Best Zuppa Toscana

 1 chopped onion, sautéed 

I package sautéed Johnson’s Mild Italian Sausage 

Half package kale or spinach 

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup cream

Chopped Potatoes (optional)

Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter , sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 cups small diced broccoli florets*
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese , freshly shredded (or more to taste)
• 2 oz parmesan cheese , freshly & finely shredded

Instructions

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic, flour and season lightly with salt and pepper then cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour in evaporated milk (whisk well to smooth).
• Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken then pour into a slow cooker along with chicken broth, diced broccoli and thyme. Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 5 - 6 hours.
• Turn heat to warm (or off) and stir in heavy cream, then add in shredded cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
• *From about 20 oz broccoli crowns, large stems cut off and discarded (or reserved for another use), florets diced into small pieces.

Michelle Conover’s Pumpkin Cookies

 Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened

• 8 oz cream cheese softened

• 3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set

aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 1 minute. Add

sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until well

combined.

3. Add one egg and the vanilla then beat well, until yellow streaks are gone. Add the pumpkin

pure and beat again until it's incorporated. Finally, add the flour and beat on medium speed

until completely incorporated. Watch the video to see instructions on how to properly

measure flour. The dough will be wet, this is what you want!

Christmas Eve Hot Chocolate

 Our tradition is to make this every Christmas Eve and drink it in our matching Santa mugs while watching The Grinch. Putting this here because I lose everything including every recipe but I still check this blog for my old recipes. 

6 cups milk

1.5 cups cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14oz)

1 package (2 C) chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Sumi Salad

Sumi Salad

1 head of shredded cabbage
8 sliced green onions
2 packages Chicken Top Ramen noodles (smash before opening)
1/4 C sesame seeds
1/4 C sliced almonds

Toast seeds and almonds in frying pan, stirring constantly

DRESSING
1/4 C sugar
3/4 C oil
6 T rice vinegar
1 t salt
1 t pepper
2 t sesame oil
2 seasoning packets Top Ramen


Mix salad, add chicken (optional), cover with dressing.
Cover and chill for several hours, stirring frequently.

New Beginning

Tomorrow is my first unemployed Monday. It is also my daughter's eighth birthday. Seems appropriate. My kids are tracked out (year-round school) so they get to actually sleep late for once. This makes me very happy. I plan to get with Chris so he doesn't have to endure me sleeping in while he goes off to work. I know... I feel guilt big-time. Besides, I have a ton to do. I'd like to get one room cleaned out tomorrow before noon. Grandma is taking the kids for the afternoon while I run errands. And so far, the errands are numerous. I have to drive across twin to turn in my work badge, then come back this way to get groceries, retrieve a ring Athena left at a restaurant tonight, run to the bank, and register Josie for her tags.

If all of this seems to focus more on the SAHM side of things and less on the entrepreneur side, you would be correct. I won't get into full swing on the business side of things for a couple of weeks. I need a break and the house needs work. Even then, I am not positive I can do all I want in two weeks. I also have a freelance assignment to do, just to keep a little money coming in. That will take a little time, as will the kids being home for these two weeks. 

Still, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

New Beginning

Tomorrow is my first unemployed Monday. It is also my daughter's eighth birthday. Seems appropriate. My kids are tracked out (year-round school) so they get to actually sleep late for once. This makes me very happy. I plan to get with Chris so he doesn't have to endure me sleeping in while he goes off to work. I know... I feel guilt big-time. Besides, I have a ton to do. I'd like to get one room cleaned out tomorrow before noon. Grandma is taking the kids for the afternoon while I run errands. And so far, the errands are numerous. I have to drive across twin to turn in my work badge, then come back this way to get groceries, retrieve a ring Athena left at a restaurant tonight, run to the bank, and register Josie for her tags.

If all of this seems to focus more on the SAHM side of things and less on the entrepreneur side, you would be correct. I won't get into full swing on the business side of things for a couple of weeks. I need a break and the house needs work. Even then, I am not positive I can do all I want in two weeks. I also have a freelance assignment to do, just to keep a little money coming in. That will take a little time, as will the kids being home for these two weeks. 

Still, I wouldn't trade it for the world.