Black Bean, Ham, and Pumpkin Soup

I was digging through my cookbook...which is actually a huge binder, jam-stuffed with loose recipes (and some actually inserted into the binder).  It's a total mess (and here is a photo for you).  Anyway, I came across a recipe I made for the first Halloween party my husband and I hosted (in 2007--the year we met, aww, how sweet).  It is for Black Bean and Pumpkin soup...which might sound weird to you at first, but it was SO darn tasty...and it also looks really cool served at a Halloween party.  Although you an obviously serve it anytime.  It's a great, hearty soup for autumn.  It's also super-easy to make and so healthy for you.

Ingredients:
3 (15 oz) Cans Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 (16 oz) Can Diced Tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp.Minced Onion (or Chopped Onion, again, given my aversion, I go with minced)
3 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
3 1/2 - 4 Cups Beef Broth (Sodium-Free)
1 (15 oz.) Can Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Lb. Ham, Cut Up (You can use either slices and cut into 1-2" squares, or buy a hunk of ham and cut into 1" cubes--your choice)
3 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, use your immersion blender to puree 1/2 the beans and the tomatoes.  If you don't have an immersion blender (then go get one!), then you can just puree the beans/toms in your blender or food processor.

2.  Heat your crockpot to low heat.  Add in all of the ingredients, including the bean puree. (Aside: is it weird that EVERY time I say/write "all of the ingredients," I get all excited--given my blog title?  Ok, yes, it is weird, weirdly nerdy).
3.  Stir until well-combined, cover, and heat for 2-3 hours, or until hot and slightly thickened.

Serve immediately, topped with a dollop of sour cream (if you prefer), and Enjoy!

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

More autumnal recipes!  I'm all about fresh, local, and organic ingredients (as I'm sure you know by now) and just bought a bunch of apples and squash for making baby food.  And again, I had plenty of leftovers, so I decided to come up with another fall soup.  Like my Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup recipe, this recipe is pretty simple in terms of number of ingredients and directions.
I looked around at a few different websites, and found a few different recipes for squash and apple soup.  Inspiration came from recipes by Food Network's Ina Garten and Emeril Lagasse.
I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash, Halved Lengthwise, Seeds/pulp removed
2 Apples (Granny Smith, McIntosh are good, but I actually used Fuji)

2 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Minced Onion
1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Black Pepper
Sour Cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place squash halves, skin side up, in glass baking dish.  Pour water, so about 1" sits in dish.  Place in oven for 40-50 minutes, or until squash is tender.
2.   Meanwhile, peel and core apples.  Slice and place in stockpot with chicken stock.  Set aside.
3.  In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the minced garlic and onion.  Cook about 4-5 minutes.

3.  Add the onion and garlic mixture to the stockpot.  Bring to boil and stir for about 5-7 minutes, or until apples are tender.  Reduce heat to low.  Add in chili powder and black pepper.

4.  Remove squash from oven, flip squash over and scrape out the "meat."  Add all of the squash to the apple stockpot mixture.  Discard squash skins.
5.  Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the ingredients (you may need to work in batches).

Serve warm with a spoonful of sour cream in the middle.  Enjoy!

Freezer-Friendly:  You can also put this soup in dated/labeled freezer-bags and store in your freezer for up to 3 months.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

It's that time of year--soups and comfort foods.  Among those is definitely chicken noodle soup.  It has amazing healing powers (science still doesn't fully understand why) and if made right, is very healthy (mainly watch the sodium--SALT).  My little baby boy had his first cold last week, at 8 months (and one week) old.  While he napped, I decided to make some homemade chicken noodle soup for him.  Well, most of it was for Mom and Dad, but I blended a little bit of it for the little babe.
I started making my own homemade chicken noodle soup a few years ago and have tweaked my recipe a few times until I have decided what I have below is exactly what I want.  Hope you love it!

Ingredients:
Noodle Ingredients:

1/2 Cup All-Purpose (Unbleached Organic) Flour

1/2 Cup Whole-Wheat (Unbleached Organic) Flour
1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Egg

Soup Ingredients:

3-5 lb. Whole Chicken
12 Cups Water
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes or 2 tsp. Granulated Chicken Bouillon (sodium-free)
1/3 Cup. Chopped (or Minced) Onion
1 Tsp. Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Celery, chopped/sliced (about 4-5 stalks)
1 Cup Carrots, thinly sliced (about 4 medium carrots)
1 Batch Noodles (recipe below) or 2 Cup Egg Noodles (if you're feeling less ambitious)

Directions:

Noodle Directions:

1.  In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; combine well. 

2.  In another small bowl, beat together the water, oil, and egg.  Gradually combine the two to form dough.3.  On floured surface, knead dough until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for1 hour.
4.  On floured surface, roll dough out as thin as possible into rectangle. Cut dough into thirds, lengthwise. Stack three pieces on top of one another (should not stick--should have plenty of flour).  Cut into 1/4" slices. Separate noodles and set aside on a platter, baking sheet or counter top at room temperature for 1-2 hours to dry somewhat.

5.  Start making soup.

Soup Directions:
1.  In 5 quart Dutch oven or large stockpot, combine chicken and water. Bring to a boil. 
2.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface (I used a slotted spoon). 
3.  Add bouillon, onion, pepper and bay leaf. Cover again and simmer, for 40-55 minutes or until chicken is tender and started to come off the bone. 

4.  Remove chicken from broth and place onto cutting board.  Remove chicken from bones and cut chicken into bite size pieces.  Don't fret if a few pieces are pinkish and not quite done, the chicken is going back in the pot to cook longer (although my 4 lb bird was actually all done at 45 min). Skim fat from broth again. Return chicken to broth. 
5.  Stir in celery and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Remove bay leaf. 
6.  Bring to a boil again. Drop noodles into boiling soup. After soup returns to a boil, cook, uncovered for 7-10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Enjoy!


Feel free to add a bit of flour to the broth to thicken it up, if you like it that way.  Also, feel free to mix in some dried parsley to your broth.  I usually do, but was out at the time I posted the recipe. 

Freezer-friendly:  Just store in dated/labeled ziploc bags in your freezer for up to 3 months.  

Oh and here is a photo of the soup pureed for my son, because I know you were curious to see what that looked like too. 

And here's a big bowl of the goodness...for adults.

Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

So lately I've been making a lot of baby food and spending less time being innovative in the kitchen for the adult meals.  Last week, I was making some plums, carrots, and sweet potatoes for Maxwell to eat and had more than enough potatoes and carrots left over.  Thus, I decided to make a Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup for an adult dinner!  You can follow either set of instructions (pureeing carrots and potatoes first, or later on).
Very healthy meal, loaded with beta-carotene, vitamins A, B6, K, C and dietary fiber.

Ingredients:
1 lb Fresh Carrots (peeled, cut into roughly 1" pieces) (Organic, preferably)
2 Sweet Potatoes/Yams (Organic, preferably)
2 Tbsp. Butter (again, Organic, you get it, I know...)
1/4 Cup Minced Onion (or Chopped Fresh Onion)
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
4 Cups Water
1 Bouillon Cube (Vegetable or Chicken) (or 2 tsp. Granulated Bouillon)
Sea Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1" cubes (roughly, precision not needed).
2.  Cook butter, onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes in a large stockpot over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.  Pour in the wine and cook 2-3 minutes, or until it is reduced about 50%.
3.  Add water and bouillon and bring to a boil (turn heat to medium-high).
4.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are tender.
5.  Remove from heat and puree. You can do this with a regular blender, immersion blender, Baby Bullet in my case (it was a great gift!), or whatever (even a masher).  I actually use my immersion blender A LOT too. You will have to blend in batches, most likely.
Now skip to the bottom....

Alternative Directions (Puree first):
(if for some reason you want pureed carrots or sweet potatoes alone for another dish/baby food)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Take peeled, cut up carrots and put in saucepan with 2 cups water.  Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender and break easily with a fork.
3.  Meanwhile, poke sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times.  Then wrap sweet potatoes in foil and bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes (depends on size of potatoes), or until potatoes are tender.
4.  Puree the carrots however you want.  You can do this with a regular blender, immersion blender, Baby Bullet in my case (it was a great gift!), or whatever (even a masher).  I actually use my immersion blender A LOT too.
5.  Using a fork, scrape off the skins of the semi-cooled sweet potatoes.  Puree them with your preferred device and remaining 2 cups water.
6.  Cook butter, onion, and garlic in a large stockpot over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  Pour in the wine and cook 2-3 minutes, or until it is reduced about 50%.
7.  Add in carrot and potato purees and bouillon.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring well.
8.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Feel free to vary it by stirring in different herbs (thyme or basil or ginger) and/or adding some light cream to it.  Top with croutons.  Season with the sea salt and black pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Potato, Leek & Ham Soup

More soup!  I also decided to make a delicious potato, leek, and ham soup, filled with flavor from some ham and turkey bacon.  There is something comforting (and obviously, warm) about a nice, big bowl of soup.  This is a great recipe to make (and freeze if you'd like) when you have a lot of extra potatoes (which I do, since buying 5-10 lb bags is often much cheaper than buying potatoes individually) you need to use up.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 3-4 oz (6-7 strips) Turkey Bacon 
• 3 Leeks (green portions removed, chop the white and light green parts)
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 8 oz Cooked, Boneless Ham, diced (I love Hormel's Natural Choice, because it's nitrate-free)
• 5 Cups Chicken Broth (sodium-free)
• 2 lbs Russet Potatoes, diced (about 6-8 medium-sized potatoes)
• 1 tsp. Thyme
• 1 tsp. Marjoram
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Milk (or cream or half-and-half for the more indulgent)
• For Topping the Soup:  Chives/Green Onions and Monterrey-Jack shredded cheese

Directions:
1.  In Dutch Oven, or large stockpot, melt the butter and add the turkey bacon.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until bacon is cooked.
2.  Stir in chopped leeks and cook another 5-6 minutes, or until leeks are soft.
3.  Pour in the wine and bring to a gentle boil.
4.  Add in the ham, chicken broth, potatoes, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil for a few minutes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are quite soft.
5.  Remove soup from heat and working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender (I used a blender).  If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot (I don't).
6.  Stir in the milk.  Serve immediately.  Top with chives and a little Monterrey-Jack cheese.

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.
To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

A cold, icy day calls for soup-making!  I've actually never made split-pea soup before today, so this recipe is a new one I'm trying out (and of course I taste sampled before posting--it's awesome).  It's a modification of one from Better Homes and Gardens, one from Martha Stewart, and one from my father-in-law, Daryl.  I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 5-6 Medium Carrots, Chopped (about 2 Cups)
• 5-6 Stalks Celery, Chopped (about 2 Cups)
• 1/3 Cup Dried Minced Onion
• 4 Cups Water
• 4 Cups Chicken Broth (no-sodium)
• 1 lb Cooked Boneless Ham (I love Hormel's Natural Choice because it is nitrate-free!)
• 1 16-oz Bag Dry Split Peas, Rinsed and Drained
• 2 tsp. Dried Thyme
• 2 tsp. Dried Marjoram
• 2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Directions:
1.  In a large Dutch oven, or large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, and onion.  Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
2.  Add water, broth, ham, and split peas.  Bring to a boil for a few minutes.  Stir in thyme, marjoram, and black pepper.
3.  Reduce heat to medium-low, Cover, and Cook for about 40-50 minutes, or until peas are soft.

Serve and Enjoy!  Season with a little sea salt and black pepper if you desire and eat with some wheat saltine crackers.  Yum.

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.  

Creamy Tomato Soup with Crusty Cheese Bread

One tradition I kept from my family was sering some sort of soup on Christmas Eve.  There is something heart-warming and cozy about a big bowl of soup.  This year, I made a Creamy Tomato Soup served with Crusty Cheese Bread.  I took a shortcut and bought the bread (a Ciabatta loaf from the grocery store).  Aaron told me it was one of the best soups he's ever tasted, so this will become a regular recipe in our household (and it is SO easy)!

Soup Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Can (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes or 2 Large Chopped Tomatoes

2 Cups Chicken Broth (Sodium-Free)

2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil (or 2 tsp. Dried Basil)
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Light Cream

Bread Ingredients:
1/2 of a Ciabatta Loaf, cut into 1" slices
Olive Oil
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese (I used Mexi-Blend, but could use Cheddar, Swiss, or whatever you'd like)

Directions:

1.  Preheat Oven to 325 degrees.
2.  Over medium heat, in large saucepan, combine butter, minced garlic, tomatoes, and broth.  Once soup begins to bowl, turn heat to low.
3.  Over low heat, stir in basil, pepper, and light cream.  Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.  Meanwhile, place bread slices on a baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle olive oil over each slice.  Top with garlic powder and shredded cheese.
5.  Bake bread slices for 7-9 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Serve a bread slice with a bowl of soup immediately and Enjoy!!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

White Chicken Chili

Chili day calls for another version of chili!  This time I'm making it with chicken and white beans, and adding some green chilies, for a yummy White Chicken Chili.  Cuddle up and stay warm with a bowl of this!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Minced Onion
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped (or 3 tsp. Minced Garlic)
1 Can (4 oz) Chopped Green Chillies
3 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Chili Powder
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 lb. Cooked Chicken Breast, chopped or shredded (I shredded)
2 Cans White Beans (I used Northern, but can use Cannellini or Navy)
1 Cup Monterey Jack (or any White Cheese)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large saucepan (or stockpot) over medium heat.  Add in onion and stir for a couple minutes. 
2. Add in the garlic, green chillies, cumin, oregano, and chili powder.  Stir another 2 minutes.
3. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken, beans, and cheese.  Turn heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occassionally. 

Enjoy!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Mexi-Turkey Chili

I like to make chili a few times in the fall and winter, and have a few variations I like to do.  This one is one of our favorite versions--I use healthier ground turkey instead of beef and add in some Mexi-flavors with the black beans and corn.  It's filling and delicious and even better, it can be a great weekday meal.  You can brown the turkey the night before, then put everything in the crock pot/slow cooker before you leave the next AM and it'll be ready for you by evening!


Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil (or use cooking spray)

1 Pound Lean Ground Turkey

1/4 Cup minced Onion (or use regular onion)

1 (10.75 ounce) Can Low-Sodium Tomato Soup

1 (14.5 ounce) Can No-Sodium Diced Tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) Can Tomato Sauce

1 (15 ounce) Can filled with water

2 (15 ounce) Cans kidney beans, drained (I used one light kidney and one dark kidney can)

1 (15 ounce) Can Black Beans, drained

12 oz Frozen Yellow Corn (I have substituted with white corn before)

2 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin

3 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil (or cooking spray) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place turkey and minced onion in the skillet; cook until evenly brown; drain.

2. Coat the inside of a slow cooker/crock pot with cooking spray, and combine the turkey with all of the other ingredients (tomato soup, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce,  water kidney beans, black beans, and corn).  Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper.  Stir well to mix.

3. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.

4. Serve hot with cheddar cheese or jack-cheddar and crackers or tortilla chips.

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Info Per Serving:

Approx 8 servings; 280 calories per serving; 8.7 g of fat (1.9 g sat fat); 42 mg cholesterol; 680 mg sodium; 32.9 g total carbs; 21.1 g protein;

21% Vit A; 43% Vit C; 9% Calcium; 43% Iron; 48% Niacin; 20% Vit B6; 24% Magnesium; 54% Folate

Love-Yourself Lentil Soup

Hearty soups, without hearty calories.  This quick-and-easy lentil soup is tasty and extremely healthy, with a variety of veggies and fiber, iron, folate, Vitamin B1, protein and potassium-rich lentils.  Health magazine named lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.  This is my first official recipe with lentils, so be prepared to get some more featuring this wonder-food!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 4 Medium Carrots, Sliced
• 2 Tbsp. Minced Onion
• 1 1/2 cups Dried Lentils
• 3 Stalks Celery, Diced
• 2 Potatoes, Diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 5 Cups Chicken or Vegetable (sodium-free) Broth
• 1 Tomato, Diced
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Put olive oil in Dutch Oven (or large stockpot) over medium-high heat.  Once heated, add onion and carrots.  Stir for 3-5 minutes.
2.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
3.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40-50 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

Season with sea salt and black pepper and serve with crackers or crusty bread.  Enjoy!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Turkey Tortellini Soup

SOUP TIME!  Now this is a season-appropriate meal for chilly fall.  This soup has a good amount of vegetables, is lower in sodium than any soup you'll buy in a store (yikes, holy hypertension) and tastes so good.  I made a huge batch of it and we had leftovers whenever we wanted a quick warm cup of soup.

Ingredients:
1 Lb. lean ground turkey breast
3 Tsp. Italian Seasoning (or combine parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder)
2 Cans (sodium-free, or extra low sodium) Tomato Soup (+1 can water)
4 Cups (sodium-free) chicken or vegetable broth
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (no sodium-added)
1 Cup Diced Carrots
1 Cup  Diced Celery
1 Cup Chopped Green Beans (or cut-leaf spinach)

1 Large Pkg cheese-filled tri-color tortellini (20 ounce package I believe)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Season your thawed turkey breast with the Italian seasoning.  Shape into 3/4"-1" balls and place on lined baking sheet.  Place turkey meatballs in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned with no pink inside.  Meanwhile...

2. Turn stovetop to medium heat.  Combine broth and tomato soup in a stockpot.
3.  Add in your tomatoes, diced carrots and celery, and chopped green beans.  Cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4.  Add in the tortellini pasta and continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
5.  Place cooked turkey meatballs in the stockpot and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with a crusty loaf of Italian bread and enjoy!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.