Ham Bone Broth

Not sure what to do with a left over ham bone? This is an easy broth to make as a base for many different soups. Adjust ingredients to your liking.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Years ago, Allan owned a coffee shop. He enjoyed the people he worked with and got to know many of his guests. It was a simple shop, but the foods were good and he worked hard. This was our children’s favorite soup and often requested it when we went to visit Daddy.

Grandma Bea’s String Bean Soup

Grandma wrote this recipe for me years ago. I like fresh from the garden raw string beans. This is my favorite way to eat them cooked and I make it often in the summer.

While I kept Grandma’s original recipe, I put my changes in parenthesis. When we make this, I often use more potatoes, sometimes as much as half potatoes and half string beans, though I prefer it closer to 1:4. This is good as a soup or with less liquid as a stew.

We often garnish with cheese and bacon with tortilla chips on the side.

Grandma Mabel’s Chili

We were given this recipe during the McGuire 2003 family reunion. We have adapted it a little, but tried to keep it very close to the original. Serve with saltines or your favorite corn bread.

Turmeric Chicken Soup

As the weather cools down, hot soup is a very easy and filling meal. This recipe has been adapted from a recipe that Mom M. gave to Angie who passed it on to me.

The turmeric is very subtle and more could be added easily without overpowering the other flavors. If you like ginger and garlic, go sparingly at first. They are not super strong, but will quickly overpower the chicken.

Serve as is with some fresh bread.

Quick Chili

Needing a quick meal, we threw this together one night. If you have time, this is best if you prepare it a day ahead and then reduce to desired thickness while reheating the next day.

Serve with a green salad on the side and corn bread.

We use our homemade chili powder, but feel free to use your own special blend.

Wonton Soup

Once upon a time, before internet and being able to find restaurants easily on a phone, a small family was traveling late at night through a strange city. A pregnant wife told her husband that she REALLY wanted wonton soup.

Sweet husband found hungry wife a Chinese restaurant and came back with a huge container of soup. Wife happily ate most of the soup, remembering to share a little.

Wonton soup has always been a favorite comfort food. I suspect it probably was because my dad would often take us for Chinese food for super special occasions.