Potato Soup for a chilly day meal

Potato soup has always been a favorite at our house.  Raising 4 hungry boys on a budget was never easy - but a challenge that I embraced!  Soup fit the bill perfectly, and I often baked corn bread to go along with it.  As you can see there are bacon bits in this soup, but that's not necessary.  If you are on a vegetarian diet you can easily change this recipe to suit you.










Let the creating begin!


I start out by peeling and chopping into cubes about 5-6 medium potatoes. Then I add a carrot or several baby carrots and chop them into 1/2" pieces.  I also add 1 rib of celery usually, but it's not necessary.  I pour water over them in the saucepan - just enough to cover - and bring it to a boil.  I usually add 2-3 chicken bouilon cubes to the water for extra flavor.  You can also use vegetable broth instead of water for flavor and to eliminate meat.

It takes about 15 minutes.  If you like chunky soup you don't have to boil them as long. We like ours to have some chunks, but I also mash them to make it thicker.

 When they are finished boiling I just get out my trusty potato masher and mash the whole thing together.  The carrots mash a little - but not too much.  You can still have nice-sized pieces....Meanwhile in a large saucepan I melt 3-4 Tablespoons butter (real) and saute 1 large onion.

  If you want bacon, skip the butter, then chop 3-4 slices of bacon first and cook it in the pan. Remove bacon and keep 3-4 tablespoons of the bacon grease to saute your onions in....yum!  Now sprinkle 3 Tablespoons flour over the bacon grease (or butter with the onions, depending on what you used) and stir well. Let it cook for a minute on medium heat.  If it's too dry, it's ok to add a little more butter or grease. 

Slowly add 2 cups of milk (I use 2 % but you can use whole milk, too) to the roux you've made with the flour mixture and stir until it begins to thicken and bubble just a little.  Keep stirring!  And now you can add the potato mixture and stir some more.  After this all heats together well and is thickened nicely I usually add my favorite cheese.  We like American or Cheddar...mostly cheddar.  But you can also make this soup without any cheese and it's more like a chowder.  You can also add ham chunks.  It's very flexible - you really can't hardly mess it up...add more cheese to thicken it more or add more milk to thin it out.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  I think you're really gonna love this soup!

Potato Soup recipe:

4-6 medium potatoes (I like Yukon Gold)

1 large carrot, sliced or 1/2 cup baby carrots, sliced

water to cover or vegetable broth

3-4 slices bacon, chopped, or 3-4 tablespoons real butter

1 large onion

1 rib celery

2 cups milk

3 Tablespoons flour

American or Cheddar cheese (1/2 - 1 cup)

1/2-3/4 cup chopped ham, optional

salt & pepper to taste

Peel and chop potatoes. Chop carrots & celery. Place all in medium saucepan and cover with water or vegetable broth. (can add 2-3 chicken bouillon cubes when water boils). Bring to boil, then turn down and simmer for about 15 minutes or till veg are tender.  Mash with potato masher till consistency you like....less for more chunks.

Meanwhile, brown bacon in large saucepan.  Remove bacon to be added at end and leave bacon grease in pan. (If using butter, then put it in the saucepan to melt on medium heat.) Chop onion and add to hot butter or grease & saute till tender (5-7 minutes) on medium heat... Do NOT let butter burn....you will not like the flavor, trust me! :)  Sprinkle flour over onion mixture and stir well. Let cook for only a minute, then slowly - very slowly! pour the milk into the pan and keep on a-stirring! Cook till thickens, then once again - very slowly pour the potato mixture into this pan and stir some more!  Heat well & add cheese till melted.  Add bacon bits and ham just till heated.  Serve!  Sprinkle more cheese & bacon over the top of each bowl.  Enjoy!

Quote of the day: “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.” 

― Oscar Wilde, in the book "A Woman of No Importance"

Cranberry/Orange/Nut Bread!

Autumn is definitely in the air in Missouri!  Didn't get out of the 40's today...cloudy, misty.  Perfect weather for baking, in my opinion, and I just happened to have some fresh cranberries on hand.

I've been baking this bread since our oldest was in Kindergarden because his teacher baked it and brought it to school and he loved it!  So she gave me the recipe and it's been a Bowler tradition every Fall since.  And that was in 1980! Thank you, Mrs. Napper!  She was a wonderful teacher and so great with the kids.  Teachers are very, very special people and deserve to be thanked and appreciated.

  

It's a very easy recipe and quick to make

real butter, orange juice, fresh cranberries, toasted pecans, eggs

This is what the finished product looks like....oh, man, I just love that aroma of just baked bread-cranberry-goodness!  I couldn't resist cutting a slice while still warm - it's the way I always enjoy my fresh baked goods....right out of the oven!  (Baker privilege, you know...!)  It's so moist it doesn't even need butter!

By the way...I obviously doubled this recipe...I usually do that so I can share with family or friends or just freeze some for later.  It freezes very well. I wrap it in foil or put it in a freezer bag.

A few of the fresh ingredients! I chop my cranberries in half only - I like larger pieces in my breads & muffins - and by the way, you can make this recipe as muffins as well!

Here's the original recipe...looks its age, doesn't it?

Here's the recipe:

Cranberry/Orange Nut Bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp melted butter (real!)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup orange juice (not concentrate)
1 cup cranberries, sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sift (or just stir together) flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl.
In smaller bowl, combine butter, egg and orange juice.  Add all at once to dry ingredients and stir. (I do it by hand, you don't want to over-beat it. I just stir it until evenly moist.) Fold in cranberries and nuts. Pour into greased 9x5 loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (I always check at about 45-50 minutes since ovens can vary).  Cool 5-10 min then remove from pan & place on wire rack.
Enjoy!

Quote of the day:
"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served the family nothing but leftovers.  The original meal has never been found." ~Calvin Trillin