Carrot Soup, Roast and Hummus

My whole life I've lived with the story of how Brandon & I spilled flour all over the floor. Can sticky powdered milk be considered payback??

My first memories of gardening are from mom, but they weren't necessarily happy and fun-filled. I just remember a lot of weeds. Nevertheless, mom taught me thrift and self-sufficiency which guided me to start gardening on my own. Now, each September, David and I have more carrots than we know what to do with. This carrot soup is one of our favorite ways to use those garden carrots. I dedicate this soup to my thrifty, gardening mom.

Creamy Carrot Soup

1 c. chopped onion

2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

1/4 c. butter, cubed

1 t. ginger

4 1/2 c. carrots, cubed

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy pan, sauté onion in butter until tender. Add carrots, potato, broth and ginger. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Cool for 15 minutes.

Transfer to a blender or food processor in small batches; cover and process until smooth. Return all to the pan; stir in the cream, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until heated through.

When mom comes to visit, she always makes me at least a couple batches of bread. And guess who gets the job of grinding the wheat??

Although this recipe is not in mom's cookbook, it came from mom. If you haven't been lucky enough to get this "Rump Roast" recipe from her, here it is. I've re-named this recipe "No-fail Rump Roast", because it comes out perfect EVERY time. No exceptions. Just follow the recipe as written, and don't try to sneak around it like... well... mom.

No-fail Rump Roast

Brown roast on all sides using a little butter and leave fat side up. Cover roast in big pot to within 2" of top with: 3 T. beef base, 2 T. chicken base and water. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover, place on top of stove, bring to boil, then turn down and simmer 4-5 hours. Juice is good for gravy or au jus sauce.

No, it's not homemade. But at least it's whole wheat.

And we don't have dad around to teach us polite manners,

like eating at the table and not the floor.

I had my first taste of hummus when we lived in Saudi Arabia. I can't remember how well I liked it back then, but now I can't get enough of it. I eat it with carrots, broccoli, etc., pita, or as a sandwich spread. (I got that last idea from Cheryl.) This is my favorite hummus recipe I've yet to find. You will love it as much as the expensively packaged stuff at the store.

Real Hummus

2 cloves garlic (I use fresh minced)

1 (19 oz) can garbanzo beans, liquid reserved

4 T. lemon juice (I use reconstituted)

3 T. tahini

1/2 t. salt

cumin to taste

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Reserve the liquid from the garbanzo beans, then boil the beans in a pot of water for 20 minutes until softened. Cool slightly. Slip off skins. (This can be time-consuming but it makes all the difference. Do not skip this step!!) In a blender (or food processor), chop the garlic. Pour in garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, salt, cumin and about 1/4 cup reserved liquid. Blend until creamy and well mixed. (You can vary the amount of liquid depending on preference. If refrigerated, the mixture will thicken slightly.) Transfer to a medium sized serving bowl and drizzle olive oil on top.

Dad... this one's for you. You'd never approve, but... oh well.

Like mother like son. You trained me (and now Max) well!

by Brenda, Barbara's daughter

~~~~~~~~

p.s. by Dee

When Brenda was here in Oregon in March, Scott transferred her camera pictures to disks for her. Because of that we have a selection of her photos. I thought this Black party was too cute not to add to the end of Brenda's post.

Aimee, and three friends, having a "Tea Party" with Levi as the waiter. What a great mom you are, Brenda!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup in Brenda's Bread Bowls

here's a shot of us traipsing through the snow with Mom and Dad at the cabin,

ready to come in and eat. :)

I honestly don't know how you survived so many years in Alaska. Virginia has been cold for almost a month, and I am ready for some warmth! That is probably why half of the meals I have planned for this month are soup or chili. Here is one of our favorites, but beware: the recipe yields a huge batch!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Boil 10-12 minutes:

2 quarts water

1 large onion, chopped

12 cubes chicken bullion

3 large bunches of broccoli, chopped up

3 large carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

In another pan, make white sauce:

Melt 1.5 c. butter

Stir in 1.5 c. flour

When the flour/butter mixture is soft and bubbly, whisk in 6-8 c. milk.

Add: 1 (16 oz.) Cheese Whiz or Velveeta

.5 t. salt

.5 t. garlic powder

Add white sauce to vegetables and broth.

The kids love it when I serve this soup in Brenda's Bread Bowls.

(Sorry to steal your thunder, Brenda!)

Brenda's Bread Bowls

1 Tbs. yeast

2 Tbs. oil

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1.5 tsp. salt

2 c. warm water

5 c. flour

Mix, let rise until double, form into 4-5 balls, let rise again until double.

Bake 15-20 minutes @350.

by Stephanie, wife of Barbara's son Brandon

Toscana Soup

Cheryl's first "sweet tooth" experience, August 20, 1968

Saudi Kapsa in Anchorage, Summer 1986

1-10-10

After reading what others have submitted I wish I had a really fabulous chili recipe to submit! One of the funniest memories I have of Isle Royale was when it was Pioneer Day and the chili that was cooked over the open fire in the fireplace BURNED. We all had to eat it because Mom said, “The pioneers would have eaten it.” I don’t have a chili recipe to submit, but I do have a fantastic recipe for Toscana Soup. This recipe uses cavolo greens, also known as kale. One of the things that I have come to appreciate even more about my childhood, now that I am a mother, is the way Mom and Dad introduced many different flavors and varieties of food to us. John and I have continued this practice with our children and I appreciate their willingness to try new things. We discovered that we love kale in soup and it also happens to be very good for you. Thank you Mom, for teaching me how to cook. Thank you for the wonderful meals that you provided for us and the quality family time that we spent around the dinner table. (This does not include the painful hours that Kirsten spent trying to finish her dinner. Ha, Ha.)

Love, Your daughter Cheryl

Toscana Soup

2-¾ c. chicken stock or broth

¼ c. heavy cream

1 medium potato

2 c. chopped kale

½ pound spicy Italian sausage

¼ t. salt

¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes

1. Grill or saute the sausage. When cooked and cooled, cut the sausage at an angle into slices about ½-inch thick, or make the sausage into meatballs and cook until done. Drain the fat off the sausage and set aside.

2. Combine the stock and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.

3. Slice the unpeeled potato into ¼-inch slices, then half or quarter the slices and add them to the soup.

4. Add the spices and cooked sausage. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are cooked but not mushy. Stir occasionally.

5. Add the kale the last few minutes before the soup is done. The kale is best not overcooked. It makes the soup very colorful and lovely.

Optional: If you don’t want the soup to be so spicy, you can add mild sausage and cut down on the amount of red pepper flakes.

We usually double this recipe.

by Cheryl, Barbara's daughter

Custard Pie

"Mom & daughters"

Such a blessing to have a fabulous mom and daughters together!

"Gma with Heritage Doll"

Mom never ceases to amaze me with her creative talents

(I think her best was my wedding dress!)

In mentioning grandma's cooking, one of my favorite recipes I use from her "Select Recipes from the Kitchen of Barbara D. Eliason" (thanks, Dee) is her one for Custard Pie. With so many to choose from it was a hard decision but seeing the Thanksgiving 2007 dinner picture reminded me of her fabulous pies. So here it is:

Custard Pie

9' pie shell, unbaked

3 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2-1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Nutmeg (little to sprinkle on top)

Beat eggs lightly. Add sugar and salt and blend well. Add milk and vanilla. Pour into unbaked pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 25 to 35 minutes more or until custard is done.

"Grandma's spread"

With mom's cooking, it's amazing we're not all at least 300 lbs!!!

by Kirsten, Barbara's daughter

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Doug, Allison and Daniel enjoy Joel and Maria's wedding lunch.

Is Mom wondering why Doug's switching salads?!

These were served at Michelle's wedding reception,

after her marriage in the Mesa Arizona Temple.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Clean 2 packages of mushrooms; remove stems. Chop stems.

Put caps on greased sheet.

Cook chopped stems in melted butter about 5 min. with:

1 T. butter

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. chopped basil

2 t. lemon juice

1/8 t. onion powder

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. ground pepper (or pinch)

1/8 t. garlic powder (or pinch)

Remove from heat.

Mix in 3 oz. cream cheese.

Spoon mixture into hollow mushroom caps.

Bake 10 to 15 min.

Sprinkle with paprika.

by Allison, wife of Barbara's son Doug

p.s. Dee's hand "serving" the mushrooms looks suspiciously like she's doing some "quality control".

I'm just thinking they may not have wanted a "mature" pregnant woman as a kitchen helper...if they had known!