Oh So Good Soup!

Oh so good and satisfying on a cold Winter day...mmmm...

2 medium russet potatoes (about 1/2 lb. each)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2-1/2 cups sliced leeks (about 2 medium leeks; white and light green parts), rinsed well

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

4 thick slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar (about 1/4 lb.)

2 Tbs. thinly sliced scallion greens or chives

Heat the oven to 375ºF. Scrub the potatoes in water, pat dry, and pierce in several places with a fork. Set them directly on an oven rack and bake until very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the leeks are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the bacon in a skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon bits with a slotted spoon to a saucer lined with paper towels to drain and cool.

When the potatoes are cool, cut one of them in half lengthwise. Use a large spoon to scoop the flesh in one piece from each half. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. Coarsely chop the potato skin and the entire remaining potato and add to the pot with the leeks. Purée the contents of the pot in a blender until very smooth (you'll need to work in two batches). Return the puréed soup to a clean soup pot and reheat over medium low. Whisk together the milk and sour cream until smooth and then whisk this into the soup, along with 1/2 cup of the Cheddar. Stir in the diced potato. The soup should be fairly thick, but if it seems too thick, thin it with a little water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with the remaining Cheddar, the bacon bits, and the scallions or chives.

From: Fine Cooking.com

Hope all of you are staying warm!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

Happy Birthdays, Soup, Holiday Walking And You

Dear Dawn...I do hope you will forgive me being so late with this wish. I feel just awful but I hope you know how much I adore you. You are a bright spirit with a sweet heart. I wish I could be there to give you this bouquet in person....please join me in wishing Dawn a happy birthday! Now, this pretty soccer ball is to honor Dawn's oh so pretty daughter Jayla! Birthday greetings are sent to her as well! She is a special little soccer star and a total sweetie. Happy Birthday to a darlin' young lady! Soup weather is here, although, to be totally honest, I love soup so much that any weather is right for me to eat a huge bowl of goodness. Our wonderful Penny recently asked if anyone had a recipe for cream of broccoli soup. I have one from my late mother in law. She loved to make this for me whenever we cam home and passed the recipe on to me. It is easy to make...well...for me to make it you KNOW it must be easy right? Penny? I don't know if this one will pass the taste test at your house but I hope you will give it a try! I know that after reading Penny's post, I decided that we should have it for dinner tonight! Grace and I did our grocery shopping (and oh how crowded the store was! I can only imagine how awful it will be over the next 2 days!), came home and made a big pot of this soup. Dan always loves it and Grace does too. It is a warm reminder of Bill's mom.

Helen's Cream Of Broccoli Soup ~~~ 1 lb frozen broccoli, 8 oz. butter, 1 cup flour, 1 quart chicken stock (homemade or boxed/canned or 4 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 quart of water), 1 quart half and half, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. white pepper, ~~~ Cut broccoli in 1/2 inch pieces. Steam in 1/2 cup of water until tender. Do not drain. Set aside. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook for 2-4 minutes. Add chicken stock, stirring with a wire whip and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and add broccoli, half and half, salt and pepper. Heat well but do not bring to a boil. Enjoy with crusty bread and a nice salad.

We had a busy weekend. Our dear friends J & B came up from Tennessee and, along with our buddy T, spend Saturday evening with them. Great dinner, good conversation and happy laughter. On Sunday we picked up my mother and we all went to church. She tires easily since the surgery but was happy to get back into her favorite pew! The service was lovely and the music was especially lovely which my mother always enjoys. There was a Thanksgiving dinner at the church after services and we all enjoyed that event. Our minister and his wife sat across from us and they so enjoyed talking to Grace. I think he has a soft spot in his heart where she is concerned and gets so tickled by her giggles, her conversation and her facial expressions. Our community had a Holiday Walk along Main Street that afternoon. It was cloudy and quite cool but Bill, Grace and I had a lot of fun. All of the sweet shops were open, as were the historic stone houses, old town hall and the near by churches including our own. Lots of smiling faces passing by, carolers, dancers and horse drawn carriages. The restaurants were served hot spiced cider and baked goods, all free of course! Each shop had special sales and many fun, free giveaways. The theme this year was "It's A Wonderful Life". There was a Jimmy Stewart impersonator that was marvelous and a Mr. Stewart look alike contest. All of the shops and buildings had screens showing the film and all the folks participating were dressed to represent the era in which the film was set. After our walk we met our friend T and went to see "Fred Claus". Grace just had the best time! It was silly and sweet all at the same time. After the movie we all had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Just a sweet, simple day and exactly the sort I love. I hope your weekend was especially nice. Have a great Tuesday! Turkey Day is fast approaching!

Can Soup Weather be Far Off?

It just has to get cooler here soon. The local meteorologists tell us that we are in for a welcome change Tuesday. When it gets cooler, nothing tastes quite so good as a bowl of hot, hearty and comforting soup. Rich, creamy chowder is a favorite comfort food...reassuring, full-bodied, and very delicious. And it's easier to make than a lot of cream soups because you don't have to puree anything. Easier is better right?

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	2 tablespoons butter
	1 large onion, finely chopped
	1 rib celery, finely chopped
	5 1/2 cups chicken stock
	1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
	1 large all-purpose potato, peeled and diced
	1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
	1 cup heavy cream
	3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
	Black pepper, to taste
	Fresh dill or parsley for garnish, chopped

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or medium soup pot. 2. Stir in the onion and celery. 3. Partially cover the pan and cook the vegetables over moderate heat for 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Add the chicken stock, corn, potato, and salt and bring the mixture to a low boil. 5. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender. 6. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. 7. Stir the mixture into the soup with the pepper. 8. Bring the soup back to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes. 9. Serve hot, garnished with herbs.

Soup's On

It's chilly and cloudy...it's the perfect weather for soup. Oh heck, any weather is perfect for soup but I digress....

It's fast, it's easy and it looks pretty. Kinda describes me too huh? Aw....just kidding. But I made you smile huh? No? Aw....okay. Back to the soup. Here's the recipe, straight from Robin Miller's kitchen on the Food Network.

Cheddar Potato Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups mashed potatoes

8 ounces shredded Cheddar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Hot sauce, optional

Add oil to a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add stock and mashed potatoes and bring to a simmer. Using a hand blender or regular blender, puree soup until smooth (when using a regular blender, work in batches to prevent messy cleanups!). Add Cheddar, salt, white pepper, dry mustard and hot sauce. Stir to combine and allow the cheese to melt.

Yummy....

Hugs,

Suzie Q

Soup Of The Day

Butternut Squash Soup

From Susan Branch's book, "Autumn"

Makes 10 cups

3 Tbsp butter

1 lg. onion chopped

2 carrots, sliced

2 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cubed ( You can get 2 1/2 packs of the already cubed squash from Trader Joe's!)

6 Cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp curry

A pinch each of nutmeg and ginger, salt and pepper

Garnishes: sour cream, croutons or grated asiago cheese

Melt butter in soup pot, saute onion and carrots until soft; stir in potatoes and squash. Add stock, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 40 minutes. Add curry, nutmeg and ginger. Puree soup in batches in a blender. Return to saucepan, add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Soup Of The Day

This soup has been a favorite around here for years. It is easy, fast and satisfying. The perfect dinner for a day like today.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped broccoli

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk (or more)

salt to taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli according to package directions ( It can be done in the microwave ). In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and then add the 2 tablespoons of flour, whisk 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and salt until smooth and bubbling. Whisk in grated cheese until melted and smooth. If the soup is too thick, whisk in a little more milk until you get the consistency you like. Add broccoli and bring back up to desired temperature.

We like it with grilled cheese sandwiches, assorted crackers or just on it's own.