Friday, October 12, 2012

Recipe: Panera Broccoli and Cheese Soup




Happy Friday!! It has been a bit chilly here lately, so I wanted the hubs to make a meatless soup to warm me up!  He is the cook in our house! :)

 He decided to try a recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup he got from www.food.com. 

It was yummy! So I thought I would share the recipe with you, our faithful readers! 

Note: This is not vegetarian as it calls for chicken stock. 






Ingredients:

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1 cup carrot, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.

2. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the 
    half & half. 

3. Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.

5. Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.


It doesn't taste exactly like the one from Panera Bread but it is pretty close! 

We had sour dough bread with it. Absolutely delicious! 


Try it this weekend! It is a great fall meal! 


Enjoy your weekend! 

Hugs,
Katey


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Old MacDonald


Here is what is in Liza's sensory bin right now!



This is a bin that I had been planning to do all along, but ended up being totally random. It ended up being a little more rushed then I would have liked. Liza was napping one afternoon and it started raining. I had tons of laundry to get done and knew that the rest of the afternoon needed to be dedicated to housework. Which, of course, I was avoiding during her nap. It made perfect sense to me to make her a new sensory bin :)

Here's what I found around my house to create this Farm Bin:
  • popcorn kernels (they happened to be expired. ew.)
  • whole wheat angel hair (i just grabbed a small bunch and broke it up to be hay)
  • the acorns that Liza had collected
  • pine cones
  • mini hay bales (left over from Liza's 1st birthday party!)
  • some fake leaves and berries
  • farm animals and farm toys

Super simple and super fun!


Yup, that's Calliou...someone shoot me.








Please remember that you can easily adapt this for children of all ages. Younger toddlers and preschool aged children would love this too!  Just use your mommy instincts.

Oh, and check out the farm bin my friend Michele from Dodging Acorns created for her cuties.

What can you find around your house to use in a sensory bin? I bet you have more than you think :)

XOXO Sarah

**So sorry about the crappy IPhone pictures.**