He saw his shadow..

Unfortunately, the groundhog saw his shadow last week. I say unfortunately, because I am not a fan of cold weather. There's nothing worse than the feeling of your internal organs shutting down because you have stepped outside into the frigid air. I also do not like putting on layer upon layer of clothing to stay warm while I'm outside (which in the winter is usually only to walk to and from the car) only to be miserably warm the rest of the day. There is one, and only one positive that can come from six more weeks of winter weather. More time to enjoy delicious soups! We have tried 2 new soups this winter and have loved them, so naturally I thought I would share.

The first one is not for someone who is trying to watch their wasteline :) We love cheese tortellini and it is something we usually pick up every week or so for those nights where we get in late and are not in the mood to cook. This is a great alternative to the tortellini and canned tomato sauce.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

1 pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans reduced-sodium tomato soup
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup crushed parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven (a large soup pot works just as well) combine the soup, broth, milk, half and half, tomatoes, and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.


We both grew up on vegtables and cabbage is by far one of our favorites. We love it cooked just about anyway. I love my Nana's boiled cabbage while Ben is a huge fan of fried cabbage. When I came across this recipe I knew we had to try it!

Hearty Cabbage Soup

1lb. ground beef (we use ground turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 1/2 cups shredded cabbage ( I think more is better)
1 medium zucchini, halved & thinly sliced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 carton ready-to-serve sweet red pepper soup (see note at bottom)
1 can Rotel
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce (we love Frank's)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, cook meat & onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the cabbage, zucchini, and mushrooms; cook and stir 8 minutes longer. Stir in the soup. rotel, pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Ready-to-serve sweet red pepper soup. I assumed this meant those "fancy" soups that V8 has come out with that comes in the cartons with the canned soup. Either I assumed wrong or the dirty burg's fine grocery stores do not carry such a soup. So I had to come up with my own soup. I chopped 2 red bell peppers and pureed the peppers with about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of whipping cream. I also added about a cup of vegetable broth to give it a soupy consistency. Now, I have no idea if this is what the sweet red pepper soup was supposed to be like, but the hearty cabbage soup turned out delicious.

Hope y'all enjoy!