Santa Fe Soup

As I watch the snow fall outside, I know some warm soup would be a great choice for dinner. I have heard great comments about Susan DiFatta's Santa Fe Soup and I think I will give it a try. Has anyone make this and what do you think? It is on page 61.

2 lbs. ground turkey or beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (.5-oz) pkg. Ranch-style dressing mix
2 (1 1/4 oz.) pkg taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz.) can black beans, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained
2 (16 oz.) can tomato wedges or diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (16 oz.) cans white corn, undrained
2 c. water
Tortilla chips
Garnish: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions

Cook meat and onion together until meat is browned. Drain off fat. Stir Ranch-style dressing mix and taco seasoning mix into meat. Add remaining ingredients with juices from all (black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes with chilies, tomato wedges and corn). Add water. Simmer for 2 hours. If mixture is too thick, add additional water. Garnish each serving with sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese and sliced green onions if desired. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 4 quarts.

Herald Article

We're so excited that Circle of Faith was featured in an article in today's Madison County Herald. Check it out by clicking here.

We'd like to say a special thank-you to the Herald for helping us spread the word about our cookbook!

Cookbook Feedback

Since we started selling cookbooks back in August, we've gotten lots of positive feedback. Here's one such story we thought we'd share with you: St. Matthew's member Jan Halford and her 13-year-old daughter Carolyn have used the Circle of Faith cookbook as a way to spend quality time together. Carolyn, like most teenagers, has a very busy schedule, which makes it hard for mom and daughter to find time for each other. But now, they set aside a special time each week to test recipes from the cookbook, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Do you have a similar story of how the cookbook has touched you? If so, we'd love to hear it! Please share your thoughts with us here on this blog.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

We hope you're getting geared up for Thanksgiving. Here's a quick, easy recipe for a traditional side dish you're sure to enjoy.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Submitted by Sharron Heard

6 c. cooked sweet potatoes

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. butter, melted

4 eggs, beaten

2 T. vanilla

Cinnamon to taste

Topping:

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. pecans, chopped

2/3 c. flour

2/3 c. margarine

Mix mashed potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon in a large casserole. Mix brown sugar, pecans, flour and margarine. Spread over top of potato mixture and bake for 30 minutes at 350º.

FRESH CRANBERRY SALAD

Now that we've given you a little insight into how and why the cookbook came about, we want to start sharing some of our favorite recipes with you. Try out the recipes we post, and let us know what you think: Did you like the recipe? Did you make any substitutions? Will you make it again? Any suggestions?

The first recipe we've selected is one that will be perfect for your Thanksgiving meal: Nora Roberts' Fresh Cranberry Salad, on page 32 of the cookbook. It's very simple to make and is delicious. The color of the salad will be a nice addition to your turkey and dressing, and the different fruits/nuts and celery combine well.

Fresh Cranberry Salad

Submitted by Nora Roberts

2 sm. boxes any red Jello

2 c. boiling water

1 c. sugar

1 lb. fresh cranberries

1 lg. seedless orange

1 c. chopped nuts

1 c. diced celery

1 c. chopped apples

In blender, blend orange (peel and all) and cranberries. Pour blended orange and cranberries into a bowl and add nuts, celery and apples. Dissolve Jello and sugar in 2 cups boiling water. Mix Jello into the fruit and nut mixture. Pour into a mold or long Pyrex dish. Chill until set.

We hope you enjoy!

Hart Hall Renovation

As we mentioned in a previous post, the proceeds from Circle of Faith are being used toward retiring the debt from the recent renovation of Hart Hall. For those of you who are not familiar with our church, Hart Hall is our multipurpose facility and the place where so many of our ministries take place. In its 20-year life, Hart Hall had not seen any facility improvements until the renovation project last fall.

Just to give you a little history: In September 2008, the church borrowed almost $300,000 and began the four-month-long renovation project. Some of the improvements made include a brand-new stage; retractable walls and basketball goals; rubberized flooring; acoustic-friendly walls; and an integrated, dual-screen audiovisual system.

Now Hart Hall is a state-of-the-art facility that can easily handle large functions and multiple functions simultaneously, allowing us to expand our ministries.

When St. Matthew’s took on this renovation project, one of our goals as a church was to be able to pay off the debt within a year’s time. The idea was that various ministries would have fun raising funds, so ‘FUN-raising’ is the term we’ve been using to describe the campaign.

So that's why the ladies from UMW took on this project, and we've had lots of fun in the process!

Cookbook Committee

We'd like to say a special thanks to our amazing cookbook committee who spent tireless hours of hard work making this cookbook a reality. Pictured are team members (from left, back) Walterine McKay, Karreen DeWeese, Gloria Weathers, Micki Barnhill and Agnes Baker; (front) Tim Rigby. Not pictured: Nina Hart and Becky Roberson.