The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Tomato Soup: A Great Homemade Recipe (using fresh tomatoes)
16:19 Sep 23 2013
Times Read: 442

Melissa August 29, 2012 Soups, Vegetarian

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes! Tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato salsa. And my favorite – TOMATO SOUP! This is a great recipe for this time of year when tomatoes are going crazy. It’s easy, not too time-consuming, and is perfect for freezing in containers to use throughout the winter. There is not much that is better than a fresh-tasting bowl of tomato soup to go with that grilled cheese while the snow is flying outside.



The recipe for this tomato soup recipe is originally from Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking. I’ve made a few minor adjustments.





HOMEMADE TOMATO SOUP



4 cups tomatoes, cut into chunks



1 onion, diced



4 garlic cloves, minced



1/2 cup chicken broth (more or less, depending on how thick you like your soup)



1 tsp sea salt



1 Tbs dried Italian seasoning



2-3 Tbs sucanat or other natural sweetener







1. Saute onions and garlic until translucent and soft.



2. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes.



3. Puree in a food processor, blender or keep in the pot and use my favorite tool, an immersion blender like this one to blend.



4. Add salt, basil/italian seasoning and sweetener.



5. Taste. Add more of anything in step #4 to make it taste awesome. Add in some cream or a little sour cream on top if desired.



ENJOY!!

Zuppa Tuscana Soup: Replication of Olive Garden's Soup
16:17 Sep 23 2013
Times Read: 443

NOVEMBER 7, 2011 BY KATIE MAE



I fell in love with Olive Garden’s Zuppa Tuscan Soup this summer while visiting family on the east coast. I knew that I need to recreate at home. Even though it doesn’t taste exactly the same it comes pretty close and really hits the spot on a cool day. It is also a great way to stretch your meat and get more nourishing chicken stock in your diet!



Serves 6 to 8



4 quarts chicken stock

1 1/2 cups whole raw milk

4 russet potatoes, chopped

4 slices of bacon

1/4 pound of italian sausage

1/2 tsp salt

1 bunch of kale, finely minced

2 TBS butter

1 onion, finely minced

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tsp black pepper

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)





1. Cook your italian sausage in a soup pot over medium heat until completely cooked and crumbly. Remove and set aside. Fry the bacon in the soup pot until almost crispy. Remove from the pot and set aside leaving the grease in the pot.



2. Add the onions and garlic to the soup pot and cook until soft stirring occasionally. While the onions and garlic and cooking chop the bacon into tiny pieces.



3. Pour in the chicken stock an add the potatoes. Put the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just almost soft.



4. Add the kale and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft.



5. Pour in the milk stirring slowly. Add the italian sausage, salt and pepper. Return to a simmer and then turn off the heat. Serve into individual bowls, garnish with the bacon crumbles and grated parmaesan cheese.



This post is part of Fat Tuesday, Hearth and Soul, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Sunday Soup Night, Teach Me Tuesday,

How to Make Any Kind of Chowder
16:14 Sep 23 2013
Times Read: 444




A hearty bowl of warm chowder on a cold winter day is both richly satisfying and nourishing. There are several variations in kinds of chowders, but they all usually include the same thick, creamy base, with chopped potatoes. The most common kinds are clam or seafood chowder, and corn and potato chowder. I love both, but having grown up on the East coast of Canada, I have a special preference for clam chowder (pictured above, which I have in my fridge right now as leftovers), along with a pot of potato and corn chowder for my non-seafood-loving hubby. (Note: I sprinkled grated cheese on top of mine in the photo above because hubby had grated some for himself, but it’s not a traditional addition to clam chowder. It was yummy though!)



Chowder is super easy to make, and I always make a large stock pot full which leaves me with lots of leftovers for easy meals for the next few days. I’m going to share the basics for how to make chowder, which you can customize however your imagination allows! This is not a hand-holding kind of recipe, but if you do need more precise details, feel free to ask.



Ingredients



Butter

Onions

Celery

Carrots

Potatoes

Rice flour (or other thickener of choice)

Whole milk or cream (the higher the fat, the healthier it is. I use un-whipped whipping cream when I have it, and it tastes divine)

Spices: summer savoury and oregano is what I used last time and it was great. You may also consider adding basil, parsley (especially fresh), or marjoram. (Not all of them at once though!)

A few shakes of white pepper (milder and smoother tasting than black pepper)

Salt to taste (if you are using unsalted homemade bone broth, you will need a fair bit of salt. I used 2 tablespoons in my 9-qt pot. Don’t be afraid of real sea salt – it is something that the body needs to function properly, and you don’t have to worry about your sodium intake unless you are eating lots of processed foods)



Your preferred customizing ingredients: clams, scallops, other types of seafood, including fish. I prefer just clams, and sometimes add scallops. Or you could also add just corn (I use frozen, canned vegetables are pretty well nutritionally empty), which is excellent too! I would add probably at least 2 cups. I also very much enjoy this recipe for Garden Vegetable Chowder, and have played with the recipe lots with excellent results.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup: Boosting Immunity Naturally
16:12 Sep 23 2013
Times Read: 445




NOVEMBER 16, 2011 BY MINDY

Five Flu-Fighting Foods



Forget the flu shot! This year, fight back with food instead! I’m excited to be joining the following 5 amazing bloggers in hosting a 5-week series that will arm you with recipes to stay healthy this season!



Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger



Rachel @ Day 2 Day Joys



Leigh Ann @ Intentional by Grace



Anne @ Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy



Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker



Every Wednesday, we are revealing a different food that helps to support your immune system in the fight against the cold and flu viruses that run rampant this time of year.



So far we have covered Pumpkin, Breakfast, and Green Tea as amazing, natural ways to stay healthy and fight the flu! If you missed these posts, make sure you check them out. There are a lot of really great recipes and ideas linked up that you will love!



Today I’m thrilled that we are covering one of my favorite foods of all-time: GARLIC!



Garlic is antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan and antiviral. It boosts immunity along with many other health benefits. To learn more about all of the wonderful benefits of garlic, read this post from Stephanie at Keeper of the Home. I think that it is the most detailed and informative article on garlic that I have ever read. There’s so much good information in there!



The recipe that I am sharing today, is bursting with garlic goodness! It has 6 whole heads of garlic in it, and it tastes sublime! It is a smooth, velvety soup that just begs to be eaten with a piece of crusty bread.



Roasting the garlic takes the flavor to a whole new level, and makes the soup very rich and yummy. I think this probably goes without saying, but you must enjoy the taste of garlic if you are going to enjoy this soup! We enjoy garlic and we really enjoy this soup!



Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup



Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup

Ingredients:



8 TBSP butter (1 stick)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

6 whole heads of roasted garlic, skins removed (see note below)

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

6 cups homemade chicken broth

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cream

Olive oil, optional garnish

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional garnish

Balsamic vinegar, optional garnish

Preparation:



Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat.

Add onions and saute for 5 minutes.

Add all of the roasted garlic cloves and saute for 5 minutes longer.

Add the flour and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the flour is a light golden color.

Add the chicken broth 1 cup at a time, stirring and incorporating very well after each addition.

Add italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Bring soup to a simmer. Allow to cook and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionaly.

Puree soup in small batches in a blender. (Or you could use an immersion blender if you have one. Lucky you!)

Return soup to saucepan over low heat. Add cream. Stir and heat through.

Taste and adjust salt and spices as needed.

Serve garnished with parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar if you are so inclined. Any or all of these make great additions to the soup!

Enjoy!



Notes:



To roast garlic: Use a sharp knife to cut off 1/4 – 1/2 an inch off of the top of the garlic head, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Remove any of the excess papery skin, but make sure you don’t remove it all. Put your heads of garlic top-side up in a small pan, drizzle generously with olive oil, and roast in a 375o F oven for 40-45 minutes until garlic is golden brown. Watch it closely towards the end to make sure that it doesn’t burn. Once it is done, allow it to cool so that you can touch it without burning yourself, and then squeeze the garlic cloves from the skin. They should come out very easily.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup: A Flu-Fighting Food
16:10 Sep 23 2013
Times Read: 447

OCTOBER 26, 2011 BY MINDY





Forget the flu shot! This year, fight back with food instead! I’m excited to be joining the following 5 amazing bloggers in hosting a 5-week series that will arm you with recipes to stay healthy this season!



Today our featured flu-fighting food (say that five times fast!) is PUMPKIN!



I have always adored pumpkin, even before I knew how incredibly good it was for you. Did you know that pumpkins fall into the category of super food? Yeah, they have some amazing health benefits going for them, as well as the fact that they are delicious!







Why are Pumpkins Considered a Flu-Fighting Food?

Because they are high in carotenoids and Vitamin A which help you maintain a healthy immune system. Consider the following:



Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system, which helps prevent or fight off infections by making white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.Vitamin A also may help lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) fight infections more effectively. -Source



How to Get More Pumpkin in Your Diet

Think outside of the box (or the pie)!



For many years I enjoyed pumpkin pie and occasionally other pumpkin based desserts, but the idea of a savory pumpkin dish never crossed my mind. But a pumpkin is really just like any other squash – delicious in a wide variety of dishes, both sweet and savory! Pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin soup (see below!), pumpkin gratin, hey, even pumpkin pizza, are all great ideas of some pumpkin dishes to get you started!



The recipe that I am sharing with you today is one of my family’s very favorite soups. There is nothing quite like a bowl of this soup on a chilly autumn evening. It’s so flavorful and creamy, and the flavors just meld together so perfectly.



This soup also has the added benefit of including chicken broth, which is also great for your immune system! So with the pumpkin and the chicken broth this is an awesome soup to serve your family in the cold/flu season to keep everyone’s immune systems going strong!



I hope that you enjoy this soup as much as we do!







Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:



4 TBSP butter

1 sweet onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp thyme

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

dash cayenne pepper (optional)

4 cups homemade chicken broth

4 cups packed pumpkin puree (I recommend fresh over canned)

2 TBSP sucanat

1/2 cup sour cream (or plain full fat yogurt)

Preparation:



Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until are soft. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Add salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes, and cayenne to vegetables. Stir to combine.

Add chicken broth and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Puree soup in small batches in a blender. (Or you could use an immersion blender if you have one.)

Return soup to saucepan over low heat. Add sucanat and sour cream. Stir to combine.

Taste and adjust salt and spices as needed.

Enjoy!

Be sure to check out the great pumpkin recipes and tips shared by the other lovely ladies hosting this series with me. They have some great stuff that you don’t want to miss!

Pumpkin Cran Smoothie @ Christian Mommy Blogger

Pumpkin Pear Muffins @ Day 2 Day Joys

Pumpkin: A Simple Immune Boosting Baby Food @ Intentional by Grace

Pumpkin Soup @ Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy

Probiotic Pumpkin Dip @ The Humbled Homemaker