My two favorite soups...both from the Chef's Table...

Tuscan Tomato Soup
Recipe from Kent Andersen, head chef of the Chef’s Table Restaurant

3 T. olive oil
1 lg. onion, small dice
5 c. diced, peeled and seeded tomatoes
3 c. chicken stock
1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream (fat free ½ & ½ works too)
1 c. basil pesto (get from Costco & freeze)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a medium large soup pot. Add onions and cook over moderately low heat until completely translucent. Add tomatoes and allow to warm to a simmer. Add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes to allow for interchange of flavors. Add whipping cream. Add pesto. Blend to desired consistency in a food processor or blender, small batches at a time. Return to stock pot. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Makes 1 gallon.


Butternut Soup
Recipe from Kent Andersen, head chef of the Chef’s Table Restaurant

5 T. olive oil
1 lg. onion, small dice
3 lg. butternut squash, halved
3 c. chicken stock
1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream (fat free ½ & ½ works too)
½ c. brown sugar
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

Rub squash halves with 2 T. of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 ½ hours, until very tender. Scoop out all of the flesh and reserve. Heat oil in a medium large soup pot. Add onions and cook over moderately low heat until completely translucent. Add squash and allow to warm to a simmer. Add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes to allow for interchange of flavors. Add whipping cream and brown sugar. Blend to desired consistency in a food processor or blender, small batches at a time. Return to stock pot. Adjust seasoning with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Makes 1 gallon.

Tamale Pie

So soup eh?
My idea of a good soup recipe involves going to Brick Oven for their Cream of Broccoli or to Zupa's. If absolutely forced at home it involves Campbell's. Besides I support the Labels for Education drive at my kids school that way right?

So in leiu of a soup recipe I did find the Tamale Pie recipe that Grandma Putter used to make when she would come to visit my Aunt Vonnie. It really is good and a great fall recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk 2 Tablespoons chili powder
3 eggs 1 15 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
2 cups corn meal 1 15 oz. can of creamed corn
1 cup oil 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 large onions (chopped) salt and pepper
1 can chopped olives 1 clove garlic (diced)

Directions:
Beat eggs and milk together. Add corn mean and oil, then let stand. Brown ground beef with onions, garlic and chili powder, then drain. Add tomotoes, creamed corn, olives and salt and pepper to the browned ground beef. Add the beef and corn meal mixtures together and mix well. Pour in greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

October/November's Theme

Ok, Miss Emma. Thank you for keeping me on top of things. I love the Harry Potter recipes and sometimes, I wander over to that Cake Wrecks blog when I check Amy's (in hopes that she might be updating!!). Hilarious! And, it's about what my baking adventures usually turn out to look like.

So, I love, love, love, fall. I love the weather, the smell, the food. I love buying root vegetables, using my crockpot, and having things simmer for hours. I think soup is the perfect fall dinner that allows me to do all of those things!

Let's hear about your favorite soup recipes! I am challenging my mom to find her blogging skills and post her chicken noodle recipe - it can't be beat. And, I've been looking for a good butternut squash soup recipe for about 4 years now. The best one I ever tasted had apples in it. If you can find it you win a secret prize.

PS- If you have any spooky, gross, or scary recipes to share for Halloween, put 'em up here!

Treacle Fudge

I have no earthly idea how to make fudge, but this doesn't sound hard at all. I bet it would be really good with pecans added to it.

Treacle Fudge is a sweet treat from Mrs. Weasley or a tooth-breaker from Hagrid. Be sure yours doesn't get too hard!

Ingredients:
½ cup light cream or evaporated milk
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup molasses

Directions:

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix cream, brown sugar and salt together.

Step 2: In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from heat and add molasses.

Step 3: Add the chocolate mixtures and cream mixtures together. Pour mixture into a pan and let cool.

Step 4: Cut into squares after cooled and serve. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Juice

I should mention that I am getting the recipes from mugglenet.

Really not sure if you could ever make pumpkin juice taste OK, but this might be good. I would just leave out the pineapple juice since it gives me cankers. You could probably try the Peach/Mango V-Fusion juice with it. It is orange.



Pumpkin Juice, a favorite for feasts at Hogwarts that you can now take home with you!

Ingredients:
2 cups of pumpkin, chopped up into chunks
2 cups of apple juice
½ cup of pineapple juice
1 teaspoon of honey (more or less to your liking)
Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and/or Allspice (all ground, to taste)

Directions:
Step 1: Juice the pumpkin pieces by squeezing through a cheesecloth or using a juicer if you have one.
Step 2: Pour the pumpkin juice, apple juice and pineapple juice into a blender.
Step 3: Add the honey (we recommend you start with 1 teaspoon, as you can add some later!) to the juices and blend thoroughly.
Step 4: Add your spices (to taste). This might take some experimentation to get right.
Step 5: Chill your pumpkin juice or serve iced and enjoy

Ton Tongue Toffee

I'm having fun finding Harry Potter recipes so just bear with me. Sorry...but not sorry enough to stop.

Ton-Tongue toffee just for you, though we promise it's been anti-jinxed to keep your tongues small!

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons of butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or imitation)
1½ cups water
Additionally, a candy thermometer is required

Directions:

Step 1: In a medium saucepan, mix all ingredients and melt over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 2: Without furter stirring, boil until mixture reaches 290°F on your candy thermometer.

Step 3: Pour mixture into a greased or buttered 9"x12" pan and let cool until almost firm to the touch.

Step 4: Score surface into 2" squares with a sharp knife, but do not cut completely.

Step 5: When cool, break into pieces (this should be easier if toffee was properly scored).

Step 6: Enjoy! Makes 1¼ pounds of toffee.

Butterbeer

My Mom gave me a slightly different recipe for this but I can't find where I put it after I wrote it down. But I want to try this with the kids for Halloween. I'll post the other one if I ever find it. It had sweetened condensed milk in it too.

Butterbeer! It warms you up AND tastes great.

Now in take-away form from The Three Broomsticks.

Ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz) club soda or cream soda
½ cup (4 oz) butterscotch syrup (ice cream topping)
½ tablespoon butter

Directions:

Step 1: Measure butterscotch and butter into a 2 cup (16 oz) glass. Microwave on high for 1 to 1½ minutes, or until syrup is bubbly and butter is completely incorporated.

Step 2: Stir and cool for 30 seconds, then slowly mix in club soda. Mixture will fizz quite a bit.

Step 3: Serve in two coffee mugs or small glasses; a perfectly warm Hogwarts treat for two!

Cool Halloween cakes

With no theme yet I was looking at one of my favorite blogs called "Cake Wrecks".

Usually it is horrible examples of cake decorating and it is hilarious.

But these were some examples of fantastic Halloween cakes.

OK, I know that technically this is a cupcake but isn't it soooo cute?

Wish I knew how to do stuff with fondant. But I happen to be clueless.

And for anyone who likes Nightmare Before Christmas this cake is IT!!!

I think this would be a totally cool wedding cake. Not sure if it was one though.

There is also a cool Corpse Bride cake that WAS a wedding cake.

Check out the blog sometime. You'll be glad you did.

New Theme?

I totally stole this picture from Tammy's blog. Don't they look delicious?

Hey Stephanie, Emma is waiting for the new theme for October.

It is almost over so we need to hurry.

Popcorn Granola

These are all things I love my kids to eat. Of course, if I was sitting down for a perfect snack, it would definitely include melted specialty cheese and savory flavors. Seems I have a lot more time these days for kid approved snacks.

Popcorn Granola

1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
6 cups air-popped popcorn
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until lightly toasted. Combine oats, popcorn, raisins, dried fruit and sunflower seeks in large bowl. Heat butter, sugar, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg in small saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Drizzle over popcorn mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediatley.

Toasted Oatmeal

I never can love just one recipe so here are 2 more for your to enjoy.

I ate this snack when I was in 8th grade after a friends older brother came home from Germany with this recipe. Surprisingly, this food popped into my head a couple of months ago. I've been making it for my kids and they love it for breakfast with yogurt. Bobby's revolting though because he says we have it way too frequently. He's right - we've overdone it a little - so we're taking a small break so we can keep loving it. Prima Essen!

Toasted Oatmeal

In heavy skillet combine:
1/2 c. uncooked rolled oats
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. butter

Cook until oats are lightly toasted. Place oats in cereal bowl; add fruit and yogurt.

Molasses Cookies

How about a sign to flash back at your friends that reads, "My child is getting all of his trace minerals...is yours?" (Because I'm sure that trace minerals are good and I'm sure it is better if you get more - at least that how I felt when my friend praised her cookies because of their trace mineral content). But really, try these Molasses Cookies, they are great!

Molasses Cookies

1 1/2 c. nonhydrogenated shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. blackstrap molasses
4 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt

Crem together shortening and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and molasses. Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Roll dough into balls and flatten slightly with fingers. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.