BEAN SOUP MIX IN A JAR RECIPE

***MIX AND POUR INTO JAR***
1/4 cup dried garbanzo beans
1/4 cup dried navy beans -- black beans or lima beans
1/4 cup dried red kidney beans -- soy beans or pinto beans
1/4 cup dried whole or split peas
3 tablespoons minced dried onion
2 tablespoons whole wheat berries
2 tablespoons pearl barley
2 tablespoons dried celery flakes
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dried basil -- crushed
1 bay leaf
Attach to the jar:
To make Bean Soup:
Combine contents of package with 7 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to
boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let
stand 1 hour. (Or soak bean mixture in the water overnight in a covered pan.) Do
not drain. Bring beans and liquid to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1-1/2
to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in one cup diced ham or 1 pound Italian
sausage which has been cooked, crumbled and drained. Remove bay leaf. Season to
taste with salt or seasoned salt.
Variation: Add one 16-oz. can tomatoes, cut up and undrained and one medium carrot,
chopped. Cover and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season to taste.
To give these soups as gifts, use canning jars for the mixes. Cut a piece of fabric
in a circle which is several inches larger than the jar lid and place the flat lid
on the jar . (Pinking shears make a nice edge.) Secure the fabric to the lid with a
rubber band or use the canning jar ring. Attach the directions to the jar with a
ribbon or raffia. These soups would be nice grouped in baskets with bread mixes for
a gift of a complete meal.

BEEF GRAVY MIX

1-1/3 cups instant nonfat milk powder
3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 teaspoons brown sauce for gravy
Combine milk powder, instant flour, bouillon granules, thyme, onion powder and
sage. Stir with a wire whisk to blend. Cut in butter or margarine until evenly
distributed. Drizzle brown sauce for gravy over mixture. Stir with wire whisk until
blended. Spoon into a 3-cup container with a tight-fitting lid. Label with date and
contents; store in the refrigerator. Use with in 4-6 weeks.