Just before Christmas we had the misfortune of losing our farmhouse to a fire. It was home for our son and his wife and their three kids. Bill and I had built the house in 1971 and it was our home for 30 years before we moved into town.
After nurturing and looking after that home for so long, it was hard to see it ruined in such a short time. So many memories.
A fire is something we insure for, but never expect to happen. When it does, it takes us by surprise. Then comes the huge task of cleaning up and sorting what was salvaged, listing everything lost, cleaning up the site and rebuilding. In the meantime, we are all together in town. We are thankful no one was home at the time and that the house in town can provide a familiar and safe place to call home for now.
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Hummingbird bean soup
I clipped this bean soup recipe out of The Tribune, a newspaper that was delivered to our door while in Arizona last winter. With the cold weather, it seemed like a good time to try this chili-like soup, and we weren’t disappointed.
The contributor had no idea why it was called hummingbird soup, except that maybe the author thought kidney bean soup didn’t sound fabulous enough.
1 tablespoon vegetable 15 mL
oil
1 pound ground beef 500 g
11/2 teaspoons chili 7 mL
powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice 2 mL
1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 mL
3 cans (10 oz each) 775 mL
beef broth
1 can (14 oz.) red 398 mL
kidney beans
1/4 cup shredded 60 mL
cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream, 60 mL
optional
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef, stirring occasionally, until brown. Drain fat. Add chili powder, allspice and black pepper. Cook, stirring for one minute.
Add broth and half of the kidney beans to the sauce. Heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, pureé the remaining beans in a blender or food processor. Stir into the soup. Heat to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Garnish with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
Winter lentil soup
1 tablespoon vegetable 15 mL
oil
2 cups chopped onion 500 mL
3 cups shredded 750 mL
cabbage
6 cups water 1.5 L
1/2 cup lentils 125 mL
3 cups sweet potatoes, 750 mL
peeled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh 15 mL
thyme leaves (or 1
teaspoon/5 mL dried)
2 teaspoons salt 10 mL
1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 mL
12 fresh basil leaves, optional 1 can (28 oz.) 796 mL
tomatoes
1/4 cup grated 60 mL
parmesan cheese, optional
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for three minutes. Add the cabbage, water, lentils, sweet potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper and basil, if using. Bring to a boil and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon.
Spoon into individual bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan, if using.
Yield: Eight servings.
Source: Adapted from Real Simple magazine, March 2006.
New Mexico chicken casserole
This recipe is from Atco Blue Flame Kitchen’s new cookbook, A Holiday
Collection 2007.
1 tablespoon oil 15 mL
1 cup onion, 250 mL
chopped
2 cloves garlic,
finely chopped
2 cans (10 oz. each) 560 mL
cream of chicken soup
1 can (10 oz). chicken 284 mL
broth
1 can diced green 113 g
chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground 2 mL
cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano, 2 mL
crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL
1/2 teaspoon freshly 2 mL
ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne 0.5 mL
pepper
1 cup light sour cream 250 mL
10 8 inch (20 cm) flour
tortillas halved
4 cups shredded 1 L
cooked chicken breast
2 cups shredded 500 mL
cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced ripe 125 mL
olives
sliced green onions and
diced tomatoes
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for two minutes. Stir in next eight ingredients (soup through cayenne pepper). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and let cool. Remove one cup (250 mL) of soup mixture, reserving it to top the casserole.
Spread one cup (250 mL) of soup mixture over bottom of a greased nine by 13 (23 x 33 cm) baking
dish. Place five tortilla halves on
top. Sprinkle with one cup
(250 mL) chicken. Top with half a cup (125 mL) of cheese and two tablespoons (25 mL) olives.
Repeat layering three more times with remaining soup mixture, tortilla halves, chicken, cheese and olives. Spoon reserved soup mixture over the top.
The casserole may be prepared to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let stand 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 F (180 C) for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for five minutes before serving.
Garnish with green onions and tomatoes. Serves eight.
Winter travel tips
Travelling with medications
- Prepare a list of your medictions, the amount and schedule to provide to border officials if requested.
- Don’t consolidate multiple bottles of prescription medications into one container to save space. Officials may question or confiscate them. Pharmacy labels should be affixed to all prescription containers.
- Make a list of your pre-existing medical conditions and allergies. In a medical emergency, this information will speed up treatment.
- Carry a copy of your eyewear prescription. If your eyewear is lost or damaged, you may then buy a replacement without the expense or delay of an eye exam.
- Research vaccination requirements for tropical areas or developing countries. It can take two to three months for some vaccinations to take effect so plan ahead.
Preventing back pain
When moving luggage:
- Pack light. Consider luggage with wheels.
- When lifting heavier items, do it in stages. Lift from the seat to overhead compartments in an airplane, not from the floor to the overhead compartment. Lift from the bumper to the trunk in a car.
When travelling by car or RV:
- Take frequent breaks. Get out and stretch. Let someone else take over the driving duties for a while or make use of cruise control and stretch your legs.
- Take advantage of your time in the passenger seat. Several exercises can be done to stretch your neck, shoulders and lower back.
When travelling by air:
- Get up and move around every half hour or so. Think of that long lineup at the bathroom as a chance to stand up and move around.
- Maximize your leg room. Store luggage in the overhead compartment. For longer trips, consider upgrading for more comfort.
- Use airline pillows for a headrest or for lower back support.
Money tips
- Let your bank know where and when you are travelling. With fraud-detection monitoring, your bank might put a hold on your card if it detects unusual spending.
- It is a good idea to travel with two credit cards from different banks or providers. Carry one in your pocketbook or wallet and keep the other in a different location. If you lose your wallet or it gets stolen, you’ll have a backup.
- Obtain some foreign currency before you go. While it is often cheaper to get local currency at your destination, for money used in transit you’ll get a better exchange rate from your bank than at the airport.
- To ensure you’re not stuck without local currency, withdraw cash at the city ATM or bank before leaving for a remote location.
- Carry several smaller bills to use when paying taxi drivers or other independent vendors in order to avoid problems associated with their inability to make change.
Source: Group Medical Services Newsletters, fall 2006 and 2007.
Alma Copeland is a home economist from Elrose, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising TeamResources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
