Christmas Soups - 2010

I used three recipes for my Soup Extravaganza this Christmas:

Cream of Broccoli Soup (Jen Smith)

6 c. chicken broth
1 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. salt
1 large head broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. butter (yes, that's three cubes)
2 qt. half and half (or use a mixture of half and half and milk)
1 (8oz.) jar of Cheese Whiz

Combine broth, onions, salt, and broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender. In separate pot make sauce - melt butter, add flour and blend into a paste. Add milk all at once, stir constantly until thick (when it bubbles). Stir in Cheese Whiz. Add to undrained broccoli.



Kristi's Sweet Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 T. olive oil
1 can (28 oz.) petite diced tomatoes - undrained
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
2 cans kidney beans - rinsed and drained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 c. brown sugar

Preheat large pot and brown beef, bell peppers, onion, and spices together in oil. When beef is browned and veggies are tender, add remaining ingredients. Simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, onions, etc. Serves 8-10


Creamy Chicken Soup (Nicole Kunze)

1 small onion, chopped
1 T. butter
3 c. chicken broth (I use 3 cans)
4 medium carrots, chopped (I use a bag of mini carrots)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c. cooked and cubed chicken (I use rotisserie chicken from Costco)
2 T. fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. milk
1/4 - 1/2 c. flour
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese - room temperature, cut into small cubes

Saute onion in butter; add broth and veggies. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until veggies are tender. Add chicken, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Combine flour and milk until smooth. Add to pot of veggies. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for two minutes or until thick. Reduce heat; add cream cheese until melted.  This soup is very thick. Add milk or water if needed.

Christmas Table Runner

I just finished this table runner for our Etsy shop, and I was so pleased with how it tuned out, I had to post it here, too.

I did the quilting. The first time I dared use my free-motion foot to do any quilting. Yes, you can see some flaws, but overall I'm very pleased with how it turned out!

Showing the underneath side of the runner and the binding. So fun!

The worst picture ever. Lighting and angle are horrid, but I wanted to show the full monty.

This is my favorite view. Draped over my kitchen chair. (Please ignore my dirty grout. It needs to be cleaned again.)

See that plate? My sweet mother-in-law gave me a set of those snowflake plates. So perfect for the winter season!