Well, it’s definitely fall season here in Vancouver. The sky’s rain faucet has turned on and is continuously drenching us with its relentless precipitation. The colourful umbrella of leaves are desperately hanging on to their knobby tree branches with a hopeless determination of not falling off. There is a blanket of grey lining the skies beckoning us back indoors to…eat soup!

Soup, to me, is like an old friend whom you don’t see too often, but when you do, are left feeling warm and comforted. Soup is also a fantastic way to eat healthy, especially when it is filled with lots of veggies, grains and beans. Not to mention, if you serve soup with a hearty multigrain bread, you can have a satisfying meal.

Do you make your own soup? What is your favourite? Some popular soup recipes on the Recipes To The Rescue Blog are: tomato soup, black bean and squash soup, lentil bean kale curry soup…check them out if you’re feeling like making some soup this week!

And if you wish to bake a quick bread to go with your soup, try this recipe for Irish soda bread with raisins and caraway seeds...you won't be disappointed!

As we settle into our fall routines, it’s always a good idea to get a handle on meal planning. It really does simplify home cooking, makes meals interesting and eliminates the need to think about what to make for dinner all day long. Not only that, you can save on your grocery bills because you only buy what you know you will be using - no waste!"

Motivating Tips to Meal Planning

Start small and plan for a few days a week. Don’t forget to plan meals with the food you already have in your freezer or pantry. Be mindful not to get stressed out over the meal prep process, it should be enjoyable. Remember the “why”….you’re doing it to feed yourself and your family. If you don’t feel like cooking one night, ask someone else to cook, or make a quick and easy meal (we all have a few we can turn to in a pinch)…my go-to is a tuna melt with a green salad!  

If you need some motivation to meal plan, use a meal planner notepad. Check out our meal planners in the shop here.

That’s it for now! Enjoy the fall season thanks for reading the newsletter. I also want to send a big shout out to all the new subscribers. Welcome!

Happy soup slurping!

Irish Soda Bread with Caraway and Raisins

Makes 1 12-inch round loaf

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes, room temperature

1 cup Thompson raisins

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a heavy ovenproof 10 to 12-inch diameter skillet with 2 to 2 ½-inch tall sides.

In a large bowl, stir together the first five ingredients. Blend in butter by using fingertips and rubbing until coarse crumbs form. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Add to dough and stir with a wooden spoon until all is just mixed together. Dough will be sticky.

Transfer dough to the buttered skillet and smooth out the top, mounding it slightly in the centre.

Bake in oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, until tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.

 Cool, then serve.