Cheesy Chicken Chowder

Oh, goodness, this is such a yummy soup! This kid-friendly soup is full of mild vegetables and chunks of tender chicken in a creamy cheddar cheese broth. I've also used turkey in this recipe with very good results. "Quick Beer-Wheat Bread", posted on 1/26/2015, was a wonderful accompaniment to this cheesy soup. This is a simple, yet hearty, meal for the family. Blessings...

Recipe:

3 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced peeled potatoes (I like the firm texture of Yukon Golds or red potatoes in this recipe)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp. salt, or more, to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup unbleached flour
2 cups milk (the calorie count was figured using 1% milk)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded medium cheddar cheese
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey

1. Prep vegetables. In a 4-qt. saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat; add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan; add flour and mix well. Gradually stir in milk; cook and stir over medium-low heat until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese and cook until melted.
3. Add chicken and cheese sauce to broth; cook and stir over low heat until heated through.

Yield: 9 cups
298 calories per cup
1 gm. fiber

This is another yummy recipe from a "Taste of Home" cookbook.

Fast Chicken Rice Soup

This recipe for chicken or turkey soup is wonderful, and takes very little time to prepare because everything goes into the pot without the need for sauteing. Omitting this step gets dinner on the table much quicker, and with far fewer calories. An added blessing at the end of a busy day when the family is tired and hungry. Blessings...

Recipe: 

8 cups chicken broth
1-1/4 cups thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
dash of black pepper
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice

1. In a large saucepan, combine broth, celery, onion, pepper and poultry seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until celery is tender.
2. Add chicken or turkey, and rice; cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir and taste to make sure the meat is heated through and the rice is tender. Yummy!

Yield: 8-3/4 cups
116 calories per cup

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup

This easy, hearty soup is perfect for lunch or dinner on a cold winter day. The soup is mild in flavor making it kid-friendly if your kids like beans and vegetables. I sometimes add a cup of leftover, cooked beef to make the soup even heartier and more filling. I've served it here with some crusty Italian bread and a salad to complete our meal. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cans (14.5 oz.) beef broth
1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pearl barley
2 cups thinly sliced, chopped cabbage
1 tsp. Italian-Style Seasoning Blend
1 cup chopped, cooked roast beef, opt.
1-1/2 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

1. Heat oil in saucepan. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until the onion and garlic are  fragrant and golden brown.
2. Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, barley, cabbage and Italian seasoning. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until the barley, carrot and celery are tender.
3. Add the beef, if using, and Balsamic vinegar; heat until the beef is warmed through.

Yield: 10 cups
100 calories per cup
4.5 gms. fiber
With beef, the calorie count is approx. 215 calories per cup

Minestrone Soup

This wonderful recipe for Minestrone Soup is so easy to put together and is ready for the family in about 1 hour. It is a meal-in-a-bowl; perfect for a cold day served with warm, crusty bread, and maybe a salad. It's full of vegetables, beans, sweet Italian sausage, ground beef and pasta, and it is not loaded with calories. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 lb. 7% ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or 2 tsps. bottled minced garlic
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups sliced zucchini
8 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine or more broth
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
a few grinds black pepper
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti

1. Cook and stir sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic in a large soup kettle until meat is no longer pink. Drain off fat. (I use a turkey baster to do this).
2. Stir in next 10 ingredients and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add macaroni, stir the soup and recover. Cook for approximately 5 minutes longer. Test vegetables with a fork to make sure they are tender and check the macaroni to make sure it is tender.

Note: When I make this for my husband and I, I cut the recipe in half. I omit the ground beef and cut the other ingredients by half. Use 1 cup kidney beans and 1 cup corn.
Yield: 1/2 recipe is 9-1/4 cups soup
245 calories per cup using the sausage only
3 gms. fiber

Tip: The pasta will continue to cook in the hot broth if the soup sits for very long. If the soup isn't going to be eaten right away, leave the pasta out until the soup is reheated for the meal. Bring the soup to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.

This recipe was adapted from Betty Crocker's "Christmas Cookbook".

Easy Cream of Vegetable Soup

This very easy recipe was created using frozen vegetables when there was no fresh broccoli to make the Cream of Broccoli Soup posted on 4/19/2013. I've updated the recipe making the soup more flavorful without added calories, yet, it is mild enough to be kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. chopped green onion
2 tbsp. chopped yellow onion
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth (3-1/2 cups)
1 cup peeled, diced potato
2 12-oz. pkgs. broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, thawed (3 cups)
2 cups 1% milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. savory
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Warm olive oil over low heat in a large saucepan; add onion and saute until soft, but not brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add broth, potato, thawed vegetables, salt, pepper and savory. Heat to boiling. Lower heat; cover and simmer for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Set pot aside and allow mixture to cool for 30 minutes. Cooling the mixture makes pureeing simpler.
3. Puree vegetable-broth mixture in small batches in a blender until smooth; return to a soup pot.
4. Add milk, Tabasco sauce and nutmeg. Heat over medium-low flame, don't boil, and adjust seasoning if needed.

Yield: 8 cups
84 calories per cup
2 gms. fiber

Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits, posted on 9/26/2013, would be wonderful alongside this soup.

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Another black bean soup recipe? Yes, this is the third recipe that I make regularly, and I want to share with you because it is so easy. It doesn't have to be made with vegetable broth, of course. I use chicken broth because we like the flavor much better, and we are not vegetarians. The biscuits that we ate alongside the soup are full of cheese and mild green chilies making them a perfect accompaniment for this meal. I will post the recipe for the biscuits tomorrow. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) vegetable or chicken broth, divided
2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced peeled potato
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I use 1/4 tsp. keeping the soup mild in flavor)
2 green onions, sliced

1. In a saucepan, bring the onion, garlic and 1/4 cup broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender.
2. Stir in the beans, potato, thyme, cumin and remaining broth; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes to blend flavors. Test potatoes with a fork to make sure they are tender.
3. Stir in tomatoes and hot pepper sauce; heat through. Sprinkle with green onions.

Yield: 5-3/4 cups
164 calories per cup
7 gms. fiber

This is another favorite recipe from a "Taste of Home" cookbook.

Black Bean Soup (2)

Black bean soup is a favorite of ours. The simple Mexican flare and warm spices make it a wonderful comfort food, especially on the cool days of fall. We enjoy flour tortillas alongside, with maybe a bit of sour cream stirred into each serving of the soup. This recipe makes less soup than the recipe posted on 5/16/2012 and is a little different in the preparation technique. Both soups are mildly spiced, which helps when serving the children at your table. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 tsp. ground cumin

1. In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil for about 3 minutes or until tender.
2. In a blender or food processor, place 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1 can beans; cover and process until smooth. Add to onion mixture.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes to blend flavors. Simple and delicious!

Yield: about 6 cups
190 calories per cup
11 grams fiber per cup

This recipe is another favorite from a "Taste of Home" cookbook.

Chunky Potato Soup

This yummy soup is full of chunks of potato and ham, and has a nice cheddar cheese broth. The soup is perfect for a fall lunch or dinner served with Brown Soda Bread; recipe for the soda bread is posted on 9/5/2014. The cheese broth is not thick, heavy, and gooey, but rather is a true broth consistency, which we really like. This kid-friendly recipe comes from "Grandma's Kitchen: Treasured Family Recipes". Blessings...

Recipe:

3 medium red or Yukon Gold potatoes (2-1/2 cups cubed potato pieces)
2 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups milk
1 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese, lightly packed (2 oz.) (see note)
1 cup cubed cooked ham (4-1/2 oz.)

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Place 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp. salt and potato cubes in a 4 qt. saucepan; bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Set potatoes aside.
3. Measure 1 cup of the cooking liquid, adding more water if needed; set aside.
4. In saucepan, saute the onion in the butter over low heat, don't brown. Add flour, pepper flakes and ground black pepper to taste. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes. Gradually add the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid; stir well. Add potatoes and milk. Add the cheese and ham.
5. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently to melt cheese and prevent scorching. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Yield: 6 cups
224 calories per 1 cup serving
1 gm. fiber
Note: for stronger cheese flavor add 1 - 2 oz. more cheese.

Split Pea Soup

I love soup, and thankfully my husband never says a word about what is served for dinner. He does, however, often offer his own suggestions and I listen and do my best to please him. So you might say we work together. He definitely is a meat and potatoes man, but split pea soup is one of his favorites, so we have it often. This recipe is easy and I often make it even easier by putting the ingredients in the slow cooker early in the day. We love Irish soda bread with pea soup but this last time I made whole wheat yeast bread. It is a delicious bread and you will find the recipe posted on 2/11/2010. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. bag dried split peas
8 cups water
1 lb. smoked ham hocks or 1 ham bone
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. savory
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
salt, if needed

 Slow Cooker Method:

1. Rinse peas and pick over. Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low about 7 hours.
2. Remove ham or ham hocks from soup and cut the meat off the bone. Cut into bite sized pieces. Return the meat to the slow cooker and taste for saltiness; add salt if needed. You may want to add a little more pepper and if the soup is too thick for your liking, thin it with a little milk.

Stove Top Method:

1. Place the peas and water in a soup kettle; bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside for 1 hour.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to the soup, except carrots and salt. Bring soup back to a boil; lower heat, cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
3. Add carrots and continue to simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes. Test carrots for tenderness.
4. Remove meat from the bone and add back to the soup, taste and add salt, if needed. 

Yield: 9-1/4 cups
122 calories per cup
10 gms. fiber
Note: the soup will thicken as it cools

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Today a friend and I got together for lunch after not seeing one another for several months. We had a wonderful time of visiting over a simple meal of soup, muffins, fruit and a cup of chai. This simple recipe for Cream of Pumpkin Soup has been adapted from several recipes that I have made over the years, none of them really very pleasing and always missing something. The soup is creamy and tastes mildly like pumpkin- pie-in-a-bowl. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 14-oz. cans 99% fat-free chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. butter
2-1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin
1-1/2 cups chopped, peeled sweet apple such as Gala or Golden Delicious
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash ground white pepper
3/4 cup half-and-half

1. In a 3 qt. saucepan, saute' onion in the butter until soft, but not brown.
2. Add the chopped apple and 1 can of broth; bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until apple is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Puree mixture in blender in 2 batches and return to saucepan.
4. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
5. Heat over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 7 cups
130 calories per cup
4 gms. fiber

Chicken Salsa Soup

This is one of those recipes that came together when there was leftovers in the fridge that needed to be used up and I was in a hurry to get dinner on the table. Thankfully, this particular time the concoction worked, that isn't always the case. I still have some real failures in the kitchen, but isn't that how we keep learning no matter how long we have been cooking?  Blessings...

Recipe: 

4 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups Thick and Chunky Salsa
1 can (16 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Southwest seasoning
fresh cilantro, minced, if desired

Combine all of the ingredients in a 3 qt. saucepan. Heat just until soup begins to boil and turn heat down to low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Yield: 7 cups
124 calories per cup
4 grams fiber per cup

Creamed Tomato Bisque

Tomato soup has always been a favorite of mine, not a rich bisque made with whipping cream but a can of Campbell's soup made with milk instead of water. That is, until I came across this recipe years ago in Marlene Sorosky's book Cookery for Entertaining. The recipe does take some time to prepare, but it is so worth it to have a bowl of this rich creamy tomato soup instead of the ho-hum canned version. The blend of spices is wonderful and fragrant making a bowl of this soup delicious when served either hot or cold. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 stick butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 14.5-oz. cans chopped tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. marjoram
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper
salt to taste

1. Melt butter in a 4-qt. or larger saucepan. Saute' celery, onion and carrots until tender.
2. Stir in flour. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, marjoram, bay leaf and chicken broth. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Discard bay leaf. Puree soup in batches in a blender. Return mixture to the saucepan.
5. Add cream, paprika, curry powder and pepper. Stir to blend. Add salt, if needed, to taste. Reheat gently over low to medium-low heat being careful not to boil.

Yield: 12 1/3 cups
235 calories per cup
2 gms. fiber
Note: Soup may be refrigerated for several days or frozen for 4 to 6 months in an airtight freezer container.

Sausage Lentil Soup

This soup is the second recipe made using Sandy's Favorite Homemade Sausage Recipe updated on 10/20/2014. The first recipe was the Sausage Cheese Balls, pictured here, and posted on 1/30/2014.

The recipe for the soup is written for Italian sausage, and again, we thought the homemade turkey sausage was wonderful. The soup is very lean and low in calories and, quite flavorful and satisfying on a chilly day. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 lb. homemade sausage or mild Italian sausage
1 tbsp. olive oil if using turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped carrot
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup lentils, rinsed and drained

1. In a soup kettle, brown and crumble sausage in olive oil if using turkey sausage (drain if using a pork product).
2. Add next nine ingredients; bring to a boil. Add lentils. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 60 to 70 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Yield: 7-1/2 cups
115 calories per cup
6 gms. fiber per cup

Sausage Potato Soup with Sage

This recipe for another wonderful soup is adapted from my favorite author of Amish cooking, Marcia Adams, and her book entitled New Recipes from Quilt Country. This is a very easy soup to prepare and is made from ingredients that are usually in the pantry, except the sausage, of course. We love potato soup and the addition of the sage- flavored sausage adds a real country flavor to an otherwise basic and humble ingredient like a potato. A thick slice of Irish Soda Bread is wonderful alongside a bowl of potato soup. I'll post my favorite recipe soon. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pound lean pork sausage with sage such as Jimmy Dean rolled sausage
2 cups chopped onion
5 cups peeled and thickly sliced potatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. celery seeds
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
4 shakes hot red pepper sauce
3 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh marjoram, or 1/2 tsp. dried

1. In a stock pot, brown the sausage over medium heat until the juices are released, about 3 minutes. Add the onions and saute' the mixture until the onions are limp, about 8 minutes. Drain off the fat, and set the sausage aside in a bowl.
2. Add the potatoes, broth, salt, celery seeds, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
3. Slightly mash the potatoes, leaving some in chunks for good texture. Add the reserved sausage, the milk, hot pepper sauce, parsley, and marjoram. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 cups

Turkey Vegetable Soup

This soup is really much more like a rich turkey-vegetable chowder, in my opinion. I've been making this recipe, with a few changes to better suit us, after the holiday turkey dinner since 1983 when I found it in Bon Appetit Magazine. We love the variation of a cream-based soup from the usual turkey soup that is stock-based. It is a very nice change of pace. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsps. flour
1 tsp. curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped potatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 tbsps. chopped parsley
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1-1/2 cups milk (I use 1%)
1 9-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup light sour cream

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan, 3 or 4 quart will do, over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour and curry and cook 2-3 minutes. Add broth, and next 5 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Add turkey, milk, spinach and sour cream. Cover and simmer until heated through, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. This soup is thick, so you might want to thin it a bit with additional milk for your taste. We love it thick like a chowder.

Yield: 7-3/4 cups
198 calories per cup
1.4 gms. fiber

Taco Soup

Years ago when we lived in California, my husband tasted this soup at a potluck at work. He liked the soup so much that he brought the recipe home for me to make. Like so many recipes I have, it was put in a drawer and forgotten. I came across it awhile ago and decided to give it a try. I didn't have all the ingredients on the pantry shelf so I had to make a few substitutions, but they worked. The recipe is basically a "dump" recipe. You know, the kind of recipe in which you open a can and dump it in the pot? We ate the soup without the taco chips and cheese, and because it has such good flavor it is still a delicious soup. Saves calories, as well. So easy to throw together at the end of a busy day when everyone is hungry. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz. can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 16 oz. can Mexican style tomatoes, undrained
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, undrained
1 small can sliced olives, drained
1 cup beef broth
Tortilla chips, Mexican 4 cheese blend, if desired

1. In a large soup kettle, brown ground beef and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except tortilla chips and cheese. Cook over medium heat until heated through. (I covered the pot and simmered the soup for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors).
3. Put broken tortilla chips in each soup bowl and ladle soup over. Top with cheese.

Yield: 9 1/3 cups
Note: I didn't have Mexican tomatoes, so I used plain diced canned tomatoes. I also didn't have a pkg. of taco seasoning, so I used 2 tsps. Southwest Seasoning and 1 tsp. ground cumin. I had leftover olives in the refrigerator so I sliced about 1/4 cup. All worked very well.

Cream of Pea Soup

There are very few soup recipes as easy as this one, especially pea soup. This recipe starts with a can of peas, which I had never used until I came across this Taste of Home reader-contributed recipe. Now I make sure I have a can of evaporated milk and a can of peas on my pantry shelf just in case the day gets away from me and I need something in a hurry. I serve a sandwich, or crackers and cheese alongside. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 can (15 ounces) peas
2 tbsps. finely chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. rubbed sage
2 cups water
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1. Drain peas, reserving 1/3 cup of liquid. Place the peas and liquid in a blender or food processor; cover and puree until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, saute the onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt, pepper and sage until smooth. Gradually add water; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Whisk in milk and pureed peas; heat through. Garnish with bacon.

Yield: 5 cups

New England Clam Chowder

New England clam chowder is one of my families favorite soups, in fact, it was also a favorite of my parents, so I was raised on this rich, flavorful soup. The little cookbook that I found this particular version in was a cookbook that I sent for via a butter promotion back in 1996. The cookbook is called "Seasonal Celebrations Across America". The recipes in this cookbook are from some of America's most popular inns and resorts celebrated during that time, so I don't know if they are still around today or not, but the recipes are wonderful and promote the cuisine popular in the area of the inn or resort. This recipe comes from The Woodstock Inn and Resort in Woodstock, Vermont, with a few minor adjustments from me. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup diced onions
3/4 cup sliced celery
4 strips bacon, cut up
1/4 cup butter
1/8 tsp. white pepper, or to taste
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 cups diced potato, about 2 medium
1 cup water
2 cups clam juice (8-oz. bottle)
3 6-1/2 oz. cans minced clams, drained, reserving liquid
1/2 cup half-and-half or milk (you may need more depending on how thick you like your chowder)

1. In a large skillet, render fat from bacon by frying it over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add butter, onion, celery, pepper, thyme, paprika and bay leaf and cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour until well mixed. Cook about 5 minutes being careful not to burn, stirring constantly.
2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, cook potatoes in water, clam juice and reserved clam liquid until tender.
3. Add onion mixture to potatoes. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and smooth. Add cream to desired thickness and heat through. Add clams; do not boil as clams get rubbery and tough when boiled and overcooked. Taste and add salt, if needed. Rich and delicious! I served the chowder with Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits.

Yield: 4 servings

Cream of Broccoli Soup

One day this week when I went online to check our bank account, I had a heart-stopping moment, and a full day of dealing with the banks' fraud dept. and the manager of our local branch office. There had been fraudulent activity that cleaned out our account. I'm sure you can imagine the sense of panic and the feelings of violation that were the focus of the day. Of course, everything is moving along and the bank manager is doing a wonderful job of covering all the charges. But, there is a very large issue when something like this happens, and that is, you no longer have access to your bank account. All is put on hold until the fraud dept. can get the funds back into the bank account. We don't use charge cards, so this was not an option, either.

I share this to bring up the very important issue of being able to feed your family if you can not go to the grocery store on a daily basis, or even for a week. Thankfully, I've had to learn this lesson well over the years and my pantry and freezer are very well stocked. There are no guarantees that we are going to be able  to run to the store; things can happen and, happen very quickly. I would really encourage you to invest the time into checking how long your family could eat in the event of a crises in your home. Your family may need to eat canned or frozen fruit and vegetables for a few days, and to have a supply of meat in the freezer is very wise. Make sure you have plenty of pasta, beans and cereals, as well.

This recipe is an example of what I mean. With a 16-ounce package of frozen broccoli in the freezer, and chicken broth and potatoes in the pantry, dinner was easy to get on the table in spite of the stress-filled day. I served some leftover dinner rolls alongside the soup, and dessert. All was well, and the menus are planned for the next week as the bank gets everything taken care of for us.  Blessings...

Recipe:

1 bunch fresh broccoli (about 1-1/2 lbs.)- See Note

1/2 cup chopped green onion (yellow onion can be used)

2 tbsps. butter

1 cup diced potato or leftover mashed potatoes

2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) chicken broth

1/4 - 3/4 tsp. seasoned salt (add salt in 1/4 tsp. increments to desired taste)

dash cayenne pepper

1 cup fat-free half-and-half or milk of choice

1. Trim outer leaves and tough ends from broccoli. Cut into small pieces and parboil in boiling salted water in a large saucepan for 5 minutes; drain well. 

2. Saute onion in butter in saucepan until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add potato, chicken broth, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper. Heat to boiling; lower heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add broccoli; simmer 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. 

3. Cool soup a bit. Pour mixture half at a time into blender; cover; puree until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan. Add cream and heat through. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add more cream to thin to desired consistency. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Yield: 8 cups
Note: You may use a thawed 16 ounce pkg. of frozen broccoli pieces in place of the fresh. Add the thawed broccoli pieces to the pot after the potatoes are tender, just as you would the fresh cooked broccoli, and cook another 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Continue the recipe as written. I can usually get frozen broccoli much cheaper than fresh, so this keeps this meal very inexpensive.

Potato Soup, Florentine Style

This is another of the many recipes for the slow cooker that come from Mable Hoffman's excellent book, "Crockery Cookery", that are a regular part of our dinner menus. This soup is a meal-in-a-bowl for a busy weeknight dinner. A crusty Italian bread for dipping into the broth is a wonderful accompaniment. I prefer the chopped ham over the ham hocks for less fat and be sure to get the spinach out of the freezer to thaw while the soup cooks. The spinach isn't added until the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time. Blessings...

Recipe:

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
1 cup chopped onion
1 smoked ham hock (about 1 lb.) or 1 cup chopped ham
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 (9-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (see note)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese

1. In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, onion, ham hock or ham, broth, mustard, seasoned salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are soft.
3. Remove ham hock; chop meat and discard fat and bone. Return meat to cooker.
4. Turn control to high. Add drained spinach. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes.
5. Spoon hot soup into soup bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yummy!

Yield: 7-3/4 cups
Note: Place frozen spinach in a mesh strainer over a bowl and let sit to thaw. When thawed, press out excess water with the back of a wooden spoon. This makes the job so much easier.