What's cooking?

I'm the daughter of a "Meat and Potatoes" father. One thing Dad always did enjoy, though, was a good soup. With Mom in the kitchen trying to stretch the family food budget, the last bits of a big hunka meat and assorted leftovers were often the start of another meal: soup.

I married a "Meat and Potatoes" man, too. Although Hubby was never as bad about it as Dad one thing he can't stand — with the sole exception my chicken noodle — is soup. And yesterday, I had to have some. Not that I knew that until I opened the refrigerator door and saw all the leftovers.

There was plenty in there for Hubby to heat and eat for dinner, plus in various plastic containers a few other odds and ends from other meals that clicked: a small wedge of raw cabbage, stewed tomatoes, sliced onion and already-cooked spaghetti noodles.

I reached for one of the cookbooks I have for guidance, this one from decades ago when they were included in with the purchase of a microwave oven, rummaged around in the cabinet for a few other items and fixed a pot of Minestrone. In the microwave.

Microwave Minestrone
Please note that the quantities shown on items marked (L) are guestimates.

(1) Microwave-safe dish (with a glass lid) big enough to hold:

(3) Tablespoons of margarine, softened.

Add:

(1) Carrot, thinly sliced
(1) Onion, small, diced (L)
(1) Rib of celery, thinly sliced.

Stir, cover and "nuke" for six minutes.

Add:

(2) Cups, canned chicken broth
(1) Can, whole tomatoes broken into large pieces (L)
(3) Cups, chunk-cut cabbage (L)
(1) Teaspoon basil
(1) Teaspoon parsley flakes
(1) Teaspoon salt

Stir, cover and "nuke" for 8 minutes.

Add:

(1) Can (16 oz.) kidney beans, drained

(If you don't have any leftover, already-cooked spaghetti noodles, the cookbook calls for adding 1/3 Cup of broken spaghetti at the same time.)

Stir, cover and "nuke" for 6 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

I stirred in some of the leftover, already-cooked spaghetti noodles and let it sit there until later when I was ready to eat.

I had one bowl last night but when I went to the refrigerator to get some for lunch today, it was gone.

Da Kid (The Eating Machine) had taken it with him this morning when he left for work.

All of it.