Souper Wednesday

I'm a huge fan of soup. It's my lunch almost every day. Not soup from a can though -- I actually can't stand the stuff -- homemade soup is the only way to go. It's healthy. It's full of veggies, protein and 'good things'. I usually make what I refer to as a 'vat' of soup -- 8 quarts to be exact. After the soup is finished and cooled, I vacuum seal and freeze 12-15 portions for eating another day.

It's easy to microwave or heat the frozen soup on the stove. To complement the meal, I'll make homemade bread once or twice a week. Finish it off with strawberries for dessert and it's a well rounded but tasty meal.

Total prep time is about 10 minutes to put it all together if I'm just reheating.

The best part -- I save money! Lots of money because I'm not tempted to stop for fast food when running my errands in the morning. I know I have a good, inexpensive meal ready to go at home, no work required.

I usually reserve Wednesday for making soup. Each recipe takes about 30-45 minutes of prep time, but a total cooking time of 2 hours. Blocking the time on my calendar three weeks out of the month, and I have over 30 portions to last me all month long. It also serves as a back-up dinner if I just don't feel like cooking at all.

I'll be giving you my favorite recipes over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!