Where to start......

Boy......I am such a BAD blogger! Especially for those of you who look to my blog for new recipes to add to your families collection.  Maybe once you see the new recipes that I am going to be adding, you will forgive me, right? :)

This is what I have been working on:
Pie
Chili
Soups
Salsa (green and red)
Mongolian Beef

That is just a sample of a few things

WOW!

I have been a horrible blogger for my loyal followers.  I am SO sorry!  Things have been so crazy around my house I didn't realize it had been that long since I have been on here.  I do have plenty of new recipes, some old and some new, that I have been trying out.  I will get pictures and all the how to's up by next week.  Please be patient with me. 

Feed back

I am still somewhat new at this food blogging thing.  If you see something that I can improve on, I would love to hear about it.  Or if you simply have a suggestion for a recipe, please let me know that also. 

Thanks and I hope you all are enjoying my blog as much as I am having doing it for you.

Bacon Potato Chowder

6 bacon strips, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 ribs celery, sliced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cued
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towel.  Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings.  Saute onion and celery in the reserved drippings until tender; drain.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in a pot, cover with water and boil until tender.  Do the same with the carrots.  Drain and set aside.  In the same pot as you cooked the bacon and onion in, melt butter.  Stir in flour until smooth; gradually stir in milk.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat; add onion mixtures, carrots, potatoes, salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes or until heated through.  I top mine with some chopped bacon and shredded cheese. 

Soup!

The past few days have been pretty cold.  I thought tonight would be a good night for some soup.  I made Clam Chowder (for my hubby) and Bacon Potato Chowder for the rest of the family. 


Clam Chowder

1/4 cup chopped bacon (I had some leftover from breakfast this morning)
1 small onion, chopped
3 (6.5 ounce) cans  minced clams
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash or 2 of pepper
2 cups canned milk

*In a saucepan, cook bacon and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and onion is tender, drain off fat.  Since I had some leftover from breakfast this morning, all I did was chop up the bacon and cook with the onion until bacon was warm and onion was tender.  When I don't have any leftover I cook it.

*Drain clams, reserving liquid from 2 cans.  Add enough water to measure 1 cup if needed.  Stir in all 3 cans of clams, clam liquid, potato, salt and pepper into bacon and onion.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

*Stir in milk.  Heat, stirring occasionally.  Just until hot.  Do not let it boil.  Soup will curdle

On the menu this week

Chocolate cupcakes with Peppermint buttercream frosting
Gingerbread cupcakes with spiced cream cheese frosting
Spiced Apple bundt cake
Vanilla Cake bites

Pictures and recipes to follow :)

White Hot Chocolate

3 cups 1/2 and 1/2 divided
2/3 cup vanilla or white chips
1 3" cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2, vanilla chips, cinnamon stick and nutmeg over low heat until chops are melted; discard cinnamon stic , add remaining 1/2 and 1/2 , stir until heated through.  Remove from heat , add extracts.  Sprinkle each serving with ground cinnamon and a squirt of cool whip if desired. 
Make about 4 servings