Potato Spinach Leek Soup

     April brings spring. When you live in the South the temperatures are already rising. We've still had lingering cold nights and chilly mornings, but as the month ends they are fewer and farther between. I've been wanting to try out leeks for a long time and decided earlier in the week that soup was the way to start. This is perfect for those lingering cold nights and great for the terribly stormy nights we've been having lately.

Potato Spinach Leek Soup

 

 

Soak leeks in water to get all the grit gone!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Leeks, trimmed, tender parts only.

2 Cups fresh baby spinach

1 Clove garlic, minced.

3 Large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped.

32 Oz. chicken broth

1 Cup half-and-half

Salt to taste

Parmesan for garnish, optional

 

Directions:

 

1.  Heat oil in medium soup pot to med-high heat. Cook leeks, stirring often until soft. Reserve 1/4 cup cooked leeks for garnish. Add garlic to pot and cook for 2 minutes with leeks.

Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring heat to high and cook covered for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

 

 

 

3. Add half-and-half , spinach, and salt to taste. Spinach will wilt. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Garnish with reserved leeks and parmesan. Enjoy with crusty bread and a nice salad.

 

 



This is a great comfort food. Mr. P really liked it and he usually doesn't prefer any kind of potato soups. As for me, I'm a soup fan already so this was right up my alley. What are your favorite soups? I'm thinking of trying out cold soups this summer!
 

February Fail.

Everyone is well aware that Pinterest begins to give you gigantic illusions at to what you are actually capable of accomplishing. When your friends try some out and share the results is usually when you will decide to ever try it yourself. J made this cauliflower crust/cheese stick recipe that's been floating around on there for a while. She did hers in the cheesy "bread" way. I had thought the texture was odd at first but after you eat one  you can't stop! I gobbled them up at her house. She said she made them quite often in substitute of a bread snack. 

I decided to try it out myself and make the pizza version. I used the crust recipe from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body. I went with a little white Alfredo sauce, red onion, and mozzarella cheese as my toppings.

 I did not have parchment paper, however, when I made them. I believe this was my main problem as well as having them a little too thick. They stuck on the pan terribly! I eventually had to just scrape it off in chunks on my plate. It still tasted delicious but did not turn out pretty. J definitely had this recipe down! I'll find out her secret...

New Year And Carbs

I ended 2012 poorly. It's been ages since I've updated. It seems like I've apologized about my long bouts of neglect more than actual blogging. It was my first year into it and I'm still learning. My lack of organization and time management is also a force to be reckoned with. I just want to express my enthusiasm for the new year and new beginnings!

This blog started with the purpose of chronicling my journey of making an organized (and fun!) adult home and life. I may have slacked off on the blog, but I can say that I cook way more often, developed better house chore habits, and have continued creative projects.


I decided to begin with two bread recipes. I realized I've never made any type of banana bread or "breakfast" bread variety. J came over one evening and we gobbled them up. These breads are comforting and delicious. A perfect start.

 

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

 

Recipe @ fakeginger

 

 

I followed the recipe exactly. It turned out wonderful. Mr. P decided this one was his favorite. Cream cheese is always Mr. P's favorite. My banana's were perfect for this recipe. They were dark on the outside but perfectly soft for baking. I was glad I just happened to have walnuts in the pantry!

 

 

Banana Zucchini Bread



 



I adapted my recipe from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 C mashed ripe banana

1 C shredded zucchini

1/3 cup yogurt

5 Tbs butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C light brown sugar

2 C all-purpose flour

1/4 C toasted wheat germ

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

 

1. Pre heat oven to 350F. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with non stick spray.

 

2. In separate bowl, sift flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt and spices together. ( I always do this while I'm preheating. Makes the whole process faster.)

 

3. With mixer, combine banana, zucchini, yogurt, butter, and eggs. Beat until just combined. Add sugars and blend on medium.

 

4. Add dry ingredients to wet. Beat until just combined.

 

5. Bake at 350F for an hour to 65 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

 

You could add a frosting if you would like. I enjoyed mine warm and with a little butter. I got a lot of compliments from coworkers that hate zucchini and loved this bread!

 

 



 

Homemade Monkey Bread

It's been a rough couple of  weeks. I haven't had time to make any sweet treats lately, and every time that happens I start to Jones for my hands to be a bakin'.

 I decided to make something warm and yummy because it's been raining buckets down here. I'm already preparing myself for a "fall mindset"! All the recipes I found were using canned biscuit dough. I really wanted to making something from scratch, so just decided to make my own biscuit dough and then turn it into Monkey Bread.

Homemade Monkey Bread

Ingredients for the dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbs white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cold un-salted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

     1.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first three ingredients. (Dry ingredients)

     2.  Cut the butter into the flour mix using a pastry blender. Cut to where flour resembles course crumbs.

     3.  Add the milk and egg to mixture. Stir until just combined. Dough should be sticky and moist, also lumpy.

     4.  Place dough mixture on a lightly floured surface. Knead dough till combined and smooth. Be careful to NOT over knead either!

     5.  I was able to cut out 14 biscuits with my dough. I used a wine glass as my cookie cutter. When done making your 14 biscuits cut them into quarters.

    

Ingredients for Monkey Bread:

• Biscuit portions
• 1/4 cup and 2 Tbs white granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• About a cup of packed brown sugar 
• About 3/4 cup melted butter

Note** I used the Pillsbury recipe for a rough basis of assembly for the monkey bread. With their canned biscuits they had 16, my homemade biscuits made about 14. When I coated the biscuits, I didn't account for the extra sugar/cin topping. This, I believe is the culprit for the outcome. In the recipe written I accounted for the ratio drop. So, when I make this again, it shouldn't fall apart. But, it was still delicious. I don't care what it looks like if I'm not making it for anyone special! Bake fail?!

Directions:

      1.  Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease a fluted/bundt pan. In plastic Ziploc bag, combine granulated white sugar and cinnamon. Place biscuit quarters into bag and shake! Coat dough pieces.

     2.  Arrange dough pieces into pan. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar and melted butter. Pour over dough in pan.

When I looked at this picture I knew there was too much sugar coating!

     3.  Bake for 28-30 minutes. Golden brown and no longer doughy. Cool for 10 minutes and invert. You're then supposed to be able to "pull it apart." Mine kind of fell apart. But, it was my first time ever actually eating Monkey Bread I think. I knew what it was, but have no memories of ever actually eating it. Was still a success in my eyes! And, using my altered lowered ratio, I should have a better outcome next time!

It looked so perfect in the pan!

Fell out and the rest I just pulled all apart anyway! Grr....



I know I could have just used the canned biscuits and probably not of had any problem. But, I just love making homemade biscuits! This tasted great with my Macadamia Nut Coffee. Yum yum!