Soup for a crowd

During Lent, our church is meeting every Wednesday evening for a meal and small group discussions about spiritual disciplines. Since Bob is interning at the church, he took on the responsibility of preparing the meal each week. Fortunately, it is a simple meal of soup and bread, which makes preparing a meal for 40 people each week feasible. We've had fun finding different soups, and most of them have even tasted good!

I should mention that our discussions have also been delicious. :) We've covered Lectio Divina, prayer, fasting, and self-examination (confession) so far. I'm learning to appreciate this season of Lent more and more, and the emphasis on 'taking stock' of our faith and making a new start in some areas. I also appreciate more now the diversity in Christian traditions, and the valuable things that each tradition has to offer to the development of our faith. Praise the Lord that there are some Baptists, Anglicans, and even Presbyterians in God's body. :)

Here is on of the soups we did that we thought was interesting:

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground sirloin (or ground beef if you are cheap)
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 16 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can hominy
1 can creamed-style corn
1 can pinto beans w/ jalapenos
1 pckg taco mix
1 pckg. hidden valley ranch dressing mix
2 cans water

Brown meat, add onion and pepper. Add everything else, simmer for 1 hour.

Optional condiments to serve it with:
cheese
chives
cilantro
green onions

Serve with cornbread. Serves 8-10. Enjoy!