New Easy Soup Recipe

Today's recipe is one I have wanted to try for awhile and liked even longer. This is the soup recipe that Kristin always brings to the family soup dinners/parties. It comes from a cookbook that I already have. On Saturday I made the "Vegetable cheese chowder" from "Christmas Recipes From The Lion House". The Lion House is a local Salt Lake resturant.
I cut the recipe in 1/2 (which is how I have written it.) Also, I have written how I changed it for my family.

Vegetable Cheese Chowder
from Christmas Recipes From The Lion House cookbook via Kristin Homer (I adapted it slightly)

2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots (! used 1 1/2 cups course grated carrots-see note)
1 cup chopped celery (Not for us. Leslie hates celery. See note.)
1/4 cup chopped onion (Sorry, Mark)
1 tea. salt
2 cups water
frozen broccoli florets
1 1/2 table. chicken base
1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine (I used 2 table.)
1/4 cup flour
1 teas. dry mustard
1/2 lb. procressed American cheese (I used 8 slices-UNWRAPPED)

Cook in soup pot until tender, potatoes, carrots, (celery if desired), onion, salt and water

Add and simmer about 5 mins. frozen broccoli, chicken base, margarine and 3/4 cup of milk

In shaker jar mix remaining 1 cup of milk, 1/4 cup flour and dry mustard. Shake well and add to soup. Stir until thickened. It does not take very long.

Stir in until melted 8 -10 slices of cheese.

Notes-I almost always use coursely grated carrots in recipes. (And I add them A LOT to recipes that do not call for carrots.) I buy them already grated at most grocery stores.
If you help in the kitchen, I will try to adapt my recipes for you.hence no celery. If I leave it out I add more potatoes and carrots in this case,
I did not add the broccoli to the soup. (Doug) I cooked it and served it at the side.
Results-Big hit. Doug loved it. Leslie loved it. Hilary loved it and took the left-overs for lunch. One thing I liked about this recipe is that American cheese is lower in fat (and portion controlled). I bet I could serve the cheese at the side and just add my own slice to my bowl of hot soup. hmmm.

I made the white bread from the "Kneadlessly Simple" (by Nancy Baggett) bread book yesterday. It worked much better this time. (The first time I made it I had a migraine and went to bed early. A daughter cooked it for me. She told me she forgot to lower the pre-heat temperature. Maybe this caused my problem?) Anyway, the white bread was enjoyed. Today I am baking the everyday oatmeal raisin honey bread. We really liked the flavour of the oatmeal raisin bread. I used golden raisins. The bread cuts better the 2nd day. On Thursday I started my pizza dough for pizza on Friday. I still have this library book for 2 more weeks.

The no-knead method is a 2 day process. (I love it. There is alot of freedom for baking the bread and you do not knead to be home during the whole process.) OOn day 1 you assemble your bread. On day 2 you shape and bake. (I have put this book on my list to buy. Harder since I am trying to live with my budgeted cash. A side note-My cash plan works well with this Sandy, Ut discovery that 2 gas stations here have had problems with debit/credit cards. A bad guy/guys found a way to get card #s from the pump machines.)