Juniper Cauliflower Soup

I found this recipe in a hometown cookbook that I've had for years. It's supposed to be a recipe used in one of my favorite places to eat, Juniper. I've never had it there, but I might need to order it sometime, because dang, it's yummy.

2 quarts water

1 quart milk

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3 Tbls seasoning salt

1 cube butter

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 pint half and half

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 cup flour

Bring to a boil water, cauliflower, parsley, and onions - boil for 10 minutes. Add milk and half and half and heat to almost boiling, stirring constantly. Melt butter in microwave and mix with flour. Add to soup to thicken. Add cheese and seasoning salt.

Best Egg Salad

As a vegetarian, I am always on the quest for more protein in my diet. One of my lunchtime staples is an egg salad sandwich, and here is my favorite recipe!

6 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1/4 cup mayo

2 Tbls minced red onion

1 Tbls minced fresh parsley leaves

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. juice from one lemon

1/4 tsp. salt

ground black pepper

Mix together and serve. Best when it's been refrigerated for a few hours to let the flavors blend and to make it nice and cold.

(You can also add 1/2 medium celery rib, finely diced, if you're into that sort of thing. I think celery is the worst vegetable known to man, so I leave it out.)

Baking With Kids

On our weekly trips to the library, Declan and I have come across a fun way to combine two of our favorite things: books and food! We are always on the lookout for storybooks about food that include recipes in the back. Then we come home, read the story and make and eat the treat. Just in case you are into books and food as much as we are, here are our two favorites:

Savory Carrot Fennel Soup

This recipe comes from the 2008 version of the Ball Blue Book of Preserving.  It is sooo good!
This makes about 5-6 quarts of soup.

2 bulbs fennel, sliced

2 TBS of olive oil

4 lbs of carrots (about 12 medium) peeled and sliced

6 cups vegetable stock

6 cups of water

2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Sauté fennel in olive oil until transparent.  Combine fennel, carrots and vegetable stock in a large saucepot.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender.  Puree soup until smooth.  Add water.  Simmer until heated throughout.  Stir in salt and pepper.

Easy Pretzel Turtles

A friend of mine introduced me to a new blog (http://www.ourbestbites.com/). It is my new favorite blog. This is a yummy recipe I got from Our Best Bites:

Easy Pretzel Turtles

Small Pretzels
1 bag of Rolos
Something to top them with: any kind of nut (I prefer almonds), marshmallows, m&ms, etc.
Optional: White Chocolate

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet.Unwrap your Rolo candies and place one on top of each pretzel.
Place pan in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Any longer is probably too long. You just want the chocolate on the outside to look glossy and melty, but they should still hold their shape. Remove pan from oven and take a nut and gently press it right into the center of the chocolate candy. This is where you can put anything you want on top. I made half with almonds and half with marshmallows.
The blog also says that if you want to make them look fancy you can drizzle them with melted white chocolate.

Way yummy and way easy! My kind of recipe!
The blog has pictures: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/12/tis-season-for-goodies-and-it-seems.html