Slow Cooker Honey Mustard & Turkey Stew

Slow Cooker Honey Mustard & Turkey Stew

When I made this soup, it was early February, I had frozen some turkey last Thanksgiving with the intention of making a slow cooker turkey soup.  I ran across this exact recipe on the website skinnyms.com and realized, hey, I'm feeling lazy today.

This dish was super easy to prepare and it's delicious.  It was submitted to skinnyms.com by BusyButHealthy.com.  So, thank you very much.

---Enjoy

Slow Cooker Honey Mustard & Turkey Stew

Toss cut up turkey breast in flour to coat. Place everything in slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Ingredients 1 cup carrots, chopped 1.5 cups celery, chopped 1.5 cups onions, chopped 1 cup chicken broth (no salt added) 2 Tbsp honey 1 tsp dried rosemary 2 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard 1 large turkey breast, cut into chunks (I used left over white and dark meat) 2 Tbsp spelt flour (or whole wheat flour for gluten free use oat or brown rice flour) Read more at http://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-honey-mustard-turkey-stew/#QeU7VDoOwAtZfyXf.99

Difference Between Soup and Stew

The terms soup and stew can get confusing and some dishes are referred to as either, depending on the cook. There are some dishes that can be made as a soup or a stew, such as wonton soup, gumbo stew, miso soup, and Brunswick stew. While the two types of foods may seem similar, there are some ways to differentiate between them. First, most soups are thin compared to thick stews; second, stews are almost always served warm while some soups can be served hot or cold; and third, stews are typically slow-cooked as opposed to soups that can be prepared and heated fairly quickly, depending on the recipe.

Thick or Thin

One of the most important differences between soup and stew is the thickness — when compared to one another, soups are considered thin while stews are thought to be thick. A soup is basically any combination of pasta, meat, or vegetables cooked in liquid. Most soups are "thin," as the ingredients typically include several cups of water or some type of broth; it is also possible to make soups using milk or even fruit juices. Soup is best served in a bowl or deep plate, since most of it is basically liquid.

Stews can be simply described as "hearty soups," often with meats and vegetables, including potatoes. When comparing soup and stew, the latter is usually considered a main dish and soup a side dish, because stew is typically more filling than soup. The liquid in a stew is minimal, and any liquid is usually thickened to the point of being more of a gravy than a broth, making stew thicker than soup. Some thickening methods include blending some of the vegetables and adding the puree to the stew, adding an equal mixture of flour and water to act as a thickening agent, or gently boiling the stew to reduce the liquid.

Temperature

Another difference between soup and stew is the temperature at which it is served. Most soups can be eaten as either hot or cold dishes, can be cooked or uncooked, and some are even considered a dessert such as fruit soup. Stews, on the other hand, are almost always consumed hot. This is partly due to preference and partly due to the slow-cooking method of stew that usually leaves the stew warm after it is cooked and served.

Cooking Time

The time it takes to prepare and cook soup and stew is another way the two dishes are different; soup is generally quicker to make, while stew requires a longer cooking time. Part of the characteristic flavor of a stew stems from the slow cooking process, which allows the natural flavorings of the foods being simmered stay in the stew; while this process does take longer, it is thought to make the stew more flavorful. Sometimes a thickening agent is added to make the stew more gravy-like, which can take several minutes to actually thicken, adding to the length of the cooking time. Soup, on the other hand, usually relies on added flavorings, such as condiments and garnishes that do not require slow-cooking, and can be put together quickly to be heated and consumed later.

Turkey Soup

I have been making this soup every Black Friday for over 20 years, and I have never used a recipe.  One thing for sure, it is consistently good, and no matter how much I make, there is never enough to fill all of the requests from family and friends for this soup. Although I don't have a recipe, I will do my best to tell you how I made it on Black Friday 2014.

Turkey Soup

1. Put the carcass, left over skin, wing parts and anything left from the turkey that you were thinking of throwing away into the strainer of a large pasta steamer/stock pot and cover about 3/4 with water (too much and it will boil over).  Bring to a slow boil.  
2. For the next couple of hours, use a wooden spoon and tongs to pick out the large bones as they become clean of the meat.  As time goes by, pick out the skin as it cooks down and any large pieces of solid fat or grisel that you probably wouldn't want in your soup.
3. You may want to add water through the day to keep the pot about 3/4 full.
4. After about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, take stock pot off of the burner, pull out the strainer full of meet, let it drain into the stock pot and set the strainer full of turkey into a large pot and let it cool.
5. Cover the stock pot and put it n the fridge (or outside in the cold) to cool.
6. Once the strainer full of turkey cools, pick through it by hand, reserve the meat and throw out the bones, skin and grisly fat.



12 Qt Pasta Steamer/Stock Pot

7. Once the stock pot of turkey broth is cool, remove any fat that has solidified on the top.  Pot the broth back on medium-high heat.
8. Add the reserved turkey meat, onion, celery, carrots and rice to the soup, bring to a boil, reduce to a medium heat.
9. ---Enjoy

The ingredients are fairly consistent every year, but it is usually what I have left after making Thanksgiving Dinner.  This is what I had laying around this year.

Ingredients 1/2 med onion 4 celery stalks, coarsely diced 4 carrots, sliced 1cup instant brown rice salt & pepper to taste

Chicken Chowder with Fire Roasted Corn

Leftover Alert
Next week is Thanksgiving and my recipes for the next two weeks will require some leftovers.  Next Saturday I will be making Turkey soup which will require the carcass from your Thanksgiving turkey.  The following week will by my Slow Cooker Turkey Stew recipe and you will need about a pound of a mix of leftover turkey, both white meat and dark meat.  I'm sure that you will enjoy both of these recipes.

Now, as for this week,

---Enjoy

Chicken Chowder with Fire Roasted Corn

1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil over med-high heat in a soup pot.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and green pepper, reduce to med-low and sweat the vegetables partially covered until tender (about 15 minutes).
3. Increase heat to med-high.  Add 1/4 cup of the mashed Navy Beans stirring to combine mixture.
4. Gradually mix in the boiling water, about 1/4 at a time, stirring until smooth. 
5. Using an immersion blender, pulsate to partially blend the mixture.  No need to make it completely smooth.  (If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer to a standard blender.)
6. Stir in the diced tomatoes.  Reduce heat to med-low and add the apple, parsley, Mrs Dash Salt-Free Chicken Grilling Blend, Thyme and Cumin.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Add the Almond Milk, chicken and remaining Navy Beans and cook until heated through stirring occasionally.  About 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Salt and pepper to taste

*Mrs Dash Salt-Free Chicken Grilling Blend  This blend contains the following ingrediants: Garlic, Onion, Spices (Black Pepper, Sweet Chili Pepper, Oragano, Rosemary, Basil, Sage, Thyme, Cayenne Pepper, Bay, Marjoram, Savory, Corriander, Cumin, Mustard), Carrots, Paprika, Orange Peel, Lemon Juice Solids, Citric Acid and Natural Lemon Flavor.

Ingredients 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (no butter here) 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1 small onion) 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (1 med carrot) 1/3 cup finely chopped celery (1 stalk) 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper (1/2 small pepper) 1 can Navy Beans, drained and mashed with a fork (Really, a flour substitute???) 28 oz can diced tomatoes 1 apple, chopped (I like to leave the apple unpeeled) 3 cups Almond Milk (Yes, Almond Milk) 1 cup diced cooked chicken 1 cup boiling water 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (1 tablespoon parsley flakes) 1/2 tablespoon Mrs Dash Salt-Free Chicken Grilling Blend* 1 teaspoon Thyme 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Salt and Pepper to taste

15 Bean Soup

15 Bean Soup

This is another soup that goes back to my early years of making soup.  The first time that I make a new dish, I always follow the recipe exactly, and that was the case with this 15 Bean Soup.  It was good, but I was not particularly fond of the seasoning packet.  It tasted extremely salty.   The soup was also a little too watery for my taste.  So, I knew the flavor packet had to go, and a prepared broth had to replace the water.  In October of 2015, I made some subtle changes to this recipe.  I now use both water and broth, and I added a half of a teaspoon of smoked paprika.  This soup is very low in fat and high in fiber, and it warms your innards.

---Enjoy

15 Bean Soup

1. In a pot, cover the beans water and soak over night (at least 8 hours).  
2. Drain the beans, return to the pot,  add 1 quart of broth, 1 quart of water and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
4. Add onions, Rotel (optional), chili powder, garlic, thyme, paprika and lemon juice.  Simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. If the soup thickens too much, add broth to thin.  Yields approximately 3 quarts.

15 or so, these are the variety of  beans that are in this soup  Northern, Pinto, Large Lima, Blackeye, Garbanzo, Baby Lima, Green Split, Kidney, Cranberry, Small White, Pink, Small Red, Yellow Split, Lentil, Navy, White Kidney, Black Bean.

Ingredients 1 package (20 oz) dry 15 bean soup (discard flavor packet from the package) 1 lb low fat turkey Kielbasa sliced into 1/8" - 1/4" pieces 2 quarts low fat reduced sodium chicken broth. 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1 can 10 oz Rotel (optional) 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon chili powder               1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon thyme Juice of 1 lemon

Pinto Bean and Butternut Squash

Pinto Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is in the air.  This recipe dates back several years to when I first started making soups.  Even back then I was tweaking recipes that I had come across.  This recipe was spiced up with the addition of Rotel, chili powder and cumin.  Those were a great addition for a cool fall evening.  I have no idea where the original recipe came from, but this is my version.  I hope you like it.

---Enjoy

Pinto Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat and add the onions and celery.  Saute until the onions are golden brown.  Remember, don't rush the onions.
2. Add garlic and dried pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes stirring often.
3. Add vegetable broth, pinto beans, diced tomatoes,butternut squash and oregano.  Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer 3 cups of the soup to a smaller pot and puree with an immersion blender (if you do not have an immersion blender, let the 3 cups of soup cool and use a standard kitchen blender).
6. Return the puree to the soup and simmer until heated,
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Garlic Ingredients: 1 medium garlic head 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Directions: Method 1 Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Slice 1/4" off the top of the garlic bulb. Place in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until outside of garlic is lightly browned and garlic cloves are soft. When cool enough to touch, squeeze each clove to extract the softened garlic. Place in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Method 2 Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Peel each garlic clove. Place in a single layer in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until garlic is soft.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon Olive Oil 2 cups yellow onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 4 cloves fire roasted garlic, minced 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth 2 cans pinto beans (15 oz sz) 1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 oz) 1 can Rotel (10 oz) optional 2 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces 1 teaspoon dried oregano 4 tablespoons basil, chopped 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Sweet Pepper Garlic Soup

Sweet Pepper Garlic Soup

As the weather gets warmer, it's time to start enjoying chilled soups.  This recipe is pretty straight forward and I have made no changes to it other than offering the optional use of tofu in place of the potato.  I like potatoes, and that makes one of us in our household.  This will be the first in a series of chilled soups which are new to me.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have, so far.
---Enjoy

Sweet Pepper Garlic Soup

1. Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat; add potato (or tofu) bell peppers and broth.  Bring to a boil;.
2. reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until potato is easily pierced when tested with a fork.  
3. Remove from heat and cool completely.
4. Either place mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender to process until smooth.
5. Refrigerate until completely cool.
6. Place cottage cheese and yogurt into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  
7. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture.
8. Stir remaining cheese mixture into chilled broth mixture until well blended.  
9. Add black pepper stir well and top with reserved cheese.
10. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley sprigs and pepper strips

Ingredients 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onions 6 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup cubed potato unpeeled or tofu I cup chopped red bell peppers 3 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth 1 cup low fat cottage cheese  2 tbs plain nonfat yogurt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Flat leaf parsley for garnish Mixed pepper strips for garnish 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Hot Tamale Soup

Hot Tamale Soup

I thought that it might be time to try something a little fun.  I found this recipe in a cook book that Sharon and I compiled, but neither one of us have any recollection of it.  So, this may or may not be the first time I've ever made it, but who would know?  So let the Mariachi Band begin and enjoy this Tex-Mex marvel.
--Enjoy

Hot Tamale Soup

1. Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.
2. Sweat the onion, bell pepper and garlic covered over low heat for about 20 minutes.
3. Increase heat to medium/high, add ground turkey and continue to cook until meat is brown and able to be broken up with a fork.
4. Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon.  Cook for about 1 minute.
5. Add broth and undrained tomatoes and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in tamale parts, beans and corn and simmer until heated through (about 5 minutes).
7. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
8. If soup is too thick for your liking, add broth or water to thin.
9. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheddar cheese.

Tamales A tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, which is steamed or broiled in a leaf wrapper.  The wrapping is discarded before eating.    -Wikipedia

Ingredients 1 lb ground turkey 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 bell pepper, finely chopped 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 3 cups low fat, reduced sodium chicken broth 1 15 oz cans low sodium diced tomatoes 1 cans Rotel 2 jars tamales or frozen prepared tamales cut in pieces (about 16 oz) 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup frozen roasted corn shredded cheddar Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Black Bean Soup

I like cooking with dried beans.  They are much more economical than their canned counterparts and they're easy to store.  You will need to plan ahead and allow time for soaking the beans.  I always soak them overnight.  It's easy to remember and you don't have to watch the clock.  Within reason, it is difficult to "over soak".

This original recipe came from Whole Food Markets.  As usual, I have made my own changes.  However, if you substitute the cooking wine and broth in this recipe for water, and substitute nutritional yeast for the Parmesan cheese, this low sodium, low fat, high fiber, wheat free dish would also be dairy free, gluten free, vegan and vegetarian.

--Enjoy

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups), rinsed
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup red cooking wine
• 10 cups low fat reduced sodium chicken, beef or vegetable broth
• 1/2 ripe avocado, chopped or smashed to garnish

Method: 

Soak the beans overnight or 6 to 8 hours prior to cooking. Drain and rinse.

In a large pot, bring 1/2 cup red cooking wine to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin and chipotle and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add drained beans and 10  cups low fat reduced sodium broth. Bring soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beans are tender. Remove 4 cups soup and carefully purée in a blender. Return purée to pot and stir in cilantro, Parmesan cheese and lime juice. Spoon into bowls for serving and garnish with avocado.

Cabbage Soup

I found this recipe on line as part of the "Cabbage Soup Diet"and it sounded good.  But, it was not my intention to pass on a well known (in some circles) recipe and call it a day.  As usual, I made changes to the recipe, but I used this recipe to try some new cooking techniques:

1. When sauteing the onions and peppers, no oil or butter was used.  I used low fat low sodium broth (I used beef, but chicken or vegetable would work fine too).
2. By the time I added the rest of the vegetables to the pot, the ingredients filled it to the top.  I wanted to continue to sweat the veggies before adding the liquid base, so in keeping with the no oil no butter scheme, I used 2 cups of V8 Juice and continued to sweat for about 45minutes.

This recipe makes a whole lot of sop.  If I would have known, I might have halved it, but no harm no foul.  I will just share some with family and friends.

---Enjoy

Cabbage Soup

1. Heat a very large pot, on medium low heat and cover the bottom with about 1/8"-1/4" low sodium reduced fat broth.
2. Add the onion, green peppers, celery, mushrooms and carrots. Cover and begin to sweat the vegetables.
3. Add the cabbage and V8 and mix well.  Cover and continue sweating for abot 45 minutes.
4. Stir in 4 cups of fat free low sodium broth and 1 teaspoon Himala Salt.  Heat over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. 
5. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 2 hours being careful not to let the soup come to a boil.
6. Add dill weed, dry mustard, ground marjoram and remaining himala salt and stir until well combined. 
7. Ladel into bowl and garnish with spicy brown mustard.

Ingredients 1 head cabbage, coarsely chopped or shredded 2 med yellow onions, coarsly chopped or diced 2 green peppers, coarsly chopped or diced 5 stalks celry, chopped 2 or 3 cans tomatoes, diced or stewed 3 or 4 carrots, chopped 8-10 oz mushrooms 2 cloves garlic 2 cups V8 Juice 4 tablespoons dill weed 2 teaspoons ground mustard 2 teaspoons ground marjoram 2 teaspoons Himala Salt Spicy brown mustard (garnish) Pepper to taste

Traditional Irish Stew

Erin Go Bragh!

St Patrick's Day is upon us, so I felt compelled to make a traditional Irish Stew.  I was going to use lamb for this dish, however, I was not too excited about paying north of $12 per pound for lamb.  So my next thought was to substitute stew meat which is perfectly acceptable.  Then, I remembered that I had a 2 pound beef rib roast in the freezer that I won at a meat shoot.  It may not be traditional Irish stew, but this dish turned out fantastic.  In honor of the way it turned out, I will include my recipe for Irish coffee as well as a cornmuffin recipe that I ground my own corn to make the corn meal.  This was a fun two days in the kitchen.

Thanks to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/irish-stew-recipe0.html?oc=linkback for the original recipe.

---Enjoy

Traditional Irish Stew

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 med yellow onions, diced 
• 2 lb stew meat / mince or lamb (Remember, you can substitute stew meet, but I used beef rib roast.)
• 2 lbs size B red potatoes cut into eighths
• 1 lb baby carrots cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons pearl barley
• 1 cup roasted corn
• 5 cups low sodium reduced fat beef broth
• 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and bay leaf)
• 1/4 teaspoon Sage
• 1 sprig dried thyme (1/2 tbs dried)
• 1 bunch parsley leaves, finely chopped (9 teaspoons dried)
• 1 bunch chives (1/2 cup chopped)
• Salt & pepper (personal preference) 

Method

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, soup pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over med heat, reduce to low and sweat the onions in oil, until they are translucent.  About 20 minutes. 
2. Add the dried thyme and stir. 
3. Add the meat and brown on a high heat to seal in juices. 
4. Add carrots, and pearl barley. 
5. Pour in the chicken stock so that it almost covers the meat and vegetables. 
6. Season with salt and pepper, and add Bouquet garni. 
7. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours, being careful not to boil. 
8. Place potatoes on top of the stew, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
   
   Serve the stew in large flat soup bowls, and drizzle herb butter over the potatoes or garnish with parsley and chives.
   
   

   Whole Wheat Cornbread Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup roasted corn kernels
• 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (such as pecans or walnuts)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a standard muffin tin with either paper or tin liners, or spray with canola oil.
3. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, flaxseed, baking powder and salt in a bowl. 
4. In a seperate bowl, whisk together almond milk, applesauce and honey. 
5. Stir honey mixture into cornmeal mixture. Add corn and nuts and stir until combined. 
6. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serving Irish Stew  Stew can be eaten at any time of day although eating it for breakfast would be bit much. This can be a substantial meal so dont plan on taking a jog afterwards.

Irish Coffee Brew a pot of coffee Pour milk into a small saucepan and bring to a boil* Transfer milk to a small bowl and whisk vigerously until frothy Pour a cup of coffee and add a shot of Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky leaving enough room for the frothy milk Add the milk and enjoy 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup honey 1 cup roasted corn kernels 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (such as pecans or walnuts) * Be creative.  I used an Almond/Coconut non-dairy blend instead of milk

Wild Rice Chowder

What a great day in the kitchen.  I made a chile (see Ann's Simple Chile posted on 1/24/15)  and increased the recipie by 2 1/2 so that I could take it to a beer tasting at the Kappel estate tonight.  And, at the same time, I prepared this Wild Rice Chowder for the first time.  This is only the second chowder that I've ever made a chowder, but based on the results, I am looking forward to making many more.  Thank you once again to Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Soups & Stews for this delicious addition to my recipe box.

---Enjoy

Wild Rice Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 tabespoon extra virgin olive oil (the original recipe called for butter or margerine)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrotts
• 2/3 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups low sodium reduced fat chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 4 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 2 cups Silk Almond Coconut Blend (the original recipe called for half-and-half or light cream)
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (the original recipe called for 4 strips bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled)

Directions

1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil over med-high heat in a soup pot.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, reduce to low and sweat the vegetables partially covered until tender (about 15 minutes).
3. Stir in the uncooked wild rice; cook and stir for a minute more.
4. Add broth, rosemary and thyme.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simer covered for 45 minutes or until rice is tender.
5. Stir in the half & half and cook until heated through.
6. Stir in bacon bits and salt & pepper to taste.
7. Add the Almond Coconut Blend, cook until heated through and stir in bacon bits.
8. Salt and pepper to taste

Beet Bisque

I found the original recipe for this soup in a copy of "Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Soups & Stews" that was given to me by my good friend Patti Kappel.  Although there is a big difference in my version that it is posted here, it is a sweet velvety treat that I did not expect.

I substituted Harvard Beets in place of the fresh beets because, and this is unusual, I was pressed for time.  This cut down the cooking time dramatically, but it turned out pretty good just the same.

The term "bisque" implies a velvety soup that's usually made of pureed seafood, such as lobster or shrimp, and cream.  Although I did not use any seafood or cream, I could not describe this dish any other way orther than velvety.  So, I hope that you don't mind me taking the liberty of calling this Beet Bisque.
--Enjoy

Ingredients:

• 2 15 oz jar of Harvard Beets, drained, rinsed and diced
• 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups of diced russet potatoes (as usual, I did not peel them)
• 28 oz of reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Low fat sour cream or yogurt

Directions:

• In a soup pot, heat the olive oil.  Add garlic and cook over a medium heat for about a minute.
• Add the diced potatoes and stir and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the broth and diced beets.  Bring to a boil.  reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the marjoram and onion powder.
• With immersion blender (or transfer in batches to a standard blender), blend the mixture until velvety smooth.  if the mixture is too thick, add more broth.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with sour cream or yogurt.

Warm Cherry Soup with Dumplings

Warm Cherry Soup with Dumplings

OK, my friend Dr Bill was being his usual smart ass self and wanted me to make Cherry Soup in honor of George Washington's birthday.  Well, I'm not one to take a smart ass challenge lightly.  I started researching Cherry Soups, and all I could find was sweet "desert soups".  I didn't even know there was such a thing as "desert soup".  So, I have taken great pleasure in preparing this soup because it is pretty much all mine from scratch.  Feel free to modify this recipe as you see fit, but I like it just the way it is.

---Enjoy

Warm Cherry Soup with Dumplings

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the extra virgin live oil over med high heat,, add the onions and garlic, reduce the heat to low and sweat covered for 20 minutes.
2. Add the cherries, reduced sodium beef broth and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes or until cherries until tender. 
3. For dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in milk. Increase the heat, bring the soup to a boil and drop the dumplings by teaspoonfuls into boiling soup. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until dumplings are fluffy.
4. If the soup thickens too much for your liking, add more reduced sodium beef broth to thin the soup.
5. Stir in the spicy brown mustard, season to taste, ladle into soup bowls and serve.

A Twist on the Dumplings When making this soup, I had some extra dumplings.  I could not see that going to waste, so I rolled the dumplings in my hands and put sliced jalapenos in the middle.  I boiled them until fluffy in beef broth and it turned out to be a great appetizer.

Ingredients For the soup 4 cups fresh, frozen or canned pitted chart cherries  (Since cherries were not in season, I used tart cherries canned in water.  they worked great.) 2 cups low sodium beef broth 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon   1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard For the dumplings cherub tomatoes 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk A dash of salt

George Washington Never Chopped Down A Cherry Tree

EMILY UPTON 18

Myth: George Washington once chopped down his father’s favorite cherry tree.

 George Washington Never Chopped Down A Cherry Tree

The story goes that a young George was about six years old and had been given a hatchet, which he enthusiastically used to chop at just about anything in sight. One morning, he even chopped at a cherry tree, eventually cutting it down. When confronted about it by his father, George hesitated but told his father, “I cannot tell a lie.” He admitted to the crime. Rather than punishing George for chopping at the tree, his father said that his son’s honesty was worth more than a thousand trees. It’s meant to be a story that’s a lesson in integrity, and shows one of Washington’s many supposed virtues.

First published by the biographer Parson Weems in 1809, ten years after Washington’s death, the story reportedly came from an old neighbor who’d known Washington as a boy. However, it is the only historical source of the story, and as a legitimate source, it isn’t very credible.

Very little was known about George Washington’s childhood, especially his relationship with his father, who died when Washington was just eleven years old.

Given that Weems is known to have copied and adapted several of his “George Washington” stories in that “biography” from English folklore, to illustrate various traits George Washington supposedly exhibited in spades when he was an adult, and that Weems provides no firm evidence to back this particular tale, historians today consider the cherry tree story complete fiction.

There have been other falsehoods about George Washington that have been perpetuated in American History classrooms, too. For instance, George Washington never ate his supper with a set of wooden teeth.It’s true that Washington had notoriously bad teeth. By the time he was elected president, he had only one tooth of his own, which I like to think he named “Old Reliable”.

His dentist provided him with several sets over the years. There were dentures made out of cow teeth, hippopotamus ivory, and even human teeth that he likely bought from slaves. The practice of selling teeth for a bit of extra money had been in place since the Middle Ages—and Washington’s dentist was none other than Jean Pierre Le Moyer, who in 1783, placed an ad in New York papers asking for “persons disposed to sell their front teeth, or any of them.” The next year, Washington paid 122 shillings to “Negroes” for nine teeth on Le Moyer’s behalf. Likely, the slaves were his own and the teeth were either implanted in his mouth or made into dentures.

Another myth surrounding the memory of Washington is that he once threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River. Setting aside the fact that silver dollars didn’t actually exist when Washington was young, the Potomac River is over a mile wide—it would be impossible to accomplish such a feat without the aid of some serious wind. It’s likely that this myth sprung into being as another one of those stories meant to show Washington’s touted virtues- in this case, superhero-like strength.

That being said, his step-grandson recorded a story that Washington once threw a piece of slate roughly the size of a silver dollar across the Rappahannock River, which was only about 250 feet wide near the Washington homestead; this is obviously significantly more doable.

One George Washington “virtue” story that is true is that he did free his slaves upon his death. As he aged, he began to abhor the institution of slavery stating, “There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.”  I’d argue that there were probably many slaves who were men that wished for the abolition of slavery more than Washington… but the sentiment at least was good.

That being said, in this “virtue”, he shows a fault-  that he wished ardently for the abolition of slavery and hated the institution, yet never chose to do anything about it despite his prominent position and that the people of the fledgling nation loved him.  Yet the only small thing he did do about slavery, he didn’t bother with until his death, freeing his slaves and having his estate help provide for them, getting them started with their new lives as free individuals. (He did make an attempt to free his slaves sooner, in 1794, by selling off and leasing much of his estate, in order to raise funds to make it feasible to emancipate his slaves, but the scheme ultimately fell through. Historians generally think he didn’t take a strong public stance against slavery as he felt that it would split the nation he had so recently fought to create.)

Freeing his slaves didn’t mean that his home—Mount Vernon—didn’t have any slaves at all after his death. At the time of his death, there were a full 316 slaves at his estate, 40 of which were leased from others, and 123 of which were owned by George Washington. Martha Washington owned her own slaves (153 of them) called “dower slaves” which belonged to Martha’s first husband and came with her upon her marriage to Washington. She didn’t share her husband’s view on freeing slaves and, as Washington had no rights to her slaves, he was unable to free them. Martha kept them until her death in 1802 when they were inherited by her children.  Those of George’s slaves that were intermarried with his wife’s slaves were allowed to stay on with the estate as free individuals, if they so chose.