Creamy Potato Soup

Are you sick of all the soup recipes yet?

My husband dropped a subtle hint a few weeks back letting me know that it was soup season. I'm almost positive I had already started making soups at that point in time. However, sitting here now I realize that the soups I had been making were a bit more 'healthy' than the one seen below, and probably a bit too 'healthy' for his liking. I believe the soup below was the soup my husband was hinting at a few weeks ago. According to him this soup is not just good, it's really good. Like, don't even think about touching any leftovers because it already has his name written all over it, good.

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Creamy Potato Soup

(Recipe found here on our cousins' family cooking blog.)

2-3 c. diced or cubed potatoes

1 c. shredded carrots

1 c. chopped onion

½ c. chopped celery

12 oz chicken broth

Put vegetables and chicken broth in pan and add water just to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are soft. Make white sauce and add to cooked vegetables. Keep hot but do not boil.

For the white sauce:

¾ c. butter

¾ c. flour

1 quart half-n-half

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

Melt butter and add flour, salt and sugar. Be careful not to burn as it browns quickly. Slowly stir in half-n-half and cook stirring constantly until thick. 

Thanksgiving Day Menu

I realize everyone probably already has their menu set for tomorrow, but if you're in a bind and looking for something good you're in luck. Our brothers are coming into town to celebrate Thanksgiving with us and I think we're all pretty excited about it.

Our menu plan is as follows:

The Best Cheeseball
Almond and Pomegranate Salad
Tara's Melt in Your Mouth Dinner Rolls
Turkey by mom (We let her do her thing--no recipe for this one.)
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Thanksgiving Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes Loaded with the Good Stuff (Marshmallows)
Roasted Carrots, by Pastor Ryan
Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie meets Banoffee Pie
Cherry Pie
Pumpkin Pie provided by Sister Kirkland (thank you Costco)
And a surprise chocolate pie I was just made aware of.

**Click on any highlighted item for the direct recipe. All other recipes will be posted shortly after Thanksgiving Day.


Happy Turkey Day to you!

Buttermilk Pancakes

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Buttermilk Pancakes

3 eggs

1/2 cube (1/4 c.) butter, melted

2 c. buttermilk

1/2 T baking soda

1/2 heaping tsp. salt

1/3 c. sugar

1 1/2-2 c. flour

Preheat griddle to 350 degrees.

Melt your butter and set aside to cool (to prevent from scrambling your eggs). In a mixing bowl beat the eggs and buttermilk. Mix in the melted butter. Slowly sift in dry ingredients and mix well.

Makes about 12 large pancakes.

**If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add one tablespoon distilled white vinegar to one cup milk and let sit until it begins to curdle at surface.

Momma Polly's "Butter Rice"

For lack of a better name and because that is what I called it growing up, "Butter Rice" will have to do. It is a very comforting and delicious side that I enjoyed as a kid and still enjoy today. And I kind of feel like I can splurge a little if I am having chicken and a vegetable with it. It is super simple, and I will be totally surprised if everyone in your house doesn't love it too. Even my picky eaters gobble it up.

Happy Monday!

1 Lipton Soup Mix

1/4 C butter

1 1/2 C rice

3 C water

Melt butter. Pour soup mix and rice in pan and toast for 2 to 3 min in the butter. Add water, bring to a boil, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Tara's Melt in Your Mouth Dinner Rolls

Are you sick of all these soup recipes yet? I'm afraid I have at least one more to share, which happens to be my husband's favorite, but for now how about we post something to accompany your favorite soup.

Several of my recipes happen to be ones I've gotten from my sister, this one included. And this one is a keeper.

Tara's Rolls

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T yeast
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1/2 c. dry milk
3 c. flour
And then
3-4 c. more flour

Combine first eight ingredients until smooth. Stir in 3-4 c. more flour. There should now be between 6 and 7 cups of flour in the dough. Let dough rise for 1 1/2 hours. After it has risen, punch the dough down. Divide the dough into two balls. Roll the first ball out onto your counter forming a circle of about 16 inches in diameter. Cut the circle into a pizza pie shape with 16 equal triangles. Roll triangles from the wide end to the point. Place the 16 individual rolls on a greased cookie sheet and let rise again for another 45 minutes. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

Bake rolls at 325 for 8-10 minutes.

Minestrone Soup

I have had several people ask me for this recipe lately. It is one that I make not only during the cold weather months, but all year round. I love the way it makes your house smell, that it is full of good vegetables, protein, and fiber, and that my kids will eat it. It is one of my very favorite soup recipes and I love how the fresh parmesan cheese on top makes all the other flavors blend together.

This soup is also great to freeze. My family typically only eats half a recipe. So I will take half of the soup out and freeze before I add the pasta. If you freeze the soup with the pasta it ends up soggy and my husband will not eat soggy pasta.

1 lb ground beef, browned
1/2 yellow onion chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

1 green pepper diced

4 carrots sliced

1 quart of water

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

2 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 can beef broth

15 oz can garbanzo beans

15 oz can kidney beans

1 Tbsp ground basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 Tbsp parsley

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/4 C mostaccioli pasta (or whatever pasta you have on hand)

fresh parmesan cheese

Brown meat with onion, celery, and green pepper in a large soup pot. Add tomatoes water, carrots, tomato sauce, broth, and spices. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add drained and rinsed beans and pasta. Cook 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese.

The Neiman Marcus Cookie

I typically don't stray away from my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Why stray when you know what's good? But, after trying this cookie at work last week, I knew I had to bake up a batch myself so I could get my husband's approval as well. And he approved. Twice actually. That is the reason why there is a batch in my oven as I type this.

The Neiman Marcus Cookie
(Original recipe found here. I chose to omit the instant espresso coffee powder. Any other changes I made are in bold below.)


Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup milk chocolate chips Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds) 2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the chocolate chips. 4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for 17-20 minutes depending on oven and how soft or crispy you like your cookies. Yield:   2 dozen cookies