Beef Veggie Skillet Soup and Puppy Love

Remember the Sweet Potato Skillet a few nights ago that was a disaster? I was worried about last night's dinner because it came from the same exact cookbook. I get the whole try, try again theory when something doesn't work, but I was cautious and even thought about changing to something different. As I looked at the recipe, parts of it just didn't seem to make sense to me. I questioned my instincts, but as I cooked, I decided to trust my instincts and change the recipe. I am VERY glad that I did. The recipe that follows contains my adapted version. I wanted something to go along side it - something to soak up all the liquid. I knew exactly the recipe, soft garlic knots, and it came from none other than Annie's Eats. I love Annie's blog. I could sit and read it for hours - I may have done that before. The rolls definitely did not disappoint and Annie's step by step directions were great. 

Now for the good cause behind this soup which by lucky coincidence was already planned.   Branny Boils Over is holding a Charity Souper Bowl that benefits the ASPCA. For every soup recipe that is entered, she will donate a dollar. And how could you look at this face...

and not do something that benefits animals? This is Duke. Duke is an English mastiff. We call him our Jamaica baby, because we were on our honeymoon when he was born. I have never had a dog before Duke - I figured I'd start out small...haha, right. Actually, it was a case of my husband missing dogs, us going to a local pet store to kill some time before a movie, and before we knew it we were seriously considering playing with one of them. We, or rather I, knew that if we went into the puppy play center, that it was done. We were going to own a dog. We never ended up seeing the movie that night. We had a new addition to the family to take care of. Having come from a family that only had fish, frogs, and a rabbit, I had no idea what was in store for me. The massive amounts of drool, the horribly loud snores, hours of training and buying several types of dog food because the spoiled thing will only eat dry food with wet food mixed in. I also didn't expect the loyalty, love, and protection that he provides. Here you go Duke, this one's for you, pal! 

Thank you, Branny for encouraging participation for this wonderful cause! 

Veggie Beef Skillet Soup

Ingredients

1 pound skillet steak

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 celery stalks, washed and chopped

3 carrots, washed, peeled, and chopped

1 chopped green pepper

2 cups beef broth

1 can whole tomatoes with juices

1/3 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup parsley

Directions

1.) Brown steak in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat. Set aside on plate. Add oil, chopped carrots, celery, and onions to skillet; stir and cook vegetables until soft and tender. 

2.) Add beef, broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in parsley before serving. 

Source: Adapted from Fix It Quick, One Dish, soft garlic knots from Annie's Eats