With wind chill values reaching as low as -20 and a northwest wind gusting as high as 23 mph, I’m looking forward to a warm fire and a hot bowl of soup tonight.  (After all, there has to be something to look forward to on a day like today!)

Thanks to our Souper Bowl promotion on TheFieldPosition, I even have a new Corn Potato Chowder recipe to try.  The real beauty of this recipe is that I have everything on hand, so I don’t even have to brave the elements for a quick trip to the grocery store.  Plus, meal prep is quick and easy.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

Soup is one of American’s favorite comfort foods.  According to the Campbell’s Soup Company, chicken noodle soup and tomato soup are two of the most popular soups in the U.S. today.

Although I enjoy making home-made chicken noodle soup and my kids enjoy dipping their toasted cheese sandwiches in tomato soup, I’m always willing to try something different.  If you’re looking for a new twist to soup night, keep on reading.

One of my good friends, Angie Lookingbill, recently shared her mother-in-law’s recipe for Creamy Tortellini Soup.  It sounds delicious and easy to make, which is always a plus in my book!  I’m looking forward to trying it this weekend.

What’s the most unusual recipe for soup in your book?

Just when you thought the holidays were over, there’s yet another cause for celebration… National Bean Day on January 6! Since our company has a 64-year tradition of producing only the highest quality soybeans, we can’t let this one go unnoticed.

Let’s enjoy this day and have a little fun with it. Why not start by sending the above image greeting to all your friends and family? I’m sure they’ll get a good laugh out of it and just maybe they’ll join you
for a bowl full of beans. 😉 All you have to do is simply right-click on the image and then select “Email picture.”

You can’t truly celebrate National Bean Day without eating any beans, so here are some recipes I was recently given for Black & Tan Soybean Chili and Cuban Black Bean Soup, courtesy of Iowa’s SoyFoods Council. (Don’t get tripped up by the ingredients because cans of black and tan soybeans are available at Hy-Vee food stores.) Both recipes actually give us another reason to celebrate as January is National Soup Month.

“Soybeans are a simple way to add protein and fiber to your diet,” says Linda Funk, executive director of the SoyFoods Council. “Soy protein is so healthy for you. It’s low in fat and has no cholesterol, so try adding it to some of your favorite recipes!”

What’s your favorite way to enjoy soybeans?

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Yields 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• ¼ cup diced green pepper
• ¼ cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced smoked ham
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15-oz.) cans black soybeans, not drained
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 pinches dried oregano
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In large saucepan over medium high heat, heat oil.
2. Add ham, onion, green pepper and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are almost tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook another minute.
4. Add all remaining ingredients.
5. Heat to boiling, then reduce to a simmer and cook 45 minutes.  (If soup gets too thick, add more water or broth as needed.) If desired, add 1 to 2 pounds of browned ground beef or ground turkey when adding soybeans to chili mixture.

As soon as we’ve washed the dishes and refrigerated the leftovers, my aunts, cousins and I will break out the Black Friday ads!  There will be newspapers from the two nearest trade centers, and we’ll swap sections until we’ve reviewed, analyzed and compared every price.  We’ll share what’s on our kids’ wish lists and drop hints about what we’d really like someone to buy for us.  Of course, we’ll have to decide the order of stores we’ll visit since they open at different times; it’s imperative that we strategically plan how to get to each store in time to get the best buys.

Another key to a productive shopping day is eating a high energy, power-packed breakfast.  High energy is practically synonymous with high protein, low sugar food.  Make use of left-over Thanksgiving dinner by cooking up an egg white omelet with turkey, cheese and mushrooms. (Omelets are super quick and easy, so you can get to the mall sooner!)  Another quick and easy idea is to top off a bowl of instant, high-fiber oatmeal with cranberries.  Complex carbohydrates like this provide your body with much needed morning fuel without causing rapid shifts in insulin levels like simple carbohydrates do, according to eHow’s “How to Eat a High Energy Breakfast.”

Honestly, I’ll probably eat breakfast on the run this Friday.  I’ll most likely grab a protein bar and a cup of vanilla-flavored coffee on my way out the door.  Then I’ll eat a handful of smoked almonds around 10 a.m. as I’m driving between stores.  Black Friday is all about optimization, Baby!

What tops your Black Friday shopping list?