Today

Today is a gloomy day!  So how does a gloomy day become even better?

A bowl of Potato Soup!(recipe)

Warm fresh French Bread!(recipe)

Snuggles on the couch!

Nothing better(well it could be slightly better if hubby was home to snuggle with us)

Veggie-Sausage Soup

Veggie-Sausage Soup-16 servings
2 med onions, chopped fine
1 green pepper and one red pepper, chopped
1 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb Smoked Kielbasa or Polish Sausage cut into 1/4 in pieces
2 med potatoes diced
1 can cream-style corn
1 can kernel corn
1 c mushroom sliced
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
2 med carrots sliced
1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBSP Mustard
1 TBSP basil
1 TBSP parsley
2 c cheddar cheese
1 can evaporated milk

In a pan saute onions, peppers, celery in oil until tender.  Add garlic and cook for 1 min. longer
Transfer to slow cooker and add everything else but leave out the milk and cheese.  Cook 6-7 hrs on low until everything is tender.  Then add milk and cheese, stir well and cook for an additional 30 min. Until it is well blended.

This recipe is from my taste of home slow cooker book, and I have not yet tasted it but it got really good reviews and it smells amazing while cooking.  I cannot wait to try it!  So if you try it before I do, let me know how it tastes.

Chili

Chili- This recipe I got from my wonderful friend, but I make the mild version do to my aversion to spicy food

2 can tom sauce(big can not sure on oz sorry)
1 can busch's chili beans(mild in my case)
1 packet mild chili seasoning (you can go hot if you like)
1 lbs ground beef
1 clove minced garlic

Brown the ground beef in a pan, add garlic when it is about half done. Once fully cooked add chili seasoning.
In a pan add tom sauce and beans together. Stir in the meat mixture. Cook on low for about 20min, until it is heated all the way through. 
As you might notice this does not have a lot of beans, no tom. chunks, and is more soup like.  It is still thick but not like the usual you can stand your spoon in your chili thick.  I don't like it that thick. I am quite picky when it comes to food and this was the perfect chili recipe for me.  I will never leave this recipe it is absolutely perfect!  You can add whatever to it if you like tomato chuncks just substitute one of the cans of sauce for diced tomatoes.

Serve, I then top with a small amt of sour cream, cheese, and some crackers.  Nothing beats this on a cold winter day.  If your from Kansas you also have to serve it with Cinnamon Rolls, which I still don't get but whatever floats your boat!

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup- Makes 10 servings

2 onions chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
2 c water, divided
4 c chicken broth
4 potatoes chopped small
1 large carrot grated
1.5 c mashed potato flakes (used butter ones added extra flavor)
.5 lb cooked and crumbled bacon
.5 tsp basil
.5 tsp thyme
2 c heavy whipping cream (you could use milk or half and half, it just won't be as creamy)
1 c shred cheese

Cook onions and butter together until tender, add garlic.  Stir in flour and then add 1 c water slowly.  Bring to a boil and cookd for 2 min longer until thick and bubbly. Should look like the picture below when it is done!

At the same time that is cooking I chop up my potatoes and grate my carrots!  I also start my bacon cooking so that everything is done at the same time, I don't like to sit around waiting on things!

Add all the ingred. to the slow cooker with the exception of the cream and cheese, set those aside for much later.  Stir everything together well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs.  I found I needed to stir it a few times, because the potatoes like to stick to the bottom of the pan.  Once it is cooked all the way through (the potatoes should be soft), add the cream and cheese and stir well.  Let cook for a bit longer, just until the whole soup is settled (well the cream is warm and cheese melted)!

Pour yourself a bowl and Enjoy!

 

*This has been my husbands favorite soup so far, we didn't freeze but one bag because he wanted the rest in the fridge for him to eat for dinner for the next couple nights!

Broccoli Soup

Broccoli Soup- I think this makes like 4-6 servings
8 c frozen broccoli (cooked and drained, then stuck it in the blender because I don't like big chunks in my soup)
1 lg carrot grated
3 TBSP butter
2 cloves garlic minced
2 TBSP flour
32 oz heavy whipping cream (you can just use milk, but I like rich creamy soup)
2 c cheddar cheese
2 onions chopped (really fine)

Cook broccoli, drain and then chop up fine, if you don't like big chunks in your soup.  I also wanted to spread the flavor around.  In a seperate pan, melt butter.  Add Garlic, onion, and flour stir well, add cream(milk) quickly as you don't want the butter to brown.  Stir and cook until it starts to get thick and boil. Then cook for 2 min longer.  Turn off burner and add cheese, stir until cheese is fully melted. Stir everything together in a big pot and let simmer until it is heated all the way through (I believe it took like 15 min.) Then top with cheese when it's all done (did I mention I love cheese)!

Enjoy- The best broccoli soup I have ever had (better than Panera in my opinion)

Winter Soup

Winter Soup-Makes 14 servings
2 lbs ground beef
3 onions chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cans beef broth(10.5oz ea)
1 can diced tom.
3 c water
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. diced celery
1 c green beans(I used frozen)
1 c. peeled and cubed potatoes
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp thyme
(you can again add salt and pepper if you like, but I prefer not to)

Cook the beef and onions in a skillet until meat is brown and onions are soft.  Add garlic and cook for a bit longer like a min or two. Drain.  Add all ingred to slow cooker (5qt), stir in meat mixture.  Cook on high for 8hrs or until heated all the way through.
*Note: I also cooked this one on the stove since I was making several at a time for 3 hrs.  Once it was done, I transferred to freezer bags.  Label and date the bags so you always know which ones to use first! Also cool at room temp for a bit and then put in fridge, this will help it avoid freezer shock as it will still be hot and you don't want to add piping hot to a freezer!!
Yummy!

Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup- Makes 8 Servings (in our case 4meals)

1.5 lbs of beef stew meat
1 TBSP olive oil
1 can diced tom
1 chopped onion
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
4 c beef broth
2 c water
1 c Spag. sauce
2/3 c barely
1 TBSP Parsley
1/5 tsp basil
(you can put salt and pepper in but I don't add salt to any of my food)

Brown meat in a skillet with olive oil. Drain. In a 5-qt slow cooker combine the rest of the ingred.  Stir in beef.  Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hrs or until meat is tender.
*Note: I made several soups at a time, so I just made this in a big pot on my stove and it took about 3 hrs with the burner set on 7.
I then separated it into Ziploc bags, labeled and dated them for future use, as I said I made several at a time so I could not obviously eat them all at once. Very excited to eat later though.  Comes out smelling a lot like stew but definitely a lot soupier(if that is a word, well it is now!)
Enjoy:)