Should Never Make an Out Loud List, Herbally Speaking!

I always get myself into trouble by making a list at the beginning of the blogging year and proceed to trash it!  Well, I will get to some of my list at some point this year!  Here is what I've been up to since that list was typed.  Most of us in the U.S. have doctor's visits to fulfill if we want new prescriptions in the new year and this year is different because some of us have new insurance.  I'm just saying Thank God!  So everything is fine.  All of the parts are working for both of us.  I worked on some parsley soup that looks like carrot and lovage soup!

The Parsley Soup Looks Like Carrot Soup!

So I will give you links for both recipes, parsley dill soup and carrot and lovage soup.  They are very similar in ingredients, but usually the parsley dill soup is lighter if you put more potatoes in than carrots, but it doesn't matter if you don't exactly have the ingredients, it will taste great!

I was also thinking about favorite soups that I have made over the years.  Here is my mother's recipe for vegetable soup.  I think I would call it Meaty Vegetable Soup because it is just not vegetables.  It does have meat in it.  You can also make it without the meat.  I can't eat this anymore because of the tomatoes!  I think you will enjoy it.

Meaty Vegetable Soup
(Makes 4-6 servings)

1 lb. of meat cubes
4 c. of water
3 t. salt
1/4 c. washed rice
1 large (28 oz.) can tomatoes
1/4 c. or more raw potatoes
1 10 oz. package mixed vegetables
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 green pepper chopped

Cook meat, water and salt together for 1-1/2 hours, add rice, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, celery and green pepper and cook for 45 minutes.  Add mixed veggies and cook for 30 minutes.  Always keep covered, bring to a boil and let simmer while cooking.  Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.  Serve with feta-sage cornbread or a good hearty bread and herb butter.

I also made the last lemon bread with crystallized lemon peel mix (They don't make it any more!) from Lollipop Tree I had from the Village Herb Shop and added the last fresh lemon verbena leaves from last year and some nuts!  Looks like the start of a pesto!  The Herbal Husband approved!

A Mix of Lemon Verbena Leaves and Walnuts for the Tea Bread!

Will try to get back to that list later on.  I want to particularly talk about herbal tea blends since it is National Hot Tea month!  So stay tuned! We are cold without snow.  That makes me worried about plants because they like to be insulated with the snow when the temperatures get below freezing!  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.