I only like frozen peas...and get them from the store.

No I've never frozen nor canned fresh veggies.
Even my mother who raised 6 children with father on a low income, did not buy bulk fresh veggies to freeze/blanch to keep for wks. or months.

Real good Asian fresh cooking,...does not use frozen veggies. Sorry. Really, recipes that suggest frozen veggies for an Asian recipe, no it's not a great tasting stir fry, that's for certain.

If you blanch them, you are using them the next minute for a stir fry. I'm even lazier, I don't blanch any hard veggies in advance for a stir-fry.

My partner doesn't like frozen veggies either. The only thing he does is make bulk applesauce from scratch, a bag of semi-damaged apples ..in spun into a cinnamon-aniseed-cardamon spiced applesauce. I'm not into applesauce, though I will sneak off with tasting globs. It's for his daily plain yogurt. He loves making fresh salads.

So not much freezing/canning veggies won't be happening in foreseeable future at our end. I just go to Chinatown to buy certain veggies and fruits cheaper.

Instead getting back to basics for me or some parts of the population in North America, 21st century would be:

*cooking rice WITHOUT a rice cooker. (I only started using a rice cooker 1 decade ago.)
*using fresh ginger root
*tofu, as naked as you can see. Without disguising it to look like meat, etc.
*making my own focaccia

and so on.

I might make a soup next week because I got 4 giant leeks at the market and was told to use them for soup. Monday night is the group I go to once a month where it's potluck and so many great cooks I really have to work hard to keep up! So I've decided -- IF it cools off -- I'll make soup. Big IF, since it was 96 yesterday, but then temps have been swinging 70s-90s-70s-90s within one week. IF I do, I'll write the recipe here as I add things.

Jaw JAW
Chicken...either way before freezing..or serving cannot see it would matter
ham cubed could be added to the lentil (i dont but some do)
Butter beans no dont substitute. ..its the creamy texture from them that counts.


actually soup can be made from most veg...using what is grown at that season.
also onions can be subsituted for leeks no problem or use both

Mushroom Soup


4 cups button mushrooms, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoons olive oil
salt
black pepper
finely chopped parsley
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 pint vegetable stock
1 carton lowfat cream or subsitute

Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic gently until they are transparent.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until soft but do not brown.
- Add the stock and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and season.
- Taste to check seasoning.
- Blend.
- add low fat cream
- Stir in a little chopped parsley.
- Reheat and serve.

I use HERBAMANE as a seasoning

Chick, I LOVE your new avatar! I'm assuming that's one you made in honor of this month? You are so creative. Thanks for all of those links. I'm going to follow them and if I see something in particular for "getting back to basic" I'll post it here.

MA - I may try that Mushroom Soup first. I love mushrooms and that is such an easy recipe. I looked up HERBAMANE on the net and there are several good places to purchase it. I made sure that it was the original, when looking.

I'm not a big fan of garlic, but I'm going to stick with the recipe you gave.

I know I started this thread asking about recipes for homemade soups, etc., but I also wanted us to share tips on getting back to the basics.

I've thought about it and one tip I'll share is to get a library card if you don't have one. I tell ya, some weeks I just couldn't live without mine! If I want to rent a movie (FREE) I go the library. When we get ready to discuss a book choice here, I first see if the library has it. Another savings...

One more tip would be to buy generic brands at the grocery store. I cannot believe the cost different between some well-known brands and store labels. Holy cow! Now I'll add with a red face that I won't skip on the mayo...gotta have Helmans. GOT TO!

Anyone else with a tip to get back to the basics? Or maybe it's not really getting back to the basics, but cutting back on the cost of living and if you are getting back to the basics (called GBTB in the future to save typing) then all the better.

Orchid, I told mom I want a new wok for Christmas...

Another thing I would LOVE to have is a dehydrator. Anybody got one of those? If so, do you love it?

Here's something most of you already knew about freezing, but for those of us who didn't:

Not all vegetables freeze well. Those that don't include green onions, lettuce and other salad greens, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes (except as juice or to use in cooking). Uncooked potatoes often develop an uncharacteristic sweet flavor when frozen.

and for blanching:

Blanching is scalding the vegetables in water or in steam for a short period of time. It is a very important step in freezing vegetables because it slows or stops the action of enzymes. These enzymes are essential for growth and maturation of the plant. If the enzyme action is not stopped before freezing, the vegetables may develop off-flavors, discolor, or toughen so that they may be unappetizing in a few weeks.

Do any of you ladies know AGGIE AND KIM who feature on TV on
"How clean is your house ?"
They use lemon juice and vinegar..scrunched up newspapers to clean windows.etc..non proprierity cleaners..from the grocery store..
well many of the tips I saw in my home when I was small.Wish I had thought to write a book earlier..usual thing...took the knowledge for granted.

mind you some the people they visit need counselled and should have follow up help..beyond having an untidy house...some are a health hazzard.
so any tips to share....?
Mountain ash

Light it up.

naaaw...I buy bio cleaning products...without any scent. Then I open windows wide...and let the fresh air in. I try to have a pattern, so nothing gets too dirty. And even if it doesn't "look" dirty I do the room anyway.

We had a cleaning lady that came in twice a week for over 10 years. She quit, and now Hubby and I do the house cleaning. We actually like it. It's like the house belongs to us again; instead of living in a hotel room atmosphere, where you don't dust.

As for tips...vinegar is great for dirty vases. A bit of vinegar in a glass vase will make it shine like new.

One thing I almost forgot was that I pour about a cup, sometimes less, of baking soda down the drain, followed by about 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover the drain and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with boiling water. Use this treatment regularly to prevent clogged drains. Also, pour boiling water down drains on a weekly basis to prevent grime buildup.

Sprinkle washing soda crystals down the plughole of sink then some vinegar..leave half an hour.then one kettle boiling water .beats all the plughole cleaners.