RECIPE: Corn & Cheese Chowder

Soup is one of my children's favorite. There's something about a pot of soup cooking gently on the stove that will make the house all cozy and heartwarming.  

 ‘About Soup’…What words come to mind when you think of soup? Nourishing.  Restorative.   Nurturing.  Happiness (good soup, that is). Spiritual – think of all those ‘Chicken Soup For The Soul’ books! Nourishing.  Restorative.   i hope this soup will fill my children's tummy and  make them children well. 

my daughter enjoying the soup

In a good-sized pot, saute the chopped onions in butter.

Add the bacon and saute it for a couple of minute

Next, throw in the diced bell peppers… i just used green instead of yellow and red

Next add the corn

sprinkle in some flour.

then pour in the broth. Stir this around and let it thicken for a couple of minutes…

Then pour in the half-and-half, letting it simmer and thicken for 10-15 minutes

add cheese

Add green onions  and add some black pepper.

bread from French Baker

use a bread slicer to remove the top, then remove the soft bread inside the crusty bread leaving a margin

just eat when you get hungry this crumbs

get a ladle

And fill up the hollowed-out bread bowl.

fill to the brim, for this one i did not because it might spill on my children's bed.  ENJOY

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 3 slices Bacon, Cut Into Pieces
• 3 whole Bell Peppers, Finely Diced (red, Yellow, Orange)
• 5 ears Corn, Kernels Sliced Off (i just used the one in can)
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 3 cups Chicken Stock Or Broth
• 2 cups Half-and-half (half milk and half cream)
• 1 cup (heaping) Grated Monterey Jack
• 1/3 cup Sliced Green Onions
• Bread Bowls

Cooking Instructions

• In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. 
• Cook onions for a couple of minutes. 
• Add bacon and cook for another minute or so, 
• then add diced bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes.
•  Finally, add corn and cook for a minute.
• Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. 
• Pour in broth and stir well. 
• Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low. 
• Stir in half-and-half, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so.
• Stir in cheeses and green onions. 
• When cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed.
• Ladle into hollowed out bread bowls and serve immediately.

RECIPE: Graham Cracker Choco Chips Muffin

I love a warm muffin topped with butter and chocolate chips.   I have 4 children and 2 of them got sick at the same time.  I decided to make this recipe yesterday hoping they will feel better.

Graham Cracker Choco Chips Muffin

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line muffin tins with liners or

spray well with cooking spray and set aside.

in a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs until blended. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips

and stir in by hand

                                        FOR THE TOPPING

in a bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and stir to combine all the dry ingredients well. Add the melted butter and mix well until crumbly and looking like wet sand.

Top each muffin with 1 heaping tablespoon of crumb topping.

Bake for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Moist, delicious muffins that taste kind of like a warm cookie.

Ingredients

FOR THE MUFFINS:

• 2 cups Flour, All Purpose
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1/4 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs, They Can Have Small Bits In Them
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• ⅓ cups Canola Or Vegetable Oil
• 1 whole Large Egg
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ¾ cups Milk Chocolate Chips

FOR THE TOPPING:

• ¼ cups Flour, All Purpose
• 1/8 cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed
• ¼ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
• ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

COOKING PROCEDURE

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  Line muffin tins with liners or spray well with cooking spray and set aside.

For the muffins

•  in a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs until blended. Set aside.
  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir in by hand.

• Using an ice cream size scoop, fill each muffin liner or tin with 1 scoop, about 2/3 full.

For the topping

•  in a bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and stir to combine all the dry ingredients well. 
• Add the melted butter and mix well until crumbly and looking like wet sand. 
• Top each muffin with 1 heaping tablespoon of crumb topping.

• Bake for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Moist, delicious muffins that taste kind of like a warm cookie.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Dwell on Joy.

BENTO

i can't wait to start my Bento Boxes. Here are the tools i got from Saizen.

Bento (弁当 bentō^?)^[1] is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops (弁当屋 bentō-ya^?), train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend time and energy for their spouse, child, or themselves producing a carefully prepared lunch box.  - Wikepedia

RECIPE: Piggy in a Blanket

my children did not go to school today because they were sick.  So i thought of creating a merienda for them.

pig in a blanket

merienda time

ingredients

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, working with one sheet of puff pastry at a time

 roll

Cut lengthwise 1 1/2-inch wide strips

Cut each strip crosswise  each about 3 1/2 inches long.

i used ruler to cut evenly

i bought the puff pastry at Santi's

i am using a pizza cutter to cut through the pastry

my cut pastry

In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water;

this is the egg wash

line pan with parchment paper

brush end of pastry to adhere hotdog

Place a hot dog on the narrow end of one piece of pastry. Cut hot dogs lengthwise 3/4 of the way through.

add cheese and caramelized onions (optional).  for this recipe i only added cheese.  or you can put 1/2 teaspoon caramelized onions into each hot dog, If not using cheese or onions, poke hot dogs several times with the tip of a knife.

Roll to enclose

brush with some of the beaten egg to adhere; transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Repeat process with remaining hot dogs and pastry. Brush the tops of puff pastry with egg and sprinkle with seeds (optional).  I did not use anything seeds for this recipe.  

Transfer to refrigerator and let chill for 15 minutes.

Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.

Let cool briefly before serving with mustard and ketchup.

Ingredients

•   mini hot dogs
• Cheddar cheese, cut into small pieces, optional
•  Caramelized onions, optional
• 1 large egg
• All-purpose flour, for work surface
• frozen puff pastry, thawed
• Poppy, sesame, or mustard seeds, optional
• Mustard, for serving
• Ketchup, for serving

 COOKING PROCEDURE

•  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  
• On a lightly floured work surface, working with one sheet of puff pastry at a time
• Cut lengthwise 1 1/2-inch wide strips
• Cut each strip crosswise  each about 3 1/2 inches long. 
• In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water; 
• line pan with parchment paper 
• brush end of pastry to adhere hotdog 
• add cheese and caramelized onions (optional).  for this recipe i only added cheese.  or you can put 1/2 teaspoon caramelized onions into each hot dog, If not using cheese or onions, poke hot dogs several times with the tip of a knife 
• Roll to enclose hotdog 
• brush with some of the beaten egg to adhere; transfer to prepared baking sheet.  
• Repeat process with remaining hot dogs and pastry. Brush the tops of puff pastry with egg and sprinkle with seeds.
• Transfer to refrigerator and let chill for 15 minutes. 
• Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.  
• Let cool briefly before serving with mustard and ketchup.