Empty Wallet Soup

     It happens to the best of us......


 Everyone knows that sometimes, after you get the rent, utilities, medical bills and unforeseen expenses paid for, you're just gonna have to be broke for a few days until your next paycheck. We've all been there, commiserate with me, won't you?

 So, tonight's challenge was feeding myself with what I had in the house (our pantry is always well-stocked, thankfully, so this certainly wasn't the challenge it could have been), and rather than let it stress me out, I was actually looking forward to it :) It gave me the opportunity to interpret a delicious and hella easy soup recipe that my friend Merlyn gave me about a month ago :)

 In it's true incarnation, this soup is called *Blushing Bunny Soup* (how adorable is that?), and Merlyn made it for us at our April StoryBook Club Meeting a few weeks back :) Our theme? The Velveteen Rabbit :) Merlyn, my love, as I said that night, I tip my hat to you, because this has to be one of the easiest, tastiest and most comforting soups I've had the pleasure of eating :) I could face a month of rainy days if I knew that this soup would be on the menu every night. Creamy, just a little spicy, and very reminiscent of the old childhood standby (grilled cheese and tomato soup, NOM), this soup is basically all you could ask for in the comfort food realm :)

 So, why didn't I just make Merlyn's original recipe and call it Blushing Bunny Soup? Because I only had some of the ingredients she called for in her original recipe, and had to improvise the rest. However, this was hardly an upsetting task, as Improvising in the Kitchen is basically the name of my game :)

 Before we get to my improvised version of this soup, I am going to include Merlyn's original recipe here, because you really should make it just the way it is, at least for your first try, because it is DELICIOUS :)

Blushing Bunny Soup
(recipe courtesy of Merlyn Fuller)
-1 large can Campbell's Tomato Soup
-1/2 can milk or cream (as in, pour the milk/cream into the now empty soup can until it is half full)
-1 or 2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
-1 or 2tbsp. Yellow Mustard
-1-2 bags Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- A few slices of toasted Italian Bread


-Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth.
-Serve over broken bits of Italian Bread Toast
-snuggle up with a blanket/good book/classic movie/snuggle buddy and enjoy life :)




 Now, onto my improvised version of this soup. Again, this version came about because I made it with ingredients that I had in my house, as a grocery store trip wasn't happening today. All of these items are fairly standard fridge/pantry fare, and, although I didn't time it specifically, I'm pretty dang sure that you could throw this together in under 15 minutes, maybe even under 10 minutes. That's a warm, comforting, CHEAP (actually, basically free because it was made of items I already had) homemade meal on the table in practically no time at all :) WIN :)

Empty Wallet Soup
(inspired by the Blushing Bunny Soup listed above)
-1 28oz can tomato puree
-1-2 cups milk (I used skim milk) ( you could also fill the puree can half full of milk, like the recipe above, really, it depends on what your desired consistency is, if you like thicker soups, back off on the milk, if you like thinner soups, use the full amount of milk)
-1-2 tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard
-1 large wedge Smoked Gouda Cheese
-2 slices deli-cut Provolone Cheese
-1 slice deli-cut sharp cheddar cheese
-One large Whole Wheat Pita, toasted (obviously, my first choice would have been Italian Bread Toast, but all I had in the house was the Pita, so that's what I used)
-Salt and Pepper to taste

-Combine the Tomato Puree, Mustard and Milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine.

                       
                              (I used about half of this Pac Man-shaped wedge)

-Grate the Smoked Gouda cheese into the soup and stir/whisk to combine.
-Add any other cheeses to the soup and stir/whisk to combine until smooth.


*FULL DISCLOSURE* The smoked gouda will not melt seamlessly into the soup, some of the texture will remain and it will be visible in the soup. The provolone and cheddar, however, will melt beautifully, and will basically disappear into the soup, making it extra creamy :)

-Taste to adjust seasonings, salt, pepper, etc to taste ( I added a few shakes of black pepper and a picnch of sea salt, and one more squeeze of mustard).


-Serve over toasted pita or bread of choice.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the variations on this soup are virtually endless :) Want to go Italian? Switch out the Cheddar and the Gouda for Mozzarella and Parmesan and add a little basil. How about Tex-Mex? Use Pepper Jack or Manchego, sub sour cream for the milk and stir in some salsa or jalapenos, serve over tortilla chips. French? Gruyere, Dijon Mustard and a few glugs of wine, serve over baguette, and on and on and on ;) Soup can be whatever you want it to be, once you have the base recipe the sky's the limit :)

Salud,
Lynn :)

Alive and Cooking

Friends!

Most of you read my other blog, so I won't go into the whole rant here, but here's the Reader's Digest version:

-My laptop is stuck in a System Repair Loop and has not worked for weeks, and I have no extra money to fix or replace it.

-Michael was carrying his laptop from the living room into the bedroom when he tripped and fell and dropped his laptop. Michael, thankfully, is fine. His laptop, however, is not. Michael's laptop broke completely in half. He managed to put it back together, but now it does not recognize itself. His laptop does not know it's a laptop, it probably thinks it's a toaster for all I know. And, like me, Michael does not have the extra money to fix or replace his computer, as all of our extra funds are going to savings and/or upcoming wedding expenses.

  To whit, I have not been able to post, as my only internet access is at work, or if I have time to scoot to my Mom's, the library, or to the home of a friend with a working computer. Since I'm just coming out of tech rehearsals for my most recent show, spare time has been virtually nonexistent. The show opens tonight, and I promised my family I would not get involved in any more performances until after the Wedding (other than my contract with SSF/ART, but the rep shows are during the day, anyway). So, soon I will have something resembling free time, and I hope to be posting more regularly, even if I'm computer-less at home.

BUT!!!

I HAVE been cooking!!!

-Baked Meatballs and Homemade Sauce
-Meatball Soup
-Lemon Bars
-Boston Cream Cake (I had so much frosting that I covered the whole cake with it, which made it more like cake, rather than pie)
-A hand mixer mishap that resulted in frosting that I thought would be a disaster, but it turned out to be a huge hit and gave me an idea for a St. Patrick's Day Cake :)

More as soon as I have the time and tools necessary to write up some posts :)

Love Ya'll :)
Lynn

Inaugural Apartment Dinner!!!

Hello My Lovelies,

We are slowly but surely getting settled into our new apartment, Huzzah!!! :) The pile of boxes is getting smaller and smaller and now it looks like we actually live there :) I must admit that due to the craziness of moving, working and rehearsing full-time, our first few meals there were of the cereal, soup, sandwiches, tortilla chips and salsa variety, but I am pleased to report that we stuck to our goal of no takeout :) This was our first sit-down, made from scratch dinner, and it was DELISH!!! The batteries in my camera were almost dead and I only managed to snap a few photos of the finished product, so, sadly, this is a recipe-free post, but I wanted to let anyone interested know that we are moved in and COOKING!!!

Steak with Baked Potatoes and Field Greens with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Blood Orange Vinaigrette :)

Sorry this is so short, but there's lots and lots more coming soon from Our New Kitchen!!!

Love,
Lynn

Flavored Butter

Okay Folks, I admit it, I can't resist a *handy dandy last-minute homemade gift* post ;)

Meet Flavored Butter:

Flavored Butter is our Friend! Why? Glad you asked :)

Because it's way easy, way cheap, and WAY DELICIOUS!!!

   I don't know a single person who is not busy around the holidays. On a personal note, this is the first holiday season in a very long time where I was working full-time, and the first holiday season where I have been engaged (yay!) and spending time with both my family and my fiance's family. I've been rehearsing for two plays, and, oh! Did I mention we're MOVING? (Not very far, still in CNY, and we're thrilled, but add packing onto the holiday rush and things get REALLY interesting). So yeah, not a lot of time, I know we've all been there.

  However, I love making homemade gifts, and the fact that you're reading this means that you probably do too :) The Cocoa I posted about earlier in December and these Flavored Butters are a dream come true for the DIYer in a time-crunch.

Anyone need a refresher on why butter is awesome? No? Good, didn't think so ;)

  And who better to provide the Flavored Butter recipes than the Queen of Comfort Food herself, Ms. Paula Deen? These recipes came from her Christmas Cookbook, and I couldn't more pleased with them :)

  Kids, I can't tell how how fast this butter came together. Minus the softening time (which wasn't labor intensive, I just left it out on the counter and did other stuff), this whole thing came together in about an hour, as in, I had it all blended, packaged and ready to be put it gift bags in an hour, and I multiplied each recipe by 6!!! SO. FAST. If you find yourself in need of a last minute gift, you cannot go wrong with this.

  And taste? *SWOON* So incredibly delicious :) I mean, come on, it's BUTTER mixed with marmalade, or cinnamon and honey!!! How could it possibly NOT be delicious??? After this recipe, I don't expect to see a naked piece of toast, pancake, waffle or muffin in my house for loooong time :)

  NOTE: These recipes are proportioned for 1 stick of flavored butter (as they appear in the book). To make this in bulk, multiply the recipe by the number of sticks of butter you'll be using. For example, I used 6 sticks of butter for the Cinnamon Honey Butter, and 6 sticks for the Orange Butter, so I multiplied each recipe by 6. This makes a very generous amount of flavored butter, depending on what size containers you're using, (if any), you'll most likely have leftovers :)

Orange Butter
-based on a recipe from Christmas with Paula Deen
- 1 stick (or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
- 3 tbsp. orange marmalade


-Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl (I used a hand mixer on low, it gave the butter a nice whipped consistency)

Cinnamon Honey Butter
(based on a recipe from Christmas with Paula Deen)
-1 stick (or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
-2 tbsp. honey
-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
-salt, to taste ( the salt is optional, I tasted my butter and it needed it, but yours may not, taste and see :)


- Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl (again, I used a hand mixer on low speed)

- FOR EACH RECIPE: Pack into small crock or jar (I used 4-oz canning/jelly jars) with tight fitting lid. Or, roll in waxed paper into a log shape and twist at the ends. Chill thoroughly. If rolling in wax paper, wrap the wax paper in colorful paper.

  As I'm sure you all have guessed by now, the possibilities for Flavored Butter are virtually endless, Maple, Garlic, Lemon, Herb, Fruit; the sky's the limit!!! Have Fun!!!


Happy Holidays to You All :) You are all part of what makes life so sweet for me :) Even if we haven't met in person, I love you :)

Buona Festa!!!

Lynn :)

Homemade Hot Cocoa

   It may or may not interest you to know that my absolute favorite breakfast happens to be Italian bread toast with real butter and homemade hot cocoa :)

   Let's talk about Hot Cocoa for second, shall we?

     Subtly different from hot chocolate, nothing takes me back to my childhood like a cup of Cocoa. When I was a kid, my Nana watched my brothers and I while my parents were at work. Every morning, I always wanted the same thing for breakfast, the aforementioned toast and cocoa. My Nana would perch me on the counter next to the stove so she should keep an eye on me while she cooked.This was a spot I frequently occupied, and it was on this counter, looking down into whatever she was cooking that my lifelong love affair with food began :) I would watch her mix the cocoa powder and sugar in the pan and then watch it bubble and carmelize into a paste (side note: Whenever the coca/sugar mixture started to bubble, my grandmother would always say "Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble*, so maybe my Nana's kitchen is where my love of Shakespeare began too? ;) and then she would slowly pour in the milk, whisk it all together, pour it into my cup, and my morning joy would be complete :)

   So, in a nutshell: Cocoa, to me, in addition to being delicious and festive, is also supremely comforting and nostalgic. Drinking cocoa literally makes me feel like a kid again, cared for, safe, and innocent. All this in a cup of Cocoa? Yes. In my world, YES.

   This year, because of it's aforementioned qualities, I wanted to add homemade hot cocoa mix to my repertoire of homemade Holiday Gifts. I looked around online, and through some of my cookbooks, and was rather disappointed to see that most of the recipes I came across were, like, 3 parts sugar to 1 part cocoa powder. I know I've said this before, but I honestly don't enjoy the taste of heavily sugared foods and drinks. I rarely drink soda, pixie sticks make me gag, etc. And, not to point out the obvious, but the drink is called *Hot Cocoa* not *Hot Sugar* (that sounds vaguely naughty, doesn't it ? ;). So I continued to look until I could find a recipe that was at least equal parts sugar and cocoa powder.

  As it turns out, I already had such a recipe in my arsenal :) This recipe (tweaked slightly by yours truly) came from a beautifully illustrated cooking and craft book by Susan Branch.
Susan Branch's books are an absolute pleasure to read. They are sort of like peeking through a friend's illustrated recipe journal. Her books have such a familiar, conversational tone and the recipes are no-fail :) What's not to like?

 I am absolutely thrilled with the way this cocoa turned out, it is exactly what I wanted it to be :) Rich but not heavy, chocolatey but not overly sweet, wicked short ingredient list, no weird chemicals or additives, and so incredibly yummy that I'm having trouble coming up with the right words to describe it, I must have used up all my poetic words up there in the first few paragraphs ;) I cannot wait to give this Hot Coca mix to my family and friends :)

Hot Coca Mix
(original recipe, adapted slightly by me, taken from Autumn from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch)

NOTE: Since I was making this batch for holiday gifts, I multiplied this recipe by FIVE, which made ten 8oz jars of Cocoa Mix. Here, I am listing the recipe for a single batch as it appears in the book. Since I scaled it up by five and it made ten 8oz jars, I'm guessing this single batch recipe would make about two 8oz jars or one 16oz jar worth of Cocoa Mix.

-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (do not leave the cinnamon out! You can't really taste it, but it adds a very important note of warmth in the background. The cocoa will taste flat without it)
-1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (optional, for experimentation's sake, I made half of the jars plain and half of the jars with the peppermint candy added) (I used a box of one-dozen average sized candy canes, but, again, I quintupled the recipe. If you're only making a single batch, you'll have a bunch of candy left over, but it can always be sprinkled over your favorite dessert or hot drink :) 
-1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste 

- If starting with candy canes, place them in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until crushed. Alternatively, you could put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy pot.

-Mix all ingredients together in appropriately sized bowl, depending on what size batch you are making.

-TASTE TASTE TASTE!!! Not that it's not important all the time, but with this recipe in particular, I cannot emphasize enough how important tasting is. This is just a base cocoa recipe, you are going to want to alter it to your preferences. The best way to do this is to wet your finger or dip the edge of a wet spoon into the coca mix and taste and adjust accordingly (or, pour yourself a test cup of cocoa, you know, for quality control ;). As I was working on this batch, I added more cinnamon and more salt, and I upped the peppermint candy ratio a little bit too. Play with the ingredient proportions until it tastes right to you. Yes, the milk will dilute it, but you still want the right balance of flavor notes.

-Store in airtight container and you're done. Dang short recipe, no? If you're keeping this mix for yourself and don't feel like getting fancy, any airtight container (i.e. tupperware, etc) will do. But, since I was giving these as holiday gifts, I fancied it up a little :)

  -With the aid of a measuring cup and a funnel, pour the hot cocoa mix into decorative glass canning jars:)    (Warning: Even with the funnel, this can get a little messy, be prepared for some cocoa dust.)

-Place lids on jars and label as necessary :)

(Yes, that is my cat in the background :)



Wrap up these lovely jars up all pretty-like and give them to your loved ones, and be sure to include this recipe note (maybe as a gift tag?)

TO MAKE THE HOT COCOA:
-Add two tablespoons (or to taste) cocoa mix to 8oz (1 cup) hot milk and stir until dissolved. Garnish as desired :)

As you can see, Santa is neck deep in a hot tub of Cocoa, and he looks like a Happy Man to me :)

Note: I had a twinge of the mix left over, so that evening my family and I tried it out. Everyone loved it, and only one of my taste testers added some sugar to their cup. A winner, to be sure :) Also, VERY BUDGET FRIENDLY :) I curled up in front of my Christmas Tree with a cup of this Cocoa and all was right with the world :)

How's it going out there my all my fellow foodies and homemade gifters? Tell me of your adventures! I'm all ears :)
Love,
Lynn






















  

Secret Weapon #2 Pumpkin Soup

                                

    As promised, a Pumpkin Soup post in time for Thanksgiving!!!

    This Soup. This Soup. Ooooooooooh MAMA, this SOUP. It's about bloody time I posted about it :) It is, in fact, one of my most favorite dishes to make, and one of the most requested dishes in my repertoire :) This Pumpkin Soup, like the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake I posted about awhile back, has the distinction of being one of my culinary SECRET WEAPONS. This soup is money in the bank :) I've served it to the pickiest of picky eaters and they practically lick the bowl clean :)

   However, because I am the product of the cooks I grew up with, I cannot and will not take all the credit. I first had this soup a very long time ago when I was just a wee LynnieBee. We had gone to Albany for Thanksgiving at my Uncle Bob and Aunt Emily's house. I was probably 9 or 10. My Aunt Emily served this Pumpkin Soup as the first course of the Thanksgiving Dinner, and everyone pretty much lost their minds. Smooth, Rich, Golden, Creamy, it's like drinking distilled Autmn :) My Mom got the recipe from my Aunt that day, and it has been part of our Thanksgiving (and occasionally Christmas) Feast ever since.

   A few years ago, I got tired of waiting for the Holidays to come around, and started making this soup for other occasions: birthdays, dinner get-togethers, or really any time in the dark months of the year when I had the ingredients on hand and was in the mood for it or someone asked for it :) To me, this is an Autumn/Winter/Holiday soup through and through, but if the urge strikes you in June, grab some canned pumpkin and rock it out, no judging ;)

  This one won't let you down. Ever. I promise :)


Pumpkin Soup
(originally from Aunt Emily, inherited by Carolyn, and put forth by me, Lynn:)
 - 7 tbsp butter (Yes, there is approximately one stick of butter in this soup. Yes, I am okay with that. Keep in mind, that is the amount of butter in the entire batch.When you look at it on a per serving basis, it's no more butter than you might spread on your toast in the morning. If it really bugs you, you can switch out about half of the butter for EVOO, but there will be a drastic difference in flavor)
 - 6 scallions/green onions, coarsely chopped
-  1 onion, sliced (you'll be straining out the solids, so don't fuss over chopping it finely, a quick rough chop is all you need)
 - 3 cups pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!) or 2 1/2 lbs pumpkin
 - 6 cups chicken stock (broth is fine too)
 - 1/2 tsp. salt
 - 3 tbsp. flour
 - 1 cup light cream or half&half
 - thickly sliced crusty bread or croutons for topping 

- Melt four (4) tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Saute scallions and onion until soft and golden.

- Add pumpkin, chicken stock (or broth) and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.

- Strain solids from soup with a slotted spoon or or run soup (carefully!) through a mesh strainer and return to pot.

Mix flour with two (2) tablespoons butter (I usually mash them together with a fork) and gradually whisk into soup.

- Bring soup back to a boil, whisking occasionally, until soup thickens.

- Correct the seasoning and then add the light cream or half&half and the remaining tablespoon of butter. (oh, and if you feel bad leaving that one lone tablespoon of butter in the wrapper, toss it in there, no one will complain ;)

- Serve garnished with cubed fresh crusty bread or croutons (my personal favorite kind of bread for this is Rosemary Olive Oil, but any kind of good fresh crusty bread is fine)

 NOTES: 1.These photos were taken at our October Book Club Meeting (hence the gorgeous tablescape and other deliciousness present on the table.Thank you Merlyn for the loan of the lovely Pumpkin Tureen!!!) A member was supposed to be bringing homemade bread, but she had a last minute emergency and was unable to make it, so the soup appears here unadorned. Believe me, as wonderful as the croutons are, the soup does not need them, it's equally delicious plain :)

                 2. If you want to give the soup a bit of a kick, add a few dashes of hot sauce or a little curry powder.

                 3. As I said above, if the amount of butter in this recipe is off-putting, you can swap out the first four (4) tbsp of butter for an equivalent amount of extra virgin olive oil, and omit the cream from the end of the recipe, but please know the taste will be affected. It won't taste bad, just different.

                 4. This soup can be made ahead of time. If you make it the night before, just stop before you add the cream and last tbsp. of butter. When ready for service, reheat and stir in cream and the last tbsp of butter.

                5. This recipe is for a single batch, when serving it for holiday gathering, we double this recipe.

Taste this and fall madly in love, it's that simple :)

Happy Thanksgiving, Foodie Friends, I Love Ya :)

Lynn :)