The date of this paper is Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2020. This is the day we honor the veterans of all the wars. It is a day not only honoring those who lost their lives, but also honoring the living veterans. .
Veteran’s Day had its beginnings at the end of World War I. This was known as the war to end all wars. It officially ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the German officials signed the Armistice, which was a temporary suspension of hostilities by the agreement of Germany and the Allies. In actual fact, the war officially ended on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. It has been known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world.
According to Wikipedia the commemoration of Armistice Day was recognized in the United States by a proclamation from President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, with the words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
An Act approved May 13, 1938, made November 11th of each year a legal holiday. This was a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be celebrated and known as “Armistice Day”. It was primarily set aside to honor veterans of World War I, however, in 1954, after World War II, and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans”. Then president Eisenhower signed this on June 1, 1954.
With cooler days and nights, our thoughts will soon be turning to soups and stews and how wonderful our house smells when these dishes are cooking. Some members of my family and I enjoy the 15-bean soup mixes you can buy as well as soup made from the big butter beans. One of the things that makes a pot of vegetable soup smell as good as it does is the addition of a couple of bay leaves added to the soup bones while they are cooking; of course you must remove them before serving the soup. Here are several of my favorite soups, hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I always do!
Grandma Erdelt’s Chicken Noodle Soup
1 cooking hen (can use large broiler/fryer)
2 or 3 ribs celery
1 medium onion, sliced or coarsely chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons salt (you can add more later if desired)
Water
Cut chicken into pieces or quarters and place in pot, cover with water, add celery, onions and salt; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until chicken is completely done. Remove the chicken from the broth and strain the broth. If you want to use this immediately, put the broth back in the pot and over medium flame, bring to a boil and add a package of noodles and cook until they are done. If you would rather, the broth can be placed in the fridge and used within a couple of days. This will allow the fat that will be on top of the broth to harden and you can remove it before using the broth. This broth also freezes really well. The cooked chicken can be removed from the bones and used for another purpose or it can be put back in the soup.
Potato Soup
3 or 4 large russet potatoes
Water
1 chopped onion
2 to 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup milk or half and half
Salt and pepper to your taste
1 cup (or more if desired) shredded cheese (optional)
Parsley for garnish if desired
Peel potatoes and cut into small pieces. Place in pot and barely cover with water; bring to a boil, turn heat to medium, cover and cook until potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the onion in the butter or margarine until tender; and set aside. Use your potato masher (bean masher?), and break up the potatoes without mashing them completely. Add the onions and milk, simmer gently until as thick as you want. (If it isn’t as thick as you want, you can add some instant mashed potatoes to help the thickening). Stir in the cheese until melted; garnish with parsley and serve.
Another one of our favorites is Cheese Soup, I didn’t even know there was such a thing, until a couple of friends invited me to go to lunch, especially for cheese soup. It was delicious, and it wasn’t very long until I was able to find a recipe to share with my readers!
Cheese Soup
¼ cup butter or margarine
½ cup finely chopped carrot (I like to use the shredded you can purchase and chop it finer, this works really well)
½ cup finely chopped or diced celery
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup flour
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups milk
1 pound shredded cheese (I like to use a mixture of cheddar, American and Velveeta)
Salt and pepper to taste if desired
1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Heat the butter or margarine and sauté the vegetables, until nearly done and the onion is transparent. Stir in the flour and cornstarch and cook, stirring until bubbly, gradually whisking in the broth and milk (they can be mixed together for easier handling). Cook and stir until smooth. Add the cheese, continue cooking until thick, add salt and pepper if necessary (do not boil). Spoon into bowls and garnish with parsley.