Creamy Chicken & Corn Soup

Creamy Chicken & Corn Soup

Today I'm just trying to breathe. I have such a head cold that every breath I take is precious. Cold medicine doesn't seem to help. I decided to opt for some chicken soup.

Now I don't really like plain old chicken soup. I think after years of eating soup when I first moved away from home just made me despise soup. So I've got to spice it up a bit.

I found this recipe in a Simple and Delicious magazine, but it was suppose to be made with ham. Well I of course did not have any ham so I decided to use chicken. Then once I got making this I decided it was too plain and I needed to add some spice to it. I then proceed to add a can of green chilies to the soup.

Remember how I said I couldn't breathe? Well this stuff cleared the sinuses. It wasn't too hot but just enough to help me breathe a little easier. I also liked that it didn't take very long to make.

Creamy Chicken & Corn Soup
28 ounces of Chicken broth
2 C frozen corn
1 C milk
1/3 C chopped onion
1/3 C chopped sweet red pepper
1 4 oz can of green chilies
1/4 + 1 T flour
1/2 C water
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut up into bite size pieces

Combine broth, corn, milk, onion, red pepper, and chilies in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine the flour, water, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Recipe adapted for Taste of Home Simple and Delicious

S'More bites

S'More Bites

After watching the Shark Tank Friday night I was challenged to create a bite size s'more that tasted like a s'more. I was up for the challenge. I know that one can google a ton of recipes for this delightful treat and so I set out to make a bite size s'more.

I just couldn't stand watching my nephew's wife, who has never cooked a day in her life, pitch her line to the sharks about how she created this recipe for her "Smuffins" and how she and her husband have always dreamed of owning a s'more shop. Gag me! Only in LA would this line of crap go over as real.

So after listening to her and watching the sharks slam her idea as ridiculous and telling her it didn't even taste like a s'more I just knew I could make a treat that was good, but of course no way would I ever think of charging $10 for a treat. Obviously people in LA don't cook very much if they are willing to pay an outrageous price for a mini s'more dipped in chocolate.

Now I know that she sells different flavors of smuffins, but one can also find different varieties with the aid of google. I did and it didn't take much time or energy. Maybe next time I'll try peanut butter or dark chocolate. The possibilities are endless.

So try the recipe below and I'm sure this recipe will have you saying "I've gotta have s'more and there is smuffin to it!"

S'More Bites
7 whole graham crackers
1/4 C powdered sugar
6 T butter, melted
4 Hershey Milk Chocolate bars
12 Large marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs using a rolling pin. Combine graham crackers crumbs, powdered sugar and butter in a small bowl. Using a small scoop place a scant scoop of crumb mixture in each cup of a mini-muffin pan. Press crumbs to form a shallow cup. Bake 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.
2. Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using kitchen shears dipped in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 1-2 minutes or until marshmallow is slightly softened. Remove pan from oven and cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan. Cool completely.
3. Bread remaining candy bars and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 1-1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds. Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate. Turn top-side up and let stand 40 minutes-1 hour or until set.

Beer Cheese Soup

Beer Cheese Soup

I don't about you, but I'm definitely tired of winter. I am just plain tired of freezing. These below zero temps and the wind chills is getting to be a bit much for me.

I long for hot, sunny days where a person can work a thirst. I can't wait to sit in a comfy lounge chair and drink a nice cold beverage of choice. Right now all I can do is sneak to the tanning salon and and grab a few minutes under the lights. Not only does it warm me up it just makes me feel happy. Now I know why people go tanning. Its that light therapy thing.

Since I can't make the snow and the cold go away I'll have to deal with the best that I can. One is to make a fire in the wood stove and keep it cookin'. Two is to wear extra thick wool socks and slippers. And three is to make some soup.

Soup is the food of choice when it is cold out. It warms a body from top to bottom. If you're really ambitious you could make some bread or biscuits too.

So to beat the cold this past weekend I attempted to make some Beer Cheese soup. This is a recipe that one of the moms on the PTA had made for a conference night. It was so delicious we all had to request the recipe. I changed it slightly, but it is still a great tasting soup. This is really good with a little handful of popcorn on top.

Beer Cheese Soup
1/2 C butter
1 C flour
Melt butter in a big soup pot. Once butter is melted add flour and heat for 5 minutes.

1- 32 oz carton of chicken broth
1 C half and half
1/2 C milk
Gradually add chicken broth to flour mixture. Stir until the mixture until the liquid is absorbed. Once all the broth has been added pour in the half and half and the milk. (I cheated and used only milk and it was still good). Cook this mixture until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. It will take about 15-20 minutes.

1/2 box of Velvetta cheese (32oz box)
Cut into cubes and and to mixture. Stir until melted.

6 oz of beer (not dark beer)
1/4 of an onion finely chopped
1 T worchestershire Sauce
cayenne pepper to taste
Simmer for 15 minutes. Stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL.
Serve in a bowl with popcorn on top.