As many of you know, Peepaw and I are “Snow Birds”. And I’m happy to say it’s almost time for these old birds to “fly our frigid Iowa coop” for the winter! Why leave you ask? Well…right now it’s 12 degrees outside my window in Iowa…and it’s 83 degrees at our Florida nest! (I may be old…but I’m not stupid! I can still do THAT math.)
Right now I’m up to my eyeballs with packing and cleaning, so I’m short on time to write today…so check out this post I wrote several years ago as I was facing the same “crunch time” before leaving the Heartland. Enjoy! (Now…back to packing for me!)
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When I’m trying to empty our refrigerator in preparation for leaving town, I get pretty creative on using up…”stuff”. And on this cold night I think I maybe pulled a rabbit out of my hat.
At first I thought I would make a tomato based sausage and spinach soup, but when I found some homemade basil pesto hiding in the freezer, I changed direction.
I thawed out four brats that never made it to one of our tailgates this Fall. So I removed them from the casings and browned the meat in a little extra virgin olive oil.
Then I added LOTS of different veggies, including onion, garlic, celery, carrots, one potato, red and yellow sweet peppers, and a rinsed and drained can of white beans…
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| Forget the Tomatoes! |
And to thicken the soup without adding a thickening ingredient, I used my immersion blender to puree HALF of the soup, since I still wanted some texture. (The potato and the beans thickened the soup naturally.) And the result??? Not too bad…
To round out our meal, I even found a box of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix in the back of my cupboard.
(Corn bread ALWAYS tastes best when made in one of my cast iron skillets!)
All in all, a good use of “random stuff” to make a warm and tasty meal on a cold Iowa evening. Without a trip to the grocery store.
I recognize the brands on your canned goods as Aldi brands. I am a fellow Aldi shopper in Tennessee who loves the money I save when I shop there.
You’re absolutely right Anne…I LOVE Aldi products! In fact, the first Aldi store in America opened in 1976…right here in Iowa! I’ve been a loyal customer since before many of my readers were born! And since Peepaw and I are “snowbirds” I was thrilled when a store opened near me in Fort Lauderdale too. If you look at photos on many of my recipes, you’ll see Aldi products used often. Aldi…A great company…with great products…and great prices! What’s not to love?? Thanks again for your comment Anne.
Love this one! sounds like something i would do just mix up stuff to make a great meal!
Thanks Linda! Sometimes the best recipes aren’t recipes at all!