Actually, maybe I do know about you. You’re probably a wife and mom, just like me, which means you’re busy, just like I am!
While I love to cook, I am often side-tracked by how much time it can take to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table each night (not to mention those other two times a day)!
Because the holidays are notorious for meals that can take forever to prepare, as we enter the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite time-saving kitchen tools, along with a round-up of some recipes here on The Busy Mom for ideas of how to use them!
All of these useful tools make holiday cooking (well . . . actually all cooking!) much easier for the busy mom.
All ingredients except the optional ham hock and pork shoulder.
I’m a soupie. Is that a word? Well nevermind. It should be.
I’m finally getting around to posting my favorite bean soup recipe.
Why?
Because I was late yesterday, that’s why. You know, school, dishes, laundry, toddler—broken down car. These things can make a girl go half-crazy in the dinner making department.
{enter pressure cooker}
“Welcome, highly-favored kitchen appliance!”
Electric pressure cookers save time and money!
I.love.my.pressure.cooker. Period. And it got me out of a jam last night. At 4:4o I arrived home from the mechanic shop, tired and frustrated. {yes, you heard me right.} I looked in my pantry. BEHOLD! A bag of beans. Fifteen different kinds of beans to be exact. Dinner! By 4:55 I had all the ingredients in my pressure cooker and by 6:15 we were eating yummy, healthy soup.
YES it works in a crock pot too. Just put this same recipe in your slow cooker and give it 6-8 hours on low.
The magic is found in the spices so here you are:
15 Bean Soup
9 cups chicken broth
15 bean soup mix (1 lb) – this mix is in most grocery stores. It’s about $3.20/bag.
1 large onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
4 stalks diced celery
2 bay leaves
2 tsp diced garlic (from a jar is fine)
1 T thyme and rosemary
1.5 T parsely
1 tsp ham base if you don’t have a ham hock, or leave it out. It’s good with or without.
Black pepper to taste
Alternative:
If you’re in the mood for a more meaty bean soup, add about a pound of pork shoulder, diced into bite-sized pieces. I didn’t use it this time. When using ham base, I LOVE Penzey’s. Here’s a picture … a little goes a long way!
Directions:
Place all this stuff in your pressure cooker. Set it to “soup” and set your timer for 35 minutes. When it’s done, allow the pressure to go down on it’s own. This will add about 15 more minutes to your total time.
When you’re ready to serve, take out the ham hock and the bay leaves. Voila! No more waiting all day for your beans to cook. Pressure cooking is a busy moms best friend. Give it a try!
