Delicious Ham & Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 c. diced celery
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
2 c. diced cooked ham
3 1/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 Tbsp. butter
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk

Directions:

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Spring Already

We finally got our garden in, and none of the starts have died yet. The little onions are actually still standing straight up! Hooray! Hopefully we will be seeing little sproutlings from our seeds in the next week or so.
I am grateful today to live in a community where so many people do what they say they will do. Of course, it's not perfect, but all around me are people who serve my kids and serve me just because they've volunteered to do so. So many teachers and leaders who go the extra mile. I am grateful for people who talk to my kids, who really listen to them and help to boost their confidence. Because of these people, my children feel that much more valued. I'm so grateful for these examples of people who fulfill duties instead of shirk and disappoint.
I have moaned about the "safety" here--that it isn't real and won't prepare my kids for what they may find as they venture out into the world. But I've rethought things, and I'm so grateful that my kids will have an idea of how things can be. I don't know the purposes for my being here; it's been painful to be separated from my family and the beauty of my home state. Nature here is less inspiring to me, which has been kind of sad. But I have often felt that one of many reasons I could be here is to provide my children with the incubator they need for their futures. I hope they will follow the good examples they see around them, and learn to serve in their future communities, wards, vocations, and respective families. I know Troy and I will not be their only role models, and as they mature, those outside our family may have louder voices than ours. For this reason I am grateful to have so many loud voices which are building, uplifting, and light-bringing.

No-fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

How can Chocolate Chip Cookies fail, anyway? They have for me--too flat, too crunchy, too much butter (yes, that IS possible!) I got this recipe from my great friend Shona. I think they're a winner.

2 sticks butter
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar, overflowing
1/2 c. granulated sugar, overflowing
Blend together until smooth, then add:
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
Blend together. Add:
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 - 4 c. flour (add one cup at a time until consistency is right)
Stir in:
1 - 12 oz. pkg. of any kind of chips you like (we do 1/2 milk chocolate and 1/2 butterscotch). Add nuts if you like as well.
Preheat oven to 375; preheat the cookie sheets as well. Place cookies in 2" rounded balls on preheated cookie sheet. Return to oven and bake for 9 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool.

February 10, 2010

Today I am grateful to be celebrating 9 years of Gabrielle in our family. The sun is shining and the heavy rains we've had this past several days have cleaned the air and freshened the view. The almond tree in the yard is beginning to bud, and the apricot trees are showing signs of life as well. Almond blossoms smell so good--they are right up there with cherry blossoms for me.
I'm grateful that each member of my family can get up and move and go and do as we please without physical impairment. I'm grateful for clarity of mind (when I have it) and the blessing of agency. I've often felt that my discretionary time was a burden--that I could be or feel more "important" if I had a set schedule by way of a career or great responsibilities. I am learning that more than being a burden, the way I use my time is a challenge and a test for me--an opportunity to learn to choose wisely. I am grateful for the time I have to pursue my goals, but I know too that I must choose between those things that are "good, better, or best" (Elder Oaks).

Lou's Addiction Cookies

This recipe came from BHG.com, but I've modified it (May). It is my favorite cookie recipe, hands down. The dough is marvelous--I like it better than the cookies.

Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. peanut butter (I use chunky)
1-1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1-1/4 c. granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1-1/3 c. regular rolled oats, measured and then ground into flour (use a food processor or blender for this)
1-1/3 c. regular rolled oats, whole
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
1/2 c. mini M & Ms

Directions:

1. Beat butter and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking powder and baking soda; beat until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in flours. Stir in oats on low speed. Stir in chips and M & Ms by hand or on low speed.
2. Drop dough using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly w/ back of spoon. Bake @ 375 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie centers have begun to set. Allow cookies to rest on cookie sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks.

This makes a big batch of dough, but it freezes well if you want to save some for later.

Pioneer Market Potato Salad

I learned to make this potato salad while I worked at Dad's "Pioneer Market" in LaConner. We never used any measurements, so make it to your liking, using the following ingredients:

6 large russet baking potatoes, boiled in their jackets, then peeled and diced
6 eggs, hard boiled, then peeled and sliced
3 large or 6 small dill pickles, diced small
4-6 green onions, chopped

Prepare above ingredients (let potatoes and eggs cool thoroughly) and set aside. To a large mixing bowl, add (remember, all measurements are approximate!):

2 c. mayonnaise (use light if you like)
1/3 c. yellow mustard
1 handful granulated sugar

Stir until well mixed. Add the first four ingredients to mayonnaise mixture, folding them in carefully with a rubber scraper until the salad looks uniform. Add garlic salt and/or pepper to taste, again carefully stirring it in so that the potatoes and eggs don't get mushy. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with paprika, cover and refrigerate. This recipe will make 10-12 regular-sized servings.

Note: Troy doesn't do egg whites, so when I make this for him, I double the eggs and use only the yolks for the salad.

Poppy Seed Loaf

Okay, this is not really a bread, but if we call it "bread", instead of "cake", then we feel fine about eating it for breakfast, right? This recipe came from Troy's mom, and it is my Gabrielle's absolute favorite.

3 eggs
2 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. + 1 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Cream all together. Pour into 3 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Let cool 5-10 minutes.

Glaze:
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 tsp. butter flavoring
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Blend thoroughly with a fork or small whisk.

Loosen cooked loaves with knife and cover with glaze while still warm.