Cooking Up A New Opportunity

I am a grandma of seven, and great grandma of two. A fact which is a bit daunting at times. I can't believe that I have lived that many years! But, I wouldn't trade my grandma status for anything!

This morning I got a telephone call from Grandparents.com about a new TV Cooking show which will feature Mo Rocca. They are considering me as a guest on this show.

So, my blogging followers, I am hoping you will soon see me on the small screen. It should be a hoot! Nothing is for sure yet, but at least I know it is a possibility.

So, here's the recipe of the day!

For all those "colds" your kids are gonna pick up now that they are back in school.
Believe me this soup will make you a believer, it can chase away a cold faster than any cold remedy you can buy! And kids love it!!

CARROT SOUP

2 pounds carrots cut in 1/2 pieces(I prefer organic, which tend to be sweeter) Bunny Love, for example
1 Large onion, finely chopped
8 or MORE cloves of finely minced Garlic - this is a key ingredient!
1/4 Cup Butter (optional but makes a more decadent soup)
1 - 1 1/2 cups milk, half n half or cream (you can use soy or Almond Milk also)
1 quart chicken stock, or enough to cover the carrots in your pan

Combine carrots, chicken broth, onion and garlic in large saucepan and cook until TENDER.

Puree carrot mixture and return to saucepan with broth.

Add Butter and milk, salt and pepper to taste and heat just to boil.

Remove from heat.

This actually makes a great appetizer also. To dress it up you may add a dollop of sour cream and a chive sprig.


Hope you try this...it is quick, easy and delicious and HEALTHY!

Breakfast and Bread Pudding

Got up at Five AM this morning to fix breakfast for 36 of my dear neighbors. I have lived in this community since 2002 and used to cook breakfast once a month for the neighborhood. It is a great time to get together and visit over a good meal, and who doesn't love breakfast?

The menu consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits and sausage gravy, cinnamon rolls, blueberry streusel coffee cake, cantalope and coffee and orange juice. I got up at five because as you can see it is quite a lot of food to prepare. My sweet daughter, Melanie, came down from Forsyth to give me a hand this morning, as I haven't fixed breakfast for so many in several months. All the neighbors told me how excited they were to be having it.

I am a person who enjoys making other people smile, and believe me, as they wolfed down their sausage 'n biscuits this morning, they were smiling. It is nice to see them greeting each other with smiles and hugs. Some hadn't actually seen each other for months. Needless to say, breakfast was a roaring success, and we will be having our next one on September 10th.

One thing that sometimes causes me problems are the leftovers. It is hard to tell from one month to another what things will be consumed in large quantities and which ones will be left over. This morning I had a LOT of leftover biscuits. Yummy but leftover.

After packing everything up and taking it home, I remembered seeing a recipe on the cooking channel for bread pudding using biscuits. My hubby LOVES bread pudding, sooooo as I am writing this blog the bread pudding is in the oven. YUMMO!

Hubby will be Happy when he gets home tonight. Thought I might share this simple recipe with you...it is not only husband friendly, but kid friendly too!

APPLE BUTTER BREAD PUDDING

6 cups broken up biscuits ( I used Pillsbury )
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup apple butter
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup raisins
2 TBSP Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 quart baking dish.
Break up biscuits into large bowl. In another bowl thoroughly mix eggs, sugar, milk, cinnamon and apple butter until it is about the consistency of cake batter.
Fold into broken biscuits and add raisins, mixing until all biscuit crumbles are moistened.

Pour into 2 quart baking dish and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. It's also good cold! Enjoy!