Crock-Pot Bean Soup

2 C. dry navy beans, washed (can soak overnight if desired - not necessary though)
4 med. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato or a few carrots, peeled and diced
1 tsp Dried onions or 1 diced onion
1-2 Tb Parsley, dried
Salt (to taste - can use plain, Lawry's, or Zender's chicken seasoning (my fave))
Pepper to taste (I'm generous with this:))
Water

-Mix all together in crock-pot ( I use a 3 Qt crock-pot). Cover with water to one inch below lid.
-Cook on high until softened (~4 hours), then low until soft enough to mash a bit. Continue on low until mushy soft!
-Mash with potato masher. Add more water if needed. Also may cook on low for ~8 hours.

Yumm-o on a rainy day with some fresh warm bread! This is a variation of my Mom's Bean Soup, which is great! Her recipe calls for celery and carrots rather than sweet potato. I've also tried half navy/half red beans and liked that.

Pretty Beef Stew

1 lb beef stew cubes, slightly thawed or thawed
1 Tb butter
1 onion, diced
1/4 C gr pepper, diced
1 C hot water

4 med potatoes, peeled & chunked
1 sweet potato, peeled & diced
1 C tomato, diced (canned or fresh)
2 carrots, diced
salt
pepper
Lawry's seasoning salt
1 pinch of Parsley
2 C hot water

1/2 C cold water
2 Tb flour

-Melt butter in pressure cooker over med/high heat and brown beef, onions and gr pepper.
-Add 1 C water and close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe (I use a Presto 8Qt Cooker), and cook 8 (thawed) or 13 (partially thawed) minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly.
-Cool cooker at once by running cold water over it (it will make strange noises that are a little scary, but really, this is what the company recommends and my mother-in-law has done for years and years - don't be frightened:)).
-Add hot water, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, pepper and salts (to taste - go easy...can always add more later). Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 5 minutes once regulator rocks.
-Cool cooker at once.
-Mix flour in cold water well. Stir into stew, and stir until thickens.

Recipe adapted from Presto's Instruction manual.

Y: 4-6 servings

I really like the sweet potato in this and the color the stew turns out...so pretty! Add any veggies you have sitting around...as a friend in Africa called it...anything that must go you can turn into "Mustgo" Soup. :)

Golden Potato Soup

9 C peeled and cubed ( I chunk them) potatoes
3/4 C chopped celery
1 diced onion
Chicken seasoning - MSG free (to taste)
3 C water
1 Tb dried parsley (or to taste)
pepper to taste
2 heaping Tb flour
4 1/2 C milk
12 oz shredded cheese (I mixed cheddar and colby-jack)


-In large pot add potatoes, celery, onion, water and parsley. Season with pepper and simmer until veggies are tender.
-Whisk flour and 1 C. milk in a small bowl until well blended. Add to soup with other milk and cook until soup thickens, stirring frequently.
-Stir in cheese and simmer until cheese is melted.

Yield: 7 servings (for hungry guys:))

Recipe adapted from one found at Allrecipes.com . Very good! 9/10