brocolli and cheddar soup for colleen!

i don't have any pics yet but i will update with some next time i make it.

ingredients:
1 stick butter
2/3 c flour
1 onion
1qt 1/2&1/2
1 qt stock (i use chicken, but use what you like)
3 lg carrots
2 heads of broccoli
16 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese block (pre-shredded doesn't melt the same and is yucky)
1/2 tsp nutmeg


4 basic steps:
1.) make a roux
2.) mix the stock and 1/2&1/2
3.) cook the veggies
4.) blend


- chop the onion, in a small pan sweat the onion with about a 1tbsp of butter
- while the onion is cooking, make the roux (turn the stove on LOW and leave it there until the soup is ready.)
- melt the rest of the butter in a big soup pot. when the butter is melted, stir in the flour.
- pour in the stock and 1/2&1/2. stir
- set your timer for 20 minutes, stir once in a while
- while you are waiting, peel and shred the carrots and chop the broccoli
- when the timer goes off, dump in the cooked onion, shredded carrots and chopped broccoli, stir
- set your timer for another 20 minutes
- while you are waiting this time, shred the cheese.
- when the timer goes off, use your immersion blender and chop up the veggies.
- then mix in the cheese slowly so it has time to melt. (if you blend after you put the cheese in, your blender could get gunky.)
- stir in the nutmeg (ew. nutmeg? yes. trust me.)

this recipe makes enough for about 10 servings. we eat half and freeze half. the frozen half is poured into a 12 cup and a 6 cup muffin tin. i put the muffin tins in the freezer over night and in the morning i pop them out and put them in a ziplock.

churning butter

ok, making homemade butter is the easiest project i've posted about yet. really. easiest project.

3 steps:
1.) churn
2.) strain
3.) wash

ok, step 1:

you need heavy whipping cream and a mixer. some people will tell you to leave the cream out over night. but, eh, i don't bother.

pour the cream in the mixer.

turn it on. start slowly and gradually turn it up as high as it will go with out splashing all over.

it will be a little frothy to start.

see?

then it gets thicker...

and thicker.

then it starts getting a little chunky looking.

then a lot chunky looking.

then it starts to separate. you can see a little milk in the bottom of the bowl.

then you have butter! (and buttermilk.)

exciting!

step 2: straining

fish out the big chunks of butter.

and put them in a strainer.

pour the rest through the strainer into a bowl.

straining...

now the messy part. squeeeeeeze the butter. more milk will come out. pour the milk into the milk bowl. then squeeze more out. there is a lot in there.



step 3: washing

put the butter into a bowl of ice water (or really cold water) and squish it around. this gets even more milk out.

there you have it. butter and butter milk. easy, right?

1qt of heavy cream will make 2 c. butter and 2 c. buttermilk.

quarter your butter and wrap it in wax paper. i froze 3 and put 1 in the fridge.

you can use the buttermilk to make pancakes. the recipe i use is:

2c. buttermilk
2c. whole milk
2tbsp baking soda
3 c flour
3tbsp melted butter

mix the milks together. whisk in the baking soda. stir in the flour. stir in the melted butter.