I’m doing my duty.  I’m passing this recipe on to you.  It’s adapted from Jamie Oliver’s book, Jamie’s Food Revolution.  In this cook book, Jamie asks that you master the recipes and then teach your friends how to make them.  Through this simple pass it on approach the love of cooking and eating whole foods can be revived.  Since this is also the concept behind Spoonful of Sass, I thought it was only appropriate to share this recipe with you.

I’ve made this soup twice and both times I tweaked it slightly.  It has a great base that can be modified to your taste.  The possibilities are always endless when it comes to soup.

Tonight I got to use my immersion blender for the first time.  Such fun!  It’s definitely a worthwhile kitchen gadget if you’re a soup lover.  It made the soup thick and decadent.

Previously I didn’t blend the soup, but I did add the shrimp as Jamie’s recipe recommends.  Either way, it was divine.

I’m pretty sure it’s the bacon that does it for me.  Bacon brings flavor that oils and butter just can not.  Since bacon is not enjoyed very frequently in our house, it was a treat that is well worth the calorie investment.

And don’t forget the parsley!  I made it for the first time in the summer and parsley was abundant on the patio.  I never thought it would be important, but I was wrong!  It brought a bright note to the soup and balanced the bacon.  This time around I also learned something new about parsley.  It overwinters!  I never pulled it this fall because it was still green.  I’ve waited and waited for it to brown.  Now it’s January, it’s still green, and I can enjoy looking at it out the window.  This is the first time I’ve used the winter parsley, and I can confirm for you that it still tastes great!

What every you decide to add to this soup, use wholesome ingredients and it’s sure to be a success.

Potato Corn and Mushroom Soup

• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 6 strips bacon
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• crackers and fresh parsley to serve

1. Cook your bacon on the stove top in a large pan.

2.  Remove bacon from pan, but leave the grease.  Cook onion and potato for 3-5 minutes.

3.  Transfer half of the potatoes and onions to a large pot.  Leave the remaining potatoes and onions in the pan and add mushrooms and corn.  Cook until mushrooms and onions are soft and potatoes are slightly browned.

4.  Pour the broth and the cream into the pot with the other half of potatoes and onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

5.  While the soup is simmering, crumble the bacon and chop the parsley.

6.  Remove soup from heat and give it a whiz it with an immersion blender so it’s nice and thick.

7.  Add remaining onions, potatoes, mushrooms and corn back to the soup.

8.  Serve with bacon crumbles, crackers, and fresh parsley.

My holidays were lovely and filled with family and friends that might as well be family.  The wine pours were long and the vacation days  short.  Typical, I guess.

Now it’s back to the grind.  Don’t get me wrong, I like the grind.  It gives my life structure and routine, and allows me to thrive.  But before the celebrations are too far gone, I’ve been meaning to share this cheesy (read: life-changing) experience with you:  Troeg’s Mad Elf Fondue.

Steve and I went for  the pumpkin scratch brew, and apparently so did everyone else.  It was kicked just days after being tapped and we missed it!  Although I enjoy many of their beers and their chill new atmosphere, I was bummed!

Fondue to the rescue.  Cheese on top of cheese on top of cheese is mixed with Mad Elf and then topped with raisins and dried cranberries.  It’s served with apples and toasted baguette all drizzled with honey.

After one bite, I was once again a happy girl.  Steve’s thankful it only ever takes food. 

I am!  All my shopping is done and everything is wrapped.  The cookies and pies have been baked! It’s a good feeling to know that the only thing left to do is celebrate!

Since I had everything under control I decided it was time to turn to a Pinterest craft.  Yep, you read that correctly.  Not only did I pin something, but I acted on it.  Hopefully it’s the first of many times I act on my craft pinboard because these turned out beautifully!

Just a few dollars in craft supplies, some lights I already had on hand and voilà…a fun and festive decorative piece!

I recommend screwing the lights into the cord to allow them to hang while drying.  Then just paint the bulbs with Mod Podge and go to town with the glitter.  I felt like I was in Brownies again.  It was great!  I dumped glitter liberally, expecting that some would fall off with time.  Then I draped the them from the dining room chandelier to dry.  Such fun!

Now my festive bulbs are nestled nicely in decorative jars* and I’m officially ready for Christmas.  Happy holidays everyone!

*I removed the bulbs from the wires.  I just used them to aid in the drying process.  I don’t know the safety of actually plugging in the lights, so I’d stay safe and avoid it.

It was well received at Thanksgiving and I’m confident it will be devoured at Christmas too.  Plus it only takes about 10 minutes to pull together and can be made days ahead.  Are you sold yet?

What if I told you it was goat cheese?  Does that help?  That sells me in a hot minute.  Sometimes, when I go out, I pick entrées solely based on the fact that they contain goat cheese.  Thank you France (and my lovely friend Emma), for introducing me to the cheesy party in my mouth.  Now if only I could get my hands on a goat! 

If you’ve never bought goat cheese, you should know the package may also be labeled chèvre.  It’s usually found in the fancy cheese section (very technical location).  In my grocery store that’s near the deli.  I’ll warn you, it’s not cheap.  However, I find it’s worth every penny.

For this easy appetizer, you’ll also need dried cranberries and walnuts, about a half cup of each.  Just chop and mix together.  Roll the cheese in the toppings and gently press them into the cheese.  As the cheese fills up, you can place toppings strategically to fill in gaps.  Wrap tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Serve with a crackers and a cheese knife for spreading.  I also paired it with an assortment of homemade jams (pepper, peach, and cherry) and apples (Fuji and honey crisp).  It was a light and tasty treat that satisfied without leaving us too full for turkey!  Enjoy!

While Steve and I were at Roosevelt Tavern on Friday (fabulous farm to table meal, by the way), I was served a little detail inspiration.  Butter balls.  Not the turkey kind, the straight up Paula Deen kind.  We had herb ones and plain ones to compliment our sour dough and wheat rolls.  I’ve made herb butter in the past, although not single servings.  However, I didn’t think herb butter would compliment my cranberry oat bread too well.

It didn’t take me long to realize what would!  Honey butter!  The kind you get in steak houses.  The kind I could scoop right out of the cup with a spoon.  I don’t.  That would just be embarrassing as a dietitian and human being. 

It turns out, it’s really not too difficult to whip up (quite literally).

Combine salted butter, honey, vanilla extract, and cinnamon; whip with a hand mixer and shape into balls.  Freeze to harden and store in the freezer or refrigerator.  All ingredients are to taste, so start with little bits and add as you taste.  You could also use unsalted butter if you like it sweeter.  I like the contrast the salt brings to it.  In case you absolutely need a recipe, here’s an approximate:

Honey Butter

• 2 sticks salted butter (half pound)
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

I can’t wait to enjoy my balls on Thursday!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Do you shake it out of the can and slice it or cook it up and scoop it?

My family has always been a faithful canned cranberry sauce gang.  I can hear that distinct suction sound as the cylinder slides out of the can, marked with rings and all.  I’ve never really loved it, but it’s tradition.  Even if we only take little pieces, you just had to have it.  This year, I’m hoping to change that.  I want to make these little nutrition power house berries something to be desired.  They aren’t going to sit on my table just for show.

I also never prepare something for the first time when we have company.  What if it’s a complete flop?!  Shameful.  So, tonight was cranberry sauce trial.  I took ingredient and preparation inspiration from various recipes.  This is what I came up with…

Cranberry Sauce with Clementines and Walnuts

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 clementines
  • 1 zested and juiced
  • 1 peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• Combine cranberries, sugar, water, clementine zest and juice in a saucepan. 
• Cook on medium until boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Simmer until thickened and sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from heat and add walnuts, clementine chunks, and cinnamon.
• Cool and enjoy.  Can be made ahead and stored for a few days.

It was easy as pie.  Well not really, because pie’s not easy.  That’s why another one of my thanksgiving traditions is to let someone else bring the pie!  Cranberry sauce is actually easy.  It’s fun too.  The berries actually pop as they heat!

If you plan to make this, don’t get lazy and use raw walnuts.  Toasting really makes the difference and it only takes a minute.  Also be careful you don’t burn them.  That can happen in a hot second and would totally bring the berries down.

The cinnamon is also very important.  I tasted with and without and the cinnamon definitely brings something to the table.

And last, but not least, feel free to sugar to taste.  Weather you like it tart or sweet, you can make it work for you.

Now I think I hear the ice cream maker calling me to practice my ice cream skills before the pie comes to town!  Tata!

Happy Anniversary Steve and Trick or Treat!

The Island Where People Forget to Die

Just the other day I found this guy sitting on our patio furniture.

He was amazing!  He looked just like a twig.  Texture.  Color.  Everything!

I relocated him to the rosemary plant.  Hopefully he’s happier there than on a chair.

In addition to my new friend, I have plenty of old ones still hanging around.

The marigolds look better than ever.

The asparagus is still growing and I’m still resisting cutting it down.  Gotta wait til spring!

Carrots are flourishing.

Lettuce is back.  Oh how I missed it!

I’m a happy camper because I’m still not stepping foot in the produce section of the grocery store.

I’m also still tracking all the produce we are collecting from the garden to do my cost benefit analysis.

Can’t wait to see what it shows!

Last year I planted loads of jalapeno and banana pepper plants.  That was a gardening mistake I would not make again!  I had hot and spicy peppers coming out my ears.  So this year I just planted one of each.  Seemed reasonable to me.  So why do I still have peppers coming out my ears?!  It’s humorous at this point!

I took my piles of peppers and made pepper jam for the first time yesterday.  I was skeptical that I would have any purpose for it or that I would even like it.  However, you know by now I make every attempt to prevent waste.

I got to searching and found this recipe from My Kitchen Addiction.

Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jam

• 4 cups peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 box powdered pectin (1.75 ounce)
• 5 cups sugar

• Heat peppers, vinegar, and pectin to a boil.
• Add all the sugar and bring to a boil again.  Boil for 1 minute.
• Pour into sanitized jars and seal with lids and rims.
• Process in boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

*You can use any combination of peppers you would like.  I used mostly jalapeno and banana peppers with a few bell peppers.  I left the seeds of one jalapeno, to give it a bit of heat.

My only regret is that I added green food coloring to the jam.  I don’t know what I was thinking!!!  Now it looks psychedelic.  However, it tastes shockingly delicious.  I enjoyed it right away on the only cracker like item I had…a rice cake.  A little bit of cream cheese and the jam turns out to be a great snack.

Add crackers to the grocery list, this is going to be a spicy treat to heat up the winter!