Soup Day!

I was a poor single parent for most of my kids growing up years so we had to find inexpensive entertainment. We spent most of our time at Poppy and Rene's camp. The camp started out with no electric or running water and I think we liked it better then but it was easier with an inside bathroom and hot water. We were really not related but they meant the world to all of us and we loved the camp.

One of our favorite camp traditions was soup day in September. Poppy would build a big fire, in the brick fireplace he and I built, and let it burn down . We put big kettles on and made vegetable soup. My daughter talked them into chicken noodle after a couple years because she didn't like vegetable. We would cut up all fresh veggies and have a great time doing it. One year a daughter-in-law brought frozen and my kids had a fit! In the afternoon 20 or so people sat down to fresh bread, crackers and soup cooked on an open fire (thus my daughters comment about soup tasting better when cooked on an open fire). The camp is gone now and so are Poppy and Rene but we have enough great memories of them to last us all a life time! My daughter and I also each have a camp soup kettle that we plant flowers in every year.

I don't really have a written recipe for my soup but this is what I do.

8am: Put soup bone in large kettle, cover with water and 1 lg. can diced tomatoes. Add one onion and salt & pepper. Cook on Med. heat until lunch time.

Add: 2 medium size potatoes(cubed)

2 carrots(sliced)

1 can corn

2 handfuls of barley

Cook at a slow boil until veggies and barley are tender.

Remove bone during afternoon break and cut off whatever meat is on the bone to add to soup.

Keep on low heat until supper time. We like to sprinkle grated cheese on ours.

Enjoy!