Vegetable Beef Soup…(It Kept Me Busy!)

And today…I needed to be kept busy! 

You see…when I'm tired I tend to either cook….or just do nothing but web search…and listen to music! I think I'm in a funk of some sort..oh, wait…it's WINTER! 

It does it every time! This time it seems worse! So, a good dose of cooking on this bleak and dreary day called for a big batch of homemade soup! 

I have been craving my mother in law's vegetable soup like crazy! So…I experimented!

 It is in no way as good as hers and never will be but it's still worth blogging about! 

In fact, anything is worth blogging about right now just to get out in the world again and see what everyone else is doing to inspire themselves! Of course Philippians 4:19 will help as well!

"And my God will meet all of your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus!" 

( thank you, Lord! )

I loved these images above to precede the soup recipe!

 Do you remember that rabbit from my garden?  I loved that post! He was such a cute little pest. No squash for me though! That's for certain! Oh well! Jim probably buys rabbits to put in our garden, LOL…just to make it easier! No garden means no weeding! 

However, we have loved our veggies from that garden! In fact, I used up the last of the okra from our garden in the big pot of Vegetable Beef Soup that I made tonight while the guys have been away hunting at the farm! I sure hope Jim likes it!

 ( he will be eating it for quite awhile!)  

This should keep us fed until time to cook for Miller's big 21st birthday bash next weekend along with Holly's 28th birthday! Wow…How and When did my kids get so old? 

Seems just like yesterday! 

Wouldn't trade it for the world, though! HOWEVER...I will say that each and every wrinkle needs to go away and go away NOW! 

But moving right along…tonight was a perfect night to make a big batch of soup!

Yummy Vegetable Beef Soup!

How good does this look? Just wait…it gets better!

Freshly grated parmesan cheese makes it just perfect!

 Oh…and some good french bread for dipping!

Hope you like it!

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 1/2 lbs. ground round

1/2 Cup chopped onion

1 Can tomato sauce

3 Cups Beef Broth or more if needed

1 package frozen vegetable soup mix of veggies

1 1/2 C frozen white corn

1 Can diced tomatoes with jalopenos

2 small cans V-8 juice…or more if needed

1/2 Cup frozen baby lima beans

1 1/2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

3 teaspoons worchestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons Ketchup

salt and pepper to taste

Crystal hot sauce to taste

garlic powder to taste

oregano and basil to taste

I added 1 Cup of sliced okra from my garden as well

Brown the meat with the onion. Drain well. Put back in pan and add all of the other ingredients. Let simmer for a good hour, stirring every now and then. Feel free to add whatever liquid you need. This is so easy and so yummy! 
Serve with corn muffins or a good loaf of buttered french bread.  
Hope you love it!