I was cleaning out my refrigerator and freezer one day last week when I discovered several opened, half-consumed bags of frozen and assorted fresh vegetables that, if I didn’t consume them right away, would go to waste. So… I decided to throw everything into a pot and make soup, or as my husband called it, “Hobo Stew.” He said when he was a kid, one of his fondest memories was at summer rec camp when they would go on hikes, build a fire in the woods and everyone would bring a can of something to put into the pot.

This is a really fun activity to do with your kids because there is no measuring, just pure invention and concoction. You can’t make any mistakes and it is always delicious. For a base I used four 15 oz. cans of stewed tomatoes and 32 oz. of chicken stock (you can use beef, vegetable or water) then I mixed in the following.

• chopped spinach
• string beans
• lima beans
• squash
• chopped onions

I finished with some frozen tortellini (you could add beans or rice)  and topped off with some Italian seasoning.  I let simmer for a few hours, then served with some crusty bread. We enjoyed it for days. Yum.