Granini's Cheesy Potato Soup - with broccoli!

Granini's Cheesy Potato Soup - with broccoli!

Comfort food at its finest!

So I was looking for a broccoli cheese soup recipe that didn't have the broccoli in it. 

 I *hate* overcooked broccoli.

And I happened upon the Goddess of All Goddesses Recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup.  I altered her recipe just an eensy weensy bit, and steamed my broccoli, serving it on the side so that it wasn't overcooked.  And WOW, it was a huge hit!  I also served my soup with a big chunk of bread and some Granny Smith sour apple slices too, because one of my kiddos likes to think that soup is really fondue in disguise.

So here's my adapted recipe for GranNini's Cheesy Potato Soup.

Ingredients:
1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) salted butter
1/2 onion, diced
2 yellow potatoes, cubed into small cubes
1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups of milk
1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup of sharp red cheddar cheese
1 cup of sharp white cheddar cheese

Also needed:
1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
2 Granny Smith apples
1 hunk o'bread

Directions:

1.  In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Add in the onions and potatoes, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.  Add in the flour and mix thoroughly.
3.  Add in the milk, 1/2 and 1/2, salt and pepper, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.  Add the two cheeses to your soup, and stir until melted.
5.  Ladle out about half of your soup into a large bowl and use your immersion blender to blend it all up.  If you haven't got an immersion blender, go get one.  OR, feel free to use a blender to blend up the soup.  But trust me, the immersion blender is awesome, and you'll be glad you invested in it.
6.  Pour the blended soup back into the rest of the soup, and stir.
Serve with freshly steamed broccoli, sliced Granny Smith apples, and a hunk o' bread.

Enjoy!

Yummmmmmm.

If you'd rather have the Pioneer Woman's original recipe, please click here: Broccoli Cheese Soup.

* * * * *

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Goodreads Giveaway Contest for Diamonds for Diamond

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I wrote a murder mystery!  Here are the links so you can buy it:

You can buy the paperback version of my book here:

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Or, you can buy either my e-book or the paperback version on Amazon here:  

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Contest starts today! Goodreads Giveaway

So this is fun...

I'm having a Goodreads Giveaway!

I'm giving away two signed copies of my book 

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

on Goodreads!

Click HERE to enter:

Goodreads Giveaway Contest for Diamonds for Diamond

Contest starts TODAY Wednesday, February 15th and ends March 23rd.
Just in time for Spring Break!

So, if you were wanting to read it, but didn't have the money to pay for it,
now's your chance for a FREE copy!

Enter to win by heading over to Goodreads!

or click the link below:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

     

Diamonds for Diamond

by Kay Nimitz Smith

Giveaway ends March 23, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Good luck!!


* * * * *

I wrote a murder mystery!  Here are the links so you can buy it:

You can buy the paperback version of my book here:

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Or, you can buy either my e-book or the paperback version on Amazon here:  

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Granini's Black & White Oreo Cheesecake

Granini's Black & White Oreo Cheesecake

SO good, you'll want to risk salmonella, just so you can lick the bowl!

Ingredients:

3/4 of a bag of Oreos, smashed into smithereens.  

4 Tablespoons salted butter

2 cubes (8 ounces per cube) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup + 1/4 cup smashed Oreos

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Smash up the Oreos (either in a cuisinart, or stuff 'em all in a plastic bag and bash them to smithereens with a rolling pin.  Pour the crumbs into a 9 inch springform pan.  Melt 1/2 cube of salted butter and pour over the Oreo crumbs.  Using a fork, mix the crumbs together with the melted butter until all the crumbs are moistened.  Gentle press the crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan, making sure not to leave any holes.  I put my hand inside of a plastic sandwich bag to keep my fingers from getting icky and to keep all the crumbs for making their way up my fingernails, but you do what you gotta do.   Set the crust aside.

In a stand-up mixer, place the 2 cubes of soft cream cheese, the sugar and vanilla, and slowly mix together, gradually increasing the speed of the mixer until they are light and fluffy.  Turn your mixer speed down, but leave it running, and add one egg in at a time.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn on the mixer for a few more turns, making sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.  

Pour half of this mixture into a bowl and set aside.  

With the remaining mixture, slowly turn on the mixer again, and slowly add in 1/2 cup of crushed Oreos.

Pour the chocolate cheesecake mixture directly onto the Oreo crumb crust.  Smooth with a rubber spatula until it completely covers the bottom of the pan.

Then, pick up the remaining cheesecake mixture (from the bowl you set aside), and plop that on top, smoothing it out with a rubber spatula, until it covers the surface.

Or, you can try something different, and make a pattern with your cream cheesecake mixtures.  I did that in my cheesecake pictured here.

At this point, you may feel free to either put your cheesecake in a water bath and then pop it in the oven.  OR, if you're lazy and don't want the mess of the water bath, simply pop the whole thing in the oven for 1 hour. 

Allow the cheesecake to cool completely on a baking rack, and then refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.

Before serving, either whip up some fresh whipping cream, or use some from a spray can (do whatever floats your boat), and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of Oreo crumbs (or chocolate curls) on the top in a decorative pattern, and enjoy!!

* * * * *

For those of you who like pictures, here you go!

Smashed up Oreos.  Add butter, and squish them all into a Springform pan.

I squished mine in a small Springform pan.

Trying something new, I decided to make a fun pattern by using my checkerboard cake pan liner.  It didn't work out as well as I was hoping, but alas, it's always fun to try something new.

Whipping up the yummo cream cheese fixins.

Split the creamcheese innards into two bowls.

Pour in some of the Oreo crumbs and smooch it around.  I think I may have added a wee bit too much, but it was mighty tasty!

I put the plain in the outer ring and the Oreo in the inner ring.  Next time, I'll put the Oreo on the bottom and put the plain on the top.

I decided to squish a bunch of the Oreo cheesecake innards onto the top.

Took out the plastic liner.

 Smoothed everything all over.  Pop in into the oven and cook for 55 mins to an hour.

Oooh, so very pretty!!  Let it cool completely, and then put it in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours (or overnight).

Pull the cooled cheesecake out of the fridge.

Remove the Springform pan off the edges.  If you have to loosen with a knife, please do so.

See? So pretty!  Now it's time to slice, prep, and serve!

Isn't that pretty?!?

Another angle...

Put some lovely whipped cream on top, and sprinkle some Oreo crumbs.  Then dig in!!

Enjoy!

* * * * *

And don't forget, Goodreads is starting my contest *TOMORROW* for a free book giveaway!

* * * * *

I wrote a murder mystery!  Here are the links so you can buy it:

You can buy the paperback version of my book here:

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Or, you can buy either my e-book or the paperback version on Amazon here:  

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Diamonds for Diamond *Goodreads Giveaway!*

So this is fun...

I'm having a Goodreads Giveaway!

I'm giving away two signed copies of my book 

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

on Goodreads!

Contest starts next week (Wednesday, February 15th) and ends March 23rd.
Just in time for Spring Break!

So, if you were wanting to read it, but didn't have the money to pay for it,
now's your chance for a FREE copy!

Enter to win by heading over to Goodreads!

or click the link below:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Diamonds for Diamond

by Kay Nimitz Smith

Giveaway ends March 23, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Good luck!!


* * * * *

I wrote a murder mystery!  Here are the links so you can buy it:

You can buy the paperback version of my book here:

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Or, you can buy either my e-book or the paperback version on Amazon here:  

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Granini's Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Granini's Cinnamon Sugar Cookies 

aka Snickerdoodles, type 2

Ingredients:
1 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/3 cups flour
Plus: 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a separate bowl.


Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix margarine, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until creamy and fluffy.
2. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until mixed thoroughly.
3. Add in vanilla and baking soda.
4. Slowly add in flour, a little at a time, until JUST mixed.
5. Scoop onto cookie sheets (I like to line mine with parchment paper because I'm lazy and hate big clean up jobs.)
6. Mix together the extra sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle a wee bit of cinnamon sugar over the top of each cookie.  
7. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes.

For those of you who like pictures:

If you scoop them out onto parchment paper, it makes clean up so much easier!

Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a wee bit more cinnamon sugar.

Eons ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and I started making these cookies, I used to take the time to chill the dough, roll each blob into a beautiful orb, roll each orb in the cinnamon sugar, and then bake.  Now I'm too darned lazy to do that.  And honestly, I can't really tell the difference.  So why bother with all that extra nonsense?  These are fast and easy cookies.  Super simple, and extra tasty!

I have been known to sprinkle yet another dash of cinnamon sugar 

over the top of the cooled cookies too!

But that's just me.

Enjoy!

* * * * *

I wrote a murder mystery!  Here are the links so you can buy it:

You can buy the paperback version of my book here:

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith

Or, you can buy either my e-book or the paperback version on Amazon here:  

Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith