D is for Dates

This savory dish has a touch of sweetness from the dates tamed down by the tartness of vinegar.  It is not a beautiful dish but it is an amazingly delicious dish that is ready in less than an hour.

It's time for the letter "D" in the 2025 Alphabet Challenge......

Lemon Cream Pie #ImprovCookingChallenge

Bright, Fluffy and Delicious this Lemon Cream Pie just screams SPRING and you only need 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to have this ready and waiting in your refrigerator to enjoy after dinner.

It's time for the Improv Cooking Challenge......

South Australian Chardonnay with Pesto Bruschetta Chicken #WorldWineTravel

This dish reminds me of Spring for some reason.  It is a scrumptious dinner that combines all the flavors of Bruschetta and Pesto without the carbs from the baguette.  Of course, I paired mine with pasta but if you are watching your carbs it would be perfect with just a side salad and a glass of this crisp, amazing Punt Road Chard from South Australia.

The World Wine Travel group are sipping the White Wines of South Australia this month.......

Roasted Chilean Sea Bass One Skillet Dinner #FishFridayFoodies

This easy and delicious one skillet dinner is started on the stove and then finished in a hot oven.  This meals tastes indulgent and fancy but in reality is ready and on the table in less than half an hour.

The Fish Friday Foodies are roasting their fish/seafood today........

Pierogi Shepherd's Pie #BakingBloggers

This delicious one skillet dinner starts with ground beef  sauteed with onion and garlic, drenched in gravy with vegetables and topped with potato cheese pierogi before being finished off in the oven.  Delicious, easy, quick and convenient.  A perfect weeknight meal.

The Baking Bloggers are making dishes with ground and/or minced meats today.......

Sesame Ginger Noodles #FoodieExtravaganza

This amazingly easy and tasty dinner is perfect for those nights when you come home starving and have no idea what you are going to make.  You can use any vegetables that are available in your refrigerator and dinner is ready in less than half an hour.

The Festive Foodies are celebrating National Noodle Month........

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Paprika Oil #ImprovCookingChallenge

 This delicious and easy soup is a wonderful first course for your Holiday dinners.  The combination of cauliflower and pear is seasonal and delicious.  The paprika oil drizzle adds a splash of color and flavor.

We are making recipes with Cauliflower and Paprika for this month's Improv Cooking Challenge.....

Chicken in Lemon Cream #OurFamilyTable

Tender white meat chicken cutlets, dredged in seasoned flour, browned in butter and finished with a lemon cream sauce.

We are having Dairy for Dinner with our From the Dinner Table Group.......

Hawaiian Chicken in Foil #OurFamilyTable

Dinner doesn't get much easier than chicken breast slathered with Hawaiian flavors and grilled up in a packet with pineapple and red peppers.

The From Our Dinner Table group is sharing BBQ Foods today.  Come on in!!

Margherita Pizza in honor of Eleanor Oliphant

Simple but flavorful, this pizza is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

I was inspired to make this pizza after reading Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine........

Mom's Old Fashioned Split Pea Soup made in an Instant Pot #SoupSaturdaySwappers

I'm hosting our Soup Swappers group this month. As we approach the end of this first year of sharing soup and stew recipes, I have asked my friends to share a soup that holds special memories for them.

I thought it would be a good ending for this year as we get ready to start a New Year and the second year of this group.

The holidays are often bittersweet for many of us.  We are inundated with memories, both good and bad, happy and sad.  We reflect on all of our blessings and we renew our resolutions to change the things that bring us down and interfere with our living our lives to the fullest.

As I count my blessings, I am always sure to include the friends I have made in the blogging community and especially those who have supported me in this endeavor and in my Fish Friday Foodies blogging group.

Creating and administering a group such as these can be difficult and intimidating.  You never know if you will attract bloggers and readers with the topics you have chosen.  When I announced that I wanted to start this Soup Swapper community the response was immediate and overwhelming.  I just want my friends who helped me to make this successful to know how much I appreciate them.

Food is chock full of memories for most of us.  The smell or sight of a certain dish can create joy or sadness.  It can make our tummies rumble with anticipation or dread.  It is the first need that we recognize as infants and it creates an unbreakable bond with the person (normally Mom) who meets that need.

My Mom had 6 children and a husband that came home each evening requiring that their need to eat be met.  My parents were not poor nor were they rich.  My Mom learned to feed a large number of people with minimal expense.  This meant that we ate a lot of Soup and Stews.  I think this is why I love these dishes so much and why I decided to start this group.

My favorite soup that my Mom made was Split Pea with Ham.  Mom could feed us all for several nights with one ham.  We would have Roasted Ham with Sweet Potatoes and Baked Beans for dinner the first night.  Then we would have Scalloped Potatoes with Ham on the following night.  Then the ham bone would go into a pot in the morning and when we walked into the house after dinner the aroma of Split Pea or Bean Soup would have us drooling.

Now, I love bean soup too, but split pea was my very favorite. My Mom made her pea soup on the stove top.  I have always made mine in the slow cooker but I recently got an Instant Pot and have been having a blast with it.

When I chose this topic, I went into the freezer and pulled out a ham bone that I had been saving for soup.  It went into the Instant Pot along with the dried peas and the rest of the ingredients that I always use in my soup.  In less than 1 hour we were eating dinner.  Less than one hour folks....and it was homemade....not a can was opened!

Split Pea Soup in an Instant Pot

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, scraped and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. olive oil

1 lb. pkg split peas

1 meaty hambone

1 qt. chicken stock

2 c. water

pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

Set the Instant Pot to saute and pour in the olive oil.  When heated, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the pot.  Cook and stir until onion is translucent. Press the cancel button and add the peas and ham bone.  Pour in the chicken stock and water.  Season with cracked pepper and add the bay leaf.  

Place the lid onto the Instant Pot making sure the vent is closed.  Manually set to pressure and cook for 15 minutes.  Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.  Then use quick release of steam and when pressure valve is seated, carefully remove the lid.  

Remove the ham bone, cut off any meat still clinging to the bone and return to the pot.  Stir, add more chicken stock or water, if desired, to thin the soup if too thick. Print Recipe

More Memorable Soups

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