Becka's blog

I don't have an Aunt Camille, but I do think it is a pretty name. Aunt Camille is the aunt of a former co-worker, Lenora, who gave me this recipe. I love bean soup and have generally used either Great Northern Beans or Navy Beans for soups in the past. I had never tried the mixed beans before, but Rob and I both liked this soup a lot. I cooked a ham one recent Sunday and then decided to give this recipe a try using the leftover ham bone. Here is my adaptation of the recipe:

Aunt Camille's Bean Soup

1 meaty hambone (you could also use a ham hock)
1 16 oz. pkg. dry beans, mixed variety (mine included a packet of ham seasoning)*
6 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 ribs celery, sliced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes, including liquid
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt (I omitted this)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-2 tsps. chili powder (I omitted this too)

Rinse and pick over the beans. Place in a large bowl or soup kettle and cover with cool water 2-3" above the beans. Let stand overnight. In the morning drain the beans and add fresh water to generously cover the beans in the soup kettle. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours or until beans are tender. Drain the beans and then add the 6 cups of water, the ham bone, onion, celery, tomatoes, bay leaf, pepper, chili powder, if using. Simmer for about another hour or until the ham can be easily removed from the bone. Remove the meat and add back to the soup. Enjoy your delicious soup.

*I added some of the liquid which accumulated from baking the ham so I did not use the ham seasoning packet or add additional salt since the ham itself was salty enough.
If you cook the beans this way by changing the water at least twice you will remove most of the enzymes which can cause gassiness.

Here's a picture of the package of beans that I used:

If you work all day you could soak the beans during the day one day and then cook them that evening and then refrigerate and finish up the cooking process the following day. You could also put the pre-cooked beans and other ingredients in the crockpot on the day of serving and let it cook on low.

Becka

I did finally finish up the fall table runner at the end of last week. Here's a picture of the completed project:

DH had one of those monumental birthdays last week and we had a little party to celebrate. One of the things I made for the party were these Spinach Balls. They go together quickly and are delicious.

Spinach Balls

6 eggs
1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted
1 6 oz. box of chicken stuffing mix
20 oz. of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I wring it out in a dish towel)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Add butter, stuffing mix, drained spinach, Parmesan, and pepper. Roll into balls (makes about 4 dozen). Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 mins. Serve warm. Can reheat wrapped in foil at 350 degrees for about 10 mins.

These are quite tasty and something different for an appetizer.

Becka

I've been working on a couple of new fall decorations recently. This first one was an idea I found on Pinterest. Do you pin? I wanted something new for on the mantel and this was quick and easy. I found all the supplies at Hobby Lobby and at the grocery store. All the items at Hobby Lobby were on sale for 50% off and I figure I can cook and eat the grocery items after a quick rinse when it's time to replace fall with Christmas.

I started working on this table runner a couple of weeks ago. I found the pattern up at the Cherry Pit Quilt Shop in Seiverville, Tennessee the last time we were up in that area. It is an overwhelmingly beautiful shop. I bought this pattern thinking that it was time to replace the fall table runner that I have used for many, many years. When I dug through my stash I was able to find enough fabrics to make the runner without having to buy anything. This was the first time I have tried to do the buttonhole stitch applique on the sewing machine--I have always done it by hand on past projects. It was a lot of fun to do. Here's a picture of the applique portion:

Here's a picture of my helper, Adelaide, while I was refilling a bobbin:

I'll try to post a picture of the finished product soon--that will be a good incentive for me!

How about you--any new fall projects in the works?

Becka

I've been looking for a recipe for a good pumpkin bundt cake for an event later this month. I think I found it this weekend. I made this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake which calls for an unusual ingredient: wheat bran. I happened to have some from Bob's Red Mill (available locally at Ingles) out in my freezer. It was delicious and I would highly recommend that you try it if you need a new fall dessert. I found the recipe over at the Joy of Baking website--many good looking recipes there.

A few tips for making bundt cakes:

I actually got rid of my first bundt pan because I could never get the cakes to come out of the pan--they would stick horribly to the top of the pan. A friend shared her secret with me--use a flexible plastic knife like you get at a fast-food restaurant to run around the edge and center of the pan before removing the cake from the pan. This knife will bend and you can reach the curved part of the pan. I also have a can of Baker's Joy pan spray that has oil and flour in it that I reserve for use when making bundt cakes. Be sure to let the cake cool in the pan for 10-20 mins. before trying to remove it from the pan. Hopefully these tips will help you to make a beautiful cake.

Becka

It seems like each year there is one crop in our small garden which outdoes itself. This year we have three things in abundance: okra, eggplant, and green beans. I'm already burned out on the eggplants and we have been trying to give them away. I've been freezing the green beans and trying some new okra recipes. Here is one of the new recipes which we have really enjoyed:

Harvest Gumbo

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 stalks chopped celery
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
black pepper to taste
4-5 cups water
1 1/2 tsps. chicken soup base or 2-3 cubes
1 cup diced tomatoes (I usually use jarred spaghetti sauce)
1/2 lb. sliced kielbasa
2 cups sliced okra
1 1 /2 cups baby lima beans
1 1/2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups sliced green beans

In a large soup kettle heat the oil and then saute the onions, celery, and red pepper. Add the water, tomatoes, kielbasa, and seasonings. Simmer about 15 mins. Add the vegetables and simmer about 15 more minutes or until tender. This makes 6-8 servings and is very colorful and tasty.

And now, a word about the bread in the picture:

A former co-worker of mine has started a bakery here in the area called Simple Gifts Artisan Breads. He has built a wood burning oven in which to bake his delicious breads which he sells at local Farmer's Markets and to some restaurants. A Lebanese man who lives nearby gave him a special seasoning blend and asked David if he would make him some Lebanese bread. David agreed and the man was quite pleased. One week the Lebanese guy didn't come to the Farmer's Market to get his bread and David gave me a loaf of it. The bread was thin and dimpled like Foccacia but had a very interesting flavor which we really enjoyed. Shortly after that first exposure I saw some of the bread at the Pita House (a middle eastern restaurant and grocery here in the area.) I asked the owner Ziad about it and he showed me the seasoning blend and told me it contains sumac (not the poisonous kind), thyme, and sesame seeds, among other ingredients. I bought a small container of the blend and have made the bread a couple of times. I even found a recipe for it in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I just use pizza dough which I brush liberally with olive oil and then sprinkle on some of the "mixed zaattar". I then bake it right on the pizza stone. It is delicious for sandwiches or with soup and freezes well. So, if you like middle eastern flavors you might want to try this one.

Becka