Soup, Snacks and Suffering

Jamie's awesomely easy Minestrone

 Oh, the prices one pays...we'll get to that in just a minute. I shall start with the first dish mentioned in the title: Soup. It is so underrated. Soup is versatile to suit whatever taste you have, is super nutritious and exceptionally easy to make. We as humans have been making soup since the dawn of time so it is certainly tried and tested. 

My littlest, best mate!

 Just the other day, I made Jamie's recipe for Minestrone for twelve or so in only a few minutes, (my little brother thoroughly enjoyed it as you may have guessed), and then this week I made a cream of bean and potato soup which I kind of made up as I went along simply using principles of cooking. Failure was never a fear; what could go wrong? Well, I burned myself on the saucepan which I left unattended albeit for a few minutes, which you should never do, but the soup was excellent. (My sister has a few aloe plants around the house which did the trick on my burn so I highly recommend having one.)

From this...

Now, the easiest soup on the planet goes something like this...

 Time: 40 mins

 Serves: 12-14

 RECIPE:

...to this!

 1) Peel four to five carrots and a large colander's worth of diced potatoes. Saute three onions and two garlic cloves before chucking in your sliced carrots. Plenty of salt and pepper and a sprinkle each of basil and thyme before crumbling four Oxo cubes in a jug of 800mls of boiling water. (Use more if it doesn't look enough.) Add diced potatoes and let the veg cook until tender. Use a hand blender or a food processor before pouring in single cream. Season to taste. 

 Explore and be as creative and adventurous as you like using this as your foundation. I included a tin a kidney beans as when blended they add an interesting red fleck of colour and also a tin of sweetcorn as this adds a delicious sweet flavour. Try other veg, there are loads out there! I love leeks in soup; they're green and have a great flavour. Speaking of leeks, my Mum taught me how to prepare a leek with such a barbaric method that you wouldn't forget. I sure didn't so it worked. Chop his feet off, take his clothes off and then away with his head! I know, don't ask...

The spinach really works well...and it's green!

 Snacks/lunches are a big part of our lives too but finding healthy, nutritional snacks seems to be one of those paradoxes which just cannot be concluded. Well, I say for peanut butter and jam to stand aside for I may just have an answer. This idea came from the need to use some left over Combino tomato sauce and a few other fridge bits and now they have become a family favourite known as pizza bites. 

Green, golden and red. These three in any
dish is usually a good sign.

 Time: 10 mins

 Serves: Yourself!

 RECIPE (if it can be called that...):

 1) Preheat your oven to around 200 degrees. Take a piece of bread, (a tiger loaf works best), and spread with some Combino tomato sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese before placing near the top of your oven until the cheese is browning. Delish! 

`` If you are like me, however, then you will probably want to embellish. I drizzle the bottom of my bread with oil, put sliced meat and/or fresh spinach under the cheese and sprinkle basil and thyme. But it's your choice so do what rock's your boat!

What a cheat!

Seasoned with Servitude,

Jacob

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator  

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

The Big Church Day Out - Part 3

Mind those guy ropes!

 I've been camping a few times in my lifetime and do quite enjoy it, however, there are pros and cons to most things. Does anyone else dread having to get up for the loo in the middle of the night whilst camping? If you have not yet experienced this then let me paint a picture for you. Initially you have to deliberate inside yourself whether it is worth leaving the warm solace of your sleeping-bag but let's say you do and so we have the first zip. Sleeping bag, zzzp, zzzp. Then the bedroom tent. Zzzp, zzzp. Now you have to endure the wet, dewy grass barefoot or, to seek out your trainers, take your LED lantern...which you discover needs winding. Wrrr, wrrr, wrrr. You are now equipped to leave your tent leading you to the next zip of the main entrance. Zzzp. Either you will have to use sonar to aid you in navigating the perils of rabbit holes, guy ropes and the inevitable sheep faeces on your way to the porta loos or you have your own, private loo tent. The latter sounds safer but you have yet another zip before zipping everything up and down all over again to return to your sleeping-bag.

Why does rain follow tents?

 With the adventures of the night now passed, it was up at silly o'clock once more to start up the kitchen. The ovens were on, the surfaces floured and the piping bags filled as people once more began to congregate in the tent. The day went on with no memorable upstarts as I recall but in fact quite smoothly. We seemed to have found a rhythm of sorts and were doing really well despite suffering acute signs of campingitus. 
 The day came to an end as we wearily closed shop. We went down to the main stage and, due to our access passes, we were able to go backstage to the performers tent! It was awesome. I didn't get to chat with anybody unfortunately as most were about to do the evening's line up but that was probably just as well. You don't really want to meet your favourite band's members after a weekend of camping and scone making. After eating some of Jon Foreman's sausage rolls, we all went around to see Hillsongs United. I have to say, being there for Mighty to Save was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend and a really cool way to end everything. 

Hillsongs United after an awesome weekend

 The entire experience of being put on the spot and having to react accordingly to potentially hazardous situations all the while a good few fathoms out of my depth was so shaping for me. I'm so glad I got the opportunity. Would I do it again? I'd say no but you never no/know...

Seasoned with Optimism,

Jacob

Tom even got a picture with Joel Houston. That guy is tall!

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly