Grandma's Soup

As a child, I thought I was extra special.  While many classmates had two sets of grandparents, I had three.  It was not until I was a bit older that I understood that, when I was a year old, God had taken my mother home to heaven after a battle with cancer.  But God didn't plan for me to grow up without a maternal influence.  He gave me Mom, a lovely, courageous lady who loved God, had spunk, was creative and artistic, and taught me to embrace adventure.

So I grew up with three grandmothers, each one with unique gifts and talents.  But they all had one thing in common... they could cook!  

The Frontier Woman must have known my Grandma S for Grandma S not only cooked but preserved any fruit and vegetable that was grown on their property by the bayou.  The peaches picked from trees in the back yard became peach cobbler and peach preserves.  Berries picked along the roadsides became jelly or jam.  Yellow squash from her garden was preserved in glass canning jars for the winter day when the water was drained, the squash patted dry, battered, and fried.  Fried squash in winter... a southerner's delight.  I wish I remembered all that she taught me.  I'm intimidated by the thought of canning food.  I bought a pressure cooker a few years ago with the intent of canning vegetables from my garden.  It's still in its unopened box on a shelf.

Grandma G always made a Thanksgiving dinner to remember.  Her cornbread dressing was amazing!  If I didn't make it to her house for Thanksgiving, she would freeze some turkey and dressing for me to enjoy during my next visit.  After I married, she shared with me her recipes for cornbread dressing and her 7-Day Pickles (yes, I have a crock too... and I actually use it).  It was Grandma G who taught me to take any boxed cake mix and substitute buttermilk for water and add a teaspoon of baking soda to make a deliciously moist cake.

When it came to soup, though, Grandma D made the best vegetable beef soup that ever touched my tongue.  She gave me her recipe years ago.  It was in general terms.  There were no measurements... a bit of this and some of that.   We affectionately call it "Grandma's Soup" and anyone who knows of Grandma's Soup understands the reference.

Autumn and soup go together so it's not surprising that I enjoyed Grandma's Soup today.  Now I'm not one to hoard a good thing, so I'll share the recipe with you.  I'm like Grandma D when it comes to measurements, so use more or less as you wish.  I do take a shortcut with the use of frozen vegies.

Grandma's Soup
1 medium onion, diced
2 pounds ground beef
1/4 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 package frozen mixed vegetables
1 can diced tomatoes
1 large can/bottle tomato juice

Cook the beef and onion in a 4 qt. pot until the beef is done and the onion tender.  Drain.  Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon granules, potatoes, and enough water to cover the potatoes.  Place a lid on the pot and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Add the frozen mixed vegetables, a can of diced tomatoes, and the tomato juice.  Season to taste.  Simmer for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to blend.  Enjoy!