What did you do this last Sunday?  Jason went camping and I stayed at home to learn computer stuff.  Sounds boring doesn’t it?  Not really.  I expanded my brain with knowledge and did some, physician (a long time coming) slow cooking.  I made chicken stock and pinto bean soup.  It may not sound like much but both are long, but relatively easy tasks.  I had the makings for stock sitting in the freezer for way too long and finally had the time to make it.  There’s a reason most people buy their stock from a store.   That’s not to say I don’t like homemade stock, quite the opposite.  I love it!  But don’t always have the time to make it.  Another issue is I don’t cook mine as long as some people, or chefs, simply because I’m too impatient.  That’s probably why my stock is very strong and usually cloudy.   I did come across an article on how to make a quick chicken stock and can’t wait to try it.  I will let you know how it turns out.  If it’s as good as it looks then I may never buy chicken stock again!!!  Hahaha, not likely, but maybe I will make more at home.

Now, what did I do with that chicken stock you ask?  I made cauliflower soup!!!  I took six cups of stock, a couple ribs of celery, two carrot’s, a medium onion and a head of cauliflower chopped them up and put them on the stove to simmer for 20 minutes(after bringing it to a boil) and next thing you know lunch was served!

One of the other things I did  was make Pinto Bean Soup.  This is something I had learned from my grandparents.  It was my grandfathers favorite soup and my father’s least favorite.  I first got to taste this hearty goodness when we were living with my grandparents one winter when I was young.  I remember paying attention to how it was made but not really understanding what I was seeing.  It all happened so fast.   My biggest memory is that when it’s done you must add pepper and very finely minced onion.  Something my grandfather took pride in doing.  My father always said it was tasteless soup.  I beg to differ.  The earthiness of the beans and the cloudy stock made smokey from the bacon and the tender cooked onions melt in your mouth, while the fresh onions provide a nice crisp sweet freshness that is to me, pure heaven.  I don’t have the exact recipe just what my father told me as he finally made it one day, after months of begging.   He made it from memory and since he only made it once I had to learn quick.  It’s a very simple soup and there really is no measuring, which is probably where I get my cooking method from.   I’ve asked lots of friends and family about this soup and how they make it.  Everyone seems to make it mostly the same way, soak the beans overnight then rinse them, put back in the slow cooker and cook for several hours.  Some of the other ingredients people added were bacon, onions,  celery, carrots, garlic, a ham hawk or what ever there mother/grandmother use to use to get it just right.  My version is simple with bacon, onion and garlic.   I like to make a couple times so I have  it  on hand all winter for those long cold days and evenings.  Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.