Creamy Corn Chowder

I just tried this recipe, courtousy of Our Best Bites. It's one of those I saw on the side bar and thought it sounded tasty. It is the best soup I've made in a while actually. It is actually thick and the red potatoes are yummy in it. The only things I would change is to double it, it didn't make enough for my family. I also didn't think it needed the bacon. Seeing how I nearly burned it (I'm very bad with bacon) I didn't think it needed to be in there and I was right.

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (used whole milk)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base (this confused me, I think Knorrs must be huge, but I just used two standard sized cubed)
1/2 lb. bacon (optional) (seriously optional)
1 small onion, minced (Of course, I didn't put this in either)
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)


Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don't boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don't have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup way too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Once served sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if desired.

Serves 6-8.

"Sweet" Potatoes

Doesn't it seem that people fall into two categories with sweet potatoes, either they hate them and don't eat them or they love them because they have a pet family recipe. I've had sweet potatoes as french fries, in pancakes, in pie and just a big hunk of it, but this is our family pet recipe. Yum.

4-5 yams, mashed
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

--Mix together and put in greased 9x13 pan.

Topping:
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour

--Mix with pastry blender. Add 1 cup chopped pecans. Bake @ 350 degrees for 0-30 minutes.

Dorothy's Pecan Pie

My friend Sarah gave me her Pecan Pie recipe. I hope to make it soon because I love it. Dorothy is her Aunt I believe.


3 eggs
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup light corn syrup
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans

Beat eggs and add other ingredients. Mix well. Put in pie crust. Bake at 300º for 40 – 60 minutes (or until solid in middle).

I used a little more than a cup of pecans because it looked like it needed a little more and I'm not sure if I was supposed to chop them or not, so I just left them whole.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

Matt was watching The Katie Brown Workshop on PBS and saw this recipe.

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs Planters Pecan Pieces, divided
1 cup cold milk
2 pkg (3.4oz each) Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1.) Pour 1/4 cup caramel into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.
2.) Beat milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin & spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip. Spread into crust.
3.) Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with remaining Cool Whip, caramel & pecans just before serving.

Serves 10

GG's Red Beans, Louisiana Style

This recipe came from my Great Grandmother, who was born in New Orleans. I have a few recipes from her, but I don't make a lot of Creole recipes because my husband doesn't like celery or onions and only tolerates carrots. So you know, the Holy Trinity is out. :)

Soak 1 pound of red beans overnight.
Rinse and cover with water.

Add:
3 Tbsp. salt

Bring to a boil, then simmer 1 hour.

Then add:

3 chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper chopped
ham bone or sausage
Tabasco sauce
white pepper

Cook until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice.

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

My friend, Kerri sent me this recipe from the blog fashionablyfoodie. I'm putting it here as a must try!

homemade pumpkin ice cream with chocolate chips and walnuts
an original recipe by rachelle

2 cups cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs plus 2 yolks
1 cup plus 2 TB sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 (20 oz) can pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

later:
1/4 cup chocolate chips, blended or chopped
2 TB chocolate chips, left whole
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Combine cream and milk in a saucepan, bring to a boil and turn off immediately. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine egss, sugar, salt, spices and pumpkin, mix until fluffy. While mixer is running, pour 1 cup of the hot cream into the pumpkin egg mixture. Keep adding hot cream, one cup at a time, slowly, to temper the eggs. After everything is combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Bring up to 170 degrees exactly, then turn the heat off. Stir in vanilla. Cool mixture overnight and prepare in ice cream maker- add chocolate chips and walnuts after ice cream has frozen at least halfway so they don't sink to the bottom.

**oh, and I added a bit of red and yellow food coloring to make the color better. i stopped counting drops after i accidentally dumped too much red and had to even it out with lots of yellow. just start out with a few drops and work from there.**

Party batch recipe:
(2 regular sized batches)

4 cups cream
2 cups milk
4 eggs plus 2 yolks
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
a whole huge can pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup chopped chocolate chips
1/4 cup whole chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Thyme and Cheese Biscuits

I love biscuits and gravy. I've been playing around with different biscuit recipes. I found this one at oldfashionedliving.com. It was a hit. FYI, I use McCormick's Country Gravy mix for the gravy.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fresh minced thyme
1/2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, herbs and cheese in a large mixing bowl, using a fork. Cut in the butter. Mixture will be crumbly. Add the milk and stir until dough holds together, you may add more milk if necessary. Drop by large spoonfuls on the cookie sheet an inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.