Happy Birthday Soup

Today my sister Kelly celebrates her 31st birthday.  So, what does that have to do with soup, you ask? Well, I will tell you.  The other day I posted the above picture on my Instagram account.  Lately I’ve been on a soup kick.  It’s quick, delicious and warms up hungry bellies. Kelly asked that I share this recipe.  And, since she lives in NYC and I couldn’t deliver her a bowl of this delicious soup on her birthday sharing it here is the next best thing.  Well, maybe I could have frozen her some, but who says I didn’t do that too? 🙂

Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded (3 cups)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
1 large red bell pepper, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/4 cups)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced slightly less than 1/2-inch thick (3 cups)
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 cups half and half

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. While stirring, slowly add in chicken broth and whisk until well blended.  Add potatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil stirring frequently, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add in cooked chicken, corn and half and half and simmer, uncovered 10 – 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Serve warm topped with crumbled bacon.

This recipe is adapted from Cooking Classy.  I choose to omit some ingredients, so the edited version is above for you all to enjoy!

 

Enjoy and…Happy Birthday Kelly!

Sunday afternoon hikes

Yesterday it really felt like fall.  We got our wool hats and coats on and went for a walk at Soapstone Mountain.  We took the short hikes up to the lookout tower.  Jaiden often wondered off from the trails, going on what he called ‘nature hunts’.  He said he was looking for dear and sticks.   Little Joey happily went along in the backpack, but it was more windy and cold than we thought, so soon it was time to head back.  But, the best part of Sunday afternoon hikes? Knowing there is a hot pot roast waiting for you at home in the oven.

Happy Monday everybody 🙂

 

Muck Boots, Trucks and Sunflowers

Most days you can find Jaiden playing with this dump trucks and wearing his muck boots; which he likes to call his ‘stinky boots’.  He loads up sand, mulch or whatever else he can get his hands on and drives it all over and more recently into the sunflower field.  The changing leaves and the sunflowers are really awesome right now. It doesn’t last long, so I’m trying to soak up every little bit of fall beauty.

^^ pretty nice view from our living room window, wouldn’t you say?!^^

FO: little scallops hat

Each year around this time I start thinking of warm woolens for the kids.  I like to knit them hats each year and try to make one for myself and Josh too.  I started with this one for Jaiden.  It knit up in two short days.  The yarn is was kept me going on this project.  The colors were awesome together.  October has been an unusually warm month for us though.  70 degrees and humidity don’t call for wool hats; but soon enough we’ll be donning them daily.

Pattern: little scallops by Maria Carlander
Yarn: Nice and Knit sport weight in colors Capsize and Canal
Needles: cast on with size 2mm and knit remaining hat with size 3mm
Size: 3-4 year

ravelry page

Autumn in the Back Woods

Some mornings we take walks.  Walks to see the piggies. Walks over to coffee break. Walks to the back woods.  This morning our walk/quad ride included all these fun spots.  The leaves are so awesome this year, as they are most every other year.  The kids explored by the dried up brook playing with muddy sticks, fallen branches and the colorful leaves.