Soup's On!

     My plan to grill outside this week hit a snag on Wednesday when snow was in the forecast.  So I altered my menu plans and decided to spend the day in the kitchen cooking up some comfort food as I watched the snowflakes dance to the ground.  I began by hauling the bread making machine up from the basement and loaded it with the ingredients for my favorite loaf of bread:  applesauce, oatmeal and raisin.  While that churned away I drove over to my favorite fish monger at Suburbia Seafood and got a pound of whiting that was to be the main ingredient in a Long Island Baymen Seafood Chowder.  Last week in a trip to Chestnut Hill I purchased that chowder kit in a little market.  I was pleased to find it since I had previously made soups from Purely American before and was pleased with the results.  They sell all the "dry goods" for the soup and provide a recipe and instructions and a story of the history of the meal.  They also give you a list of the fresh items that you need to have on hand.  In my case it was the fish, bacon, canned tomatoes, onions and celery, and of course, water.
     Purely American is as it's name suggests, an all-American company that uses organic and salt free ingredients and provides the basis for good, healthy, and wholesome meals, all with a connection to our historic past.  (My favorite is Ozark Snake Bite Chili.)
     So I followed the instructions line by line.  Having soaked the beans in a covered pot of water overnight, I was ready to slice and dice.  It took about two and a half hours for everything to come together, just about the same time that the loaf of bread was finished.  Together they provided a great meal to enjoy on a snowy day!