Last Soup Recipe for October

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup



1 1/2 lb. plum (roma) tomatoes, halved

5 TBSP olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms, Crimini if you can get them

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can Campbell's chicken broth

1/3 cup tomato paste

pinch of sugar

3/4 cup whipping cream (I use fat-free 1/2 and 1/2)

Grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley for garnish



Place tomatoes cut side down in greased baking pan. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and seasonings. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until edges are browned. Cool slightly. Place tomatoes AND pan drippings in food processor or blender and process until smooth, then 1 more minute.



In a large saucepan or skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil 5 to 8 minutes. They need to be tender, but not browned. Stir in everything except cream. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in cream. Garnish.



SO SO GOOD!! Serve with french bread (or your favorite bread) for dipping. If you want to MAKE your bread visit my good friend Carissa's blog (http://prettyhungrygirl.wordpress.com/) for instructions on how to make some FABULOUS bread! Her bread is FANTASTIC!

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Waiting

A dear friend sent me this prayer that she prayed for both her and myself yesterday. We're both going through a rough time right now and I thought it was perfect. I thought I'd share the prayer with all of you.

"While I'm Waiting" by John Waller

I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait
I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

Prayer has been difficult for me recently and the Lord has blessed me with a MUCH wiser friend who has been helping me through it. I haven't shared much about what I've been going through on my blog, I'm not sure I'm ready to open that can of worms. I just want to say that I'm thankful for friends that will encourage me when I'm down, even when they are down too. This is the second prayer she's sent me and they are always perfect. I want to be the kind of friend to others as she has been to me. Let's be encouraging to others around us, even when we may be going through a rough patch as well.

Faithfully Waiting...
~Jennifer

Potato & Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

2 cup(s) potato(es), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large carrot(s), diced
1 cup(s) leek(s), chopped, white part only
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) uncooked barley
1 piece(s) bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz Canadian-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
2 oz fat-free half and half

In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, chicken broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and Canadian bacon. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender. Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half and heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes.

This is a recipe with some ingredients I wasn't so sure about (aka leeks, barley) but I'm telling you that if you try it you WILL like it!! It's a healthy (healthier than good ol potato soup) spin on a potato soup!! Hope you like it!

~Jennifer

Chicken Tortilla Soup! YUM!

Soup #2 for October

1 cup onion
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken (1 use 3 chicken breasts)
1 cup frozen corn
1 jalapeno (remove seeds and dice)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. chili powder
29 oz. chicken broth (1 box will do)
14.5 oz. tomato soup (1 can)

Mix all together and cook! This one can also be done in the crock pot all day. Put ingredients toether the night before and cook on low all day in crock pot! YUMMY!

Enjoy!!

~Jennifer

Soup Season!

I am SO excited that Fall is here and cooler temperatures are upon us! I am especially excited about this because it's time to start making SOUPS! I have so many soup recipes and I can't wait to make them all. Soups are so easy because I can put (some of them) them together the night before and just leave them in the crock pot all day while I'm at work! The best part of that is that when I get home there is NOTHING to be done except EAT! I LOVE to cook so it's not that much of a hassle to cook when I get home but there are always days when that's the LAST thing I want to do. Soups make that easier...I'm going to try to post a soup recipe every week in October. Here's the first...this one is also figure friendly (if you leave off the sour cream and chips!)

TACO SOUP

1 lb. ground beef
½ or 1 onion chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans (I prefer southern ranch style beans)
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
1 can chopped tomato (rotel)

Cook on stove or in crock pot. Serve with Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips, & Cheese.

I put it all in the crock pot the night before and then put the pot in the crock pot holder in the morning before I leave for work. I cook it on low all day and it's WONDERFUL. ENJOY!

~Jennifer