The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

There’s a chill in the air on this midwinter day — and a warm, mouth-watering aroma wafting from the kitchen. That’s right: the Lutheran Ladies are brewing up savory pots of soup in an all-new Iron Ladle Challenge! Erin leads off with a Finnish salmon soup (lohikeitto) that leaves her co-hosts drooling. Rachel then shares a trio of seasonally appropriate soups: seafood chowder for holiday decadence, “feel-better soup” for post-holiday recovery, and curried butternut soup (AKA sunshine soup) for midwinter malaise. Finally, Sarah shares her foolproof formula for improving the perfect, healthful (Instant Pot) soup every time. Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) (From Erin) Serves 4-6 Ingredients: 1# salmon fillet 2T butter 1 large leek, sliced .25# mushrooms, thinly sliced 8 cups chicken stock or bone broth, divided 1 jar clam juice .5# russet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 lg carrot, sliced 1t whole allspice Fish sauce for salt .5# bag frozen kale (or 1 large bunch of fresh kale) (spinach is too delicate) 10g fresh dill, finely chopped, divided 4-8 tablespoons heavy cream Instructions: Heat 4 cups of stock and gently poach the salmon fillets until just cooked. Remove the salmon to a plate and reserve the salmon broth. When fillets are cool cool, remove and discard the skin. Meanwhile, melt butter in a soup pot and saute the leeks and mushrooms for ~10 minutes. Add all of the stock (4 c from salmon and 4 c remaining) to the pan with the leeks and mushrooms, along with the potatoes, carrots, allspice, and half of the fresh dill. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add the kale and return to a simmer. Stir in a couple of dashes of fish sauce for salt (less than 1 teaspoon). Add the salmon pieces to the soup and gently heat until warmed through, just a few minutes.  Add cream, the remaining dill, and salt and pepper to taste. If Freezing (you will use less stock initially) Heat 4 c stock and gently poach the salmon fillets until just cooked. Remove the salmon to a plate and reserve the salmon broth. When fillets are cool cool, remove and discard the skin. Meanwhile, melt butter in a soup pot and saute the leeks and mushrooms for ~10 minutes. Add the 4 c salmon broth to the pot with the leeks and mushrooms, along with the potatoes, carrots, and allspice. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add a couple of dashes of fish sauce (less than 1 teaspoon). Strain the vegetables, reserving broth until cool. Divide among 4 freezer containers: Poached salmon Frozen kale and dill. 2oz clam juice/container Vegetables (kale, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots Broth (start with ¾ cup, and distribute the remaining) To serve, heat on the stove until hot, adding a 1 cup container of bone broth to fill out the rest of the broth. While soup is reheating, put a small puddle of cream (1-2 tablespoons) in soup bowl and slowly add hot soup. Seafood Chowder (From Rachel) HT Cari Haan Saute together over medium heat for approx 5 minutes: 1 stick of butter 1/2 onion - diced 1 tsp garlic salt or powder 1/2 tsp thyme Mix in: 1/2 cup flour 1 cup half 'n' half 2 cups milk 4 oz (half block) of cream cheese (softened in microwave) 1 can cream of potato soup 1/2 tsp black pepper 8 oz. can of minced clams (with juice) 8 oz can of tiny shrimp (with juice) 16 oz of flaked crab broken up in desired sized pieces (I use the artificial crab meat) 16 oz of frozen salad-sized (extra small) shrimp (May add milk as needed for desired consistency . . . will need to do this when heating leftovers) Heat until hot throughout. Serve with oyster crackers and shredded Cheddar cheese. Note: May substitute or add additional seafood as desired. The more you put in, the tastier it gets. :) Rachel's Feel Better Soup Note: quantities are approximate. I rarely measure anything for this recipe. Saute in 2 T olive oil: 1 lb. diced chicken 1 c diced celery 1 c diced carrots Cook until chicken is browned and vegetables are beginning to soften. Add 2-4 cups chopped cabbage and/or kale. Cook lightly. Add 4-6 cups chicken broth or an equivalent combo of bullion and water. Add salt, thyme, and turmeric to taste. Add starch of your choice: barley, rice, or noodles. Cook through. Serve with warm tortillas or crusty bread. Curried Butternut Squash Soup (From Rachel) Halve, remove seeds, and oven roast one butternut squash, upside down in a little water. (350 oven for about an hour or until soft throughout) Cool slightly, then use a tablespoon to remove squash from peels Use blender, immersion blender, or foley mill to puree squash In saucepan, combine squash puree with chicken broth (approx. 2 cups), 1 can unsweetened coconut milk, and 1-2 cubes of Golden Curry flavor. Cook over medium heat until all ingredients are blended and soup is hot. Do not boil. Non-curry option: Use whole milk instead of coconut milk, and flavor with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or other favorite seasoning. Sarah's Instant Pot Soup Formula Single serving 4(ish)oz meat (beef, chicken, salmon, etc) 8oz baby carrots 4oz green beans or peas (or other legume) 50g cabbage (or a handful lol) 2oz butternut squash 1 Tbs olive oil 1 cup water 2 tsp Celtic gray salt (or to taste) black pepper Brown meat (not necessary with fish) in olive oil. Place all ingredients in Instant Pot. Steam for 0 minutes (will vary by IP make/model) Instant pressure release. Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram! Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Following up on a promise made early last year, Sarah’s turning to the end of her Lutheran Service Book to sing — and get a lot better acquainted with — all eight “Close of Service” hymns in this all-new Hymn Sing episode.   Hymns featured include “Go, My Children, with My Blessing” (LSB 922), Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing (LSB 924), “Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise” (LSB 917), “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer” (LSB 918), and “Abide, O Dearest Jesus” (LSB 919).    Get to know the stories behind the hymns you love as you sing along with resident #hymnnerd Sarah. And, stay tuned to the very end for a very special treat from Lutheran Lady Erin Bode and the Themba Girls. As always, to learn more about these and other hymns in Lutheran Service Book, check out Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns, available from CPH.     Links mentioned in this episode:  Conversation with Benjamin Kolodziej on Friedrich Lochner — The Coffee Hour, kfuo.org.   Battle for the Augsburg Confession in American Lutheran History, Episode 1. Dr. Cameron MacKenzie — The Coffee Hour, kfuo.org   The Themba Girls with the Erin Bode Group, Album Recordings —YouTube  Close of Service Hymn Poll in the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge Facebook Group  Copyright Information: Lutheran Service Book 922, “Go My Children, with My Blessing”  Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919-2008. (c) 1983 Concordia Publishing House, used with permission. Tune: Welsh, 18th century. Public Domain. Recording from The Themba Girls and the Erin Bode Group, used with permission.  Erin Bode, lead vocals  Senzy Khumalo, lead vocals  Adam Maness, guitar  Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram! Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

After an unexpected two-year hiatus, the Ladies’ annual New Year’s Wishes and Prognostication episode is back!  After first looking back over their 2023 prognostications to see if any came true (spoiler alert: wide-leg jeans — who knew?), Sarah, Erin, and Rachel each present listeners with a good wish, a zany "prognostication” for what life will hold in 2026, and a word of blessing for a good New Year.   Click to revisit the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge New Year’s specials from 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.  Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram! Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Spoiler alert: We're back to shamelessly regifting our Poetry Slams because we love them so much, but this year is a first-time regift! Five years after their first Christmas Poetry Slam in 2019 (routinely “regifted” ever since), the Ladies have finally picked up their pens to write a fresh batch of poems for the holiday season.   And this time, they have help.   Joining Sarah, Erin, and Rachel in the Lounge are authors Katie Schuermann and Lisa Clark. Together, they share original Christmas poems ranging from psalms of lament to epic odes to hilarious parodies. Whether you cry or laugh (or do both at once), you’ll almost certainly be inspired to make poetry a more regular part of your holiday celebrations.   Katie Schuermann is a household name in many LCMS circles, beloved for her cozy novels (among them, our summer book club pick The Saints of Whistle Grove) and for her nonfiction books including He Remembers the Barren and Pew Sisters. Click to visit Katie’s website or browse her books from Concordia Publishing House, Kloria Publishing, and Emmanuel Press. Download the music for her poem “The Last Shall Be First” here.  Lisa M. Clark is an editor at Concordia Publishing House and the author of devotions, picture books, Bible curricula, Christmas programs, young adult novels — and literally hundreds of original hymn texts. Click to browse Lisa Clark’s books at Concordia Publishing House.  Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram! Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Former co-host and semi-regular guest Bri Gerzevske stops by the Lounge for a holiday visit — and this time, she’s mining her own recent life experience to offer Sarah, Erin, and Rachel her expert “Guide to a Fun and Fabulous Christmas Program at Church.”  Among Bri’s words of wisdom are these key takeaways:  Don’t go it alone! YOU NEED A VILLAGE FOR THIS.  Treat the kids like “professionals.”  Show gratitude by keeping the main thing the main thing.  “Producing a children’s Christmas program is hard work,” Bri says, “but it’s deeply fulfilling. With collaboration, joyful structure, child empowerment, and gratitude, the program becomes meaningful for everyone. True ‘success’ lies not in perfection, but in ministry, community, and shared joy.”  Brianne Gerzevske is a fellow Lutheran lady, LCMS pastor’s wife, and director of managed contributor care for LCMS Mission Advancement. She is a former co-host of The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge and remains a regular guest and occasional contributor to the program.  Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram! Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].