Soup, soup and more soup!

Here are some soup reciepes that mean a lot to me, my family AND my pocketbook! (SMILE) I love cold weather, soup and a big ole blanket! The first two reciepes are souper easy .. the last one takes time, thought and ingredients I do not keep on hand, so I don't make this version very often, but I always make it the Saturday before Christmas. It is amazing what a couple of sorority girls can drum up in college ..... forever memories.

There are more reciepes for you here.


Broccolli Cheese Soup

2 onions chopped
4 Tbsps. Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
2 cans chicken broth
4 broth cans water
8 cups chopped broccoli
2 cups milk
1 cup instant brown rice uncooked
2 cups Velveeta Cheese (cubed)

Place everything in the crock pot for 4 hours on low. Serve HOT! Top each serving with cheese.
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Italian Sausage Soup (a take on the Macaroni Grill version)

1 pound of ground italian turkey sausage (browned, made into meatballs or diced links)
1 1 /2 cups of cooked small pasta (your preference, NOT bowtie or macaroni)
2 cans of italian seasoned diced tomatoes
2 cans of chicken broth
2 cans of northern beans
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 packet of italian dressing mix
parsley flakes for "color"
1/2 cup italian blend shredded cheese
2 dashes of dried basil (chopped fresh sprigs if you have them)
1 tsp. hot sauce (added when almost done)
Mix all your ingredients together, simmer for 30 minutes on medium low. Add toasted garlic bread and salad if you like. Enjoy! This is soo much better the second day.

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Poor Sorority girls Lousiana Gumbo

6 tablespoons Crisco
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 pound chicken breasts
1 ring of Hillshire or Eckridge Sausage, chopped
2 14.5 ounce tomatoes
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups okra (frozen will do)
1 clove garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper (you can buy the peppers frozen and packaged together for less)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf (if you can find one)
1 tablespoon salt
6 cups chicken stock or water
1 pound cooked shrimp (medium to large, the small ones shrink .. hehe)
Hot sauce to taste

Heat shortening over medium heat (large stock pot) Add flour, a tablespoon until browned, Stir constantly. Add all the meat, except shrimp and tomatoes. Cook 8 minutes. Add vegetables, garlic, seasonings, and stock. Add hot sauce, if desired. Cook over high heat until meat is done, about 10/15 minutes. Add shrimp in the last 5 to 7 minutes. Oh and take the bay leaf out before you eat! Serve over rice.