Gettin Cold Need Comfort Foods Vegetable Soup & Newby Family

Well hello again to all my foodie friends out there in web land, I hope everything is well.  I've been really busy with being the TV host of the ASTV 95 '"Cooking With MadJon and Friends".  I have a ball cooking and making up recipes.  The last john I did was with my friend John Vaughn who is very talented in the music industry.  He composes his won music and its wonderful.  His working on a healing recording now.  I believe his just about finished with it.  Can't wait to hear it and buy it.  Any who I have also been out of town this month to the great state of Tennessee, that is where my father's family is from.  My dad was born in Spring City right a the month of the mountain called Newby Branch which is now a park named after my family.  It rest on top of the mountain.  They owned that from back in the early 20's or 30's I think.  Not sure of the times.  This winter my sister's and cousin Perry are going to take a trip up their and nose around.  Can't wait for that trip.  While we were in Spring City we visited my grandpa Newby's farm that they used to own and it is still owned by the same family that bought it years ago from my grandmother after my grandpa died.  She sold it for like 1600.00, I hate that she did that because it sits right at the feet of a mountain and its so pretty and peaceful.  They let us go up to the cemetery that sits on a hill and it has graves from the revolutionary and Civil wars in it.  It was so interesting to see the grave stones standing.  We also saw a pot and a copper coil for making White Lightening, I did take a picture of it before they came out to meet us.  Yes that is still made in them there hills.  While we were there the man said that he remembers the name Flora Mae on the deed so they are the family that bought the land from my grandma.  While we were there I learned about Hattie's store across from the railroad tracks and I saw the one room school house they the kids all went to bare feet and all.  I learned about a uncle called one-legged George who my dad was named after.  He road a horse and he and his brother lived on the land on the hill as well.  They said that he worked for the railroad and shot somebody and buried him on the land.  Not sure how true that is but from what I've heard he was a real mean man and always had a gun.  While we were at the family cemetery we ran into a lost cuzz of ours from the Thurman side of the family,.  Perry is named after his great grandfather.  It is one of the most beautiful places I've seen and we ate lunch at the cemetery.  Peaceful lunch anyway.  Its fun to go back and see how your parents and grandparents lived.  My sisters and I did walk away with some antique barbed wire from the fench with their permission of coarse.  Any who the reason we all went back home was to say good-bye to our cousin who died last week. Andra Newby,  RIP.   He was a nice man and left four kids.  So sad!  While we were home we stayed at Perry and Patsy Newby's house and shes a wonderful comfort food cook.  She made us Buttermilk Corn Bread, Pinto Beans, and greens from the garden.  Loved it all and ate it all.  Had to go get weighed at the Doctor on Monday when I got back and gained 2 1/2 pounds on just the few days we were there, I enjoyed it.  Any who let's give you my recipe for some homemade Vegetable Soup.

Vegetable Soup

1/2 Stick Butter
1 Onion, diced
4 gloves Garlic, diced
2 cartons Chicken Broth
2 tsp. Onion and Garlic powder
2 Bay Leafs
2 Chicken Bouillion Cubes
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Pototoes, peeled and diced
1 Large Bage of Mixed frozenVegetables
1/2 Head Shredded Cabbage
Dried Parsley
1 TBSP dried Basil
1 Large can Diced Tomatoes, 28 ozs.

Melt the butter in a pan for the soup.  Next add the onions and garlic.  Cook till the onions are clear in color.  Then add the broth, bouillions, spices and bring to a simmer.  Then add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, cabbage, and anything else that is listed, hehe like the tomatoes.  Simmer for about 45 minutes and serve with some of your own Buttermilk Corn Bread.

Hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as my family does.  Wish me luck I have two cast calls this weekend for Masterchef and Supermartet Show.  Please come and like my fan page on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CookingwithMadjon and go view my e-cookbook on itunes called MadJon Holiday and buy it to make some memories of your own.  Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again, Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.