Monday, October 13, 2008

Soup, Bread & Cookies for a cold fall day...with snow on the ground!!!

I have 3 wonderful recipes to share today. Ever since we started our blog, I have become addicted to checking my favorite food blogs every day. I find so many wonderful recipes! Thank you to all you fellow food bloggers. I couldn't make this yummy food without you! All 3 of these recipes are perfect for a chilly fall day...(with snow on the ground) ...crazy!!! My first picture is Chicken Cream Cheese Soup. This soup is sooooo tasty!!! I found the recipe at The Sisters' Cafe at: http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/ . I love visiting The Sisters' Cafe! They are 5 sisters that sure know how to cook, and they have got awesome recipes. This Chicken Cream Cheese Soup really is amazing. The other day I was looking at their blog with my dinner plan already set, and seeing this soup...my plans had to change! I love Cream Cheese in soups. It makes soups creamy and delicious! I took this soup to a dear neighbor who has cancer. I wanted to take a good comfort food and this was it! I hope they liked it. We loved it. It is great if you have a lot of potatoes that need to be used, which I do. I got a 50 pound bag of Gold Potatoes for $8.50! So don't be surprised if there are a lot of potato posts coming up. On to this yummy recipe...

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

1 lb chicken (breasts or combination)
1 onion, diced
1-2 Tbsp butter
2 handfulls baby carrots (about 2 cups sliced small)
4-5 potatoes, diced small
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
8 oz package cream cheese

1. Put chicken in pot and cover with water; boil until cooked. Take chicken out of water but keep the broth. When chicken is cool, shred.
2. Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor (I added 4 bouillon cubes). Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Soften cream cheese in microwave then add to soup in little pieces and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Easy Peasant Bread next...

I love this bread recipe! This comes from another favorite blog... Laura at Real Mom Kitchen at http://realmomkitchen.blogspot.com . She has got a great blog with simple, delicious family friendly recipes. I love visiting her blog and I always know that I can find a good recipe there when I am looking for one. I actually always go to her blog when I need a quick, yummy dinner recipe. She is very talented. This peasant bread recipe is crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside, and makes a perfect side to any meal. It is super simple! I love simple bread recipes...don't we all? Find the recipe for Easy Peasant Bread here: http://realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/07/easy-peasant-bread.html .

Last but not least...DESSERT! Maple-Nut Cookies with Maple Icing...

Wow!!! These little cookies were so tasty! I love the maple flavor. It is a fall taste, and these cookies are perfect for the fall. Toasted pecan halves, maple icing drizzle, and a shortbread crunch are what these cookies are all about! I found this recipe while browsing through another one of my mom's grocery store line Pillsbury fall cookbooks. These little cookbooks always have yummy recipes, and pictures to go with them. I had to try these little maple dream cookies! They taste like Pecan Sandies cookies, but so much better! They are more like a shortbread cookie. They sure were tasty, and a perfect fall cookie!

Pillsbury Maple-Nut Cookies with Maple Icing

3/4 cup pecan halves

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp maple flavoring

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp sugar

Icing:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk

1 tsp maple flavoring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In square pan, bake pecans 6-8 minutes stirring occassionally until light brown. Spread nuts on cutting board & cool 5 minutes. Finely chop.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar, scraping bowl until fluffy. Add maple flavoring and egg & blend well. Stir in flour and toasted pecans.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls on ungreased sheet, 2 inches apart. Flatten with criss cross fork dipped in sugar.

4. Bake 11-14 minutes or until edges are brown. cool 1 minute. Place on rack to cool completely.

5. In small bowl mix icing and drizzle over cookies.

***I saved some chopped toasted pecans to sprinkle on top. It gave the cookie a great finishing touch!

8 comments:

Amy said...

Everything looks SO yummy! Can't wait to try all of these recipes!

Emily said...

Sara! What a meal! It looks wonderful! (I seriously need to bake more!)

Prudy said...

This is the greatest dinner ever! Cookies, soup, bread-who could want for more. You are so lucky with that potato purchase!

Emily said...

Sara check out my blog . . . you've received an award!!!

Steffani said...

Sara~ Wow I love this blog!! I will definitely be adding this to my list of favorite blogs! I love that you have pictures with all of your recipes! I got my Halloween tree at Pier 1 this year. I think you can also get them online! It was like $25 I think, but it's way cute!!!

Jenny said...

Yum, Great recipes all the way around. I am so into soup these days now that the weather is cooling off.

Laura said...

I am so glad you liked the peasant bread. It really is so simple, I think anyone can make it. I am planing on trying you lasagna rolls next week. Have you ever used cottage cheese in place of the ricotta.

Rachel said...

Laura - I've never used the cottage cheese in the lasagna rolls, but one of my recipes for them does call for cottage cheese. I'm not a big fan of cottage cheese in my lasagna after having lived in Italy for a while. I'd say go for it!