Ham and potatoe soup

This was so good and so easy. I had left over ham from the night before so I diced it up. About 3 1/2 cups worth. I also did the same amount in potato. I added this to 3 1/4 cups of water. The drippings from when the ham orginal cooked, but if you don't have the drippings they can be left out. I added to chicken bullion cubes. 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Diced up onion and celery

Then in a sauce pan I did
5 tbs butter
5 tbs flour
use gluten free flour in place of regular flour if you have a wheat allergy
2 cups of milk
Milk allergy its okay use your soy or almond milk

Once this thicked after brought to a boil I added it to ham and potaot pan and simmered for an hour.

I then added, knowing my alergy child wasn't going to eat this {she already requested homemade tomato soup} copper cheese to the pan allowing it to melt .

This was so good. We had homemade dinner rolls with it but another good idea is to add croutons on top of the soup before you serve.

This was a hit and I had no left over soup. Can't wait to make it again

Enjoy

Gumbo, homemade

The best way I can use left overs when I have a variety of meats in the refrigerator. So I had left over, roast chicken, pork roast and pot roast. So go grab your left overs and we will get started.

  I diced up onion,garlic,green pepper and carrots and extra virgin olive oil, placed the in a saute pan over low to medium heat until nicely caramelized. When they are done add them into the bottom of your crock pot, or stock pan on the stove. Next I cut up my left over meats and placed them in the same saute pan and just got them warmed through, added them to the crock pot as well. Make sure you get everything out of your saute pan, scrape the bottom with a spoon, theres a lot of flavor in the bottom of the pan. Okay so next I added a box of beef broth and a jar of homemade spaghetti sauce (use store bought if thats what you have) Stir it all together in the crock pot and add your salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, soy sauce about 2 tbs and Worcestershire sauce about 2 tbs and a bit of A1 about 2 tbs. Make sure you mix it together well. Put the lid on the crock pot and slow cook on low for 8 hours. This is a meal you want to start early in the morning and let it cook all day. You want to give time to allow for all the flavors to blend and marinate together, the longer it cooks the better it tastes.
  So after the 8 hours is up you want to make your white rice. Make as much as you want, I usually do about 1/2 cup of rice to a bowl of gumbo. After the rice is cooked put it in your bowl then add the gumbo. Garnish with green onion. Now some add shrimp in their gumbo I do not because no one in my house likes fish. I will however add sausage into the gumbo along with the other meats when I have it on hand (meaning my kids did not already eat it all) Sit back and enjoy, no one in your house will think you used left overs to make this and it is a good way to not waste food. If it made to much you can always freeze the rest for another day.