Sweet Potato & Leek Soup

My fridge and pantry are filled with wholesome veggies just waiting to be put to use in the perfect recipe!  I love potatoes!  Russets, Yukons, Butters, Reds, Fingerlings...but lately I've tried to avoid them a bit to aid in getting the rest of my "baby fat" off!  So I've been eating a lot more sweet potatoes, which suits me just fine!  I came up with this soup last week!  The texture is velvety smooth and is the perfect balance between savory and sweet!  The flavors are uncompromisingly pure because you are using very few ingredients!  I think you'll love it just like I do!

What you'll need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek, thinly sliced
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken stock
1-2 cups skim milk
S&P to taste


In a large saucepan, put olive oil and sliced leek over medium heat to get tender.  About 5 minutes.  Add cubed sweet potatoes and chicken stock.  Raise heat to high and boil for 20 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.  Put the cooked sweet potatoes and leeks along with the cooking stock in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour back into the sauce pan and over medium heat, add the milk to get to your desired consistency.  Allow the soup to heat through and then add S&P to your tastes!  Thanks for letting me share another healthy recipe with you!:)  Makes 4 generous servings!


Image & recipe by Kara

Three Things

Happy Presidents Day! Long weekends RULE, don't ya think? Today I'm sharing three RAD things that I've seen around zee blogs that I decided to make and and do: A DIY mirror, a yummy soup, and Apple Cider Vinegar as toner! 

1. After seeing this round-up of DIY (SHIM) sunburst mirrors on Little Green Notebook, I decided I'd give it a go since all the sunbursts I've admired over the years cost around three-hundy. The above picture is my finished mirror in all its gilded glory hanging above our bed. This project isn't difficult, but it does take time and patience. I mostly followed her instructions, but I did do a few things different (in case you decide to make one yourself): I used a 12 in round mirror from Michael's (not a 10 in), I painted the whole thing using Martha Stewarts Metallic Paint in Vintage Gold (from Home Depot, comes in a 10 oz container) as opposed to spray painting it and I used screws and wire as my hanging hardware instead of the teeth attachment. Click {{HERE}} for the tutorial.

2. Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup. I had this soup at a luncheon awhile back and really enjoyed it and then my friend had it brewing in her home one afternoon and her house smelled phenomenal and then Sophistimom posted a version of the soup on her blog. I decided it was high time I make a batch of my own! A double batch, athankyou. I followed Sophistimoms recipe to a T. It's delicious and I love that I found another purpose for kale. I even took some to my grandparents and they loved it! {{Click HERE for the recipe}}

3. Apple Cider Vinegar is my new toner! It has to be an Apple Cider Vinegar with the "mother" in it. I started doing this a couple weeks ago when I saw this post via A Blog About Love. My skin is softer, my T-zone doesn't produce as much oil and overall my skin just looks and feels cleaner. And it's all natural! I'm totally sold. All I do is pour a little Apple Cider Vinegar on a cotton disc (like you would with nail polish remover), then I just quickly run the vinegar soaked cotton under running water to dilute the vinegar a little. Then I swab it all over my face, starting with my T-zone first. The smell doesn't bother me and once it's dry and absorbed you won't be able to smell it. Give it a try! Read all about it {{HERE}}.

Thanks for letting me share these three things with you today and thanks to the awesome bloggers who inspired me to do them! Check ya later. xoxo

all images by Briana

Skinny Cream Of Asparagus Soup

In an attempt to be healthier, my mind has been spinning on ways to be satisfied with the meals I prepare and not sacrifice flavor.  I found a recipe on Girl Growing Small that I thought looked promising.  I ended up adjusting it more to my palette and I'm very happy with the results!  It was super quick and easy!  And the best part?  My little family liked it too, which is a HUGE bonus!

Ingredients:
2 bunches asparagus, woody ends cut off
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
salt, pepper and cayenne to your tastes


Throw your chopped onion into a small saute pan with a pat(around 1 TBS) of butter.  Caramelize the onion over medium heat stirring frequently until onions are tender.  In a large stock pot bring roughly 5 cups of water to a boil.  Add the asparagus and boil for 5 minutes.  Once asparagus is tender, measure out 1 cup of the cooking water and pour into the pitcher of your blender along with the cooked asparagus and caramelized onion.  Blend until smooth.  Pour the blended mixture back into the empty stock pot, add the greek yogurt and chicken stock.  Stir well over medium heat until warmed through.  Add salt, pepper and cayenne to your tastes.  Enjoy!


Original recipe from Girl Growing Small
Modified By Kara
Image By Kara 

Enchilada Soup

Yay happy Friday!!!!  I hope you all have exciting things planned for this weekend! Here at my home, we'll be doing a lot resting and hopefully recovering.  It's been a rough 1 1/2 weeks!  We've been bombarded with runny noses, sore throats and coughs!  I thought we were to the end of it and now my little guy has the flu, with the fever and all!  It's times like this I wonder why I even bother sending him to school!  So, the poor little guy is quarantined{with plenty of books and movies} for the next several days!  I cannot let my 8 month old get this!  My wise Mama said you are supposed to "feed a fever".  So that is exactly what I'm going to do!  Hibernate and make some of our favorite foods!  Starting with this soup!  It is so so so good you guys! I was introduced to it by my sis in law Megan, who kindly shared the recipe!  It really does taste like a cheesy chicken enchilada in soup form!  No hassle, easy to make!  Enjoy!

Here is the recipe:
1/2-1 lb cooked chicken(diced or shredded)
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 clove garlic(minced)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup masa harina
1 1/2 cups water(divided)
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
In a medium sauce pot, saute onion and garlic in oil over medium heat.  Add broth.  In a small bowl, whisk together masa harina and 1 cup water.  Pour into pot over the broth mix.  Add remaining 1/2 cup water, enchilada sauce, cheese, salt, chili powder, cumin and mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil.  Add chicken and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally.


Recipe from Megan Lettich Asay
image by Kara    

Cold Buster Noodles

A head-cold creeped its way into our home the last week. My youngest and I were the recipients of it and, for some reason, it's wanting to set up shop and stay awhile. We can't shake it! I made this soup today and it made us all feel loads better. When I'm sick, a bowl of steamy savory broth and noodles always sounds good. Always. I came up with this soup as an alternative to Lipton Noodle Soup or Ramen (did you love those when you were a kid too?).

I decidedly chose to have this recipe yield a lot of soup. You might as well make a lot since it will take you the same amount of time to make 4 servings as it will to make 15. Just freeze the left-overs or refrigerate them for another meal later that week. Also, a word about the cayenne pepper- The pepper isn't enough for the soup to be spicy. It's just a hint so it enhances the flavor of the broth and cayenne is good to help burn that sickness outta ya! Enjoy! And DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL DOWN AND ENTER TO WIN THE BLUE CHEVRON PILLOWS KARA IS GIVING AWAY! They are so cheery and would jazz up any living space! Okay, see ya later!

Recipe (yield 12-15 servings):

20 cups chicken stock (you can always add more liquid if you want it less noodly. Can someone please give me a good reason as to why noodly isn't a real word?

Here is how I achieve 20 (roughly) cups of chicken stock: I use around 6ish cups homemade stock (if you don't have homemade, just use another carton of Kitchen Basics and add a little more water), 2 32oz cartons of Kitchen Basics chicken stock, 6 cups water that I dissolve Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base in to make stock.

I recommend doing it this way, because you get the delicious homemade flavor from the chicken stock and the savory/I could eat ten bowls of this soup from the bouillon. 

1 16 oz bag Country Pasta noodles (or any other egg type noodle)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring stock and water to a boil in a large pot. Stir and dissolve 3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base in. Add noodles and cook for 18 minutes, or until done. Taste and dissolve another teaspoon or a 1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon in if it needs. It's better to work your way up w/ the bouillon, then add too much in the beginning and the soup be too salty (if by chance you add too much bouillon, just add water to the soup and that should solve the problem). Stir in cayenne and serve!

images by Briana

Italian Lentil Soup

This is a hearty nutritious soup that doesn't lack flavor or substance. It'll warm you right up!
Recipe (yields 6-8 servings):
3 carrots, washed and diced
3 celery stalks, washed and diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh thyme, leaves removed and minced about 2 tablespoons
1 can (14-15oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups lentils
1 cup dried elbow macaroni
2 32 oz cartons chicken stock (Kitchen Basics)
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions, celery and carrots. Allow to soften and sweat for a few minutes over medium high heat. Stir often. Add in minced garlic and stir to combine. Stir often, making sure garlic doesn't burn. Let mixture saute for 2 more minutes. Add in minced thyme, lentils, and diced tomatoes. Stir mixture for a minute to combine. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer and allow lentils to cook until tender, about 30 minutes. When lentils are tender add in dried macaroni and cook until the noodles are just tender, about 8 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls, grate parmesan cheese over the top and serve.

Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentis for the Food Network


images by Briana

Sweet Potato Chili

Here is a chili perfect to serve on Halloween! My friend, Shelby, shared this chili recipe with me. If you like chili, you are sure to enjoy this hearty version. I also liked Shelby's suggestion to eat the leftovers wrapped in a tortilla w/ sliced avocado (I also sprinkled in some cheese)! So good. Enjoy and have a happy and safe Halloween! Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe (yield 4-6 servings):


1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander, optional
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 large garlic clove
1 tablespoon canned chipotle peppers or 1 teaspoon cayenne
1 bell pepper, red or green, diced
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes or yams or an assortment of both, peeled and cubed into equal size pieces
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained
2 medium tomatoes , diced
1 small can tomato sauce (you could also use paste and add a little water in with it)
1 1/2 cups water (I used beef stock instead of water)


Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until softened, stirring often. Stir in chili powder and spices. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add in cubed sweet potato (or yams) and stir to coat with spices. 


Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water (or stock). Season with salt. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Right before serving, stir in chipotle peppers if you are using them (I didn't). Adjust seasonings to taste and serve. Top with avocado, sour cream, cheese, or tortilla chips.


image by Briana

Slow Cooked Rump Roast and Vegetable Soup

Mark this recipe under Super Tasty and Healthy!  Our Momma has done it again!  She is a master at making amazing soups with out using recipes!  This one is a keeper for sure!

Ingredients:
2-3 pound rump roast, slow cooked with 1 bottle Rick Bayless steak marinade and 1 bottle Rick Bayless Fajita marinade in crock pot for 8 hrs on low.


Once cooked, remove the roast from crockpot, remove fat, shred meat and add back to the crockpot and cooking juices.


Add to the crock pot: 
6 carrots, peeled and sliced 
1/2 head of green cabbage shredded
1 carton Kitchen Basics unsalted beef stock 
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 bay leaves
1 tablespoon crushed dried basil
kosher salt and pepper to taste 


Slow cook on low for 3-4 hours until carrots are tender!


image by Kara  

Fellow Blogger Recipe: Roasted Tomato Soup w/ Broiled Cheddar

I wish I could take credit for this soup recipe and the brilliance that is topping it with bread and cheese (ala french onion soup style) and broiling it in the oven but I'm not. This is a stroke of genius and I just had to share just in case you haven't already seen it. Think how cool it would be to have company over and serve these up?! Major. Enjoy!

Go HERE for the recipe and detailed instructions. DEEE-LISH!

all images by Briana

Sante Fe Soup

This is a recipe that our Aunt gave to our Mom years ago and it is a huge winner!!!  By far the BEST taco soup I have ever eaten!  It's a great dinner night whenever I make it!  And so easy to prepare!!!!  Thanks Aunt Marsha!!!!!

In a large soup pot brown:
1-1 1/2 LBS ground beef
1 large white onion, chopped
Once the meat is browned and the onions tender, drain off the excess fat.
Add to the meat:
2 (1 oz) pkgs ranch dressing mix
1 (1.5 oz) pkg taco seasoning mix
2 (11 oz) cans corn, drained
2 cups water
1 (16 oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies, undrained
Mix the whole pot together and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hrs or just enjoy it as soon as its hot enough!!!  Either way, you are going to LOVE IT!!!  I promise!


image by Kara  

Milano Minestrone

Here is another fantastic warm-n-cozy soup recipe from Momma Asay! Several years ago we went on a family vacation to Europe! One of our stops was in Italy. Ahhh, the food! Amazing gelato, baguettes, pasta, etc! While walking around Milan we found a quaint little restaurant called Papa Fransiscos! We all fell in love with the Minestrone soup! It was packed with fresh veggies, top quality pasta and had the most buttery and savory broth I have ever tasted! So of course upon arriving home, Mom went to work trying to mimic the soup we all fell in love with in Milan! And she did an amazing job! You will fall in love with this soup also! Enjoy!

In a saute pan, brown sausage, onion and garlic together

2 small tubes all natural mild sausage, browned

2 medium yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

In a large stock pot combine:

10 medium carrots, chopped

10 celery stocks, chopped

2 cartons kitchen basics chicken stock

Add the browned sausage, onion and garlic to the stockpot also.

Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are beginning to get tender. While soup is simmering, in another pot:

Bring 1 large bag elbow macaroni or any other fun pasta you have on hand to a boil! Drain when pasta is al dente. The best way I have found to gauge this is by looking at the cooking time on the pasta bag and reducing it by a minute. So if it says to boil pasta for 11 minutes, boil it for 10! Add strained pasta to the soup!

Add to soup:

2 cans cannollini beans, drained

2 large zuchinni, chopped

3 tablespoons italian seasoning

2 tablespoons dried parsley

3/4 cube of butter (optional, but adds amazing flavor!)

Let soup simmer for another five minutes and then serve!!!

Note: This recipe makes a large batch so half it for smaller families!

image by Kara

Bri's Chicken Noodle Soup

January was a rough month of coughs, sore throats and runny noses at our house. It felt like it was never ending and when someone would get better, another family member would get sick starting the cycle all over again! Sheesh. Raise your hand if your January was like this? Sadly, February is here and we are still trying to fight off scratchy throats and coughs. When our little family is feeling under the weather, I always make this and it never fails to give us a boost. It's actually one of my very favorite things to make. Enjoy!

***For all you out there who might be wondering where the Super Bowl recipes are, I'm going to do a round up later on of some of my favorites that I've seen around the blogs.***

Here is my recipe (yield 8-12 servings):

1 16 oz bag Country Pasta Homemade Style Egg Noodles (I use the thick ones)

2 chicken breasts (I recommend free range or going as natural as possible)

5 carrots, washed, peeled and diced

5 stalks celery, washed and diced

1 large yellow onion, diced finely

2 32 oz Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock

1-2 teaspoons organic Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base (you can find this by the stock at your grocery store)

1-2 cups water

2 teaspoons dried parsley

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and pat dry chicken breasts. Place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle each breast with extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and/or any other blend of seasoning you like. I hit mine with a good dose of Chef's Shake which is a blend from The Spice Hunter. Pop in the oven and cook the chicken breast till they're done- about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and shred chicken with two forks. Set chicken aside while you get the soup ready. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add diced carrot, celery and onion. Stir around and allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add both 32 oz Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock. Bring to a rolling boil. Add noodles. Allow noodles to cook for 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes is up, add shredded chicken. Measure one tablespoon of Bouillon Chicken Base and stir and dissolve it into the soup. Add one cup water. Now, taste the soup. Add salt and pepper to your liking. You can also add another teaspoon of Chicken Base and 1 cup of water if you think it needs it. Allow to cook for a few more minutes if the noodles and veggies are still a little firm. Stir in parsley before serving. Refrigerate left overs. Will keep in your fridge for 5-7 days.

image by Briana

Momma's Chicken & Wild Rice

Our Mom has hit another GRAND SLAM with this thick and hearty soup! Normally, if given choices, Chicken and Wild Rice would not be my first! But from now on, if it's this recipe, there will be no contest! Mom said last week she was going to try throwing together a decent Chicken and Wild Rice! Well, throwing together and decent aren't words I would even use to describe this incredible concoction our Momma has come up with! It is hands down one of the best soups I have ever had the pleasure of eating!!! My mouth and belly are thankful and yours will be too!

Note: My Momma wrote the recipe down as she went and gave me liberty to adjust the methods she used in order to make it perhaps an easier or shorter process! But I will be doing nothing of the sort! You just can't improve on perfection!

In a crockpot on high for 2 hours mix:

1 16 oz pkg Lundberg wild rice (obviously other brands could work as well)

2 medium white onions, diced

7 medium carrots, diced

7 medium celery sticks, diced

1 32 oz carton kitchen basics chicken stock

In a large saucepan combine:

6 chicken breasts

1 qt chicken stock

6 bay leaves

Bring to a boil, turn breast over and turn heat down to simmer for 2 hours.

Once rice and chicken are done, in a large stock pot combine:

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup cornstarch

Whisk and boil til thickened. Add 2 teaspoons dried parsley and 2 teaspoons tarragon. Add cooked rice and veggies from the crock pot. Strain the leftover stock and juices from the cooked chicken into the stock pot. Shred the chicken breasts and add them as well. Mix altogether and add salt and pepper to taste!

Recipe by Momma Asay

image by Kara

Quick, Simple And Oh So Delicious Black Bean Soup

I've been in a bit of a cooking slump as of late. Ya, not real great when you are the other half of a food and home blog! I was on line yesterday looking for some recipe inspiration and went to Real Simple.com! It's the website I like to go to for fun ideas, in and out of the kitchen! I wasn't looking for anything fancy or challenging! Just good, wholesome recipes I could feel great about feeding to my family! I am happy to report, I found several such recipes and will be testing and modifying them to my liking to share with you! Here is the first! And Folks, it DID NOT disappoint! I tweaked the recipe slightly and had it made in under 20 minutes! My family was in Black Bean Soup heaven last night!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups fresh pico or salsa (I get mine at harmons in the back of the produce section)

1 16-oz can refried black beans

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (add a little more if you want a thinner soup)

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

3-4 drops hot sauce such as cholula or tabasco (we like things with a little kick so omit this if you want less heat)

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the 1 1/2 cups fresh salsa and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the refried beans, black beans, chicken stock and spices and bring to a slight boil. Continuing to stir! Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Divide between bowls and garnish however you would like! We used guacamole, sour cream and fresh pico! And my husband and little guy crushed tortilla chips in theirs! A winner all around for sure!

Note: I doubled the recipe and was glad to have some leftover for lunch today!;)

Original recipe from Real Simple.com

Modified by Kara

Images by Kara

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Happy Monday Guys! We hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend! Here's a great cold weather recipe for ya! A good friend of mine made this delicious soup a few weeks ago and was kind enough to bring some over! Oh man did it hit the spot! I HAD to have the recipe! Packed with yummy and tender veggies, rotisserie white chicken and a delicious, creamy and savory base, this soup has it all! Thank you LaRee for introducing me to one of the best soups I've ever tasted!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. baby carrots, sliced 2-3 times for bite size

1 medium red onion, diced

2-3 celery stalks, sliced to bite size

3 tablespoons chicken bouillon

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

4 red potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes

1 cup frozen broccoli florets

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 cups milk

1/2 cup flour

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

8 oz Velveeta cheese, diced (I only used 4 oz)

Put carrots, onion and celery in a soup pot. Fill the pot with water until it is just covering the vegetables. Boil until the vegetables begin to get tender. About 15 minutes. Toss in the bouillon and basil as it boils. Add potatoes. Boil for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes begin to get tender. Add frozen broccoli florets and peas. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and flour together until smooth. Pour and stir the milk mixture into the soup pot. Allow the soup to thicken, stirring constantly, over medium high heat. Once thickened, reduce heat to low. Add the cheese and chicken. Simmer and stir until cheese melts and potatoes are perfect!

image by Kara

Creamy, Cheesy, Potato Corn Chowder

Here is another amazing recipe from our Momma! Again she doesn't follow a recipe, just follows her tastes! But lucky for you and for me, she was kind enough to sit down and write it all out for us! It is wonderfully warm, creamy and savory! Another PERFECT Fall soup!

Recipe: Serves 12, so divide recipe in half if cooking for 6 or less!

15 med red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eighths (bite size pieces)

Put potatoes into large pan of boiling water until tender (15-25 min)

Once the potatoes are tender, drain into a large strainer.

Using the same pan you used to boil the potatoes, bring 1 qt of chicken stock to a boil.

Take 2 additional cups of chicken stock and add 1/3 cup cornstarch. Whisk together.

Add the stock/cornstarch mixture to the boiling chicken stock in the pan.

Add 2 cups whole milk

4 cups grated monterey jack or medium cheddar cheese

2 cans corn, drained

Add drained potatoes and simmer to allow cheese to fully melt

Add salt and pepper to taste!

Enjoy!

Thank you Momma for sharing your culinary expertise with us once again!:)

image by Kar

Udon Noodles, Fresh Veggies and Savory Chicken Broth

This is what I had for lunch today! Y.U.M! This is the kind of food that warms me from the inside out! I just can't get enough! It was super quick and easy to make and full of fresh and savory flavor! Enjoy!

First julienne 1 red pepper and cut the stringy ends off of a handful (1 1/2 cups) snow peas. Fill a saute pan 1/2 in deep with good quality chicken stock. Boil/steam the prepared veggies for 3 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Chicken flavor Fortune Udon noodles can be found in the refrigerated section where prepared salad greens and coleslaw is found. These noodles are awesome! It's like a healthy more hearty version of Top Ramen! If you can't find these at your local grocery store, by all means, use regular udon noodles and cook them according to the package. Only instead of boiling them in water, use chicken stock. For 14 ounces of noodles, use 2 1/2 cups chicken stock. Add a little onion powder, about 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chili paste and turmeric all to taste and you are good to go! If you can find these at your grocery store, cook according to the package except lessen the water to 1 1/4 cups per package. Two packages are needed for the amount of veggies used! Serves 3-4!

Once the broth is hot and the noodles are cooked (2-3 minutes). Add a cup of fresh baby spinach and the sauteed veggies! I like to add a little ground chili paste to this mixture for some added spice and heat! But totally optional! Hmmm...I think I'll make this for dinner as well! It's that good!

images by Kara

Pot Roast Stew

Good Afternoon! Here is another family favorite for ya. My Mom never follows a recipe when she makes this but we sat down after she made it last week and wrote quantities down so we could share it here (thanks Mom!). She's got this soup down to a science! I don't say things are the "best" a lot around here, but this stew really is the best of its kind. Enjoy!

Recipe and preparation for the pot-roast:

3 lb (give or take) rump roast

6 Bay leaves

1 largish yellow onion

1 qt Kitchen Basics Beef Stock, ONLY use 2 cups and refrigerate the rest to use later in the recipe.

Salt and Pepper

Slice yellow onion into disks. Line onion disks on the bottom of your crock-pot. Place roast on top of onion disks, fat side up. Pour in your 2 cups beef stock. Scatter bay leaves in and lastly, season with salt pepper generously. Cook on low for at least 8 hours.

1 hour before roast is done, begin to assemble the soup. Here is the remainder of the ingredients to compile the stew (yield 10-12):

3 qts Kitchen Basics Beef Stock

2 yellow onions, diced

10-12 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 1 inch size pieces (refer to picture)

10 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces

1 bag frozen peas

3/4 cup cornstarch

Remaining beef stock that wasn't used in the roast preparation

In an x-large pot, heat 2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and allow to sweat and caramelize for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Add a little more oil if the onions get too dry and begin to stick. When onions are completely softened, add in all 3 qts of beef stock. Add potato pieces and sliced carrots. Turn heat up to high. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes, then turn heat down to medium (rolling boil). This will help insure that you don't overcook the potatoes and carrots. Take the left-over beef stock from the fridge and pour all of it into a small bowl. Whisk 3/4 cups corn starch vigorously into the small bowl with the beef stock- making sure you combine all bits of cornstarch. The mixture will be the color of creamy caramel. Make sure the soup is still at a rolling boil and while continually stirring the soup, slowly add the cornstarch mixture. The soup will begin to thicken after a minute or two. Allow soup to bubble and thicken for a few minutes. Add frozen peas and stir. While the peas heat through, turn your attention to the pot roast for prepping:

When the roast is done, remove from crock-pot and place on a cutting board. Remove the layer of fat and discard. Using a fork and/or knife gently pull the meat apart into suitable chunks for the stew. You can use a knife if you want to cut the pieces to be more bite size. When finished pulling all the meat, add to the soup and stir to incorporate. Also, add remaining juices from the crock-pot to the stew. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking-- keep in mind it may not need any at all. Test the potatoes and carrots for doneness, they should be perfect at this point. If they do seem a little firm, cook for a few minutes more.

Serve Pot Roast Stew in bowls with some bread on the side to sop up all the rich gravy. Refrigerate left overs up to a week. To reheat, gently do so over medium-low heat.

image by Kara and Briana

model is Kara

P.S. Thanks Design Mom for linking to the Golden Oreo post! So cool. Checkout the link if you didn't see it. :)

The Best Butternut Squash Soup

Using only a few simple ingredients yet flavorful and hearty, this soup is what fall is all about! Vegetables that are at the height of their season will always produce the best results! I have never actually followed a recipe when making this soup. I've done it by taste because the ingredients are so few. I decided to write down everything I did and in what quantities and I believe this batch turned out better than any other that I've made! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

Ingredients:

Six cups roasted butternut squash

1 medium white onion, chopped

6 cups good quality chicken stock, I use Kitchen Basics

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to your tastes

Sunday morning, I was lucky enough to go and root around in my parents amazing garden. I found just what I was looking for in this large butternut squash!

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then rinse the squash. Then with a heavy duty chef's knife, cut it into thirds horizontally and then cut each third in half. Scoop out the seeds. Take a glass pyrex dish and pam the bottom. Place the sections of squash in the dish.

Cover with tinfoil and put in your preheated oven for 1 hour until tender. Now you can just relax for a while!:)

After you have taken the roasted squash out of the oven and let it cool a bit, start on your onion. Chop a medium white onion and throw it into a large sauce or soup pan. Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock over the onion and on medium high heat cook the onions until they are tender.

Scoop out all of the flesh from the squash rinds. I used my magic bullet because it blends everything so well. But it does take a little more time because you can't blend as much at once. So if you have a good blender by all means use that! I blended 2 cups roasted squash with 1 1/2 cups chicken stock plus the cooked onions and repeated this 3 times, equaling 6 cups pureed squash with 4 1/2 cups chicken stock blended with it! I hope this makes sense!:) If you have a larger blender obviously you can blender more at once!

Pour the pureed squash mixture into the same pan you used to cook the onions. And begin to warm over medium heat. Add the cayenne and nutmeg and stir thoroughly. Once the soup is starting to bubble, turn the heat to low and add the heavy cream. Take a teaspoon and taste the soup. More than likely you will need to add salt and pepper. I didn't measure how much salt and pepper I added, just did it to my tastes! Then stir thoroughly. Pour the soup into individual serving bowls and sprinkle a little nutmeg over the top!

Enjoy first's and second's like this little guy did!

images by Kar