| Many people I've talked with lately have expressed | | | | - Carrots |
| concern about how to cut the cost of their family's | | | | - Celery |
| food budget. They realize that stocking up and buying | | | | - Onion |
| items on sale is a great way to do save... but then | | | | - Potatoes |
| what do you do with a pantry stockpile of assorted | | | | - Tomatoes |
| beans, stewed tomatoes, and canned lunch meat? | | | | - Green beans |
| The following recipe is not only easy and delicious, it's | | | | - Turnips |
| also a simple way to use up those canned, dried, and | | | | - Parsnips |
| other easily stored food items in a delicious homemade | | | | - Broccoli |
| soup. | | | | - Peas or pea pods |
| Mix-and-Match Soup (8 generous servings) | | | | - Cauliflower |
| Broth (choose one) | | | | - Bell pepper |
| - Tomato: One 12-ounce can of tomato paste plus | | | | - Zucchini (add raw) |
| two 16-ounce cans of tomatoes with juice (chopped) | | | | Seasonings (choose 2 to 4 spices, 1 to 2 teaspoons |
| plus water to equal 10 cups total | | | | each) |
| - Chicken/Turkey: 10 cups broth or 4 bouillon cubes | | | | - Basil |
| dissolved in 10 cups of water | | | | - Cayenne (dash) |
| - Beef: 10 cups broth or 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 | | | | - Chives |
| cups of water | | | | - Cumin |
| Protein (choose one -- 1 pound or 2 cups, cooked) | | | | - Garlic |
| - Ground beef, browned | | | | - Marjoram |
| - Leftover meatballs or meatloaf, chopped | | | | - Onion powder |
| - Cooked chicken or turkey (cut up) | | | | - Thyme |
| - Ham (cut up) | | | | - Rosemary |
| - Lentils | | | | - Parsley |
| - Frankfurters, sliced (or any sausage or Kielbasa) | | | | - Oregano |
| - Pepperoni, sliced | | | | To Prepare Soup: |
| - Beans, cooked or canned (pintos, kidney, Great | | | | Bring the broth to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch |
| Northern, etc.) | | | | oven. Add all of the ingredients and salt and pepper to |
| Grain (choose 1 or 2 for a total of 2 cups) | | | | taste. Reduce heat and simmer one hour. |
| - Rice, cooked (any variety) | | | | Slow Cooker Prep: |
| - Barley, cooked | | | | Pour the boiling stock and other ingredients into a slow |
| - Pasta, raw | | | | cooker and simmer for 8 to 12 hours or overnight on |
| - Corn | | | | LOW setting. |
| - Dumplings (add near end of cooking time) | | | | --Excerpted and adapted with permission from the |
| Vegetables (raw, cooked or canned, choose 2 or | | | | book Mix-and-Match Recipes: Creative Ideas for Busy |
| more for a total of 1 to 2 cups) | | | | Kitchens (SourceBooks) by Deborah Taylor-Hough. |
| - Cabbage | | | | |