Creamy Potato Soup

I've been on a soup kick lately. I'm sure it has something to do with the cast iron, enameled Dutch oven...

I've posted my recipe for a creamy potato soup. Like the chicken soup, you can add more or less of what sounds good to you.

Ingredients:
several strips of bacon (2-5)
onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
carrots, chopped
celery, chopped
potatoes, chopped (or tiny ones)
chicken broth
salt and pepper
thyme

milk and/or half-n-half
corn starch or flour
corn (optional)
green beans, peas, etc (optional)

sour cream
shredded cheese


Directions:
Heat the Dutch oven or a large pot. Add the strips of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from pot, drain on a paper towel, and crumble.


Add onion and garlic to the drippings. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, salt and pepper and thyme.


Add enough broth to cover the veggies. You can use a mixture of water and broth if you want. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover until potatoes are done. Add the optional veggies.



Add milk and/or half-n-half. If you like a thicker soup, add a little corn starch or flour. To do that, ladle some broth into a bowl. Whisk in the corn starch or flour and stir back into the pot.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and bacon crumbles.


Hope you enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is SUPER easy to make and WAY better than anything you'll find in a can. I came up with this recipe while I was in grad school. I wanted a meal that was full of veggies, hearty and quick. 

As you'll see there aren't many exact measurements. You can add more or less of whatever tastes good to you.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (crushed or minced)
carrots, chopped

celery, chopped
salt
pepper
thyme
2-4 chicken breasts
32 oz. or more chicken broth (or a mixture of broth and water)
potatoes or noodles
peas
green beans
lima beans
corn


Directions:
Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot. Simmer onion, garlic, celery, and carrots for a few minutes. Sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme over veggies. Add broth. Add whole chicken breasts. Remove the chicken when cooked and shred. If using potatoes, add those with the chicken. Add any of the other veggies once the chicken has been returned to the pot. If using noodles, add those and cook until tender. Milk and butter can be added near the end to make a creamier base.

 

Punch Recipes

If you're planning a holiday party this season, you should plan to serve punch. The ingredients are generally inexpensive and guests usually sip at it (meaning they don't drink as much as they would if you served sodas). Look for a great punch bowl at yard sales or the flea market. I got mine for $4 and it came with a dozen matching cups.

There are tons of recipes for punch. A few tips:
1. Add the (chilled) ginger ale or other soda just before serving.
2. Pour into the bowl by pouring punch into the ladle as it goes into the bowl. This will keep it from splashing all over you outfit.
3. To keep the punch cold without watering it down, make an ice ring by freezing some of the punch in a bundt pan. Place the ring in the bowl just before serving.
4. Most recipes can easily be doubled, tripled, etc. You can basically use the recipe as a proportion.


Here are some of my favorite recipes:


Basic Red Punch
bottle fruit punch
1/2 bottle ginger ale
 Cranberry-Orange Punch
bottle cranberry juice (cranberry cocktail is fine)
most of a bottle of Triple Sec 
bottle ginger ale

White Punch
bottle white grape juice
can  
1/2 bottle ginger ale

Ice Tea Punch
iced tea (sweet, of course!)
lemon juice
orange juice
ginger ale
mint sprigs (optional)