Rainy Days = SOUP!

Today has been wet, gray & rainy. There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a rainy day! Today I decided to finally make some tomato macaroni soup. I found the recipe a while ago, but it has been just too hot for soup! Today was perfect soup weather, and it came together very fast! It also made my house smell so yummy!!

1 tsp oil
1 tsp butter
2 onions, chopped
2 celery, chopped
1/2 cup celery leaves (didn't have this, used a 3rd piece of celery)
2 carrots, chopped
8 cups beef (or your choice) broth
28oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp onion soup mix
1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 cup uncooked macaroni
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil and butter. Add onions, celery/leaves and carrots, saute until soft. Add broth, tomoatoes, soup mix and Worcestershire. Simmer for 45 minutes; add macaroni. Cook on low until pasta is cooked, about 30 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

Last year, we planted some raspberry bushes, and I could not wait for all of my yummy fresh berries! Sadly, we had about 4 all season :( This year, our harvest was a little bigger, and I have learned that raspberries need to be establish before they really start producing those delicious red globes! In the meantime, I made due with some frozen berries I had bought when I made cheesecake muffins last month. This is a quick & easy jam, no cooking, that can stay in the freezer for up to 1 year! Remember that jam is a finicky thing, so be sure to follow the pectin recipe to the letter! I used Certo, so will post their directions that I followed.

Raspberry Freezer Jam
2 cups crushed raspberries (about 4 cups whole berries)
4 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch Certo liquid pectin
2 TBSP lemon juice

You can push the berries through a sieve if you like, but I don't have one, so I didn't. Mix berries & sugar in a bowl, and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in pectin & lemon juice, and stire for 3 minutes. Place in clean jars or tightly sealing plastic containers, leaving 1/4 inch at the top. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing. Will keep the freezer for up to 1 year, and 3 weeks in the fridge once thawed.

Mustard Beans

My grandma used to make mustard beans that I could eat by the jarful! I just could not get enough of them! Well, I got her recipe a few years ago, but the whole canning process scared me. This year, I decided that I just HAD to have some! My amazing mother in law dropped off loads of yellow beans for me, and I got to work! I made 2 batches, and ended up with 17 delicious looking yellow jars!!

8 cups yellow beans
3 cups vinegar
1 cup water
1 TBSP celery seed
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 cup dry mustard
3/4 cup flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp salt

Cook beans in boiled salted water until just tender & drain. Mix water, 1 cup vinegar & celery seed & let sit. Mix tumeric, mustard, flour, sugar & salt until combined. Bring water/vinegar & remaining vinegar to a boil. Slowly add a small amount of hot vinegar to dry ingredients. Blend well (no lumps!), then add paste to pot and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add beans & bring to a boil. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.