Thursday, December 15, 2011

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

Today was a warm December day.  65 degrees.  I thought about doing a little work in the yard to get rid of the rest of the fall leaves, but it began to rain.  Shucks.  So instead I whipped up a batch of Broccoli Cheese Soup and it was yummy!

Here's how.....

Gather your ingredients:  Whole Milk, Half and Half, Butter, Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese, Onion, Salt and Pepper and Nutmeg

Begin by melting a stick of butter in a large pot

Add a whole onion, diced.  Saute for 3 or 4 minutes.

Add a 1/3 of a cup of flour.  Stir and cook another minute.

Add 4 cups of Whole Milk and 2 cups of Half and Half.

Add 4 heads of fresh broccoli florets.

Stir well.  Cover and Simmer for 30 minutes or until Broccoli is tender.

Take pictures of the pretty apples and tangerines on the counter top.  Oh wait, you don't have to do that.  Your soup will turn out just fine if you don't.

Here is the very important part.  V E R Y   I M P O R T A N T!!!  Turn the heat off.  Let your soup base cool down some.  THEN stir in your 3 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese.   Bring the heat back up a little so the cheese begins to melt.  The key is LOW and SLOW.  Low heat and slowly add cheese allowing it to melt.  If your soup base is too hot, your cheese proteins will separate and you'll have ugly, gritty cheese. YUCK.  -  I did not know to do that....see the boiling bubbles in my soup.  That is bad!

The cheese melted all right, but we had gritty soup.  It tasted just fine, but now I know better the next time I make it.

Your soup can be eaten as is, or blending in a blender to take the chunkiness out of it.

I mashed my broccoli down with a whisk then dumped the whole pot of soup into the crock pot set on warm to wait for the dinner hour to arrive.


We served ours with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and bacon bits on top.


This recipe has been added to the EZDINNERS blog.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole Onion, Diced
  • 1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
  • 1/3 cup Flour
  • 4 cups Whole Milk
  • 2 cups Half-and-half
  • 4 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets
  • 1 pinch Nutmeg
  • 3 cups Grated Cheese (mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Etc.)
  • Small Dash Of Salt (more If Needed)
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Splash Of Chicken Broth If Needed For Thinning

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.
Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender, return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning.)
Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

What's For Dinner?

Are you always stuck wondering what to make for dinner tonight?
I've started a new blog with my super, easy and delicious dinner recipes on it.
Check it out!!!

http://ezdinners.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Santa Switch 2011

Evan, his girlfriend Audrey and the gang all dressed up and ready for the Christmas dance.





Sunday, December 4, 2011

Thanksgiving Follies

What made us laugh this past Thanksgiving weekend? See for youself........












Monday, November 7, 2011

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

The Rainbow Bridge

inspired by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.
© 1998 Steve and Diane Bodofsky. All Rights Reserved.


Sadly our beloved Boxer Tigger passed away Thursday November 3rd.
She had had a stroke a few weeks prior.  Her brain was damaged and she deteriorated rapidly.
We will miss her dearly.  She was the best dog anyone could have every asked for.
We love you Tigger.
Until we meet again on that Rainbow Bridge.

February 2011

March 2011

April 2011

April 2011



Wednesday, October 5, 2011

20 Years

Today Dennis and I are celebrating 20 years as husband and wife.
That makes me smile!



Thursday, September 15, 2011

Time Flys When You're Having Fun!

The song "It's the most wonderful time of the year" is playing in my head as I write this post. No, not because I am ready for Christmas. Not at all. It is because we at the Minniear household LOVE FOOTBALL and being football season, it is the most wonderful time of the year around here!
Two of our boys, Logan and Isaiah play football for their school teams.  Isaiah is in the 7th grade and plays for the Dragons and Logan is in 10 grade and plays for the Knights.
Right now, we have 4 football games a week.  Yep, 4.  Four.  Quatro. Good thing we love it!
Here is what my week looks like every week.......
Monday - Logan plays a JV game, Isaiah has practice
Tuesday - Isaiah plays an A squad game, Logan has practice
Wednesday - both boys have practice
Thursday - Isaiah play a B squad game, Logan has practice
Friday - Logan plays the Varsity game, Isaiah has practice.
Whew!  Saturday we watch Ohio State Football and Sunday we watch the Colts.
Then we start our week all over again!
Here are some photos from a few of our games in the last month.  Oh, did I mention, I shoot the JV and Middle School games too?


Isaiah, #24 on the field


Can't forget about our sweet Middle School Cheerleaders.  They love to have their pictures taken too.

Me with the Castle Knight Mascot at Lucas Oil Stadium

Evan, Carlos and Isaiah at Lucas Oil Stadium

Evan, Carlos and Isaiah with the Indy skyline behind them.

The family after Logan's football game at Lucas Oil.

There's Logan in action.  #95

It was a privilege to be invited to play in the Colt's Horseshoe Classic August 27, 2011


Evan and Carlos and the Castle Student section during the game.  They were on the jumbo tron alot.

A smile for mom on the sidelines.
Logan - on Defense





Thanks for stopping by!  Leave me a note to let me know you were here.  I'd love to come and visit your blog!
Jodie