QUICK AS A WINK VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

WEEK TWENTY: RECIPES THAT WILL EVEN IMPRESS YOUR FUSS-BUDGET MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO HAS NEVER BEEN IMPRESSED WITH YOUR COOKING BEFORE.

Making homemade soup used to be the world's biggest chore. You would have to cook the meat, peel and chop up the vegetables and cook them for a long time to get them soft enough to chew and so on and so on. It all seemed so overwhelming that it was much easier just to open a can and let it go at that. Well, let not your heart be troubled; making a big pot of delicious homemade soup--enough to feed the whole family plus a few extras--just got as easy as falling off a log or a stove or whatever you happens to be around. Everyone has a favorite way of doing things and my favorite is to put everything in a pot. let it cook all by itself and then when all is said and done, have something wonderful to eat that took almost no effort on my part but can make me look like I slaved all day on it. This soup recipe meets this criteria like a charm and will stand up to even the fussiest fuss budget eater unless they have a huge aversion to beef or vegetables or barley or whatever. This is one recipe you will fall back on time and time again whenever you need something good that you can make in a hurry and that makes a lot. The trick is to have everything on hand that you need so that throwing it together is like magic--now don't see it, now you do! So let's get started:

1. First you will need a large pan of water, about two quarts will do it. Add 1 tsp of salt but that's all.
2. To this add 1/2 C. quick barley. Make sure it's the 'quick' kind. Otherwise it will take much longer to make and you'll be frustrated and unhappy and wish you had made something else for dinner.

3. Next add a 1 lb. package of frozen vegetables. My favorite is Bird's Eye mixed vegetables that has beans, corn, peas and carrots. To me this seems to be the perfect combination for soup.

4. Next add 1/2 C. dry onion flakes, 2 packages of Au Jus mix and 1 can of roast beef chunks. (Yes, you really can buy roast beef all cooked for you. It is the secret ingredient in this recipe and it works wonderfully well. This can is from Costco, but I'm sure you can buy it other places, as well.)

5. Now bring it all to a boil, then cover it and let it simmer long enough to cook the barley and the vegetables, about 10-15 minutes.

6. After everything has had a chance to cook, add 1/2 C. McCormick Brown Gravy Mix to thicken it up and make it taste good. If you want, you can also add 2 T. butter for flavor, but this is purely optional. There you have it! Now, wasn't that easy? And aren't you glad you tried it? Of course you are! Serves 6-8. Enjoy!