How is everyone doing? Being cooped up at home because of this Coronavirus could be difficult for some people. We are homebodies and have been trying to keep busy. It hasn’t been that bad, but we are only on day 7 of self quarantine. Who knows how long this will last. Maybe months.
We’ve slowed down quite a bit. I’ve been organizing rooms, shelves and drawers, homeschooling and making breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. My day actually flies by. I try to distract myself from watching the news. It’s difficult but it helps to get stuff done and ease anxiety.
Related: Cream of Poblano and Corn Soup
We planted tomatoes and used the compost we’ve been working on since October. Joaquin has been catching up with his Spanish using Dualingo and practicing during calls with my mom who still lives in Texas. Homeschooling has kept him busy, but this week will be spring break so we need to come up with more fun activities to pass the time with him.
Working on my upcoming cookbooks has been difficult. It’s been extremely hard to focus and find ingredients at the grocery stores. We’ve been trying to restock our groceries for home and recipe testing every two weeks, but seeing the empty shelves is discouraging. All I want to do is get my groceries, pay and quickly get out.
But one thing for sure is that I am grateful for this time. We’ve accomplished so much this past week. We can pass this time in the comfort of our own couch. Still learning, still working, still creating, still eating three meals a day and just being home.
I’ve been making quite a few soups lately. Using up our produce and building up our immune system. I made vegetable soup but instead of using rice or pasta, I used just a cup of oats. It was delicious and so comforting.
If you are out of rice or pasta, give another grain a try. Oats are not just for cookies or oatmeal. It’s a great variation to any brothy soups. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Stay happy and healthy!
Vegetable Soup with Oats
Make a comforting bowl of vegetable soup with rolled oats. It’s delicious on a cold day.
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/3 cup white onion, chopped
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1 lage red bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon (or salt to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium carrots, chopped
8 cups boiling water
Salt to taste
Instructions
Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oats and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes; stirring frequently. Let cool. Place in a mesh colander and shake to remove any dust or small particles. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat in a 5 quart pot. Add celery, onion, tomato and bell pepper; stir. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until tomatoes begin to release their juice. Add bouillon and black pepper; stir. Add oats and carrots; stir. Add boiling water, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Salt to taste. Serve.
