How could I have forgotten this!?
It's so tremendously exciting that I must have just blacked out or something!
Reba put on a stack of country-style ribs in the stovetop roasting pan yesterday morning, and after I took them out, I was left with a pan full of stock.
So...
(get ready!)
Catherine and I made some soup!
Yes, I KNOW! Just one thrill after another!
Anyway, the start of the World's Simplest Pot of Homemade Soup was the aforementioned panful of ribs. The seasoning on the meat was a curious blend of Old Bay, salt, pepper, and onions. I've been caught using it on meats other than seafood before, but I don't think we've ever used it on pork ribs before.
Anyway, we probably had about a half gallon of stock. Strained out the fatty hunks (although I did recover the onion slivers) and got Cat to go to the pantry with me to find something else to put in there. She picked out one can each of Great Northern beans, butter peas, black-eyed peas, green beans, and a can of diced tomatoes cooked with oregano and garlic. I operated the can opener and she drained the cans (except the tomatoes--that we put in as it was) and poured them all by herself into the pot.
Set it on low, put a lid on it, and let it cook for an hour or so, and I have to tell you, that was some VERY good soup. (Don't tell her, but I did put in a dash of Crystal hot sauce.) I was going to bring some for lunch today but I forgot. Reba will sometime make soup like this, and it's good, but this batch was less tomatoey and more brothy, and I'm making myself drool just thinking about it.
Boy and Cat and I had it for lunch yesterday, and I've never see Jonathan eat soup quite as eagerly. Especially considering it had green beans in it, which he generally won't eat unless they're accompanied by ranch dressing. But both of them ate two bowls apiece of it, and would have eaten more if they'd been allowed. Catherine also made sure Mom and Ashley and Rebecca had some for supper last night, too.
That was some mighty good soup.
OH, and the ribs were pretty good, too, but they'll be better once they're chopped up with some sauce put on them.