Sunday Photos: C

C is for…

***

The big C that pops into my (Sincerely, Emily) mind is Cat! But since I highlighted my love for black cats last Sunday, I thought I would move onto other C-things.

C is for…

Making hand cream

I plan to chat about more C-things this coming Thursday.

***

When you think of the letter “C”, what pops into your mind?

Read Full Post »

Cream of Baked Potato Soup

 

There were two things hubby requested when I decided to go vegan…he could not live without icecream and he begged that I please not quit making this soup!  There is still icecream in the freezer and I made this last night!

I will admit right here and now that I do not like boiled potatoes.  I don’t like the process of peeling, boiling, cutting, and I don’t really like the taste or texture very much when they are done.  I much prefer baked potatoes, they are easier to prepare, can be made ahead and most of all I like the texture and flavor much better.  So with that in mind I am going to share with you a very easy but heartily delicious recipe for my cream of BAKED potato soup!

You will need:    

1 large sweet onion chopped (you could use a regular onion if you prefer, I just happen to love sweet onions!)

6 TBSP Butter(I always use real salted butter, the richness it adds to this cannot be matched by margarine)

4 TBSP White Flour

1 tsp Salt  ( to begin with, salt to taste after that)

White Pepper (you could also use black course ground

6 Cups Milk (non-fat, 1%, 2%, whole…it completely up to you, I used 1% this time because that is what I had on hand)

6 – 8 pounds potatoes baked and cooled

  First melt butter in large pot, add onions and cook until soft

 

While onions are cooking peel and chop potatoes

Note:  if you like peelings in your soup make sure to rub your potatoes with oil before baking, then chop the peeling up along with your potatoes and add up to 1/2 of them…this is the way I like it but have picky children who think peelings in soup are “icky”!

 

Ohhhh I do love potatoes!!!!!!!!!!!

 

After you onions are soft add 4 TBSP White Flour, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste, cook and stir over low heat for a couple of minutes to make sure the flour cooks and doesn’t have that ‘floury’ taste…

 

Add your milk and cook over low heat until it becomes thick and bubbly

Then add your potatoes and heat through, salt and pepper to perfection, and…

 

You get a scrumptiously yummy, hearty and delicious soup that your family will praise and adore you for.  They might even volunteer to do the dishes and clean the kitchen after they are done licking their bowls…then again this is just soup, not a miracle in a pot!!!

Now for the kicker…are you ready? 

This was just the master recipe that I just shared with you…you can all get a little wild and crazy with it!   How about…

Mushrooms!  Add sliced mushrooms to the onions at the beginning and you get Cream of BAKED Potato and MUSHROOM soup….ohhh I can’t even tell you how much I love this one!

Cheese! Add 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the sauce before adding the potatoes and voila, you have Cream of BAKED potato and cheddar soup…can’t you just imagine?  My knees go weak just thinking about it!

Cheesy Cheese! Add 1 cup shredded Cheddar and…hold onto your hats…one cup shredded Swiss Cheese to the sauce.  This is for you that like to walk on the wild side!

The ways you can adorn this are also amazing, try these topping on for size…

How about a dollop of sour cream?  Maybe some shredded cheese or chopped green onions?  Ohhh I know, for you carnivores some crumbled bacon might be nice…steamed broccoli would be yummy for us vegetarians…just about anything you can put on a baked potato you can put on the top of a bowl of this soup!

This is seriously good and so easy it is almost cheating…so if you want something hearty for dinner that will cause your family to stand and applaud then this is it…now go on, make yourself some potato soup!!!

OH, oh…I almost forgot.  I made this last summer with corn freshly off the cob for Potato Corn Chowder.  I’m sure it would be fine also with frozen corn.

BTW, what is the difference between creamed soup and chowder?…I think I’m going to have to look this up.

Carry on…

Read Full Post »