Energizing Tuna and Turmeric Rice Balls: Perfect for Busy Days

Prepare Ahead, Enjoy Later: A Convenient Meal Option

This recipe is a great option for those who are always on-the-go and looking for a protein-packed lunch to stay energized throughout the day. Although it may require some effort and create a bit of a mess while preparing, the end result is definitely worth it. With its delicious taste and wholesome ingredients, this recipe is perfect for busy spring and summer days when you need a quick and healthy meal that will keep you fueled and satisfied.

Ingredients:

2 cups sticky rice

2 3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon turmeric

pinch salt and black pepper

2 cans tuna in water, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

spray olive oil

Tools:

Measuring cups and spoons 

Small pan with lid

Fine sieve or colander

Assorted dishes for shaping and dredging 

Plastic wrap

Ice cream scoop

Spoons

Fork

Can opener

Baking sheet

Aluminum foil

Start with the rice. Give it a quick rinse in the colander and transfer it to the pan. Measure in your turmeric, vinegar and water, and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Don't overdo it, as you'll muffle and mute the turmeric taste.

Cover the pan and bring the water up to a simmer. Let the rice simmer for five minutes or so, then turn off the heat. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Don't uncover the rice or remove the pan from the burner; keep the lid tight and the pan in place.

Find a little task to do to eat up a couple minutes. Maybe wash that colander from earlier, or go move a load of laundry or something. Collect all the things you'll need later in the recipe if you haven't done so already.

Once the timer is down to about five minutes left, preheat your oven to 425 and turn your attention to the fish.

Open the two tuna cans and drain out the water. Dump the tuna into a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, then stir with a fork to break up the big pieces and get everything evenly coated. Measure in your paprika, thyme, garlic and parmesan cheese and stir until incorporated.

Tear off a seven-or-so inch piece of plastic wrap and use it to line a small bowl. We're targeting something just the right size for a scoop of ice cream, but if you have to go a little bigger, that's fine too - just make sure you have enough plastic wrap that the sides of the bowl will help you hold it.

Once the rice has absorbed all the water, you can remove the lid and give it a stir. It should be tacky enough to stick to the spoon you stir with.

Using the ice cream scoop, take up a level scoop of rice and plop it into the center of the plastic wrap in the small bowl. Take a clean spoon and press down in the center of your scoop of rice, creating a hollow and smoothing some of the rice up the sides of the bowl. 

Grab a forkful of your tuna mixture and put it in the hollow. Don't overfill it. You want there to be plenty of rice up the sides of the bowl to cover the tuna - but if there's not, you can add a little bit from the pot to cover up the top.

Grab the edges of the plastic wrap, bring them toward the middle of the bowl, and twist gently to pull the rice ball closed. Let any excess air out, and then continue twisting until the rice is densely packed around the tuna. 

Un-twist the plastic gently, and drop the rice ball into a bowl of breadcrumbs. Roll it around a little to coat it, then transfer it to a foil lined baking sheet.

Repeat until you're out of rice. You should have 10-12 rice balls when you're done. You'll see nine pictured, but that's mostly due to space constraints - we worked with the toaster oven since it was an 80-degree afternoon, and only nine fit comfortably on the half-size pan.

Spray lightly with the olive oil spray, and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. We served ours with a little Tabasco sweet & spicy hot sauce.

This recipe is perfect for those busy weeks when you don't have time to cook every day. You can make a big batch and use it for lunches throughout the week, or even freeze it for later. Just remember to take it out the night before, and you'll have a delicious and healthy lunch with just a bit of reheating in the microwave. 

We've also been experimenting with different tuna options, and we think the recipe can be mixed up to include all sorts of flavors. If you have any ideas or want to share your favorite variations, please let us know in the comments on our Facebook page. We can't wait to hear from you!

Website
Office ((214) 599-0055) 

Additional Reading

Punchy Potato & Cheddar Rolls 

Spicy Lemon Pepper Shrimp

Impress Your Guests with This Easy-to-Make Apple Pecan French Toast Bake

Wondering How to Clean Your Appliances Sustainably? Eco-Friendly Methods Unveiled

Discover Effective and Environmentally Friendly Techniques for Keeping Your Appliances Spotless

Maintaining clean appliances is essential not only for the long life of your appliances but also for the well-being of your home. However, the conventional cleaning products often used can have a detrimental impact on both our appliances and the planet. In this guide, we'll explore the importance of adopting eco-friendly cleaning methods for your appliances and provide practical tips for incorporating natural alternatives into your cleaning routine. We’ll go room by room with you, looking at how best to clean your appliances and what to look out for while doing so. 

Kitchen:

Refrigerator:

Your refrigerator can get awfully messy. Things leak and drip between shelves. Containers get tipped over and food spills, and do you lose it behind other items. Your children sometimes decide to hide science experiments without telling you. And that is without considering food that's just gone off. All of that comes together and can make a horrible smell. So you need some ways that will really get it clean. 

To start with, no matter how tempting it is, don't take everything out of the refrigerator. Instead, go one shelf at a time starting at the bottom. Make sure to thoroughly dry each shelf before moving on to the next so that you don't leave the cleaning solution in place. 

What about particularly stubborn stains though? That is when our baking soda scrub comes in. Gunked on food, dried up spills, anything that's caked on there or particularly smelly, can be combated with baking soda. Grab your sponge and use it to give a good scrub to the interior of the refrigerator. (The baking soda works to neutralize the smells within your refrigerator through chemical reactions, which is why you're scrubbing with it instead of just leaving a box with a small corner opened.) 

All-Purpose Cleaner:

Recipe: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Use it to wipe down the interior and exterior surfaces of the refrigerator. Vinegar effectively eliminates odors and kills most bacteria.

Deodorize with Baking Soda:

Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and use it to scrub the interior of the refrigerator. Baking soda helps to absorb odors, leaving the refrigerator smelling fresh.

Stainless Steel Cleaner:

Recipe: Mix olive oil and white vinegar in a 2:1 ratio. Apply the mixture to a soft cloth and use it to buff stainless steel surfaces, leaving them clean and streak-free.

Dishwasher:

When it comes to your dishwasher there are two major issues that can be solved by cleaning. The first is smell from mold or mildew. The second is scale from minerals in your water. Fortunately, both are relatively easy to solve, using white vinegar and baking soda.

Lemon Fresh:

Recipe: Place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the top rack of the empty dishwasher. Run a hot water cycle with the dishwasher empty except for the container of vinegar. Then, sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and run another hot water cycle to remove stains and odors.

Eco-Friendly Descaler:

Recipe: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water. Use this solution to wipe down the interior of the dishwasher, paying special attention to the door seals and any nooks where grime can accumulate.

Oven:

If you've ever had something fall off on the cookie sheet or Pyrex dish, only to get stuck to the bottom or side of your oven and burned on you know how hard it is to get your oven clean. We've mentioned before how self-clean modes can be dangerous. Sometimes, though you don't have the option for a steam-cleaned oven, built-in. Fortunately, it's easy to set that up yourself.  

Baking Soda Scrub:

Recipe: Mix baking soda with a small amount of water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the interior of the oven, avoiding the heating elements. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then scrub and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Don't scrub too hard though as you don't want to scratch the coating of your oven. Before trying this method, research what type of coating you have.

Steam Cleaning:

Fill an oven-safe dish with water and add a few slices of lemon. Place it in the oven and bake at a high temperature for about 30 minutes. The steam will help to loosen food particles, making them easier to wipe away.

Microwave:

After your refrigerator, your microwave is usually the easiest, if most time consuming appliance to clean. Just like with the oven, we're going to use steam and vinegar to start working at any buildup.  The lemon water steam will help with loosening dried on food, but doing a vinegar steam after will ensure that the microwave is disinfected after. 

Lemon Steam Clean:

Recipe: Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and add a few lemon slices. Microwave on high for three minutes, then let it sit for five minutes. The steam will loosen dried-on food, making it easy to wipe away.

Vinegar All-Purpose Cleaner:

Recipe: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for two minutes. The vinegar steam will help to loosen food and deodorize the microwave.

Laundry Room:

Courtesy of Monfocus

Washing Machine:

There are many nooks and crannies where ick can build up in your washer. This means that anything you use needs to be safe to run through the whole system. 

Vinegar Wash:

Pour two cups of white vinegar into the washing machine and run a hot water cycle. Vinegar will help to eliminate mold, mildew, and soap scum buildup.

Baking Soda Scrub:

Mix baking soda with water to form a paste. Use this paste to scrub the rubber door seal and other areas prone to mold and mildew. Rinse with a damp cloth.

Dryer:

Lint Trap Cleaning:

If you feel that there's too much buildup in your trap, even after scraping everything out, there are ways to get it clean. Remove the lint trap and wash it with warm, soapy water. Use an old toothbrush to remove any stubborn lint residue. Rinse and dry thoroughly before replacing it.

Vinegar Fabric Softener:

Instead of chemical-laden fabric softeners, add a half-cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar naturally softens fabrics and helps to eliminate static cling.

Incorporating eco-friendly cleaning methods into your home maintenance routine not only promotes a healthier home but also reduces your carbon footprint. By opting for natural alternatives like white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon, you can effectively clean your appliances without harming the planet. Take the step to implement these green cleaning practices and enjoy the benefits of a clean, sustainable home. 

If you need assistance with appliance repair or maintenance, don't hesitate to reach out to us at Appliance Rescue Service. Our team of experts is here to help you keep your appliances running smoothly while preserving the planet for future generations. Let's work together towards a cleaner, greener world. 

Website
Office ((214) 599-0055)

Additional Reading

Don't Overlook Your Ice Maker: The Benefits of Regular Cleaning

Taking the Pain Out Of Melted Plastic
Why Is My Oven Smelling So Strange?

When Disaster Strikes: Your Action Plan for Appliance Emergencies

From Ovens to Dishwashers, Here's What to Do When Your Appliances Go Haywire

So, let’s assume that your appliance has given up the ghost in catastrophic fashion. What should you do while you wait for the repairman to show up? There are a lot of reasons that your appliances might go out catastrophically, we’ve talked about many of them at one point or another. But the how isn’t as important this week as “what should you do in the meantime?” Your first step should naturally be to call in a professional, but you have to deal with things in between when you call and when they get there to solve the problem.

Oven 

Just like with your dryer, your first step is to shut off the oven. Whether that is via the breaker or by turning it off from the display control is dependent on the situation. 

If you have a fire extinguisher, go ahead and use it now. A ruined dinner is much better than a ruined house. 

Once you've secured your immediate safety, you will definitely want to have a professional look it over. A fire is often a sign of a leaking gas line, sparking internal components, or damaged protective coatings or heating elements. While that is not always the cause it's also better to have a professional tell you that than  trying to definitively say on your own and finding out later that you were incorrect.  

In the meantime though, you can take the time to air out your kitchen, remove any dishes or food from your oven, but don't try to get to anything that might be stuck in the heating element. If that is where the source of the problem is, your technician of choice is going to want to see that.

Refrigerator and or Freezer

So your refrigerator or freezer decided that they just weren’t going to keep things cold? That’s rough. Sadly, your day is now on a timer, as you have about 8 hours before you start losing the food that’s in there. To avoid having food spoil, here’s a few steps to follow.

• Your first step is to prioritize. What has to be kept cold (milk, greens, meats), what can safely warm up (lunch for today? Bread? Fruits? Condiments?) and what you’ll have to throw out (yes you wanted to have those leftovers for lunch tomorrow, but space is at a premium sadly.) 

• If you have a separate freezer, transfer everything that needs to be kept frozen first. 

• Next if you have coolers or can get hold of some of those cheap foam ones, that’s an option for the rest of your cold goods. 

• Make sure that if you go with this route that you also purchase bags of ice to help maintain the temperature. 

• Once you’ve taken care of your food, you’ve got an important decision to start turning over. What’s your limit for a repair? What point do you consider “not worth it” when it comes to repairing versus purchasing a new refrigerator or freezer? While we will always suggest repairing if possible, we’re practical just like you. Sometimes the cost of repairing is too high, and that is what you need to consider while you wait. 

Clothes Washer 

All you wanted was to knock out that pile of laundry, and now your laundry room is flooding and it’s seeping into the room beyond. What are your next steps?

• Start by making sure that neither you nor your family are anywhere near the water. That needs to be your first step, to ensure no one is stepping into an electrified puddle of water.   While that might sound extreme, it’s better to ‘act as if’ when it comes to your safety and proceed forward after that. 

• Your washer has high-voltage components and getting shocked is not something on anyone’s to-do list. 

• Now that you know that no one living is in or near the water, time to find out if you can shut it off. See if you can find the plug and see if the water has hit the plug. If not, great! Go through the water, shut it off and unplug it. If yes, go to your breaker and shut off that fuse. 

• Now that you’re safe, grab whatever is in the washer and remove it to let the water inside dissipate easier and let your repairman get a better look.

• Your next step is cleaning up the water. Towels, mops, and wet/dry shop vacs are all options for getting all of them. What matters here is not allowing it to sit. 

• If it has soaked into your subfloor or you suspect that it has, see if you can pry up a corner of the tile, hardwood, or carpet to inspect things. If it’s sagging or spongey, it’s probably soaked and is going to need replacing, unfortunately. At that point, we’re as clueless as the next person, so we suggest calling a restoration company. 

• Make sure to clean and disinfect the entire area that was soaked, regardless of the sub-flooring. You don’t want to risk mold growing in this area, which is why getting things dried out is so important. 

Clothes Dryer 

Now, we did cover this in more depth in last week’s post, so we’ll just hit the high points and point you down to the ‘Additional Reading” section for the link. 

• If you can get to the plug or the breaker, turn off the dryer as soon as you smell burning or see smoke. 

• Provided you can see that this is definitely JUST smoke and not flame, try to get a good airflow through the room to get the smoke out of the room, but do NOT open the dryer itself. 

• Do not approach until the smoke stops coming from the machine or it stops smelling like something is burning. 

• Don’t start the dryer again. Leave the lint and vent trap alone as that is most likely where things started smoking or burning. 

• When you can remove your clothes, be careful. They may be signed, and spots like metal buttons could still be hot enough to burn.
  
  

Dishwasher 

Having your dishwasher flood is similar but not quite the same as having your washer flood and so the steps for it will be also similar but not the same. 

• Again, start by making sure that you, your family, and your pets are not in contact with the water.

• If possible unplug from your kitchen, if not possible go to your breaker and flip the switch for your dishwasher from there. 

• Carefully remove all of your dishes from the dish rack and place them into your sink. We can figure out washing or drying as needed once the mess is handled. 

• Check the bottom where the dishwasher normally drains to see if there's anything blocking the drain. We advise wearing gloves for this part both because slimy food is gross and because you don't know what could be causing the blockage. 

• While you wait to see if the water starts draining again go back up and reread our section regarding the clothes washer about damage to your subfloor, disinfecting and cleaning up the mess.

Is there anything that we missed? Either steps that you were requested to take or other tips you had suggested? Let us know on our Facebook page as always we enjoy hearing from you. 

As always, if you so choose, appliance rescue service is here for you. We service homes just like yours from addison, to mckinney, from Frisco to Carrollton,. And our top goal is and always will be getting your home running smoothly so that you can get back to doing what you do best. 

 You can reach out to us by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or by going to our website. We will work with you to set up an appointment that fits your schedule. 

Additional Reading

Dryer Fires  

37 Reasons To Have Your Appliances Maintained Regularly

How an Appliance Repair Call Works 

Don't Let Your Dryer Become a Fire Hazard

Discover the Top Causes and Solutions 

 Is your dryer a ticking time bomb in your home? While we often take our appliances for granted, the reality is that a dryer left unchecked can pose a serious fire hazard. From lint buildup to overloaded loads, there are numerous factors that can turn your laundry routine into a nightmare. In this article, we'll delve into the common causes of dryer fires and provide practical tips on how you can prevent them. Don't let your dryer become a fire risk – read on to safeguard your home and family.

What Can Cause Your Dryer To Catch Fire? 

There are many, many variables that can cause a dryer fire. Electrical components, high heat, a lack of maintenance, combustible materials, faults in the equipment, and even freak accidents. 

Dryer fires are not as uncommon though as we might wish. It's so easy for us to ignore small signs that end up with big impact.

Courtesy of Atomic Dragon

 One of the biggest causes of dryer fires is due to lint buildup. This can be around the dryer frame, in the ducting, or even in the lint catch. If you do any camping, you might see people suggesting this lint as a way to start campfires. That gives you an idea of just how flammable and dry this material is. It's the bits of fluff and debris from your clothes as the dryer tumbles them and then dried out over and over until all that's necessary is a spark.

Your dryer can also catch fire if it is being overloaded consistently. We're not saying that the one time that you need to go and overload it is going to be the instance when everything catches fire. But if you're doing it consistently, your dryer will begin to struggle and grind, and possibly spark.

A fire can also happen if your dryer cannot breathe properly. If you have it boxed in with stuff on all sides or you have it pressed up against the wall, then the vents get clogged and the heat has nowhere to go except inside the dryer. All too easily, that becomes clothing overheating or that lint that we mentioned, and things catch fire.

Clothes being soaked in chemicals or oils are also a source. If you've ever worked in a kitchen or a shop, you know that you constantly need hand towels. To wipe up spills, to dry your hands off, to clean something. Now imagine somebody's distracted, and they toss them into the dryer because you need these right now, and you don't have time to wash them. We all know it, but chemicals and oils do not belong in your dryer. They will combust due to the heat.

You can also have a fire occur if the outlet isn't properly matched to the dryer plug. If you are trying to run a dryer on a standard house plug it can cause the outlet to spark because the dryer is pulling too much electricity through it.

There are also things that simply should not go into your dryer. A good example would be sneakers. Anything that is made of foam, plastic, or rubber does not belong in your dryer. These things can easily melt and combust.

One thing we do want to point out, though is that many people will point to the type of dryer being an issue. Talking about how a gas dryer is more dangerous than an electric. In fact according to the National Fire Protection Association, 78% of dryer fires are electric dryers. So while we will not say that gas dryers are completely safe, we will say that you should do your own research and consideration.

How You Can Prevent A Dryer Fire

The short answer for fire prevention is; to do the opposite of everything we listed up top.

If you want the longer and more in-depth version though, let's break it down.

Always make sure to clean the lint filter and screens after every cycle. Then, once a week or so, you can run a wet cloth around the inside of the drum and pick up anything that hasn't made it through. This cuts off one of the biggest causes of dryer fires before it has a chance to accumulate .

Courtesy of Rick Harp

You should also hire a professional once a year to clean out the ducts and vents for your dryer. Although the filters catch most things, they don't catch everything. Some of that is going to go and get stuck in the ducting of the dryer, and it is as much a danger there as it is if it gets stuck inside the filter.

Don't put items made of foam, rubber, or plastic in your dryer. Yes, it might be faster to dry your sneakers in the dryer. But your dryer is not made for that. Yes we have covered dryers with specialized attachments to handle them. But that's the point, they are specialized features with that in mind to keep your dryer safe. Plastic is just straight out. 

Don't overload your dryer with wet clothing. Your dryer is not meant to handle as much weight as we all think. About 2/3 of the way full is as much as you should ever be doing. 1/2 is better. And yes, that does mean that you'll be doing more loads of laundry but it also means you'll be preserving your dryer for much longer.

Keep the area around your dryer free of clutter. Whether it's boxes, toys, cleaning materials, just don't. Give your dryer room to breathe and, more importantly, to cool off.

Handle chemical and oil stains with care. If you are working on your car or frying lots of food in the kitchen, always pre-treat your clothes and wash them as thoroughly as possible before you ever put them near your dryer. More importantly, make sure to double-check the stain before you put it into the dryer. If it's not out after the first run through the wash, nothing says it has to go in the dryer. You can absolutely put it back into the wash or take it into your bathroom to give it another soak or a scrub by hand, which sure it's not fun, but again, this is less about fun and more about preventing fires.

What To Do If Your Dryer Catches On Fire

Heaven forbid that you ever encounter a fire in your dryer or near the electrical outlet, or in the venting, this is what you should do.

First off, stay as calm as possible. You can handle this. Even if handling this is calling in the professionals

Switch off your dryer if you can, either at the power switch or at the breaker. 

Whatever you do, don't open the door to the dryer, as that's only going to feed oxygen to the flame. It will also release toxic gases into the air and your face.

Next up, grab your fire extinguisher, as we've mentioned in other posts you should ideally have one in your laundry room. An ABC fire extinguisher, is one that you can pull the pin, point at the base of the flames, and spray from side to side. Make sure that you get the back of the unit, if possible, as well.

Remove anything from near the dryer that could be an accelerant. 

If that's not possible, evacuate the room, close the door, and call your fire department. 

Extra Benefit Of Taking Care Of Your Dryer! 

If treated properly, a dryer is a wonderfully useful appliance to have in your home, and compared to other sources, a dryer fire is rather uncommon. So, by making sure that you take care of your dryer, your dryer can take care of you. The additional benefit of regularly maintaining your dryer is a reduced utility bill. When your dryer can breathe properly it can dry clothes faster, and that means that you get more laundry done using less electricity. It also means that your dryer lasts longer.

Ultimately, dryer fires are just as destructive as any other fire type in the home. The good news is that you can prevent them. Be cautious and take care of your dryer; not only does it keep your dryer running longer, but it also keeps your home safe. 

Don't wait for a disaster to strike. Schedule a yearly reminder to inspect your dryer's vents and ducts for any blockages. Additionally, educate yourself about the signs of dryer malfunction and take prompt action if you notice any irregularities. Your diligence could prevent a potential fire hazard in your home.

If your dryer is struggling despite following the maintenance tips we've suggested, give us a call. We will work with you to determine the issue and get your dryer running properly again. While we don't handle lint removal or duct cleaning, we can diagnose any electrical or mechanical issues that it might be having.

At Appliance Rescue Service our goal is to keep your home running smoothly. You can reach out to us via our website or by giving us a call ((214) 599-0055) and we will work with you to find a time and date that fits your needs to send our technicians your way. 

Additional Reading

What is the Most Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer?

Places to Avoid: The Paw Version! 

Cooking Up Comfort: The Perfect Recipe for Ham Bone Soup

 Crafting a Flavorful and Nourishing Dish from Kitchen Scraps

After Easter dinner, everybody who bought a bone-in ham is left looking at the bone, wondering what on Earth to do with it.

Some people offer it to the family dog. While the dog will undoubtedly be overjoyed, this is not a wise move; the bone has been cooked at least twice now and is in no condition for a canine companion to chew on. Please don't do this. Your dog will be sad in the short term, but s/he can have a little piece of ham and cheer right up.

Some people just shrug and toss it in the trash. In our opinion, too many people take this approach. Even if you've carved it clean, it's much too valuable to simply dispose of it. Instead, try making a ham bone soup.

Ingredients:

Obviously, the ham bone

whatever odd chunks of ham you have left lying about

30 cups water

1/2 pound carrots

1 onion

2 stalks celery

2 potatoes

1 bag frozen corn

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon hot sauce of choice

2 tablespoons tomato basil seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

Tools:

Seriously huge stock pot, with lid

Long-handled spoon

Sieve or slotted spoon

Knife

Vegetable peeler

Cutting board

Tongs

Measuring cups and spoons 

We started with a 23 pound whole bone in ham, so this recipe is written under the assumption you also have an egregiously large ham bone on hand. Feel free to pare it down as necessary if you bought a more manageable ham, say about 5-8 pounds. Also, knowing there was a soup to be made, we didn't exactly put a lot of effort into carving the ham off the bone. We wanted plenty of meat in the soup.

Take a big pot. No, not that one you use all the time. Go bigger. As big as you can without having to get a whole other camp burner or something outside.

Plop that ham bone in there, and toss in whatever odd pieces are left on the carving board or serving plate. There are always shreds and chunks and juices left, so just make sure no one scrapes the plate into the trash before you get going on this soup.

We added 30 cups of water (just a little shy of two gallons) and that about half covered the ham bone. Set the burner high enough to get the water at least simmering. Put the lid on the pot and get ready to wait. You'll have at least half an hour before the next step. We want the bone to sit and simmer for a while, and release all the flavor into the water.

We weren't in a hurry, so we got it up to a good boil, reduced to a simmer, covered the pot again and let it go for about six hours. This is not necessary, as you'll get loads of flavor in about a third of that. We just had the time, so we allowed it to cook forever.

However long you want to let the bone simmer, have a fine mesh sieve or big slotted spoon handy. The next step is filtering out the super fatty pieces.

Once you feel the bone has simmered long enough, remove it from the pot. We used tongs, but needed two sets to accomplish it (again, big ham bone, deep pot). Set the bone on a serving plate or big cutting board - whatever you have that can accommodate it. If there's still meat left on the bone, give it a tug with the tongs or shred it off with a fork. Set it aside to go back into the pot. Scoop or strain out the big chunks in the broth, discard the pieces that are all or mostly fatty, and set the good stuff on the plate or board. Once you've gotten out as much of the fat as you feel you need to, add the meat but not the bone back to the pot and stir.

Now we can season and add all the other good stuff. (You may see in the photos that we didn't do this straining and sorting step before adding veggies. This was an oops. Having eight million tiny pieces of vegetables really complicated the process.) 

We know you know this already, but please wash your produce!

When cutting vegetables, we save the onion for last and stick it in the fridge or freezer while we work on everything else. Cold onions stink less than warm onions, and some of us get exceptionally teary around onions.

We started with the carrots and cut them into rough chunks, then scraped the cutting board into the soup before moving on to the celery in much the same fashion. Chop it all to whatever size you prefer.

The carrots went in unpeeled, but the potatoes needed to be peeled in our opinion. This is entirely optional and at your discretion. But in our case, the potatoes were peeled and cubed and lobbed into the soup, then the whole bag of frozen corn followed. The beans can be rinsed and added to the soup pot here too. Give it all a stir to combine.

Last, the onion. Assuming you've tried the fridge/freezer trick, fish it out of the fridge, peel the outer layers, rough chop and add to the soup. We do this as quickly as possible because, well, tears. If you're one of the unaffected, cool, take your time. The rest of us: good luck.

Now we get to add seasonings. Fennel, sage, marjoram and paprika are absolute musts in our opinion. Hot sauce, tomato-basil and mustard are what we chose to round out the flavor. The fun part about making food is making creative edits. If you have something you prefer, go for it! 

Feel free to share ideas over on our Facebook page. 

One of the great things about this recipe is just how easily it can be portioned out and frozen for the future. You can choose to do this at the stage after separating out the fatty bits, or after cooking all the veggies. The first will give you a stock you can use as the base for other foods, while the latter will give you a quick meal you can heat up as needed.

What about in the event your freezer is broken or malfunctioning though? That’s when you come to us. Appliance Rescue Service is here to help get your home running smoothly, whether it’s a freezer that won’t stay cold or a stove that won’t stay hot. Our main goal is to get your home running smoothly again.
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Additional Reading

Want some other options for soups? Check out these options from our archive.

From Pantry to Pot: Wholesome Hunter's Stew for the Resourceful Cook

Ladle Love: Wholesome Potato Leek Soup Recipe

New England Clam Chowder To Keep You Warm