Beef Barley Soup

I had a very happy and full belly at this afternoon.  You see, it's time for the Blogger C.L.U.E. Society and our theme for the month was something your grandmother would make.  I know my grandmother made a LOT of soups.  You see this stockpot?  That was in the stove at my grandmother's house.  I still use it ALL the time. 

So, who was the wonderful blogger responsible for my happy belly?  Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch.  She's a mom to two darling children and an attorney.  She's a busy lady who still finds time to cook some wonderful food.  I've been reading her blog and we've been friends for a long time on Facebook so I can attest her blog's delightful to read.  Please go visit:   Lawyer Loves Lunch.  My grandmother also loved to bake.  There were a couple of cakes calling my name.  And, there was a chicken stroganoff that sounded fabulous.  And, lots of other recipes that maybe my grandmother wouldn't have made.  Things that use ingredients that I could easily find.  But, Grammie?  Not so much.  So, beef and barley soup it was.  Here's how you visit Azmina's post:  Beef Barley Soup.

This was super easy to put together.  Brown the beef, add some of the other ingredients and let them brown a bit.  Then, add the rest of the ingredients and allow the soup to simmer away.  Azmina calls for cooking it down to almost stew-like consistency.  I did exactly that and it was fabulous.  Ok, so the confession here...  We had our soup for lunch today.  Connie and I both devoured it.  He dropped me off at the house and headed off to his bridge game.  Since he's not only my office manager but also my husband, we ride to work together.  There's also the issue of the fact that Annie the dog (who goes to the office with us every day) is not welcome to ride in my car.  Something about any other dog within her sight is NOT welcome and woofing and scratching of the car ensues.  So, Connie drops me off and I get busy.  Another load of laundry in.  More Christmas decorations up.  Time for a cocktail.  To the fridge for ice.  Notice the frozen peas.  ARGH!  I left the peas out!  Oh, well. The soup was fabulous without the peas.   LOL, I suppose we all do these things...

Since our theme is something that your grandmother would make, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our persimmon pudding.  Indiana persimmons are vastly different from the Japanese variety.  The majority of folks outside of southern Indiana have probably never heard of them.  We have a persimmon tree and I can guarantee the critters LOVE the things.  Last year I got several quarts of pulp.  That translated into pints of pulp.  This year, the squirrels got them before we did.  Despite the fact that I was diligent and headed to the tree every evening after work. You see, the persimmons are terribly tart if not allowed to fully ripen and fall from the tree.  Next year, you'll see a big diaper in the bottom branches of our tree!  This pudding is probably my first real food memory.  The recipe card below was written by my mother.  The actual recipe comes from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to my mother to me.  Here's a link to my post about persimmon pudding:  Persimmon Pudding.

We've got a wonderful group of bloggers in Blogger C.L.U.E. Society.  Every month we receive the name of a blogging pal and a theme.  It's an opportunity to visit an old friend or make a new friend.  Such a great group of bloggers!  Please stop by and visit my other friends dishes.  The bloggers are all listed below the recipe.  Last month I made about half of the recipes...  My guess is this month will be the same!

Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients:

12 cups beef broth
1 lb beef stew meat, cut into small cubes
1 c chopped onions
1 c chopped carrots
1 c peas
1/2 c chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c pearled barley
1 c tomato sauce
3 T tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 T oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toss the beef with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large stockpot, brown the beef cubes in the oil.  Be sure not to crowd them or they'll steam and not brown.  Then, add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  Saute them for about 10 minutes.  Add in the balance of the ingredients and allow the soup to simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  If you leave the lid off, it'll be thicker.  If you prefer a thinner soup, leave the lid on for the first hour at least.  About 10 minutes before it's done, add in the peas. 

adapted from Lawyer Loves Lunch

• Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Kate from Kate is Cooking
• Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Ramona from Curry and Comfort
• Janet from From Cupcakes to Caviar
• Christy from Culinary Diva
• Alice from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
• Kim from Liv Life
• Susan from Create Amazing Meals
• Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Kathy from Bakeaway with Me
• Anna from Anna Dishes
• Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Wendy from A Day in the Life On a Farm
• Jean from Lemons and Anchovies