XOXO

These past three months, John has done nearly all our shopping. I draw up a list, and he does his best to fill it, with random results. When I asked for ground beef for a cookout, he brought back an eight-pound box of frozen patties labelled, “75% lean.” I’d never even heard of such a thing. We grilled some, and the excess grease caused quite a blaze. If I use the rest, I’ll brown it in a pan and drain it, for something like this:

Hamburger Cabbage Soup

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

2 ribs celery, diced

1/2 cabbage, chopped

18 ounces canned tomatoes, diced

18 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

8 ounces beef stock

4 cups water

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cover and simmer about an hour. May also be made in a slow cooker on low for four hours.