Ham and Potato Soup

I had a few potatoes to use up and it's been so very cold here.
I didn't use the whipping cream, just a tad of half and half.
It's a keeper!!
Found the recipe here>> Ham and Potato soup

Ham and Potato Soup
From Simply Recipes

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped parsnips or carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 meaty ham bone from a ham, or a meaty ham shank
• 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups cubed ham (if using a ham bone), 3/4-inch dice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1 Heat olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium high heat. Add the onions, parsnips or carrots, celery, and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

2 Add the ham bone or ham shank to the pot. Add 6 cups of stock. Add bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

3 Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 more minutes, until they are cooked through. Remove the ham bone or ham shank from the soup. Purée half of the soup so that some of the potatoes get puréed to give the soup body, and there are still whole chunks of potatoes for texture.

4 If using a ham shank, cut away the meat and chop into 3/4-inch cubes. Add the chopped ham and black pepper to the soup.

5 Stir in the cream. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed.

Hearty Italian Sausage Soup Recipe

Hearty Italian Sausage Soup

1 lb Italian sausage, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil

2 can(s) (14 oz. each) 25%-less-sodium chicken broth (I used homemade stock)

1 c water

1 can(s) (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed

1 can(s) (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 c rotini pasta, uncooked

1 1/2 c baby spinach leaves (left out)

1/2 c 2% milk shredded mozzarella cheese

saltine crackers

1 Tbsp oregano

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1. COOK sausage, onions and garlic in oil in a large saucepan 10 min., stirring frequently.

2. ADD next four ingredients and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Stir in Pasta; cook 8 min. or until tender. Remove from heat.

3. STIR in spinach; cover. Let stand 5 min. Top with cheese. Serve with crackers.

From the back of the box of Premium Crackers

Picture coming soon!!

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Not the greatest picture, but the stock is fabulous!!

Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock

2 lb chicken parts or carcass
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
1 celery stalk, cut in several pieces
1 large carrot, scraped and cut in several pieces
2 sprigs parsley
6 peppercorns or 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
6 cups water

Combine all ingredients in the pressure cooker. Lock the lid in place and bring to pressure, then lower heat and cook for suggested time. Allow pressure to drop by the natural release method , remove the lid and strain by pouring it through a strainer which has been lined with a couple of layers of damp cheesecloth, damp kitchen towel or damp paper towels. Press with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool, then refrigerate overnight and remove any congealed fat that has collected on the surface.

Cook for 30 35 minutes on high pressure.

Monster Cupcake Anyone??

LOL I saw these in the Taste of Home magazine & had to make them!! Too funny!!
I didn't buy the M&M's for the eyes? forgot to get them, guess my age is catching up on me!!
Orange You Spiky

Southwestern Pork & Rice Soup
6 cups Kitchen Basics® Unsalted or Original Chicken Stock
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. boneless pork loin, or pork tenderloin, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped (left out, DH is spicy wimp)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (left out forgot to buy one:?()
1/3 cup long-grain rice
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime

In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil. Add the pork and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and heat the remaining oil. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, red pepper and rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add the stocks and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 15 minutes until the rice is tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Added a can of White Acre Peas ( variation of field peas) to make it a full meal. Served it with corn muffins. Yummy!!
I would add a bit more rice next time.

Good Monday morning!

So the craft show was a big disappointment :(
I took some pictures of the parade. I love that little pony!

And this is my tables, notice how close the tent is from my neighbors? They were a non profit group & they kept coming out the side of the tent to poach people looking at my stuff. I finally had to say something, I took all I could LOL

DH worked yesterday, spraying a couple of ceilings LOL

So I made after church
Black bean soup w/ wasabi avocado salsa & ciabatta rolls with rosemary

this is the bread recipe I used plus added the rosemary to it

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

2 lbs hamburger
2 cups uncooked rice
4 green peppers (chopped)
1 large onion (chopped)
4 stalks celery (chopped)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
4 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh basil (minced) or 2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper (to taste)

In a 12" skillet cook hamburger and onion for 10 minutes or until meat is browned and no longer pink.
Add garlic and cook just until fragrant. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add uncooked rice, cover and remove from heat for 5 minutes, fluff with fork and set aside.
In 6-quart crock pot or dutch oven add hamburger mixture, green peppers, celery, mushrooms, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
Cook at low temperature just until peppers are softened but still have a little crunch to them.
Add rice and serve.

I used brown rice I cooked last night. I also added a 1/2 of an onion when I browned the beef.

*****Edit to add this was fabulous & easy!!******

Sante Fe Soup
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 large can chopped tomatoes
2 cans shoe peg corn
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
2 envelopes taco seasoning
2 envelopes Ranch dressing dry mix
Brown meat with onion and drain off fat.
Add all ingredients.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 2 hours.

from gourmet girls cooking group