I like my.....

Apparently, my kindergardener had an assignment where they had to finish the sentence, "I like my....." and then had to draw whatever they picked. As depicted below, my son decided he likes large sombrero like hats. Who knew?! Anyway, it got me thinking... everyone likes different things. Especially when it's cold outside, it just seems the perfect time to pull out all of those yummy soup and/or chili recipes.

Potato soup has always been a favorite of mine and holds many memories of growing up.  Particularly on Halloween night, my mom would make a big pot of potato soup before we would head out trick or treating.  Talking to her today, she told me my dad is wanting potato soup almost every day for dinner lately... which she thinks is CRAZY; not me... I'm with you dad.  I like my potato soup too !   This recipe is a little different, but it did not disappoint.  The added veggies were obviously a plus but also, the ham lends a subtle smoky flavor.  Delicious ! 

So what have we learned today boys and girls?  To each his own I suppose.  You say potaTOE, I say potato, and Grant likes LARGE hats.  Alrighty then !  Stay warm everyone !

Cream of Potato Soup
8 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, diced
a few sprinkles of onion powder
1 stalks of celery, diced (or substitute a little celery salt)
1 cup diced ham
5 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 TB dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup margarine
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup sour cream

Add everything except milk, cheese, and sour cream to a Crock Pot. Cook soup on high for 5-6 hours. Add milk, cheese, and sour cream 30 minutes before serving. Stir well to blend.

Not Your Average Gumbo…

 

So for my first new recipe of 2013 the Perry’s are kicking it Cajun style !  This recipe rocked and everyone ate it which = SUCCESS !  I was very cautious with the spices, but the hubster thought it could have been spicier.  I think it was pretty close to perfect if you’re serving little mouths.  It is a bit time consuming, but worth it.  I actually cooked this Saturday afternoon and reheated for tonight’s dinner. The recipe said it could take up to 30 minutes for the roux to develop into a brown color, but I found my light weight cookware to bring it up to temperature in about 10. This is just where you will have to experiment and watch carefully.  That would be my only caution.  Try it out…this of course is a SEAFOOD FREE Gumbo… but I’m sure you could try different varieties of “protein” in it. Also, as far as the “veggies” went, I basically turned them into a puree before cooking so nothing could be identified….(it’s what I do)… I halved this recipe as it originally yielded 9 servings.  I will print it in its entirety and you can adjust as needed.  We served it over rice and like I said, it was very delicious.  I’m not usually a Cajun food fan so was pleasantly surprised at this little gem.  Fish or no Fish…I definitely think it’s a keeper ! 

CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

2 TB Cajun seasoning, divided 

1 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

3 lbs skinless chicken

1/2 cup  plus 2 TB  canola oil, divided

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 large onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper

2 celery ribs finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups water

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 lb fully cooked andouille sausage sliced

2 TB Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

 

1. In a small bowl, mix 1 TB Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 pepper; rub over chicken. In a Dutch oven, brown chicken in 2 TB oil in batches; remove chicken from pan and set aside. 

2. Add remaining oil to same pan; stir in flour until blended. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until browned. (Can take up to 30 minutes…be patient and keep stirring!) Add onion, peppers, and celery; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

3. Gradually add water and stock. Stir in the sausage, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, chicken, and the remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper (I did not add any more seasoning to mine at this point).  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for one hour or until chicken is very tender.

4. Remove chicken from pan and shred and then return to pot. Serve over rice.

2012, where did you go ?

Wow, it has been QUITE a while since I have last posted anything on this blog.  The last few months of 2012 have been a roller coaster, yet ironically, I have nothing outstanding or noteworthy to show for it.  Just a year of changing schedules, increased work demands, and my family's hustle and bustle to blame for blog inactivity.  And I use the term "blame" loosely. I'm not bitter about it, honest.  I've just had bigger fish to fry...pun INtended (for those of you who know my opinion of fish.)  I do hope to continue this blog journey though. It has been very fulfilling and fun to seek out new recipes and share the outcomes.  And I must say, my family's healthier eating journey that we began last year did pay off with my hubby and I achieving a combined total of 32 lbs less than where we were last year at this time.  I would like to claim that as a grand success, but alas, I would be amiss if I didn't admit to actually having lost more than that at one time, but with the stress and business of the holiday season... we find ourselves pulling ourselves up from our bootstraps and starting over once again.  I will share something that gives me hope for the coming year and it comes from God's word, which is a pretty good place to look if you need encouragement....
"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."  John 6:35
Jesus in this verse promises us that when we come to Him, He fulfills our every need. But the thought recently occurred to me, I do not make it a practice to eat one meal and expect to never get hungry the rest of the day, or for that matter, the rest of the week. So how can I expect to be spiritually "full" if I only ingest God's word sporadically ?   It's a thought that has challenged my heart and I hope to incorporate as part of my healthy lifestyle in 2013. I need so much more than just fruits and vegetables in my diet, I need the living, breathing word of life to nourish and sustain me.  I'll end with one of my favorite verses,
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."  Psalm 34:8
I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I serve the one who does. I also know that when I go to Him, He never disappoints me, and so as I enter 2013, I look forward to seeing what sort of "dish" He decides to serve me this year.  My spiritual taste buds are ready !