Autumn's {Hearty Beef n Quinoa Soup}

Alrighty so I don't have any pictures for this recipe.  Again.  =(  But, if I ever get batteries for the one camera, and find the very evasive cord to charge the other..... 

My oven's thermometer is messed up, or something is wrong with the oven, as it turns off and starts beeping all these errors codes whenever I use it, or errr um... try to use it! =)  Sad sigh... we've contacted the landlord but he hasn't gotten back to us about it, and it's been weeks!  I've mostly been without it this whole summer which was okay since it was so hot.  Who wants to use the oven when your house is already 80-plus degrees???  However, I've been running out of quick ideas for dinner, and yesterday morning as I was cleaning and getting ready for the day I kept racking my brain as to what I could do for a quick, not-much-prep dinner (Monday nights Seth gets home shortly before dinner time and I usually have Bible Study at 7, so I want it easy and ready exactly "on time") There was no thawed out meat from the freezer so I couldn't throw something together in the crock pot in the morning and by the time it was thawed out and I had a few minutes it was afternoon.... little late to start the crockpot now! ={

So 5:30pm came and I....
I  just threw a soup-of-sorts together!  I had no idea what I was "doing", or if it would turn out.  I just literally threw stuff together: chopped, sauteed, cooked, and tasted and then served to Seth and the kids. =)

Guess what?!  Everyone really liked it! =)  And that's why I'm sharing it with you!  

Hearty Beef n Quinoa Soup
1 lb ground beef, crumbled, salted, and cooked
1 cup quinoa
8+ cups water (or broth, if you don't have the next ingredient)
1-2 heaping T. beef "Better Than Bullion" base
2-4 large fresh tomatoes, rough chopped
1-2 mild jalapenos, finely diced
garlic cloves, finely diced
1/2-1 whole onion, chopped
lots of salt and pepper, to taste
Opt. chili powder and/or cayenne powder

1.Rinse the quinoa, add to a pot with at least 8 cups of water (this is what I did, but next time I would add 2 more cups of water, will explain why leaving this up to you at the end!)
2.  Add the beef bullion/base. Bring the quinoa to a boil, turn to a medium heat, and allow to cook at a rolling simmer for about 15 minutes, or essentially while making and adding the rest! =)
3. Thoroughly cook ground beef, set aside.
4. In the same skillet, saute the chopped and diced garlic cloves, jalapenos, and onion.  Throw into the simmering pot of quinoa, along with the roughly chopped tomatoes.
5. Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you desire (example: I used a combination of regular salt and Johnny's Seasoning Salt; and since I was feeding the kids out of the same pot as us this time, I didn't use chili powder or cayenne, but I definitely would if I was serving to spicy-loving people! =)
6.  Add the cooked hamburger towards the end, when the quinoa is mostly cooked and "fluffy", and let it all simmer on very low so the flavors blend and while you set the table and call the family "to dinner"! =)
7. Serve with love and a smile!

Now for the "note":  I like my soup with a bit more broth than this turned out having.  The quinoa continues to soak up the  broth as it simmers and as it sits while setting the table and eating dinner.  So, if you're like me and want an actual soup definitely add those extra cups of water/broth!!!  However, if you're like my husband who likes a thick, almost stew-like "soup" then leave the water amount at about 8 cups! =)
(By the way, my package of quinoa (bought from Costco) says to cook 1 cup in 2 cups of water, so I did that plus added 5-6 cups more of water, if you're curious how I came up with the numbers. lol)

Hope you enjoy!  And if it's still too warm where you live right now and soup just doesn't sound appetizing then save this one for a cold wintery evening!  And since you probably won't have fresh tomatoes at that time of year... just substitute for some canned diced tomatoes! =)

{spice up a bit of regular life} Salsa

Hey there!  I don't know how much time I have this afternoon but I'm abandoning the messy kitchen and leaving the living room littered with toys so I can blog just a little while the little ones are napping! =)
I know it's been really quiet here, and I'm postive everyone who may have been following has abandoned me  because there haven't been anything for so long!  So sorry =(  I have been trying to be more intentional on doing less online socialness including blogging, less movie-watching and WAY more playing with the kids, cleaning house, doing things with friends, etc.  Not sure if I have been doing any better in the one area but i do know that I fee like I've been neglecting my blogs =(  So, if you think of it and are a fellow Christ-follower, please pray that I can be a good wife and mother and keep up with those callings BUT also am able to write and do my blogs, because honestly writing helps me work out the kinks of life; it helps me express myself even though my attempts are sloppy, feeble, and disorganized at best; it helps to remind me of the joys and pleasures in the mundane; and of course, I really do love sharing pictures, stories, and on here... recipes! with all of you! =)

So.  Salsa. Homemade salsa.  Oh yeah!

A couple weeks ago I got this bountiful basket that had some tomatoes, peppers, and avocados in it, and I immediately thought: FRESH SALSA!  I finally got to it at least a week and half later! =)

 I did have to buy a few things for it (cilantro, limes, tomatillos) but everything else came in that basket!  Impressive huh!?  =)
Isn't the picture pretty with all those colors?!  I just love homemade fresh salsa!  Growing up my parents would often make batch upon batch of fresh salsa come late summer and early autumn.  I remember they would always split the batch, lots of hot stuff for them and some for us kids with much less heat! =)  I also remember one day, by accident on purpose I have no recollection but, I took a bite or two of some salsa that was labeled 'dad's' and just about died!  IT WAS HOT!
As a teenager I finally had worked my way up to liking salsa a little hotter, but I definitely would not have considered myself as liking "hot" salsa.... then as a young adult (21 exactly =) I went out to Tennessee and volunteered at Above Rubies as a secretary and office helper, and the Campbells who run the ministry and who I also stayed with had 4 Liberian teenagers who made most of our dinners.  Oh.my.goodness, do they like their food HOT!  Wow!  The food, overall, was very different than I was use to (perhaps a combination of African stew/soup and gumbo?!), and it was spicy!  It was good, but definitely took a little while getting use to.  =)
When I came back home after those 4 months away, guess what I discovered?!  Yeah, I now liked my food AND SALSA much hotter than my dad!!!  =)  Not sure if that was ever a future accomplishment I dreamed of attaining as a kid, but if so, I had certainly had achieved it! Hehe!

By the way, I met my (future) husband the day I arrived home and soon found out, that he loves hot food; in fact, I don't think I have seen him eat anything (yet?! =) that was too spicy!  But it was fun getting to eat spicy stuff all the time after we got married ........................  but then ....................

......... I got pregnant ........... twice.
And quickly found out that, at least while in the womb, both of my children do NOT like mommy eating anything remotely spicy/hot!!!!  Boo =(  I was so incredibly shocked and sad.  Although the saddest part, is that since then, I am not as use to the spice and just can't seem to eat as hot of food anymore.  =(
However, so far, this little baby has done "okay" with salsa and spicy stuff, so cross-my-fingers-hope that perhaps I can get through the whole pregnancy not having to give up beloved Mexican dishes! =)

This little guy was keeping me supplied with company while I made the salsa! =)  Isn't he cute?!  hehe! 

So confession time:  

I only took these two pictures of my recent salsa!  Is that incredibly silly and sad?!  I tell you, it has been really difficult for me to balance the mommy part of myself and the blogger/food photographer part!  =D  Lol!  I so would love to know how these other mommy/wife bloggers do it!  Are their youngest kids older than 5 or something?!?!?  Because I have not figured out how to take pictures non-stop and of every step while making a recipe AND keep up with the numerous non-stop interupptions from my darling little kids! Whew.  It's a full time job, and obviously the photographer part is miserably failing =P  

So.  I promise next time I make some homemade salsa I will try really, really hard to get some finished pics! =)  Of course I guess I will have to re-blog about salsa/spicy food, huh?!  If so, then I will make sure and tell you about the two times when I got too much Liberian spice when in Tennessee!  It will make your eyes water... probably with tears over my brave attempts... errrr um, stupidity!  =) lol!  

But until then.... 

.... go get some yummy salsa- veggies and make yourself some homemade goodness!  Just don't forget the chips .... or the cilantro and limes (like I originally did this past week =) 

8 med-large tomatoes, chopped or diced (to your preference)

3-4 tomatillos, rough chopped and then pureed with the chili peppers/jalapenos

1-2 medium onions, finely diced

1-2, or 3-7 (lol!) hot peppers, chili peppers, jalapenos - (all depending upon how hot you'd like it),

finely diced or roughly chopped and pureed with the tomatillos 

optional for really delicious heat: 1-2 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced

1-4 garlic cloves, finely diced or throw in with those other hot peppers and puree 

(by the way, we like garlic, so for this batch amount, I would at least use 2 or 3)

cilantro, finely diced, one half to entire bunch

1-2 limes, squeezed/juiced

a pinch or two of salt

optional: puree some of the tomatoes

or, add some tomato paste, 1-2 cans at the most, for a thicker salsa

Mix all thoroughly, adjust and add any ingredients to individual taste, taste again numerous times with salty chips, and don't let your husband see you've made homemade salsa until at least dinner  is half over!  =)  

Yield: 1.5 quarts

Enjoy! 

P.S.  for that optional Serrano pepper, this is the kind I prefer even while prego or just after while nursing (yes, the babies don't like spicy even in their milk, go figure! =).... as it has great flavor! It is also my husband's ultimate favorite spicy pepper. ;)   However, if you don't care for a lot of spicy heat, just use a quarter or half of one, and slowly add more until you're satisfied! =)  ALSO, if you do use serrano peppers, you can omit the spicier peppers that I mentioned (jalapenos, etc)