One cherished trick for heartily subduing the cold

It is February, in the middle of winter, and the largest snowstorm of the year is headed toward us. That means the weather is going to be really cold.

Major storms always come in with a strong low pressure cell followed by high pressure. Between the two, the wind gets bitter. No matter how hard the heater works, it still feels cold inside … especially when clouds precede the storm. How can you warm up?

And then the snow came!

At one time I lived in a north facing house in the center of the United States. During my first winter at this location, I learned if the driveway is not shoveled before the hard freeze which almost always occurs the next night, the undercoating of snow turns to impenetrable ice. The best way to avoid this problem is to shovel immediately.

But shoveling the snow is cold. Generally we have had a two car driveway, and occasionally the driveway was lengthy. I stayed out until the driveway was clear. I came in cold. How can you warm up?

Soup is the best way to warm up!

I have found by experience that the best way to warm up on a cold day is a warm bowl of soup. One of my favorite soups is Chicken Noodle Soup (possibly because it is the best recipe for a cold). I also enjoy a lot of other soups, and variety is always best.

I enjoy Chicken and Vegetable Soup, Chicken Dumpling Soup, Matzo Ball Soup, Italian Wedding Soup, Corn Chowder, Split Pea Soup, New England Clam Chowder, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Beef & Barley Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cream of (Mushroom, Chicken or Celery) Soup with rice, Zuppa Toscana, Seafood Bisque, Bouillabaisse, Tortellini Soup, Navy Bean and Ham Soup, Potato Soup, and Hot Dog Soup.

Hot Dog Soup??

Hot Dog Soup is one of our family favorites. This soup is warm, has taste, is adaptable according to preference, is extremely easy to make, very filling, quick to prepare, and is very, very inexpensive. This soup is a family favorite!

I first became acquainted with this soup when I was in graduate school. One one my friends on the hallway shared a secret ingredient that is the basis for this soup (shared in the recipe below). The friend shared that the basic ingredient could be combined with almost anything and water to make a great soup. I ate some, mostly with vegetables, and enjoyed the warmth.

I enjoyed this soup when I was in school, on cold days when I lived in Wyoming, and with family and friends. But there is a great story that goes with this soup, which is why it is my favorite soup, and why I am sharing the recipe.

When one of my daughters was young, two years old to be exact, she went through a period where she would not eat anything. Of course as young parents, we worried about how to entice our child to eat.

Of course we tried various things, like her favorite food, macaroni and cheese (who does not like that), ice cream and other sweets, but nothing worked. How do we get her to eat?

It happened that at this time our daughter was watching a movie called “Land Before Time,” and loved the character called “Little Foot.” “Little Foot” loved to eat Tree Stars. I didn’t know then, and still don’t know what those are, but the name and shape give a hint at what they must look like.

One of our incitements was to make soup with Hot Dogs. I could cut the Hot Dogs small so they would not get caught in her throat (and also skin them).

I also wanted to put healthy vegetables in the soup. We had a new food processor, and so I ran the various vegetables (carrots, celery, broccoli) through the machine using the slicer. When I looked at the sliced broccoli stalks, they looked like green stars!

Upon finishing the soup, I brought it out to our daughter and told her we were serving Tree Star Soup. She said, “NO!” because she didn’t believe it. I challenged her to look at the soup, and showed her a “Tree Star.” She could not believe it. I said she could eat just one tree star, and if she didn’t like it she did not need to eat anything else.

Of course she liked it, and ate the soup. And Hot Dog Soup with broccoli has been our favorite ever since.

The Famous Hot Dog Soup Recipe

So, now it is time for you to discover how to make this great soup, and then to try it out. I am sure you will like the soup as well as our family. Feel free to adapt (I will mention how) according to your preferences.

Begin with a large pot for water. Put at least two cups of water per person (and you can put more (because water is a calorie free substance) to stretch the amount. People will want to come back for seconds and thirds, so make plenty!! Put the water on to boil.

While the water is heating, I cut up the food. I enjoy diced or sliced food. This can be done in a food processor or with a knife (watch your fingers). The ingredients are: 1) a meat (any kind you like … of course we eat hot dogs, one fore every two people);

2) Vegetables (whatever kind you like, and plenty of vegetables, they are healthy). Sometimes we use frozen vegetables. Of course we use broccoli, but we also use green beans, carrots, cauliflower, poblano peppers, and other additions. Use your imagination. Put all this into the pot, and continue to bring to a boil.

The Secret Ingredient

The secret ingredient is Ramen. We buy it in a large box, sometimes for ten cents per package. A package of Ramen soup (noodles and seasoning package) will serve two people. (add one package for every 2 people)

I prepare the Ramen by smashing it with the palm of my hand (while in the cellophane). If you put Ramen noodles into a pot without smashing they are very long. Rather than struggling with long noodles, I smash them up before putting them in the pot.

Once water boils, it is time to put the Ramen and seasoning packet into the pot. Turn down to low, and look at the time. When the noodles go in, the soup will be ready in three minutes. (It can sit up to ten minutes upon completion).

Finally put in one raw egg for every two people. The eg can be broken and placed in a bowl early, and then placed in the soup, or broken into the hot soup. It is very important to immediately stir the soup to break up the egg (like egg drop soup) as soon as the egg hits the water. Stir so it is breaks up in the water. If the water is till boiling (not on low) the egg will cause it to boil over.

When serving the soup, we put parmigiana cheese on top. My daughter now uses Tabasco sauce on top. You can season it to your choices.

While you eat the soup, or as you wait for warmer weather to return, I would recommend downloading one of my books on Kindle to read. Spring: Connecting with God is a good book for the season. If you like travel or stories, download Israel: Stories for Your Journey. You can also take a look at a Psalmatic Haggadah or A Christian Passover in the Jewish Tradition or The Case of the Missing Body. if you re planning a Passover Seder

As you can tell, the recipe can be adapted however you like. Give it a try, it will warm you up!