Friday, February 22, 2013

Cheeseburger Soup

Yesterday and today have been Snow Days!  Days when I didn't have to go to work.  We received 7-8" of snow here and that was definitely enough of an excuse to stay in pjs and enjoy some time at home.  Granted - I have a LOT of projects I am and should be working on: baby blankets and burp cloths for gifts and for the new grand-baby to be; a scrapbook that's been partially done for about 2.5 years now; cleaning - always cleaning; and organizing.  But instead of jumping right into any of that - I felt it was important to have a pot of hot, bubbly soup going on the stove.  We tried this recipe a few weeks ago and decided it was a keeper!  This time though, I was out of carrots - so you won't see any in the pictures.  It was fine without - but I will definitely put them in again.  It's just nice to have that nice, bright color.

Cheeseburger Soup

In a large saucepan or pan, saute the following for about 10 minutes or until tender:
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
Vegetables and burger
3/4 cup diced carrots
1 T. butter

After the vegetables are tender to tender/crisp, add:
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced potatoes
1 - 1.5 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley

Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.
This is the rue - or the flour/milk mixture
While this cooks, melt 3 T. butter and add 1/4 c. flour into a large saucepan.

When it is smooth, add:
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup milk
Whisk together well and
add to vegetable/meat mixture.
Add:
2 c. American Cheese, cubed   (I used Velveeta, white the first time and yellow this time)

Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally and allowing the cheese to melt.  Then add:
1/4 cup sour cream
Mix well, heat through and serve hot!


It's yummy!  Enjoy - but don't wait for a snow day to cook it up!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

How do you spend day three....

...of a three-day weekend?
This is how it rolled at our house this weekend.

We have a fabulous friend who helps us with car repairs.  There have been a lot of hours under the hood in our garage, sometimes with one of our cars, and sometimes with one of his.  Having great friends and the give and take that comes with these relationships is a blessing.  We have been so blessed throughout our lives with good friends.  Thanks to all of you!