it is a really cost effective way to stretch a meal, and often I can sneak in veggies the littles don't want to try.