CABBAGE SOUP . . . and Part 2 of Mom’s letter from March 17, 1983

     

I have 14 squares done, the cross stitch, and 14 more to do but I will finish them this summer, I can do that when I am visiting.

        I have sewn the patch work quilt, the pieces I mean, the quilt next.  I sent Dad to town to get me the backing but he only brought me samples so next time he goes he will get me the cloth, it costs $4.95 a meter, but it’s a small quilt, Diana wants to hang it up.  

But I found the slip of what colors she wants after I made the top so if she don’t like it I will give it to the baby, it would be all right for small bed.

I sent the picture you sent me from school and told you sent the kerchief or rather bought it so she sent me a picture of her daughter and family to give it to you and they want a picture of you Bryan and your family. 

 She wrote to you a letter but only a small one thanking you but didn’t know whether you could read.  I did tell them that you don’t read Ukrainian.

 

       

 I am sending you the picture as it’s yours.  If you could send me a picture of yourselves I will send them but two pictures so I could send one to the other one, the one she sent you the blouse.  Oh by the way could you have worn it any time?  As for mine I only wore them to church twice.  I have wrong kind of skirt, I need a Ukrainian belt for it, otherwise it looks like a western skirt.

You can see the other half on this link: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2013/03/ballymaloe-coleslaw-and-mary-stadnyks.html

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            Bryan and I have come back from Charleston with wicked colds.   My eyes are burning which makes me think I’m also suffering from seasonal allergies.  The only thing I was interested in making was a hearty soup, and I found a good recipe for one that’s so big I had to use a canner instead of my stock pot.

BEEF and CABBAGE SOUP

        From Paula Peck’s Art of Good Cooking

3 pounds beef

10 cups vegetable stock or water

3 cloves garlic (or more if they’re small)

2 onions

Large can tomatoes (796 ml or 28 ounces)

4 pound cabbage

½ pound sauerkraut

½ tsp pepper

Salt to taste

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

Sour cream  (optional)

·        Chop onions and set aside.

·        Chop garlic.  Add to the onions.

·        Chop cabbage coarsely.  Remove core.  Set aside.

·        Blend tomatoes in food processor and set aside.

·        Put meat and stock in very large soup pot.  Bring to a boil and skim off foam.

·        Add onions, garlic, cabbage, tomatoes, sauerkraut, pepper, and 1 tsp salt (or more if you’re using water instead of vegetable broth).  Bring to a boil.

·        Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 1 hour.

·        Taste for salt and pepper.

·        Cover again and simmer for another hour.

·        Taste again for seasoning.

·        Stir ½ cup of soup into cornstarch.  Then stir back into soup.  Do not cover soup again.

·        Cut meat into bite-size pieces are return to soup.  (Save some of it for excellent beef sandwiches.)

·        Serve soup hot with a large dollop of sour cream.  (Also tastes great without sour cream.)

o   Serves 12 to 14.

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Did you know that there’s a Cabbage Soup Diet meant to help you lose 10 pounds in 7 days?  but it’s not Paula’s soup because it’s not made with beef and you can’t have any of the yummy sour cream in it.