Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Vegetable Chowder.

Daniel made this for me the other day.  I just love when my husband cooks for me!  This vegetable chowder is pure creamy, cheesy goodness.  It's the perfect meal for a cold winter day.

Aunt Becky's Vegetable Chowder

4 cups potatoes cubed
2 cups carrots diced
2 cups celery chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups water
10 ounces broccoli fresh or frozen, chopped into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons chicken base
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon dry mustard
16 ounces cheddar cheese cubed or shredded

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour (add more if needed)

Prepare potatoes, carrots, celery and onion.  In a large pot bring salted water to a boil.  Add vegetables and cook until tender.
Add broccoli, chicken base and milk.  Simmer for five minutes.
In a separate pan melt margarine, butter, flour and dry mustard - make a roux.
Add to soup until thickened.
Add cheese and heat until melted.  Do not boil.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Peanut Butter Bars.

We received a very special gift for Christmas this year and I can't even explain to you how excited I was about it!  Each family on the Bridge side received a cookbook compiled of our family's favorite recipes.  These aren't just any recipes though!  The Bridge's are the biggest foodies I have ever met, so you can only imagine how good these recipes are!  This book has recipes that have been passed down from Grandma and Grandpa Bridge, recipes that are used every year for holidays, recipes that have been handwritten and photo copied, that sort of thing.  My mother-in-law and the aunts worked so hard to put this cookbook together for everyone.  I am so grateful to have such a treasure.  My goal is to make every recipe in the Bridge cookbook (and take photos of course!).  Have you ever seen the movie Julie and Julia?  It'll probably take me more than a year to do it though.

The first recipe I made were Aunt Claudia's Peanut Butter Bars.  These were so delicious, the perfect combination of creamy peanut butter, chocolate, and a soft cookie-like crust on the bottom!

Peanut Butter Bars:
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour
1 cup oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Frosting:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 cup butter softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar
Add egg, peanut butter, baking soda, vanilla, and salt
Stir in flour and oats
Pat mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 20 min
Right out of the oven sprinkle with chocolate chips then add the frosting on top.  The heat will make the frosting very easy to spread, the chocolate chips and frosting will swirl together.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

4 Generations.

This year we spent Christmas break with the Bridge's in Montana.  We had the most wonderful time.  We also spent some time up in Canada with the extended family.  It was so great seeing grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I had to snap a picture of these four handsome men while they were all together.