Fabulous Army Life

Using my Virginia country ham, I made a Keto Ham soup that I've been enjoying all week. Ingredients 2 x Kettle and Fire - Bone Broth Chicken - 16.2 fl. oz. each 2 cups Broccoli, raw, chopped 2 cups Cauliflower, raw, chopped 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup diced country ham 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. black pepper Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, diced green onion, chopped bacon, hot sauce, pico de gallo, etc, Instructions In large stock pot, boil both containers of bone broth. Add chopped, raw broccoli and cauliflower. Cover pot and steam for 5 - 7 minutes until soft. Use hand-held blender to mix vegetables. Add cream and spices. Slowly add in shredded cheese, stirring to help melt evenly. Once soup is blended and smooth, add diced ham. Serve with desired toppings.

On our way out of town today, we decided to stop at a new shop to browse books and grab lunch. My helpful Yelpers recommended the sandwiches and the shop so I felt confident we would enjoy it. Did we ever. My eldest was in heaven, browsing books (to the ceiling!) and taking in the cozy atmosphere of the shop. The Café was a little slow (our boys had finished their grilled cheese sandwiches, ordered dessert pastries and had finished those before my husband and I received our food), but the food was excellent. I had a fancy version of a BLT (Peppered Bacon & Roasted Tomatoes on focaccia with avocado & jalapeno relish) with the aforementioned soup and both were very flavorful and filling. Impressive to both my boys was the Pokémon themed drink options (shown below) ... and we enjoyed a Drink Instinct together. Cute bookstore, great staff, wonderful environment, and delicious food ... we'll be back!

I am not a food blogger, but I love food and feed my family regularly so I figure I can get away with a favorite recipe or two.  =)  I only post recipes that my entire family loves ... and mostly just to remind myself how I made it so it can be made again. This soup is so tasty and filling and healthy ... and reminds me of my favorite minestrone soup at The Olive Garden. I just made this for the third time this month, y'all. It reheats beautifully and is my lunch option on most days. Here is what I used in this batch: The fabulous folks at Little Spice Jar posted a recipe that I [almost] followed.  Changes I made include removing the Parmesan rind, onion, and celery. I used more vegetable stock and no water. I used frozen vegetables and frozen spinach, and didn't include the pasta in the soup. Rather, I allowed the kids to "layer" pasta and soup and I enjoyed the soup sans pasta. Fewer carbs for me. =)  I also cooked it in a soup pot in under an hour although ...