Karen and I are so blessed to have people in our lives who care about us and help us while we are growing Karen’s dream of a successful business. The other day one of our clients gave us a small roast and Karen asked me if I could figure out how to make it stretch for about 4 days. I searched the list of ingredients I knew we had in my head, and I told her I would make soup.
Soup is something I ate a lot of growing up. But it was usually out of the can and I never really liked it. I remember 2 times my mom made soup from scratch and it was amazing! My mom was a single mother and she worked a lot. She also doesn’t really enjoy cooking so that soup was like a miracle to me. Since I was the oldest I was stuck with feeding my sisters and I wasn’t very good at it; I was always more creative than my ingredients. But Mom really loved bean with bacon soup and chili from the can and that was probably what my sisters would have preferred when I cooked too.
As I got older I had friends that encouraged me to learn more about cooking and there were a few cooking shows that really helped me learn about ingredients and knife skills so my natural desire to make healthy foods from scratch got easier to imagine, and eventually make a reality. Karen and I eat a lot of soups because it is a great way to make a little meat stretch and get a lot of veggies in. It can also be a relatively inexpensive way to eat.
When it comes to soup, one word will make your life so much easier: Crockpot. You can make all kinds of things in a crockpot, not just soups. I have made oatmeal and multi-grain hot cereal, any kind of meat I have ever cooked has had a run in the crockpot, my sister even made a breakfast casserole over night in her crockpot. If you don’t have one, often you can find them on OfferUp or Facebook Market and they always go on sale at Fred Meyer in October. They make great gifts too…I have given away a lot of crockpots!
I told Karen to put the roast in the fridge last night so it would defrost, but when I found it in the freezer, I was neither shocked or frustrated (Karen is usually pretty wiped out after a day at the gym and she isn’t allowed to cook anyway 🙂 the safety of our health and our tastebuds rely on this rule); I knew I would be using the crockpot for this meal. Did you know you don’t have to defrost meat if you are going to slow cook it all day? I put the frozen roast and a box of organic chicken broth in the crockpot and turned it on high. I also threw a can of carrots in there too. I hate canned veggies but soup is a great way to get rid of them, especially if you put them in at the first stage so they can disintegrate and become part of the broth.
Hours later I was chopping the veggies and thinking… That is where this article was born because I remembered a conversation I was having with a friend who asked Karen if she could write up an eating plan based on a diet that relies on a food box. We didn’t have an answer at that time, but as I was chopping onions, carrots, sweet potato and mushrooms I was thinking how SOUP was the answer to her question. I mean, that is where I got the can of carrots…
Soup is great because you can put anything in it. Sometimes my roommate and I, he is the cook for his family, will just clean out the fridge and use a base of the leftovers to make a wonderful stew that we all enjoy. You might have a flop every now and again but you won’t have an empty belly.
Karen really loves meat. I have eaten more meat in the last 5 years we have been married than I think I ate in the almost 40 years before that. I really could be very happy as a semi-vegetarian. On the flip side, Karen has eaten more veggies in the last 15 years we have been friends than she ever did in the 40 years before she met me. Soup is a wonderful way to take basic ingredients and make something warm and healthy. We already had chicken broth, sweet potato, onion and carrots so we didn’t have to get much at the grocery store.
As far as soup goes I think there are a few rules that will make your soup making experience better:
1) Use ads or apps and coupons.
I love the Fred Meyer and Safeway apps. Every week I go through them and see what is on sale and then I email the shopping list to Karen to grab on her way home. This way we can stock up on items we use often and save money on items we might not have bought unless it was on sale. This is a great way to plan your menu. Broths, canned tomatoes and veggies and organic beans can sit in the cupboard until you need them. Many meats and veggies can live for a few months or longer in the freezer. Certain items we eat also can be bought online because I don’t know how to find them in town or buying in bulk saves money and we can share with our friends. There are many ways to save money and always have something good on hand.
2) Learn your favorite spices and always have them.
Sea salt, pepper and cumin are a must in my cupboard. I also like rosemary, garlic powder and onion powder. There are lots more but these are my favorites. I use them all the time to bolster our meals. Cumin is a bit smoky and I love the sharp flavor of rosemary on beef. With my favorite seasonings I can lead my soups and other meals to the top of our tastebuds while adding good nutrients to our diet and maybe help us not desire so much added salt. I love that fresh herbs are so easy to find now and often are on sale, as well. You don’t have to use dried all the time once you learn how to use fresh.
3) Always make too much.
Soup is easy to freeze. Why would you do that? Well, if you are chronic person, like I am, you know that pain is a real bear and sometimes I can’t make dinner. If you are a hard-working American you might be too tired when you get home to cook a good meal every night. There are a lot of reasons why making too much soup is a good idea. With the freezer full of well-marked freezer bags of soups & stews, we can empty the contents into a pot, put the lid on it, set the burner to medium and in 15-30 minutes later we can have a wonderful meal. Also frozen soup is easy to give to a sick friend or a friend who is having a hard time making ends meet or just to share because you love somebody since soup is like a warm hug from the inside.
4) Eat what is in season.
How will you know if something is in season? Most likely it is the less expensive items in the produce department…
A note about MUSHROOMS
If you are trying to lower your cholesterol you may want to eat less meat. Did you know that if you cut mushrooms into cubes they will mimic the feel of meat in your mouth. Mushrooms are great because they don’t really have a strong flavor and they will absorb the flavors of the ingredients around them which is another reason they can help you feel like you are eating more meat. Mushrooms are very high in antioxidants which eliminate the free radicals (or slow down the growth of cancer) that might be trying to live inside you. They are also high in selenium which helps our immune system, liver and joints work better and helps prevent inflammation. Mushrooms are mostly fiber which helps us feel full and keeps our digestive track from backing up. They are also rich in vitamin D, vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium and other important nutrients, they are low in calorie and even contain some protein.
A note for CHRONIC people
I have spent the last 5 years learning how to live with several chronic physical and mental diagnosis’s so I understand that it is hard but very important to have some health rules…rules is such an un-fun word but it says a lot. Not that I don’t break my rules often, but it is nice to have a guideline to look at and measure my success by. If you are new to being chronic I want to tell you that the way to eat well when you don’t feel well is to learn to cook only a few times per week. Soup is a great way to do this because you can freeze or can the rest for when you can’t do much more than hit the start button on the microwave. Tomorrow I might not be able to do a lot with my hands because I cut a lot of vegetables and I wrote this article today but I know we will have leftovers and even though Karen is not allowed to cook, she can microwave with the best of them, so we will eat well tomorrow. If you can’t cut vegetables, consider having your caregiver or spouse or friend cut a bunch of them up for you ahead of time. Frozen vegetables from the grocery store can also make eating easier. Vegetables are going to help you feel well because they are filling and they eliminate toxins in your body. Food is fuel and if you have less “spoons” than the people around you, your fuel is SUPER important.
Soup is yummy and comforting. Everyone has a favorite kind and it is easy to make. Have you ever paid attention to how often they eat soup on Little House on the Prairie? Almost every meal is a soup or stew. I don’t know if you like that show, but Karen and I bought the entire series last year and we watch them faithfully. I tell you what, nearly everything you need to know about life, can be learned by watching Little House on the Prairie…and when you have a pot of soup you are ready to feed your family and anyone else that might show up unannounced because they didn’t have a phone at the Ingall’s farm…I mean the your dining room table…or couch…or wherever you eat your meals.
I also would like to give a shout out to our Research Manager right now because she is awesome. Not only does she find the answers we don’t know but she is a positive force and inspiration to anyone that knows her or reads her articles. Jamie and I have been friends since we met in 7th grade math class (that was in 1987). We have grown up together and she is one of those great friends that helped me learn to cook and to love to cook. She is also a chronic person but she never lets that stop her from encouraging others. Many of the things I do daily to feel successful are because she has taught me what she knows and encouraged me. I hope you have a friend like my sister-friend. If you have a topic you would like us to tackle for you please hit the Dear Jamie button to the right of this article and shoot her an email. We promise we will never share your information with others outside of our Wellness Works NW Team and we will do our best to answer your question.
Hip Hip Hooray for Soup!
Resources and Start Learning More:
- LiveStrong.com: What Are the Benefits of Eating Soup? by Cynthia Myers
- The Inspired Home: 20 Healthy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes
- Medical News Today: What is the nutritional value of mushrooms? by Megan Ware, RDN LD
Related Articles:
- Recipe Resource
- Wellness Resource
- Fat Cells 405: Fat Cells and Eating Disorders
- Learning About Eating Disorders
- The Importance of Self-Care
I hope this article helps Fuel Your Wellness. Please leave your comments below.
Summer D Clemenson co-owns Clemenson Enterprises and Wellness Works NW with her wife, Karen G Clemenson. Their personal motto is Creativity, Honesty & Positivity are a must! This mantra helps them stay community and wellness minded in all they do. Summer also writes poetry and inspirational blogs @ ClemensonEnterprises.com. Her crochet art can be viewed and purchased @ KnottyWares.com & she loves special orders!
