Cream of Broccoli Soup with Italian Bread Bowls

Haley and I were talking about our love of soups and this soup weather- so I decided that I should post these very yummy recipies that I tried last week.  It actually got my broccoli-hating-Randy to like it! It is adapted from Taste of Home-

Cream of Broccoli Soup

• 8 Servings
• Prep: 35 min. Cook: 10 min.

Ingredients

• 9 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 2-3 potatoes peeled and cubed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• Pinch each dried basil, thyme and rubbed sage
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring broccoli, potatoes, onions and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf and remaining seasonings. simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.  After the broccoli and onions are cooked through, take out about 2/3 of the soup and puree it.  I only do 2/3 because we like some chunks, but do as much as you like.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir into broccoli mixture; add buttermilk and cream. Heat through (do not boil). Discard bay leaf. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts).

Italian Bread Bowls
From melskitchencafe.com

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Pear Pie

Super delicious! One bite of this refreshingly sweet and creamy pie will leave you wanting more!!!
(For my older sis! Love you Tara!)

4-5 Pears--sliced thin
1 C. whipping cream
2 T. flour
Pinch of salt
Scant C. of sugar
Pie crust (store bought or homemade works)

Mix dry ingredients with pears. Add cream. Pour into pie crust. Cover and brush with milk or egg white to brown. Bake for 15 min. at 400 and then for 30 min. at 325.

Mom's Chewy Chip Bars

These granola bars are made with honey and oats so you don't have to feel too guilty when you down a few! I love these bars! I make them at least once a month it seems like! Nick and I love to grab one before heading out and about or just for a quick snack!

4 1/2 C old fashioned oats or 3 C oats and 1 1/2 C rice crispies
1 C flour
2/3 C butter/margarine
3/4 C honey
1/3 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 C chocolate chips
1 C butterscotch chips
1/2 C peanut butter

In a mixing bowl combine everything but the chocolate and butterscotch chips and mix well. Stir in chips. Press into a greased cake pan. Bake at 325 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes and cut into bars.

Mom's Homemade Bread

I think that this is the perfect start to this blog:  Mom's bread. Yes, I know that this is on my other blog, but I also know that Haley and I have so many memories of coming home from school and smelling that fresh bread right out of the oven.  Yum!  We could devour a loaf in an afternoon.  Poor mom.  Now I make this same bread for my family.  I want them to be a part of this yummy tradition.

Honey Wheat Bread

1 1/2 T yeast

2 C warm water

1 crushed vitamin C tablet (this is a dough conditioner, other recipes may call for lecithin)

1/4 C oil

1/4 C honey ( I do a heaping 1/4 C , since I like the honey taste)

3 C whole wheat flour

3 C white flour

2 t salt (I do a tiny bit less than 2t)

Dissolve yeast in water.  Add vitamin C, oil, honey, salt, and 2 C wheat flour.  Mix this with a wire whisk by hand or with mixer.  Add 2 C white flour and stir with a wooden spoon (or, if using mixer, add all the rest of white and wheat flour and mix with dough hook for 2 minutes or until combined and dough pulls away from bowl).  If mixing by hand, knead in the rest of the flour until dough is soft and elastic.  (If using mixer, I take it out of the bowl to knead it a few times to make sure it is soft and elastic.)  Shape dough into a ball, making the top smooth and any creases in the dough tucked under the bottom of the ball.  Put it into a greased bowl, and turn it once so the top of the dough is greased and thebottom of dough ball is facing down in the bowl.  Cover (with clean kitchen towel) and let it rise about 1 hour, until it is doubled and then punch the dough down.  Grease 2 loaf pans and divide dough in half, shaping it so it is smooth on top and any folds are in the bottom of the pan.  Cover and let them rise for 30-60 minutes, until doubled and looks like the right size.  Bake it at 350 for 30 minutes.  Take out of the oven and let sit 5 minutes before removing from loaf pans to wire racks. I like to spread butter on the top when it is still warm.