THE DELIVERY PERSON ALWAYS RINGS TWICE

 From Linda Lee Greene, Author & Artist

 

Mothers and daughters across much of the world forge an unbreakable bond by way of shared shopping excursions. My adult daughter Elizabeth, who is a natural-born marathon shopper, to this day has not quite forgiven me for not being one of those mothers: shopping is, and always has been, a bloody nightmare for me. Most often, shopping stiffens my back and legs to beams of concrete and melts my brain to mush. A positive outcome of the pandemic for me is the release of any further need to schlep around in brick and mortar shops. I sure do hope that after the pandemic, the fabulous delivery services continue.

            Nothing is perfect, though, as we all know. Sometimes items show up in our deliveries as substitutes that don’t quite meet our expectations. And if it is a food item, there is no returning it. Recently, I received Italian Chicken Sausages in place of authentic Italian Pork Sausages. I’ve tasted those supposedly heart-healthier products made with chicken instead of beef or pork, such as chicken hot dogs, etc. They just don’t make the grade for my taste buds.

These home deliveries are like life in that we just never know what will be dropped off at our doorstep. But as in life, we have to try our best to make good soup out of what is given to us. Below is a recipe I concocted in which that ersatz Italian Sausage is the main ingredient. To my delight, it was quite delicious.  

 

ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP FOR THE HEART AND SOUL

 

1 package of 5 (12 oz) organic, mild, sweet, Italian Chicken Sausages cut into bite-size circles

16 oz frozen vegetable medley (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower), and/or additional vegetables as desired

1 – 14½ oz can diced tomatoes and the can’s liquid

24 oz organic, low-salt vegetable broth

1 small diced fresh or frozen diced onion

1 package onion soup and dip mix

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp oregano

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder or 1 minced garlic floret

Adobo spice to taste

Sea salt and ground mélange pepper to taste

 

Place all ingredients in Crock Pot on high until vegetables and meat are tender. Halfway through, adjust spices according to taste.

 

Delicious with crackers or chunky bread (opt for Keto-friendly crackers and bread to stay true to a low-carb/gluten-free regimen). This soup gets tastier on day two and three, and is food-friendly for low-carb diets.

 

Multi-award-winning author, Linda Lee Greene’s CRADLE OF THE SERPENT, is a finalist in the cross-genre category of the 2018 American Fiction Awards. One reviewer states: “Congratulation, Linda. You are an artist. It did not take me long to realize that I was reading a book from a gifted writer. Wow! Your sentences - they rise, they fall, they meander, they circle, they confuse, tease and then end just as they should. There are so many unique and wonderful descriptions in your story.”

 

Link to purchase CRADLE OF THE SERPENT: goo.gl/i3UkAV 

#ItalianVegetableSoup, #Soup, #Low-CarbDiets, #Coronavirus, #Pandemic, #Covid-19, #ASMSG, #Romance, #Thriller, #Books, #Novels, #Amazon, #LindaLeeGreene, #AmericanFictionAwards

A RECIPE FOR THE HEART AND A BALM FOR ARTHRITIS

 

From Linda Lee Greene, Author & Artist

Multi-award-winning author of books of inspirational and sweet romance, Catherine Castle, gets to practice her craft in her marriage to author Donald (CD) Hersh. That sounds like a Cinderella story to me, but like all fairytales, there is a hitch—in their case, a dietary hitch. One of the pair has been diagnosed with arthritis and advised to stop consuming nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant, bell and hot peppers, and others, which have been shown to aggravate the disorder in some sufferers.

Catherine tells us, “I love tomatoes and many of the recipes I cook are tomato based…the problem comes when one family member loves tomatoes and the other one now has to avoid them…There are very few, if any substitutes for tomatoes so I’ve been on the hunt for ways to make my favorite dishes without tomatoes for the non-tomato eating half of our family, yet please the tomato-loving member. It’s been tough, especially with chili season upon us…So, I set out to conquer the problem. Here’s one of the recipes I came up with…I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

NO-TOMATO CROCKPOT CHILI

Ingredients:

§  1 pound ground beef

§  1 can beefy mushroom soup (I used Campbell’s soup)

§  ½ large onion, diced

§  2 cans of beans with the canned liquid. The bean liquids help make up for the loss of the volume of the tomatoes. You can use seasoned or unseasoned chili beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, or lentils. Your choice and you can mix and match beans types.

§  1 small can diced chilies, if the non-tomato eater can eat them without issues

§  One garlic clove, diced (optional)

§  Chili powder to taste

§  ¼ cup water, or less if you want a thicker chili

§  Salsa, your heat preference for the tomato-eating family members

§  Cheese for topping (optional)

§  Spaghetti (optional)

Directions:

1.      Break up ground beef in a large skillet and brown along with the diced onion and garlic.

2.      Add beans and bean liquid, diced green chilies, soup and water to crock pot. Stir to mix well.

3.      Drain beef mixture of fat and place in a crock pot. Stir to mix

4.      Cook on high for 2 hours or until hot, or on low 4-6 hours or until hot.

At serving time, place spaghetti in bottom of bowl and add beef chili. For those who can eat green chilies and tomatoes, top their bowls with ¼ to ½ cup of salsa and 1 teaspoon of green chilies to each cup of the beef-soup-based chili. Stir lightly to combine.

If you can use some romance in your life, tinged with a whole lot of suspense and an equal dose of fun, and while your chili is simmering away in the Crock Pot, I suggest you settle back in your favorite reading spot and crack open Catherine’s multi award-winning, THE NUN AND THE NARC. I am sure you agree it is a most intriguing title for a novel. Following is a quick overview of the story:

“Where novice Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal, the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape, she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicably attracted to him, he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion, and in the process, makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.”

THE NUN AND THE NARC is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

#arthritis menu, #catherine castle, #entrée, #food, #nightshade-free recipe, #no-tomato crockpot chili 

 

 

SHREDDED PAPER AND SOUP

 

From Linda Lee Greene, Author & Artist

 

Three weeks ago, I felt like I was sinking under the weighty ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the chaos of the political climate in my country. Usually, I can check out of the problems of the world through writing, or painting. But my mind was blank. I paced the rooms of my little condo like a caged animal. I knew that if I didn’t find something quickly in which to lose myself for a while that I might go under and not come back up for a long time. I needed a distraction. And I believe it or not, I found it in paper…specifically in paper shredding. To date, my recycle bin overflows with plastic bags stuffed with shredded papers. I have also filled one of those large, black, plastic construction bags with my shredded papers. Pretty soon, I am going to have to break out yet another one or two of them to contain the rest of it, because there is more to come. I am on a roll, and have no intention of stopping now. I cannot tell you how satisfying it is to watch the mounting pile of shredded paper I am building, and how sweet it is to have actual bare spaces in my home formerly stuffed with useless papers.

            During timeouts, I concocted and percolated in my Crock Pot some nice soups. Following is the recipe for one of the tastiest of them. This soup is also food-friendly for those of us who are watching our waistlines by way of low-carb diets. ENJOY!

 CAULIFLOWER AND BELL PEPPER SOUP

(Or, substitute the cauliflower with cubed butternut squash)

 

1 head cauliflower sectioned into florets

2 generous handfuls cubed frozen or fresh red and yellow bell peppers (green bell peppers are too bitter for this dish)

32 oz organic, unsweetened coconut milk

24 oz low sodium vegetable broth

1 envelope onion soup and dip mix

1 handful shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tbsp vanilla extract or maple syrup

1 tbsp garlic powder or 1 minced fresh garlic floret

1 tsp onion powder or 1 chopped small fresh onion

1½ tsp Adobo spice or to taste

Sea salt and ground pepper mélange to taste

 

Place all ingredients in Crock Pot on high until cauliflower and bell peppers are tender. Halfway through, adjust spices according to taste.

 

Scoop soup into individual bowls and sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top of each serving

 

Delicious with crackers or chunky bread (opt for Keto-friendly crackers and bread to stay true to a low-carb/gluten-free regimen)  

 

Multi-award-winning author, Linda Lee Greene’s CRADLE OF THE SERPENT, a finalist in the cross-genre category of the 2018 American Fiction Awards, is an in-depth examination of the marriage of archaeologists Lily and Jacob Light. One reviewer states: “5 Stars…Gritty, deep, emotionally packed relationship story to sink your teeth into. No fluffy boy meets girl tale, but so much more. Thrilling setting and backstory; suspense galore!”

 

#Cauliflower, #BellPeppers, #Soup, #Low-CarbDiets, #Coronavirus, #Pandemic, #Covid-19,

#ASMSG, #Romance, #Thriller, #Books, #Novels, #LindaLeeGreene, #Amazon

 

Purchase Link to CRADLE OF THE SERPENT: goo.gl/i3UkAV