Keto chicken Pot Pie Soup

It is Fall in Fairbanks.  The leaves are all yellow and falling to the ground, we've had a frost overnight now, and it feels like fall.  I have to wear a jacket when I walk the dogs and I wait until the afternoon so it will warm up some.  Mooree doesn't like the new schedule, he starts whining about 10:30 when we used to go walk and acts all excited if I go to get a drink of water in the employee kitchen. (He really doesn't get this "work hours" thing).

We did the last of the yard work last week and so we are buttoned up for winter.  I'm not too happy about it, but it is what it is.

The view out my window, this was taken on August 26, foggy
but the trees are still green.

The view out my window, this was taken September 14.
Look how yellow that tree is.

Even Charles has started turning yellow.

Well, when it first turns cold I always crave soup.  I love soup and Dave doesn't so I make a big batch and eat it for my lunch for the week.  I also love chicken pot pie and have been craving it so I made chicken pot pie soup for my lunch this week.

I like to top mine with an almond flour biscuit.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
I used carrots and corn, veggies I usually stay away from because of the carbs, but I really wanted that old-fashioned chicken pot pie flavor.  You can substitute or just leave those out.  It will change your total macros.

2 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup corn*
1 cup sliced carrots**
2 cups green beans
1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded (I did one in my Instant Pot, but a rotisserie chicken would work)
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp xanthan gum, optional

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add onion, celery and cook 3-5 minutes until onions become translucent.  Add garlic and stir for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.  Add corn, carrots, green beans, chicken and chicken stock.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Add cream and xanthan gum, whisking in the xanthan gum completely.  Bring to simmer and serve.
makes 10-12 servings

* 1 cup of corn adds about 4 net carbs per serving (per 10 servings)
**1 cup sliced carrots adds about 1 net carb per serving (per10 servings)

1 year ago:   Sugar Free Sprinkles
3 years ago:  Pork Roast with Eggplant Mash
5 years ago:  Summer Vegetable Soup and the First Snow
7 years ago:  Hector the Proctor Goose and Rhubarb Meringue Bars

September 21, 2020  Sunrise 7:32 am  Sunset 7:52 pm  Temp. H 49/ L 44°F

Zucchini Soup

I don't know how this happens.  I check the zucchini, cut all that are ready and move on.  The next day Dave asks why I have a monster zucchini and when am I going to cut it.  It wasn't there yesterday, I checked, it must have grown overnight.

Well, last Friday, I checked the zucchini and gave it all to my neighbor.  At this point I have 16 2-cup bags of shredded zucchini in my freezer and that is more than I'll use this year for bread and in soups, stews and chili.  Monday afternoon, during my break, I went outside and found this:

How did these grow so fast?  They weren't there on Friday.

And a whole basket of small ones, yes, even ones with the
blossoms still attached.  I picked these and then pulled
the plants.  I've over it.

Yes, I'm over zucchini.  I've eaten it grated, fried, pattyed, baked, caked, breaded, chipped, stuffed, spiralized and now souped.

This soup is delicious.  A nice creamy soup to start a meal or a big bowl for lunch.  You can make this up to the point of adding the cream, and freeze it for later.  Add the cream and sour cream when you thaw and reheat it.  I'm making a quadruple batch for the freezer, I have enough zucchini.  I'm going to be happily swimming in zucchini soup for the winter.

Keto Zucchini Soup
1 Tbsp. avocado oil or coconut oil
6 cups chopped zucchini
3 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried thyme]
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

optional toppings:
diced, fried bacon or pancetta
heavy cream, for swirls
parmesan Whisps
extra virgin olive oil

In a medium stock pot, heat avocado oil, add zucchini and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn't burn.  Add chicken broth and dried thyme, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.  Alternatively, you can process in a blender with a steam vent covered by a towel, in two batches.  Return to stockpot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cream and sour cream and heat through.

Serve in bowls or cups, using a spoon pour heavy cream in a swirl over the top and sprinkle crisped pancetta over the top, or top with cheese Whisps.

1 year ago:    Sugar Free Peanut Butter Truffles and Getting Rained Out.
3 years ago:   Taco Breakfast Bake
7 years ago:   Rhubarb Muffins and the First Fall Frost

August 26, 2020  Sunrise 6:14 am  Sunset 9:28 pm  Temp. H 62/ L 46°F

Chili Relleno Soup

It is still really cold in Fairbanks.  We have been eating dinner and sticking downstairs next to the fire for the evening.  I'm not getting anything done, but I have learned the joy of binging on Netflix!

One food item Dave really enjoys is chili rellenos.  He orders them every time we go out for Mexican food (about once a week).  I thought with all this cold weather, a warm bowl of chili relleno soup would be the perfect thing to eat while we catch up on Picard or Longmire (we missed a couple while we were on vacation).

And, I roasted the peppers under the broiler-a little extra heat in the kitchen is always a good thing this cold time of year!

Now, Dave doesn't believe that soup is a meal, so we had ours as a first course with our dinner. But if you like soup for lunch or dinner you can always add shredded chicken, ground beef or pork tinga to make this a filling meal.  Enjoy.

Roast the peppers under the broiler until the skins turn black
and start to blister.  Turn the peppers often.

Put the peppers in a bag and let them steam
for about 5 minutes before you peel them.

Peeling should be very easy.

I like to scrape the skins off with a spoon.

Cut off the top stem, open them up and scrape out the
seeds and the ribs.

To finish, top with some sharp cheddar cheese and enjoy.

Chili Relleno Soup

5 poblano peppers

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 onion, about 1/2 cup

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

4 cups chicken bone broth or stock

8 oz. cream cheese, cut in cubes

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, plus some for topping

Roast peppers under broiler until skins begin to blister and turn black, turning often to char all sides.  Place in a paper bag and close for 5 minutes to let peppers steam.  Remove skin, seeds and ribs then chop finely.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and saute onion until translucent.  Add garlic, cumin and oregano stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Add chicken broth and peppers.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.  Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese, stir until melted.  To serve top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

Makes 6-8 servings

1 year ago:    Florida Vacation

5 years ago:  Lessons from the Road: Wear Your Glasses

7 years ago:  Prime Rib

March 3, 2020  Sunrise 7:50 am  Sunset 6:15 pm  Temp. H -2/ L-23°F

Cheeseburger Soup

Our weather finally took a dip to colder weather, but still only 20 below.  It is supposed to get to -30 by Thursday, but that is in the middle of the night.  While we have had an unusually warm winter, -20 is still cold and I crave soup.

I made soup and chicken wings for dinner Sunday while we watched football, soup for me and chicken wings because Dave doesn't think soup is dinner.  But, I have to say that I got TWO compliments on the soup and he ate TWO bowls of soup so this was a total win!  At one point he told me I could can the broth and sell it, high praise from a  soup disinterested human!

So, here is my version of Cheeseburger Soup, I won't can it and sell it, but I do take donations if you are so inclined!

Cheeseburger Soup

1 Tbsp. Avocado oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 (14. oz)  fire roasted-diced tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
salt to taste
1 1/2 cups cheese, divided
diced dill pickle, optional but so unusually delicious

In a large pot, heat avocado oil and sauté onion until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, add ground beef and cook until well browned, breaking up large clumps.  Add mustard, tomatoes and beef broth, bring to a boil and reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour.  Add heavy cream, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese, stir until cheese is melted and incorporated well. Taste and add salt, if needed.

Serve, top each bowl with a sprinkle of cheese and some dill pickle.

5 years ago:   Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates
7 years ago:   Lighter Fruitcake

December 16, 2019  Sunrise 10:53 am  Sunset 2:39 pm  Temp H -5/ L -8°F

Keto Hot Pockets

Monday nights are for football and soup and sandwiches.  Dave doesn't think soup is dinner so I add a sandwich to it and we have a casual dinner in front of the tv while we watch the Monday night game. And then I have left-over soup for lunch for the week.  We all win!

I hate the tv being on during dinner, but this is one exception I have compromised on, especially now that the kids are gone. My mom and dad listen to books on tape during their lunch.  I never understood why they would do that but I totally get it now, there just isn't that much new in my daily life, now that the kids are gone, and silent dinner isn't so fun.

This sandwich is like a hot pocket.  You could use regular dough like I do for stromboli, but I don't eat that anymore and for just Dave and I, I am only going to make one dough.  I use a fathead dough with coconut flour, roll it out and fill it with all kinds of things.  This week it was ham and some melty provolone cheese.  I paired it with a deconstructed cabbage roll soup and we had dinner.

Keto Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket

for the fat head dough:
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. cream cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder

to make hot pockets
1/4 cup spicy mustard
6 oz. lunchmeat of choice
4 slices cheese of choice

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt mozzarella and cream cheese until easily mixed.  Add egg, coconut flour and baking powder, kneed together until well incorporated.  Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into 4 rectangles.

Spread mustard on 1/2 of each rectangle, dividing 1/4 cup evenly between the 4 rectangles.  Place 1/4 of the lunchmeat and cheese on each rectangle, dividing evenly.  Fold into rectangle and seal edges.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until dough is golden brown.
Serves 4

Deconstructed Cabbage Roll Soup

2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium head cabbage, chopped
1 lb. sausage, I like spicy sausage for this
1 15oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 cups beef bone broth

In a medium stock pot melt butter and sauté celery and onion until onion is soft and translucent.  Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add sausage and brown, breaking up big clumps, about 6-8 minutes.  Add cabbage, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and bone broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Serves 4.

3 years ago:  Apple Fritter Bread and Feeling Ashamed of Myself
5 years ago:  Christmas Lists and Rice Krispy Treats
7 years ago:  Coquito, Drink of the Week

December 11, 2019  Sunrise 10:40 am  Sunset 2:45 pm  Temp. H 14/ L 8°F

Fennel and Garlic Cream Poached Halibut

I travel a lot for work this time of year.  When I'm home it is so Dave can do my laundry, I can pet the dogs and sleep in my own bed.  I really don't have much time or energy for cooking.  Also, I am coming from the real world, where it is really fall, to Fairbanks where it is cold and rainy or snowy.  So far this year I haven't been home when it snowed and it has melted before I land, but I was in Iowa last week and it was 70°F and sunny only to land in Fairbanks where it was 42 and overcast, and colder at night.

I crave something warm and soup-like this time of year.  Dave doesn't think soup is dinner so I go for something with lots of sauce.  This halibut dish checks all the boxes for warm, saucy, and enough substance to count for dinner.

Poaching the fennel bulb in heavy cream until it is soft really sweetens the fennel, I'm not really a fan of raw fennel with it's anise flavor, but once it is roasted or poached it takes on a whole different flavor profile.  Then you pour the hot flavored cream over some halibut or cod and bake until it is cooked through - easy and so, so delicious.

To add a little fresh zip to it all is a fennel frond and lemon relish.  I could just eat this on it's own, or over chicken or pork.

So dinner is done, easy and delicious and I have time to supervise Dave doing my laundry for my next work trip.

Fennel and Garlic Cream Poached Halibut
adapted from Bon Appétit, October 2018

2 small fennel bulbs, fronds reserved, bulbs cut into 12" thick wedges
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 lb. halibut, skin removed
1 small lemon
1/2 cup avocado or olive oil
fresh black pepper

Preheat oven to 250˚F.  Place fennel in a large saucepan, add garlic, cream and salt.  Place over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally until fennel is just tender, 12-15 minutes, do not let the cream boil.  Remove from heat. 
Place fish in an oven proof casserole dish.  Pour cream sauce over fish.  Place in oven and bake uncovered for 18-25 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

While fish is cooking, finely chop reserved fennel fronds and place in a small bowl, you want about 1/2 cup.  Cut ends off lemon; discard.  Place lemon upright on one end and cut lemon into four lobes, working around the center as you would an apple and leaving the core and seeds behind.  Finely chop lobes peel and all and transfer to bowl with fennel fronds.  You should have about 1/3 cup.  Squeeze juice from core over fennel fronds; discard core.  Drizzle in oil and toss mixture to combine.  Season fennel oil with salt and lots of pepper. 

Break fish into large pieces and divide among shallow bowls.  Divide garlic and fennel among bowls and ladle some garlic cream on top. Spoon fennel oil over.

4 years ago:   Garlic Chili Chicken and My Afternoon Date
5 years ago:   The Awful Day and Homemade Cranberry Liqueur
6 years ago:   Cowboy Cookies

October 25, 2018  Sunrise 9:16 am  Sunset 9:52 pm  Temp. H 48/ L 27°F

Creamy Mushroom Soup and Going to Work in the Dark

 It is a sad time of the year.  That time when we are losing about 7 minutes of daylight a day and that awful realization that soon you will have to drive to work in the dark.

From the parking lot at work Wednesday 

This week, there is a little light because it is just dawn as I park my car, but I'm out of town for a week for work next week and when I come back it will be dark in the mornings.  Now I know that Daylight Savings ends soon, but really, when you are losing 7 minutes a day you are losing about 45 minutes a week so that little spot of light is just a mean tease.

And with the darker weather, you know the cold is here to stay.  No snow so far, but again I'm expecting it to be white when I get back next week from work.

So with the cold, comes the need for warm, delicious things from my kitchen.  I love soup, and as I've said before, Dave does not think soup is dinner.  So, sometimes I make soup as a starter for dinner, or I make a big batch and that is my lunch for the week.  This is so good that I make a double batch so we can have it for both.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp. dried sage
1 tsp. smoked paprika, plus more for garnish if desired
1 lb. mushrooms
4 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish if desired

In a heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook until golden and smells nutty, add dried sage and paprika, cook 30 seconds.  Add mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes until mushrooms start to soften, add stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat.  Using an emersion blender, blend until soup is smooth or carefully transfer to blender and process until smooth then return to pan.
Add cream, mix well and reheat if necessary.  Divide between bowls and top with a swirl of cream (put some on your spoon and swirl on top of soup) and a dash of paprika.  Enjoy
Makes 4 servings

2 years ago:  Seeded Whole Grain Quick Bread
3 years ago:  Sudafed and Green Pea Soup
5 years ago:  Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Weird Dreams

October 12, 2018   Sunrise 8:34 am  Sunset 6:38 pm   Temp. H 49/ L 34°F

Broccoli Cheese Crock Pot Soup

My dogs are assholes.  Yes, all of them.

Dave is gone for a hunting trip with my brother.  Hershey barks non-stop.  I think he thinks he has to guard the house while Dave is gone, and when Hershey barks, Riley barks, then Tek and Mooree get in on the fun.  The big dogs bark a couple times, but Hershey does.  not.  stop.  So, I got a squirt bottle and filled it with water, when he barks I tell him to stop, and when he doesn't stop, I squirt him.  He is starting to get the message.

Mooree is still an energetic puppy and while I can put up with that, I can't put up with the digging.  Our back yard is all pavers, gravel, wood deck and grass, and there is a gate to the grass the dogs can't get to unless I open the gate to let them run.  We have pulled all the flowers for winter so around the edge of the deck are empty flower boxes.  Mooree has decided he needs to dig in them, get dirt all over the place and then roll in it.  Plus, it has been raining so the dirt is now mud and all the dogs walk through it and into to the house, so my house is a mud pit. I was out in the pouring rain on Saturday sweeping the mud off the deck. And he eats my shoes.

Tek is mean and I got woken up at 4:30 with a jolt because someone (Lily or Mooree) yelped as Tek was getting pissy with them and I had to go running down the stairs into the garage where the big dog kennel is to be sure no one was bleeding. As it is, the little dogs have to kennel separate from the big dogs because Tek made Hershey bleed once.

And Tek is just not my favorite dog.

Riley is refusing to eat.  I actually sit on the floor and spoon feed that damn dog the stewed chicken I make him because he won't eat dog food and he is so underweight the vet said to do anything to get him to eat. Chicken must taste better on a spoon.

Then, while Dave is gone, I worked on cleaning out the dish/exercise room and getting it ready for me to exercise in during the winter.  I purchased some giant foam squares to put on the concrete floor in that room.  I vacuumed and mopped the floor, then laid out the foam squares and put a gate on the door so the dogs can't come in and get it muddy.  Dave is gone and Riley HATES Mooree so I brought Riley into the room this morning, put him on a soft little blanket and started an exercise tape.  Mooree and Tek got into something so I ran to make sure all was well with the house.  When I came back into the room to resume exercising, Riley had pooped right in the middle of the floor on my new foam squares.  So I spent about 15 minutes cleaning up the mess and rearranging the foam squares so I didn't lay down on the pooped one to do my push-ups or sit-ups.  Yes, I did disinfect the area but still, yech.

Lily is the only good dog we have.

After all this energy to take care of my asshole dogs, I am tired.  To help save myself some time with making dinner, I made this dump soup.  You just dump everything in the crock pot and a few hours later (or when you get home from work) you blend it with your emersion blender and dinner is ready.  I always have all the ingredients in my house so I can make this whenever I'm struggling for dinner or lunch.  I made this and had it all week while Dave was gone because 1) it is delicious and 2) Dave doesn't think soup is dinner.  He doesn't know what he is missing.

Broccoli and Cheese Crockpot Soup

1 lb. frozen broccoli
4 cups chicken stock
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh baby spinach

Put broccoli, chicken stock, cream cheese, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in crock pot.  Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.

Add cheddar cheese and spinach, blend with immersion blender or carefully transfer to blender and puree until smooth.

Top with a little heavy cream (pour some onto a spoon and drizzle onto top of soup) and cheddar cheese.  Enjoy

Makes 6 servings

2 years ago:  Yard Clean Up and Quick Jambalaya

3 years ago:  Carrot Soup and Ducks in the Yard

5 years ago:  Cranberry Shortbread

October 8, 2018   Sunrise 8:22 am  Sunset 6:52 pm  Temp. H 43/ L 29˚F

Sudafed and Green Pea Soup

Everyone at work is sick.  This is a busy travel time for me so I am walking around with a Clorox wipe, disinfecting the door handles, my desktop, pens that I use and the coffee machine.  (You're welcome)  I wish they made Clorox wipe gloves and I would make everyone at work wear them so I don't get sick.  I'm thoughtful like that.

Despite my best efforts, Friday afternoon my ears plugged up.  I'm sure they are full of fluid and I was flying out next Sunday to Philadelphia.  I knew I had a long day ahead of me and I didn't want to be uncomfortable from pressure in my ears while I was flying.  So, at dinner, I took Sudafed.  I don't know about you, but Sudafed wires me up and I was awake all night!  I tossed, I turned, I could not sleep.  What was I thinking taking it so late at night?  Thank goodness the next day was Saturday, and I could take it easy.  I did get a good nap in Saturday afternoon.

That did remind me that I will be on the road for the next 5 weeks and airplanes are germy.  I wanted to stock up on cold remedies before there was a shortage like the year I thought Dave was trying to poison me and I wanted to have a stash in my travel purse.  At least I learned something from it.

It also reminded me that we need to eat better and boost our immunities.  I made this green pea soup for dinner and felt very healthy.  I will say that sometimes the idea of what dinner will taste like and the reality of it is a little different.  When I was making this soup Dave said, "That stuff is how the Ninja Turtles were made."  Nice...

I don't know what I expected, I know my husband doesn't like peas, so why I thought he would like this soup is beyond me.  It must have been the lack of sleep the night before. He took two bites and left the rest in his bowl.  Oh well, he can be sick while I'm gone, I'll be healthy!

Green Pea Soup
adapted from Ellie Krieger The Food We Crave

olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 12 oz. package of frozen green peas
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan.  Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent.  Add chicken stock and thyme, heat to boiling.  Reduce and add peas, heat through, add salt and pepper to taste. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth or blend in a blender is 3 batches.
  Serves 4

1 year ago:    Banana Muffins and Blue Cougar Pills
2 years ago:   Autumn Fruit Tart and the Attitude Adjustment
3 years ago:   Gingered Pear and Brandy Cocktail and the Horseshoe Champion

October 12, 2015   Sunrise 8:34 am  Sunset 6:39 pm   Temp. H 34/ L 23°F

Carrot Soup

I don't know what is going on with these ducks, but they have been in the yards on our street for the last week or so.  I think they must be eating the choke cherries or something that are falling off the trees.

It is really not a problem, except that they keep pooping on the cars in the driveway!  I don't know if it is when they fly over or what, but scraping snow and ice off your windshield is one thing, frozen (or worse yet - soft) duck poop is another thing.

I really think they need to fly back to the river and stay there, I stepped in duck poop this morning and I'm not very happy about it.  I did post this picture on Facebook and complained about the ducks, one of my Facebook friends said, "Forget about the ducks, what about all that snow!"  Ha, I guess it is all in your perspective.

I have a big bag of carrots from the carrot guy at the farmer's market.  I got a 10 pound bag and I love them.  This soup was part of our soup and sandwich night, it tasted like there wasn't any snow on the ground and the ducks were in the river, where they belong, not smearing my windshield with "stuff".

Oh happy Monday!

Carrot-Cashew Soup
adapted from Ellie Kreiger's The Food You Crave

4 cups chicken stock
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1-inch piece of ginger
1.5 pounds carrots
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews
2 tsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  While the broth is heating, chop the onion and mince the garlic and ginger.  Slice all but one-quarter of one of the carrots into 1/4-inch thick coins.

Heat the oil in another medium pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.  Stir in the allspice and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir the carrot coins into the pot with the onions, then add the boiling chicken broth, cover and return to a boil over hight heat.  Lower the heat to medium, uncover, and simmer until the carrots are tender, 8-9 minutes.  Meanwhile, grate the remaining carrot quarter and chop 2 Tbsp. of the cashews to use for garnish.

Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the whole cashews, honey, salt, and pepper, and then puree the soup in 3 batches in a blender, or with an immersion blender, until smooth.

Serve garnished with the grated carrot and chopped cashews.

Makes 4 servings.

1 year ago:    Dark Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache and Raspberries
2 years ago:  Cranberry Shortbread Bars
3 years ago:  Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and the First Snow

October 5, 2015   Sunrise 8:12 am  Sunset 7:05 pm   Temp. H 39/ L 28°F

Corn and Summer Vegetable Soup and the First Snow

I know most of you are still very warm.  We, on the other hand, are having a major snowfall.  Awesome!
As a matter of fact, while I was in Montana last week, it would get in the high 80s and even hit 90°, but Fairbanks was getting 6 inches of snow!

These two pictures are from my window last spring...

You can see the mountains in the back.

This is the view out my window today.

It is just awesome!

So, I understand you may not be eating a lot of soup right now but we have soup every Monday with a sandwich and watch football on t.v.  (Thank you Green Bay for that awesome win against Kansas City, I just won a bet with my brother!)

This soup is quick and a good use for your summer veggies.  Maybe you will have some cool evening with a little rain.  I doubt you'll get the amount of snow we are getting right now.

Corn and Summer Vegetable Soup

4 cups of corn, fresh or frozen work best
4 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste
4 pieces of bacon

*You can add other veggies to beef it up, or add cooked shredded chicken and top with bacon and cheese.

Measure two cups of corn and two cups of chicken stock, place in a blender and process until very smooth, set aside. Using your soup pot, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain.  Chop into small pieces.
 Remove all but about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat from pan, add onion and zucchini and sauté until soft.  Add corn puree, tomatoes, chicken stock, and salt and pepper to taste.  Heat but do not bring to a boil.
Serves 6

1 year ago:    Pizza Stromboli for the Blond Boy's Visit
2 years ago:   Rhubarb Meringue Bars and the Guard Goose
3 years ago:   Pecan Crispies and Saying Goodbye to the Back Yard Neighbors

September 30, 2015  Sunrise 7:57 am  Sunset 7:53 pm  Temp. H 34/ L 25°F

Shotgun Wedding Soup and waiting on the Mouse

One of our trips in Bessie, we had a little mouse scampering back and forth across this little path next to us.  I named him Marvin and while Dave fixed dinner, I sat and tried to get his picture.  It was raining and dreary, so the shutter speed was a little too slow for this quick guy.  

Most of my pictures looked like this:

But I was persistent.  Finally, after about 45 minutes, Dave tried baiting him with a rose hip.  Hoping he would stop long enough to sniff  or eat it and I could catch a picture.  Marvin didn't even stop at one of them.  I did manage to catch part of Marvin...see his tail end in the left hand side?

Oh, the things I do for entertainment.  

Now that it is fall, cooler during the days and freezing some nights, we have soup and sandwich night on Monday.  We watch Monday night football during dinner, the only night we have the t.v. on during dinner. Thursday night football just has to wait until after dinner...that is what a DVR is for.   I made this quick soup I adapted from Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Use a good chicken stock, I used some homemade from my freezer.  It was perfect with our grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and a side salad.

Shotgun Wedding Soup
adapted from Ellie Krieger

1/2 med. onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. moose sausage (her recipe calls for 1/2 lb. ground chicken)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley
1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 large eggs
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach

Dice the onion and mince the garlic.  heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sausage and cook, breaking up the meat as you stir, until is is no longer pink.  Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the broth, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley. Place the parsley, cheese and eggs in a medium bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Chop the spinach coarsely and set aside.

Once the soup is boiling, uncover and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Stir the broth in a circular motion, then slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, stirring all the time, to form thin strands.  Stir in the spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 30 seconds.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4

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Sept. 14     Sunrise 7:10 am  Sunset 8:21 pm   Temp H52/ L 39°F