To second Crunchy Chicken — broth is not hard. Literally, you just boil bones in a pot until it tastes like broth. That’s it. No recipe. No magic. No skill. I always throw in at least one onion and/or some garlic for flavor. Another favorite method of mine (in the summer when the farmer’s market is causing me to buy more veggies than I can reasonably consume) is to dig through the crisper drawer and make a veggie (or chicken and vegetable) broth out of whatever is getting limp — carrots are particularly tasty in chicken broth.

The advantages to making your own broth (beyond the obvious waste reduction) include economy (you’re making an extra meal out of stuff you would otherwise throw away) and the opportunity for experimental surprise delights. This fall I made the most awesome vegetable stock with leeks and parsnips — it was really tangy and wonderful and on a whim I thickened it into a cheese soup, which was really really good. Another advantage in winter is that boiling your stock pleasantly heats the home and makes it smell yummy.

My recipe source? Usually just tweaking the 1st edition Betty Crocker (the one in the orange binder).

Embrace your inner cook and reclaim why the call it a “stock pot!”

It’s actually super easy – I just tried it for the first time after Thanksgiving and I’m glad I did.

But all in due time…

I hated the smokey ham “flavoring” in canned soup as a kid too.

I’m impressed that you survived the 22-year-old beets. You must have a strong constitution.

Another great source for soups…an inexpensive little cookbook…”Soups and Stews” a Better Homes and Gardens Cooking for Today book. We’ve never fixed a recipe from it we didn’t enjoy. An I guarantee there is no plastic in any of them! : )

(I don’t like tomatos in borscht and most recipes use them. Plus, I also have a jar of beef bouillion to use up – when my parents sold their house my mom gave me a bunch of stuff from her pantry that we don’t normally eat.)

Thank you!