Out Like a Lamb??

"March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb!"

Each year, I led my Kindergarten classes in this declaration of Spring, as we glued cotton balls onto outlines of baby lambs. But this year, on precisely March 29th, I awoke to clouds, frosty temperatures and sleet! What happened to that lamb?!

So, Monday as it was, soup would have to be on the menu for Cooking Night with the girls. Two warm, flavorful comforting soups for a cold night. Some of the gals were exhausted from a conference they worked on all weekend, and couldn't attend (we missed you!). But we had the privilege of a welcoming a few new faces; Lucinda, Enid, and little Rosie, Mattie, and Christen - who always make the occasion extra fun!

Menu: Butternut Soup, Taco Soup
Cornbread
Fruit
Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

Often butternut soups are a little on the sweet side, but I like it with a little kick at the end. Cayenne pepper does the trick in this recipe. Also, I'm not a huge fan of too much 'squashy' flavor, so a potato does a good job of mitigating, and creating a smooth soup. I must give a nod to my friend, Nan, who is an amazing cook and homemaker. She passed along the recipe for Taco Soup, which has become a staple around here in the cold months. We use ground beef, but chicken also works great.

The other great thing about these two soups? They can easily be multiplied to feed a crowd. Or you can make some rice to pour the Taco Soup over to make it stretch.

I'm a cheater when it comes to cornbread. When m y kids were little, and time was of the essence, Jiffy cornbread mixes were cheap (remember when they were 20 cents a box?), easy, and yummy. My family still prefers it. And with honey. It's kind of like having cake for dinner.

The soups have so many veggies in them, that they really are a stand-alone meal. But I always like to round out the table with a bread and a side, so a few fruits arranged on a plate work well for this meal. Plus it's a great job for a four-year-old. When there are kids around at meal prep time, it can be very stressful. They are hungry, thirsty, whiny. There's food everywhere, and they can't have it yet! So get them involved. Give them a task. Even if they make a mess or do it wrong, it's food, right? So it will be fine. Don't sweat the small stuff. I used to say, "As long as a washing machine or a bathtub can fix it, it's not really a problem."

Our current little lambs!