Marlo's Autumn Soup

Ingredients: One pound lean ground beef, One cup chopped onion, One cup chopped celery, Four cups hot water, Two cups half inch potato cubes, One cup thinly sliced carrots, One teaspoon salt, One half teaspoon dried basil leaves, One quarter teaspoon pepper, One bay leaf, Three tomatoes, cut into eighths and sliced in half.

Mix ground beef, onion and celery, lightly brown until beef looses pink color.  Add hot water, potatoes, carrots, salt, basil, pepper and bay leaf. Cover, simmer until potatoes are fork tender. (eight to twenty min.) Add tomatoes. Simmer until tender. (eight to ten minutes)

Makes 8 servings