I love this time of year. Fall is by far my favorite season. I love the feel and smell of the cool crisp air. I love all the holiday baking. And I love coming inside after playing out in the cold, to the smell and warmth of a hearty soup. This recipe is from one of my aunts. It is definitely a favorite around here. Larry always has me double the recipe whenever I make it. He also says that, for some reason, the Rhodes dinner rolls go best with this soup.
Potato and Onion Chowder
1 c. diced onions
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
2 c. cubed raw potatoes (I usually use red, and probably a little more than 2 c.)
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. light cream
1 tsp. chopped parsley (I just use dry, and however much I feel like)
Saute onions and celery in butter until transparent, but not browned. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently until potatoes are tender, about 20 min. Add milk, light cream, and parsley. Heat thoroughly.
This actually makes a thin soup. We just use some cornstarch to thicken it up. Just mix cornstarch in cold water. Bring the soup back to a boil, and the cornstarch mixture until it starts thickening, then bring back to a low heat.
I love to cook, and I love to be crafty. Sometimes things turn out right, and sometimes...well, we don't really talk about that.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Fruit Pizza
FRUIT PIZZA
(Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest. I need to find some better lighting for these things!)
I had a ton a fruit that needed to be used, and this was sounding really yummy! And it was! It was a huge hit with everyone that tasted it. I just used my regular sugar cookie recipe, with just a few changes in the baking process. Instead of cutting into cookies, I just pressed a good amount(depending on how thick you want it) into my pizza pan. Then, of course, the baking time will need to be longer since it is one giant cookie! I didn't really pay attention to how long it took, maybe 20 min. or more. Just watch it closely. Let it cool completely before frosting.
(Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest. I need to find some better lighting for these things!)
Sugar Cookies:
1 c. butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Dough doesn't need to be refrigerated. Roll to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. Cookies don't really brown so just watch them close. Remove from pan to cooling racks and cool completely before frosting.
*By the way, these cookies are amazing with a cream cheese frosting. So good, its hard to stop at just one....or five in my case.
This is the spread I used for the pizza. It is different than a regular cream cheese frosting. I just found it on allrecipes.com. There are a few versions on there, but this is the one I used. It was really good!
Cream Cheese Spread:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. white sugar
2t. vanilla
With electric mixer, beat cream cheese vanilla and sugar until light and creamy. Spread evenly over cooled crust. Top with desired fruit. I used strawberries, raspberries, peaches, and bananas. I think kiwis would have also been good.