Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup

If you love the dip, try this soup.. my oldest daughter , who actually doesn't like the dip, LOVES this. There are many variations to it, you could add more broth and less cream, cut the cream out altogether and use whole milk, use more Parmesan to taste instead of the other 2 cheeses. Frozen, thawed spinach ( I would use two packages)  Whatever you desire.
There was enough left for lunch today and I think it was better than last night. A keeper for sure!

5 shallots, sliced thin
2 T olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
1 quart heavy cream
1 8 oz- block cream cheese, cut into small bits
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup Asiago cheese
1 cup white wine
1 large bag spinach, stems removed and chopped
2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
Chopped fresh parsley
Bacon, for garnish
Saute shallots in olive oil in large pot until light golden brown. Add chicken broth, heavy cream , cream cheese and white wine. Cook on med low, stirring constantly to melt the cream cheese, don't worry if there are little bits, it adds to the character of the soup. Add the spinach, artichokes and parsley and cook for about 10 min on medium heat.

When there used to be white Christmases

I had saved all of my old Myspace blogs in my email, and digging them out slowly... of course this year there is absolutely NO snow whatsoever here in New Hampshire. We are taking Ryan, now 4 years old, back here to "The North Pole" this evening to meet Santa in his home, have some hot cocoa and cookies and enjoy the lights. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

~December 2008~

"I'm sure most of you have heard about our Northeast weather lately... we got an ice storm last week that knocked out hundreds of thousands of houses power..

Then got hit with a foot or so of snow the other day.. now getting another foot and 1/2 today and tonight! Got shovels?

 

Way out in the middle of nowhere in Cornish, New Hampshire, there is a "North Pole" We didn't know about it unil last year when a friend of ours showed us. This year we went on a Sat. night , while it was snowing like crazy..next time we will make sure we have snow tires.

The kids enjoyed it, all the lights, which "Mrs. Claus" starts setting up  in September. It takes her 2 moths to take it all down.. they serve coffee, cocoa, and cookies, pass out "snowman poop" (mini marshmallows in a bag).  pass out festive plastic trays, stockings for the kids, candy canes, and give you a baggie of " Magic Reindeer Food ( a mix of oatmeal and colored sprinkles you sprinkle on your lawn to attract the reindeer to your house Christmas Eve).

 

I wonder how much the power company charges Santa for his electric??

This is the kitchen.. it took me a minuite to realize there was actually a kitchen under all the decor!

Part of the living room, my pics came out blurry.. had to delete quite a few, but you get the idea, I hope.. 

 

My little "angels" ha

 

The backyard.. isn't it crazy! And this is only part of it!

The "smoke" is actually MY BREATH.. that's how cold it is up here..

 

 

Today is just laze around the house, take pics of whatever...the roads are dangerous, not going out anywhere.. 

Leaving you with pics of Ryan and a recipe for hot chocolate...

 

2 oz. semisweet chocolate (2 squares)

1/3 cup sugar

4 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch salt

whipped cream or cool whip

Place chocolate, sugar, milk, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring, until chocolate melts and mixture is well blended.
Add vanilla; pour hot chocolate into cups. garnish with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, cocoa powder..
Hot chocolate recipe serves 4. 

 

Thanks for reading, hope you got some enjoyment :)

Hugs and Merry Christmas!

oh, this is what it's like at 3:50 pm on Sunday... woo hoo!

Spice Ornaments

I know, I know, not edible at all. In face my 4 year old son got so excited when he saw me making the dough, that he snagged a piece off the counter, put it in his mouth, and immediately spit it out. You KNOW I had to laugh as I saw the look on his face.. :)
These make your house smell wonderful for years to come. Seal them in airtight containers for storage and you are good to go till next year!  The ones in this photo are not dried and unpainted, I can't ever seem to get the cracks out, but my children love to help cover up those cracks! I will post the finished ones in this blog in a few days.

1 1/4 cups ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ground nutmeg
5 Tablespoons ground cloves
4 Tablespoons ground ginger
2 cups applesauce
Approx 4 Tablespoons Elmer's or Tacky Glue
Mix all ingredients well and then store in a baggie in the fridge, airtight for about an hour. I roll mine out a little to make sort of ground beef patties.. When you take it out, let sit for a few minuted to soften.  Roll out and cut into desired shapes. I use a straw to poke a small in top to thread the ribbon through.
Some people let them sit out and dry for 5 days. I cannot do that, with my rambunctious 4 year old running around terrorizing every thing.
So, I dry mine in the oven at about 200 F. for an hour to give them a little head start.
These can be decorated with craft paints or icing.

Walnut Butterballs ( Aka Meixican Wedding cakes)

These have been a favorite since early childhood.. just the way they melt in your mouth, with that not-too-sweet taste and crumbly texture.
I have always thought they were Mexican Wedding Cakes but according to my King Arthur Cookie Companion from my friend Dave, ( God rest his soul) they are called Walnut Butterballs. The others are made with almond flour.. hmm..  Who cares.. I don't know if these will last in the freezer until Christmas Day... ;)

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup all-purpose flour
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Confectioner's sugar

In a small bowl, cream together the butter and honey. Combine flour and salt; add to butter mixture. Beat in vanilla and stir in walnuts. Chill dough for one hour or more.

Remove dough from refrigerator and break off into 1-inch pieces. Roll pieces into 1-inch balls and transfer to two lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven until lightly browned, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle heavily with confectioner's sugar while still hot. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Yield: 25 cookies

Chocolate Pear Spice Cake with a Vanilla Rum Sauce

I have been admiring this recipe from Taste of Home Annual Cookbook 2002 for quite some time now. Finally with all the ingredients, armed with 2 babysitters to keep Mr. Hands out of the kitchen ( No, not the husband, I sent him to the store, he is as bad as the kids.) I dove into it..
It's not too sweet, very fluffy and has a spicy aroma that fills the kitchen while baking.
We were not disappointed at all. Yes, the kids even very much enjoyed the rum sauce also. I love they all hovered over the one piece I had set aside for the photo, because they know they get to split it before dinner. :)
This would make a wonderful addition to holiday desserts!!
RECIPE HERE.
Vanilla Rum Sauce ( I added vanilla)

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Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake

All credit goes to Picky Palate for this one. It's like a cross between a gooey cake and a pumpkin pie with a nice swirl of brown sugar. If you are looking for Thanksgiving desserts, give this a shot. No one in my family was disapointed with the small samplings they have had so far ( It is before dinner..)

Ya ya, my drizzling skills are pretty bad, LOL 

I am copying her recipe word for word to save it on here when I need it.
I didn't have the box yellow cake mix so I grabbed a recipe offline, great to have handy!
Homemade cake mix~~
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 cup powdered milk
Just mix together
Don't forget to visit Picky Palate for more great recipes, I have been over there several times before and very much enjoy her blog.

"1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk or buttermilk

3.4 ounce box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

1/2 cup sour cream

15 ounce can pumpkin

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream (start w 1/4 cup and add a little more cream if needed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a jelly roll pan with non stick cooking spray.

2. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding, sour cream and pumpkin into a stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

3. Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 30-40 seconds. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until combined. Drizzle mixture evenly over cake then take a knife and run it through to swirl.

4. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and remove. Place powdered sugar and cream into a large bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake then let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Refrigerate if not serving same day.  Enjoy with milk!

Makes 16 to 20 squares"

Salted Caramel Bacon Chocolate Popcorn

The only regret with this recipe is not making another pound of bacon to throw in. I know I defiantly am scaring away some people with this pot, but I am telling you, bacon and chocolate are a match made in paradise. The sweet caramel and the semi-sweet chocolate combined with the salty bacon and a tad of sea salt. I GUARANTEE you can't eat just a little.

 First I popped popcorn. I did mine on the stove but microwave popcorn will do just fine. I did enough for a large pan so you might want 2-3 bags of microwave...
Place in large bowl, enough for mixing when the caramel is melted.
Melt in saucepan~
2 stick butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup ( light)
1 teaspoon baking soda.
1 1/2 lbs cooked , crumbled crispy bacon
1 package chocolate chips. I used 60 percent cocoa.
Sea salt
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Take off heat and add 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir into large bowl of cooked popcorn, and mix thoroughly. Add bacon, and mix a bit more.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave for about 2 minutes, checking and stirring at one minute.  Lay popcorn out on a flat surface ( preferably 2 sheet pans) and drizzle chocolate. Place in fridge or on cool windowsill. ( But be careful of neighbors and little hands)

Crescent Chicken

 Loving this recipe.I have made this several ( hundred) times now and it's still a family favorite!! It was wonderful! I boiled the chicken (  whole leg quarters) with some broth, wine, carrots, garlic, sage, and onion. But any rotisserie chicken will do.

Comfy in the Kitchen's Crescent Chicken ( with minor adjustments)

• 1 1/2  (8 or 6 jumbo count) packages refrigerator crescent rolls
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 can of milk (using soup can)
• Preheat oven to 350
• Prepare soup using milk and set aside.
• Separate crescent rolls.
• Spoon chicken and cheese onto each crescent; roll and seal to enclose filling.
• Place in a 9×13 baking dish.
• Pour soup over rolls.
• Bake at 350 uncovered for 30 mins.

                                              Before the oven

Baking and browning, smells so good!

* My notes*  

Made a whole 13x9 pan)

After shredding the chicken I added Old Bay seasoning, a pinch of celery seed, and some poultry seasoning to the chicken for added flavor. I also added white wine, parsley, garlic powder and salt and pepper to the sauce.

I highly suggest trying these, they are even a hit with the kids! 

Cinnamon Roll Dutch Apple Pie

After seeing the crust recipe on Pinterest about 1,001 times, I finally went for it. Combined with the apple filling, and the topping...heaven on a plate!  I have to totally give all the credit to Taste for Adventure, but I  wanted to have it here on my blog for easy reference.
First is the crust.. the video is on Taste for Adventure's site, it is just pie crust, I had to use two, but you spread about 2 tablespoons butter on the rolled out crust, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and cinnamon...

 Then roll up and slice as evenly as you can.

Press into pie plate and up the edges, don't leave any holes. Brush with melted butter. ( this was my addition so the crust doesn't get soggy. )

Fill with about 8 cups of sliced apples mixed with about 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons flour. 

I forgot the pic on this one.. oops, LOL

Then top with 1 stick softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 

( you make a struesel topping by combining all ingredients)

Like she said, it looks obnoxiously huge but it does shrink while baking, which, by the way, is 40 min at about 400. I did use the directions exactly, and I should have checked it a bit sooner...

OOPS, I forgot the icing... I have a 3 year old mind you that has to be watched while all this is happening.. 

Icing~ 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla..

it may not be pretty, but sure is a delight! I used Granny Smiths and some Cortland for the apples. 

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you try this soon!

Autumn Colors in New Hampshire and Vermont, and Alysons Orchard

This was just before we had little Ryan

November 26th is drawing nearer. I can FEEL it, it's harder to get around, energy spurts lasting a lot shorter periods of time, getting crampy more. It's all good. I still do what i can. 

The foliage here in the Eastern United States is gorgeous this year so you guys can suffer thru another of my pic blogs. HA!

These were at Alysons Orchard, as recommended by Chef In A Box. Wonderful scenic orchards!

Grapes

My nephew, Gavin..he's a doll!

I didn't do it, i swear!

This place is a couple towns over.. never had their ice cream...don't know why???!!! Their flavor of the week was pumpkin Spice. Tastes just like homemade pumpkin pie w/ real whipped cream. A new addiction...

Well, it's over for now. Hope you guys enjoyed the colors.. and if you didn't  to heck with ya!

Comments loved!