frugal gifts

Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule

May 3, 2013 by Rebecca 11 Comments

After the time I spent at King Arthur Flour’s Blog & Bake™ last week, I came home prepared to fling flour and bake my tush off. Oh, would that baking one’s tush off was an actual possibility. Sadly, I find that most of my baking actually adds to my overall girth since I’m unable to restrain myself around a fresh loaf of good bread. That loaf you see above is a perfect example of what renders me weak in willpower and wobbly in the knees.

You’re looking at a Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule. This particular bread is not one we prepared at Blog & Bake, but it makes use both of King Arthur Flour’s rustic sourdough bread recipe and the sourdough starter that I bought at their Baker’s Store. The starter they sell is pedigreed, people; it is descended from one that was born somewhere in the mid-1700s. This means -at least to me- that it’s doubly wonderful. We’re talking about baking with sourdough AND history.

Are you breadphobic?

One of the things I’ve learned over the years here at Foodie with Family is that many people have anxiety that sometimes borders on phobia about baking with yeast. For those of you who are a-okay with yeast baking, please skip to the next paragraph. For those with breadphobia, allow me to offer you some words of encouragement. When you measure your ingredients the right way and follow instructions to the best of your ability, homemade bread seldom turns out inedible. It may not be pretty, it may not be exactly what you hoped, but there are very few occasions when it is too yucky to eat. In those cases, you find a neighborhood dog and make a lifelong friend or break it up and toss it out for the birds. All is not lost; review what you did, what could’ve gone wrong and try again. Someone or something ate well as a result of your efforts. I firmly believe that everyone can bake given the desire to do so and time. I’m here for you and willing to answer any baking questions and so are the experts at King Arthur Flour. In fact, they have a FREE Baker’s Hotline. You can call them at 802-649-3717 or chat live online with their baking experts who can answer simple or complicated baking questions with equal aplomb. I assure you they won’t laugh at any questions, so don’t be shy. We’ll get you baking yeast breads in no time at all!

How to form a rustic loaf of bread

I prepared the rustic sourdough as directed by sheet of instructions included in the purchase of the sourdough starter and decided to change it up a smidge. This was mainly due to the fact that I had already prepared four loaves of rustic sourdough bread according to their recipe (What? Obsessed? Me?!?) and wanted something a little different to dunk in that evening’s soup. The jar of roasted garlic in the refrigerator called to me and we were off and running.

There are a couple of notes you may find helpful when preparing this gorgiferous, crusty, chewy, roasted garlic -studded sourdough bread.

Instead of adding the roasted garlic cloves to the dough, we pat the dough out after the first rise and roll the cloves in before forming the boule. This allows us to have more visible garlic in the finished product instead of smashing it into oblivion while kneading the dough. After we roll the dough up into a long tube, we still have to form the ‘boule’ or dough ball. We do this by pulling the long end toward the center of the loaf, rotating the dough about 45°, gently pulling and folding that toward the center, rotating 45° and repeating the process until we get a wad of dough that is roughly round in shape.

Now that you have the dough all bunched up, we flip it upside down so the smooth side is up and cup the dough ball -hands like blades at a 45 degree angle to the countertop- and rotate the dough ball, first pushing with one hand and then pulling back toward you with the other. If you’re doing it correctly, you’ll feel the dough ball firm up and see the ‘skin’ of the dough tighten.

Don’t overdo this because you don’t want all the roasted garlic bursting through that taut surface of dough. If a few pop through here and there it’s alright, though!

I score the tops of the loaves before baking them to allow them to expand without tearing as they bake. It doesn’t hurt that it makes it painfully pretty to look at when it’s done.

If you leave them like this, you get hearty, classic, chewy, mild-sourdough loaves with cloves of roasted garlic throughout and a shatteringly crisp crust. I’m fond of gilding the lily, however, by brushing the finished loaves generously with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling with super-fine sea salt. It renders the super-crunchy crust a little softer and chewier. If you’re not a fan of a softer crust, skip this step, but I actually prefer the softer crust for sandwich making purposes. Besides, I take any reason to get garlicky olive oil and salt on my fingers so I can lick them afterward.

What can I say? I’m easy to please.

This bread is sturdy enough to hold up to sandwich fillings, toasting and topping with a fried egg, or serving alongside soups and stews to help sop up that last little bit of whatever deliciousness is in your bowl.

Oh, and hey. If you had leftovers that were getting a touch on the stale side, you could turn them into the world’s most enviable croutons.

I have to know! How would you serve this bread?

Rebecca

Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 2 loaves

Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule

A classic, chewy, full-flavoured, rustic sourdough bread gets a little dressed up with roasted garlic cloves that are rolled into the dough when it is shaped. After baking, the loaves are brushed in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with super-fine sea salt.

Recipe adapted from and with thanks to King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

1 cup (8 1/2 ounces by weight) ripe sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces by weight) body temperature water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (no need to dissolve either in water first.)
5 cups (1 pound, 5 1/4 ounces by weight) King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1 cup roasted garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Optional:

extra virgin olive oil for brushing and super-fine sea salt for sprinkling over finished loaves

Instructions

Whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.) Add to that the sourdough starter and water and mix with a bowl scraper, sturdy spoon or dough hook until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Alternatively, you can use the dough hook to reach the same state. Place the dough in a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and marshmallowy in appearance and texture. If you gently poke a finger into the dough, an indentation should remain when your finger is removed from it.

Turn the dough onto a lean counter, cut in half (don't rip it, pretty please!) with a bench knife or other sharp knife, and pat each half into a rough rectangle or oval that is about 1/2-inch thick. Divide the roasted garlic between the two dough shapes and spread evenly over the dough. Roll each piece of dough into a log starting with a short side.

To form each piece into a boule or ball, gently tug and pull one coiled end toward the center. Tuck it in place, rotate the dough about 45° and repeat. Continue rotating, pulling and tucking toward the center until you've gone all the way around and your dough is roughly in a ball shape. Flip it over so the smooth side is up and nestle your hands around the dough with your hands at a 45° angle to the counter. Roll the dough between your cupped hands, alternating pulling with one hand and pushing with the other, tightening the dough ball as you go. When the surface is taut, carefully lift the dough ball and place it smooth side up on one side of a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough log, placing the finished ball so that there are at least 6 to 8 inches between the two. Cover them lightly with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes.

While the dough balls are rising, preheat the oven to 425°F with an empty cast-iron or other heavy, oven-safe frying pan on the floor of the oven. Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove top.

Immediately before baking, use a sharp knife or blade to score an 'X' or scallop shape about 1/4-inch into the surface of the bread dough. This allows the bread to expand without tearing as it cooks.

Working quickly, slide the parchment lined pan with the boules into the oven and carefully pour about 1 cup of the boiling water into the empty pan. Be cautious because this will generate a great deal of steam VERY quickly! Close the oven door immediately and set the timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the water pan from the oven, close the door and reset the timer for an additional 10 minutes.

The bread should be deep brown, very firm and measure at least 195°F at the center of the loaf with an instant read thermometer. Transfer the finished loaves to a cooling rack. If desired, brush generously with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle the surface with super-fine sea salt. Let cool completely before slicing.

Store leftovers at room temperature wrapped in a tea towel.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/05/03/roasted-garlic-rustic-sourdough-boule-blog-bake/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Bread, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: Bread, budget friendly, family-friendly, Frugal Food, frugal gifts, party food, traditional food

Cinnamon Maple Candied Almonds

February 13, 2013 by Rebecca 6 Comments

I often refer to my husband as ‘The Evil Genius’ and realized that maybe to some that sounds like an insult. Let me explain this little term of endearment. When he and I were dating, I posed a question that has probably been asked in one form or another by many geeks the world over: “If Star Wars was real life, would you be part of the Rebel Alliance or the Empire?”

I expected the answer to be a solid “REBEL!” like mine was. Instead, he cocked his head to the side, looked thoughtful for a moment and replied, “The Empire. They have better technology.”

I married into the Dark Side, people, ’cause the Dark Side was cute.

The ‘genius’ part of it is pretty self explanatory. My husband is just plain brilliant. He solves problems other people can’t solve. He programs giant machines to do robotic things. He can rig ANYTHING to work. Seriously. He used to carry a golf club in an old car that used to stall at traffic lights because he figured out that three sharp raps to the upper right quadrant of the hood with that golf club would start the engine back up without him having to get out of the car. I love that man.

My sweet Evil Genius’s favourite snacks are dried fruit and nuts. Specifically, he loves raisins and almonds. He likes to munch them straight from the jar and he looooooooves to put them on salads. He would rather have a salad covered in almonds and raisins than just about anything else in the world.

And I’d rather make him happy than just about anything else in the world, so for Valentine’s Day, I made him a snack that will make his heart go pitter pat (and Hey! Almonds! Heart healthy!! Healthy pitter patting!) with joy. I made him Cinnamon Maple Candied Almonds. This simple to make treat is delicious, lasts for weeks in an airtight container, and is great for straight up snacking or garnishing salads. My darling even chopped a handful of them and tossed them into his morning oatmeal with a fistful of raisins. Happy sounds ensued.

Once the kids discovered the jar of Cinnamon Maple Candied Almonds, it was all over. My thirteen year old stood over the jar and kept dipping his big paws in repeatedly. He kept sighing happily as he ate them. When he finally came up for air, he said, “I can’t help myself! They taste like little cookies!”

He’s right, really. The rich maple syrup and fragrant cinnamon form a sweet, crunchy crust around the roasted almonds that is kind of like a cinnamon raisin cookie, but mapley. And as odd as it might sound, when tossed onto a spinach salad with crumbled bleu cheese and oil and vinegar, the roasted candied nuts stop tasting like cookies and instead provide the perfect little burst of sweetness and crunch.

Let’s talk maple syrup choice for a moment. I prefer to use a dark, strong maple syrup because it takes less syrup to impart a oomphy maple flavour. If you’re not a hard-core maple syrup fan, you can substitute dark Karo syrup or brown sugar in equal parts for the syrup.

Make a batch of Cinnamon Maple Candied Almonds for your sweetie or yourself today. Or if you’re like me and you’re feeding a bunch of snack and salad loving stormtroopers, you might want to consider a double batch. Evil is always hungry.

Cinnamon Maple Candied Almonds

Rating: 51

Cinnamon Maple Candied Almonds

Rich maple syrup and fragrant cinnamon form a sweet, crunchy crust around roasted almonds that tastes reminiscent of a cinnamon raisin cookie, but mapley. And as odd as it might sound, when tossed onto a spinach salad with crumbled bleu cheese and oil and vinegar, the roasted candied nuts stop tasting like cookies and instead provide the perfect little burst of sweetness and crunch.

Ingredients

4 cups shelled, whole, raw almonds
1 egg white
1/3 cup maple syrup (*See Notes)
1/3 cup raw or granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silpat or parchment (lightly spray the parchment with non-stick cooking spray.)

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt together with a fork until it is evenly mixed.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until very frothy. Whisk in the maple syrup until it is evenly mixed. Toss in the almonds until they are completely coated with the egg/maple syrup mixture. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top and toss again to coat evenly. Spread the nuts in a single layer on the silpat or sprayed parchment lined sheet.

Bake the nuts for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the nuts are dry to the touch. Let them cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to break them up. When they are completely cooled, transfer them to airtight containers -like mason jars- and store at room temperature for up to a month.

Serve as a stand-alone snack, or with dried fruit or as a garnish on salads.

Notes

*If you cannot find maple syrup or aren't a fan, substitute an equal amount of dark karo syrup or brown sugar. If you use the brown sugar, whisk the egg white with a tablespoon of water. Tada!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/02/13/cinnamon-maple-candied-almonds/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, family-friendly, Frugal Food, frugal gifts, kid friendly, party food, Snacks, Vegetarian

No-Knead Cottage Cheese Dill Bread | Papa’s Dilly Bread

January 23, 2013 by Rebecca 18 Comments

I have spent my entire life thinking my dad is pretty much the bees-knees and since he just keeps improving with age like a fine wine (or a stinky cheese, as he would say), I’ll just keep carrying on that way. My dad has always been that perfect blend of serious, goofy, cautious and devil-may-care. For example, he’d make sure you put your seatbelt on before driving on roads that were closed due to weather conditions just because he could.

Dad is one of those renaissance men. He’s equally at home screaming at a hockey match, speaking in churches, ploughing snow, operating his ham radios, working on his local volunteer ambulance squad, fishing, reading books, crafting groan-inducing puns, felling trees on a dime, listening to beautiful music, dandling grandkids on his knees, pulling campers on water skis around a lake in a speed boat, putting nervous parents at ease on airplanes, and hiking the vast wilderness trails near where he lives.

With a list of attributes like that, is it any wonder I’m an unapologetic daddy’s girl?

But that’s not all. My dad can bake. He has a specialty bread -one that most everyone who spends a decent amount of time with him gets a chance to taste at some point or another. Dilly Bread. Many years ago, dad took the recipe from the “Deaf Smith Country Cookbook” and made it his own. Translation: he made it better.

To begin with, this recipe is a no-knead recipe. No knead to tinker with that. Ahem.

You just mix the lot up in a big bowl with a sturdy spoon and let it rise in a warm corner. As for the changes, the original recipe called for honey as the sweetener. Dad has mainly used sugar over the years, mainly because -as he says- that’s what he had handy. I stick with the sugar vs. honey, both because it’s easier to measure and it’s a less expensive ingredient. Dad also played with the type and proportion of onion in the recipe. He suggests using minced dehydrated onions because “it’s easier to add more onion to the dough.” I stick with the minced dehydrated onions not only for that reason, but also because this is a very slack, moist dough and the dehydrated onions soak up a bit of that moisture, making it easier to work with. When I asked Dad what kind of flour he prefers (because the book didn’t specify) he said, “Whatever I have on hand, but I did try making it with all whole wheat once and it didn’t rise enough for my liking.” I personally like to toss a little whole wheat in there, so I go for about a 2:1 ratio of all-purpose flour to white whole wheat. Then you get that wonderful toasting quality of whole wheat along with the more impressive rising ability of all purpose.

Now, once your dough is rising, you need to turn your attention to what you’ll use to bake it. I had a double batch of this rising on the counter the other day when I realized that my oven had (once again!) broken. The potential two-fold horror of wasting A.) a batch of perfectly good bread dough for my favourite bread that has B.) four full cups of cottage cheese ($$$$$) in it made me get really creative really quickly. I determined that my little old toaster oven could fit two standard loaf pans in it side-by-side, but that wouldn’t account for the other two loaves worth of dough. I brought out and greased a fistful of ramekins in a fit of desperation and found that it made BEAUTIFUL little individual loaves when baked.

The little loaves somehow skirt the “don’t cut when hot” rule. Why is this? Well, mainly because a tiny, hot loaf of bread just hollers, “Top me with a cold pat of butter and watch it melt!”

And if you do that, you have to do this…

Right?

So- you’re left with choices… standard loaf pans, ramekins, or…by extrapolation… pretty oven-safe bowls. The nice thing about using ramekins for dough was that I had leftover dough that wouldn’t fit anywhere I could bake it before over-rising.

How is this a nice thing now when it’s usually to be avoided?

It’s time I introduce you to yet another one of my dad’s finer ideas… The Baker’s Tax. This is the reason you want to be at my dad’s house when he’s baking. He deliberately ACCIDENTALLY puts a little too much of everything into his mixing bowl so he has too much dough to fit in available pans. He then rolls little bits of the dough out as thin as he can without ripping it, melts an indecent quantity of butter in a cast-iron skillet…

…And fries those rounds of dilly, oniony, cheese-studded dough.

Behold the brilliance of The Baker’s Tax.

If you are nearby when these are fresh from the oven and you have a single lick of sense, you will beat a hot path for the kitchen and be not proud about eating as many of these little rounds of glory as you possibly can. If you should somehow make an entire batch of dough into these, I will tell you that you probably couldn’t find a better possible flat bread to wrap around smoked turkey breast, lettuce and onion with a smear of spicy mustard. But that scenario would presuppose you hadn’t already eaten them all, so we’ll just leave that one alone.

In the meantime, while you’re waiting for your standard loaves of the stuff to bake, contemplate how you want to serve the finished product. Sliced thin, this is just about the best deli-meat sandwich vehicle you’ll ever eat. Toasted on one side in a pan with butter, you can’t imagine a better accompaniment to a fried egg, mug full of soup, or bowl full of stew.

But if you were to slice a couple of hearty pieces of bread, butter them both and stack them around some nice melty cheese, then slowly fry it in a pan until it was deep golden brown and the cheese was gooey, you might just yawp from the pure joy of the thing.

Six out six sturgeon faces agree: any way you slice it, Papa’s Dilly Bread makes people happy.

No-Knead Cottage Cheese Dill Bread | Papa’s Dilly Bread

Rating: 51

No-Knead Cottage Cheese Dill Bread | Papa’s Dilly Bread

This no-knead sandwich bread is flecked with aromatic and flavourful dill and onion and enriched and kept moist by the addition of cottage cheese. The little melted pockets of cheese make this bread one of the ultimate choices for toast. When baked in ramekins, the dough makes beautiful little individual loaves ideal for accompanying meals.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water plus a pinch of sugar
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, or corn)
2 tablespoons raw or granulated sugar
6 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried dill SEED
1 teaspoon dried dill WEED
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (*See Notes)

Instructions

Gently stir the yeast into the warm water with the pinch of sugar in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is frothy. While that rests, whisk together the cottage cheese, milk, oil, sugar, minced onion, dill seed and weed, salt and eggs in a saucepan over low heat just until lukewarm.

Add that to the yeast mixture and stir. Add the flour all at once and use a sturdy spoon to mix until there are no dry pockets of flour and everything is evenly moist. The dough will be shaggy, but that is as it should be. Don't get zealous and try to over work it.

Cover with a damp tea-towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half, or until almost doubled in bulk.

Grease the pans you want to use to cook them (it will yield 2 standard loaf pans but can also be divided among ramekins or baked in oven-proof bowls.) Divide the dough to fill the greased pans by about 1/3. Reserve any leftover dough for The Baker's Tax (See Notes).

Cover the loaf pans with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the risen dough for 30-40 minutes for full-sized loaves or 25-30 minutes for ramekin sized individual loaves.

Remove from the oven and let the loaves rest in the pans for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Store loaves wrapped in a clean towel at room temperature for up to three days, or wrap cooled loaves in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months.

Notes

*If you don't have white whole wheat flour, you can simply substitute an equal amount of all-purpose flour. It will still be delicious.

The Baker's Tax is simply walnut sized pieces of leftover dough rolled out about 1/4-inch thin and fried in melted butter in a cast-iron skillet until deep golden brown and cooked through. It's a reward for baking that you might just like so much you plan ahead to have leftover dough the next time!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/01/23/no-knead-cottage-cheese-dill-bread-papas-dilly-bread/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Bread, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: Bread, family-friendly, frugal gifts, kid friendly, quick and easy, Vegetarian

Instant Vanilla Chai Mix | Make Ahead Mondays

December 10, 2012 by Rebecca 21 Comments

Tea has a way -unlike coffee- of making time slow down just a bit. This time of year and this season of life, I feel like time needs all the slowing down I can possibly get.

I’m trying, with varying degrees of success, to accomplish parenting and homeschooling five boys (two of whom are teenagers), being a good wife, running a home based business, maintaining a free-lance writing career including a newspaper column, participating in my community and its activities, and keeping in touch with family and friends.

God bless my friends. They are a patient lot. For some reason or another, my time management skills lately have been more strained than usual. In fact, I committed the unpardonable friendship sin.

I forgot a commitment and it’s even worse than it sounds.

My whole family -all SEVEN of us- were invited to dine with our friends Tim and Shannon and their four kids up the road. I asked Shannon what I could bring, and she sweetly informed me that she was making the whole thing. DINNER FOR THIRTEEN PEOPLE. I balked. I insisted she let me bring a pot of beans and some homemade salsa to go with the pulled pork she would be slow cooking. The plans were set. Later that week we would show up, beans and salsa in hand, and enjoy a friendly dinner all together.

Two days before our dinner date, I spoke with Shannon on the phone and she told me how another friend had forgotten to come to dinner one night and her kids were so disappointed. I talked about times it had happened to us and we commiserated. Are you feeling some foreshadowing here? Ugh.

The day of our dinner arrived and I completely forgot what I was supposed to be doing that evening. I was running late on a couple of writing deadlines, so after finishing school with the kids, I sat down -nose to the grindstone- and finished what was due. I submitted them, tidied the kitchen and started working on two other recipes I was developing that would be due in the next week or so. My husband called and uncharacteristically offered to bring home something for dinner. I jumped on it, ran some errands I had promised other folks I would run, then came back to finish the work I’d started. The Evil Genius arrived home -late!- with dinner in hand. We all descended on it like locusts. I settled in to go through our new healthcare plan papers that were due the next day and the kids hollered, “Someone’s in the driveway… It’s Mr. Tim!”

… You know those scenes in movies where one thing suddenly comes into sharp focus and the rest of the background drops away in a blur? Yeah. That’s how I looked at my friend.

Tim had come down the road because to top everything else off, our phone had been busy for two days because of a problem with the line.

In that moment, all my friend cred washed down the driveway with the light rain that was falling. I felt like a giant jerk. I gathered the kids, pulled a brush through my hair and said we were coming up anyway. Half an hour late and fed. In their kitchen, our troops rallied at the sight of the beautiful meal Shannon had prepared for us. Our kids played together beautifully, and I apologized profusely.

What I wouldn’t have given at that moment for a time machine. Something that would’ve granted me extra time during the day so that I could actually consult my calendar (where the date was written in Sharpie marker) and think about what I was supposed to get done that day. Isn’t that the kicker? It was written down!

I took that as a sign that I needed to find a way to make more time in my holiday season. I’m partnering with Frigidaire who has invented -wait for it- a TIME MACHINE. Not an H.G. Wells type of time machine, granted, but it’s a time machine nonetheless. Frigidaire is giving the gift of time, both in the form of gifts to enjoy time and actual Frigidaire appliances! There are daily, weekly and grand prizes. The daily prizes are indulgences like spa gift cards, the weekly prizes are honest-to-goodness Frigidaire Double-Oven Ranges (Oh, how I’d love one of these!), and the grand prize? Sit down, please. Someone is going to win an ENTIRE SUITE OF FRIGIDAIRE APPLIANCES. Seriously, that would be a gift to remember, wouldn’t it? Click on over to the Frigidaire app on Facebook and play to win! They have some hilarious free cheer cards you can post on Facebook, Twitter or email to friends and family, too.

That is so true I almost shudder a bit…

I have a little gift of time for you, too! Foodie with Family is powered by tea, glorious tea: morning, noon and night, loose leaf, bagged and instant. I just plain can’t get enough tea. I have a tea for every occasion and whim and I love it that way. Most days, I start the morning off with a stiff black tea- something of which the purists would approve. As the day goes on, I sip on black tea blends, mixes and then move into herbal teas like lemongrass and my perennial favourite, Sleepytime Tea.

When time is short, and I have a hankering for something sweet and warming, I reach for my homemade Instant Vanilla Chai mix. It’s satisfyingly homey. It reminds me of the store-bought instant chai mixes, takes mere minutes to put together and yields enough for a generous jar for yourself and gifts for your favourite tea lovers without breaking the bank. How can you beat that? With the time you save making this for gifts, you can scoot over to the Frigidaire Time Machine and be entered to win that sweet suite of Frigidaire appliances.

As for me? I’m probably going to take a couple jars of this up the road to my friend along with a big hug.

Instant Vanilla Chai Mix | Make Ahead Mondays

Creamy, spiced, sweet instant vanilla chai mix hits the spot when you want something warming and satisfying in a hurry! As usual, homemade beats store bought hands-down!

Portioned into small jars with gift cards or instructions on the label, this chai mix makes a unique and affordable holiday or hostess gift for the chai and tea lovers in your life!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups instant unsweetened tea powder (I use Nestea.)
2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup non-fat instant dry milk powder
1 cup plain non-dairy creamer powder
1 cup French vanilla or vanilla non-dairy creamer powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (This is optional, but makes the chai spicier.)
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Process 1 cup at a time in pulses in a blender or food processor until it is a fine powdery consistency much like powdered sugar. Wait until the dust in the blender or processor dies down before removing the lid, then spoon into airtight containers for storage. Repeat until all of the mixture has been finely powdered.

Tightly covered, this mix is good for 6 months to a year, stirring every so often to prevent clumping.

For Gift Giving:

Divide the powdered mix between small 4 or 8 ounce jars. Label jars with instructions on how to prepare the chai.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/12/10/instant-vanilla-chai-mix-make-ahead-mondays/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

This post is sponsored by Frigidaire. I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Beverages, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, Christmas, family-friendly, frugal gifts, kid friendly, quick and easy, seasonal, Vegetarian

Salted Caramel Corn | Make Ahead Mondays {GIVEAWAY CLOSED}

December 3, 2012 by Rebecca 280 Comments

Update: The Pick Giveaway Winner plugin chose Christi P. as the winner of the Whirly Pop and Coconut Oil. Look for the email I’ve sent you, Christi! I can’t even wait for you to get to try these things. Congratulations!

My Grandma is one of my biggest cooking heroes. She has spent the majority of her life feeding people. My Grandpa, her husband, was a pastor who couldn’t walk away from someone who looked hungry, and everyone looked hungry to Grandpa. I’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating that one of my most treasured possessions is my collection of recipe cards handwritten for me by Grandma in my first years of marriage. There is just nothing to compare to road-tested recipes written by the hand of someone you love bigger than the bay. The only drawback? Well, maybe I get just a touch weepy whenever I make her recipes. In other words? I weep a lot.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a holiday staple. I only allow myself to make it from December first through January thirty first because otherwise I’d be the size of a house. We give bags of this to friends, Romans and countrymen. In other other words? We give it to EVERYONE. If you walk near my house in Advent, you’re getting a bag full of Salted Caramel Corn shoved in your hands. It’s just the way we do things, because it’s how Grandma does it.

And since we’re talking about Grandma, let me tell you, she was ahead of her time. Grandma was doing Salted Caramel WAY before anyone else. As in decades. When salted caramel hit the food scene I was all, “What? You mean other people DIDN’T salt their caramel?” Honestly. I was agog. Aghast. Alarmed. Arsey-versey. Shall I stop now? Please say yes. I’m all out of words that mean agape that begin with ‘A’. Oh, no I didn’t. Oh yes, I did… Astounded, awestruck, astonished, amazed…

We were, however, talking SALTED Caramel Corn. On the back of the recipe card, Grandma wrote about the final step of the process, “This is what makes it crisp and it does not stick to your teeth-” I’m neither an orthodontist nor have I played one on t.v., but many of my kids’ braces wearing friends are able to eat this with no issues! If you’re looking for a caramel corn that fits the bill for your favourite dental appliance sporting pals, this is the one!

Think of this as the ultimate in caramel corn. It’s perfectly caramelled (new word. I made it up), just a touch salty, crispy and not at all sticky and is totally simple to make. I promise you many accolades and much affection (more ‘A’ words!) if you make a batch of two of these to give away. Here’s where ‘Make Ahead Mondays’ comes into play. This caramel corn is good for about ten days after it’s made. One batch makes roughly eight quarts. Make a batch, bag it up and give it away for the next few days. If it starts softening a bit, crisp it up in a 250°F oven for a few minutes. This is a room-temperature storage item. You want to spread some joy? ” The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear” AND give them a bag of this stuff. I’m pretty sure Buddy would approve. (My final ‘A’ word.)

If you want to try a sample of this good stuff, I’ll be selling it as a fundraiser for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer at the 26th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair at Houghton College in Houghton, New York tomorrow (Tuesday, December 4th) and Wednesday the 5th. Come on down and see me!

Salted Caramel Corn | Make Ahead Mondays

There is nothing that can compare to Grandma's Salted Caramel Corn with its brown sugar, nutty browned butter and touch of salt. Grandma is a genius.

Ingredients

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 quarts plain (unseasoned, unsalted) popcorn in a very large mixing bowl

Instructions

Line 2 half-sheet pans with silpats, parchment paper or non-stick foil. Preheat oven to 250°F.

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda. It will foam up big time! Don't worry, it's to be expected.

Pour the molten caramel over the popped corn in the bowl and stir gently but thoroughly to evenly coat the popcorn. Split the popcorn between the two prepared pans and spread it out evenly. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, stirring well every 15 minutes. Grandma says "Watch it closely during baking to ensure it doesn't stick and burn. If it tends to do this, lower the temp a tad. This step is what makes it crisp and it does not stick to your teeth!"

Let the caramel corn cool on the pan (if it is sufficiently done, you'll hear it crackling as it cools!), then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/12/03/salted-caramel-corn-giveaway-and-make-ahead-mondays/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Now the GIVEAWAY! This one is sponsored by ME! Just me! No one else! Several years ago, my Aunt Molly sent my family a Whirly Pop. Have you ever heard of one of these? I hadn’t until she sent me one. It is, in short, the ULTIMATE popcorn popper. It’s a funky pan with built in stirring mechanism that makes up to SIX QUARTS of theatre style popcorn in under THREE MINUTES. I’m telling you, this is on the short list of things I would replace the same day if it broke, not that I see it breaking any time soon. Honestly, folks… it has a 25 year warranty on all moving parts. Can you beat that? We’ve put this thing through its paces for almost seven years and it’s still going strong! We seriously use this every. single. day. Sometimes we eat three batches a day! Oh! And you can make the best kettle corn of all time in these bad boys, too!

It is so much more inexpensive and incredibly healthier to pop your popcorn this way. Plain bagged popcorn is FAR less costly than and contains none of the weird, nasty preservatives found in the microwave stuff. You can get away with using much less oil when using the Whirly Pop than you would using a big pot on the stove. It’s pretty much the best way ever to make popcorn.

So here’s what I’m giving away. ONE WHIRLY POP…

and ONE JAR OF EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL.

Believe me, you haven’t had popcorn until you’ve had it popped with coconut oil in a Whirly Pop.

Here’s how to enter! (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry method you use so each one is counted!)

Mandatory Entry:

What’s your favourite popcorn topping? Hot sauce? Plain old salt? Sardines? (What? Could happen!) Nutritional yeast? Talk to me!

Optional Entries:

Like Foodie with Family on facebook.

Follow Foodie with Family on Instagram.

Follow Foodie with Family on Pinterest.

Follow Foodie with Family on Twitter.

Tweet the following, “I want to win a Whirly Pop and coconut oil for the perfect popcorn from @foodiewithfam ”

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by me and paid for by me. Sadly, I can’t ship this package outside of the continental US, so this giveaway is only open to residents of the aforementioned!

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Desserts, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, Christmas, Christmas cookies, dessert, family-friendly, Food gifts, frugal gifts, kid friendly, party food, quick and easy, Vegetarian

Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce

November 28, 2012 by Rebecca 27 Comments

I’ve spoken before of my deep, deep love for the hot fudge sauce made by my stepmom, Val. Grandma Val’s Hot Fudge Sauce is a staple around the Foodie With Family household. It goes on ice cream, to be sure, but it is also drizzled on cake and stirred into hot milk for fabuloso hot chocolate. On days when I feel particularly frazzled or mom’ed out, a spoonful of it applied directly to my mouth is sometimes the only thing standing between me and stark raving lunacy.

The other day, a friend complained loudly about the quality of the peppermint mocha she purchased at a big name restaurant. Her description was:

If you’re considering trying McD’s peppermint mocha drink cuz it looks good and nice and warm and holiday-ish with the oncoming cold weather, here’s a tip to save some money: Make a pot of coffee, and while that’s brewing, go brush your teeth (some mouthwash after is good too). Then come back to the pot, pour some sugar and vinegar into it, pour yourself a mug, and drink up! Voila! Now you don’t have to go buy one.

Blech. That was enough to dissuade me. With all that, though, I still wanted a Peppermint Mocha. I decided to turn the ubiquitous Grandma Val’s Hot Fudge Sauce into the vehicle for the world’s best Peppermint Mocha. I turned it into Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce.

Mercy.

I’ll share the Peppermint Mocha recipe tomorrow, but first? First you must make this Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce. Believe me. All by itself it is a holiday treat second to none. If you can resist eating this by the spoonful then you’re a better animal than I am. But when you drizzle this over a bowl of Perry’s Mint Tingaling or Peppermint Stick ice cream? Oh Holy Night. It is something to remember.

When it’s still hot it’s a deep, fudgy, smooth, thick-yet-pourable, minty sauce with a hint of vanilla. When you pour it onto cold ice cream, it turns into a chewy caramel candy that keeps you coming back for more.

…Speaking of coming back for more, be sure to check in tomorrow for a Peppermint Mocha recipe that DOESN’T taste like toothpaste, vinegar and bad drip coffee and a GIVEAWAY that you will NOT want to miss.

Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce

When it's still hot it's a deep, fudgy, smooth, thick-yet-pourable, minty sauce with a hint of vanilla. When you pour it onto cold ice cream, it turns into a chewy caramel candy that keeps you coming back for more. This is also the base for the best homemade Peppermint Mocha of all time!

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup boiling water
1½ teaspoons peppermint extract
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (homemade is best! )
pinch of salt

Instructions

Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar, corn syrup, and boiling water. Increase heat to medium and stir mixture until it reaches boiling. Boil without stirring for 8 minutes. Really. Do not stir that stuff.

Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract, vanilla extract and salt. It will bubble up violently, so be careful. Let rest for 5 minutes before pouring into a heat-proof container with a tight fitting lid. (A canning jar works perfectly for this situation.) Be certain the container you use is small enough to fit into the microwave for reheating purposes. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly lidded, heat-proof container.

To Reheat:

Remove lid from the jar and microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir. Heat in additional 10 second bursts until the hot fudge flows freely when poured.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/11/28/peppermint-hot-fudge-sauce/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Condiments, Desserts, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, dessert, family-friendly, Food gifts, Frugal Food, frugal gifts, kid friendly, party food, quick and easy, seasonal, Vegetarian

Whiskey Vanilla Extract | Make Ahead Mondays

November 26, 2012 by Rebecca 17 Comments

I am obsessed with vanilla extract. Since I started making my own extract several years ago, I haven’t bought vanilla extract (either faux or pure) once. Once you’ve made your own and tasted just how much better it is (and realized just how easy the entire process is) it’s hard -if not impossible- to go back.

Why bother when you can get pure vanilla extract relatively cheap? First, the homemade stuff is customizable. You can make it as strong or as weak as you’d like it. Normally, the method involves splitting beans, pouring a neutral high-alcohol spirit such as vodka over it, capping it, shaking it and letting it age until you can’t really taste an alcohol burn from it. The idea is that the alcohol becomes a vessel for mega vanilla flavour delivery. I told you it was easy, didn’t I? That’s wonderful, isn’t it? It’s fabulous. I have a giant jug of the stuff in my cabinet… but…

Yes, there’s a but…

Sometimes I WANT a little burn to help cut some sweetness: I want that presence of alcohol WITH the vanilla. And in those cases, I reach for this stuff; Whiskey Vanilla Extract. The process is every bit as easy. I split vanilla beans lengthwise and stuff them into an empty bottle. The prettier the bottle the better. It’s not like it effects the overall outcome, but life is hard enough: Let’s try to get some beauty in there where we can.

I pour something drinkable but not expensive* (ask the clerk at your local liquor store for a good, inexpensive but sippable whiskey or bourbon.) over the top, cap it, shake it and let it go for a week.

*I did NOT use Templeton Rye Whiskey for my extract, merely the empty bottle.

A bottle of that on your pantry shelf invites you to use it, and since we’re not going with a neutral alcohol here but highlighting the richly flavoured, slightly smokey whiskey taste, you can start using it about a week or two after starting it. It will mellow with age, so if you find it’s a little too brassy and bright at the beginning, just stash it in a dark corner and retrieve/retry it later.

I love to use this in place of the ‘regular’ vanilla extract in whipped cream, pecan pies, fruit crisps, and hot fudge sauce. What would you make with Whiskey Vanilla Extract?

A Note on Making This for Gifts:

You can use canning jars to prepare this if you’d like, but I find using an actual liquor bottle makes it easier to use the finished vanilla extract without spilling it. If you don’t have access to empty liquor bottles or want to prepare it in smaller containers for gifts, dollar stores and big box stores usually have a nice selection of small decorative bottles with corks or twist caps. Just be sure the caps fit snugly to prevent spilling when you shake them.

A Note on Finding Inexpensive Vanilla Beans (because it CAN be done!)

You can use whatever vanilla beans you prefer, Madagascar, Tahitian, Bourbon (Hey! Bourbon Bourbon Extract!). I don’t actually have one that I love better than others, I love ‘em all! I buy my vanilla beans in bulk through one of two places. Here they are in order of preference.

My beloved Amazon.com has them When you consider that the best price I have found in grocery stores is about $10 per package of 2 beans, and that there are about 50 beans in a half pound, that’s akin to saving $223. Trust me. My math is good, I’m a homeschooling mom. And better yet, when the beans are properly stored (at a steady room temperature out of direct light) they last for at least a year.
eBay. Seriously! I have bought pounds of vanilla beans via eBay over the years. Sometimes you can get a better deal on eBay, sometimes Amazon has the better price. Keep your eyes peeled and get bargain happy!

Whiskey Vanilla Extract | Make Ahead Mondays

With its smokey, richly flavoured, high alcohol content, whiskey makes the perfect vehicle for homemade vanilla extract. There's nothing neutral about this vanilla extract, so use it where you'd love a little bite: in whipped cream, pecan pie, fruit crisps, and the like. This makes a wonderful and unique hostess gift for the holidays.

Ingredients

1 clean and empty 750 ml liquor bottle with a tight fitting lid (or a glass container that can hold about 3 cups of liquid with a tight fitting lid.)
5-20 whole vanilla beans, depending on how strong you'd like the vanilla flavour
about 3 cups whiskey, depending on the container you use

Instructions

Split the vanilla beans lengthwise then in half. Slide them into the empty liquor bottle. The fewer the beans you use, the weaker the vanilla presence will be. I like a LOT of vanilla and stuff as many into the bottle as I can while still leaving enough room for the beans to be covered by liquid and the lid to be added when I'm done.

Insert a funnel into the top of the bottle and pour in as much whiskey as you can, being sure to cover the beans completely. Add the lid, shake vigorously for about 2 minutes, then place in a dark, cool place for at least one week, shaking the bottle daily, before using. The longer the extract ages, the more mellow the whiskey and the more pronounced the vanilla will be.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/11/26/whiskey-vanilla-extract-make-ahead-mondays/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Component Foods, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, Food Preservation, Frugal Food, frugal gifts, quick and easy, seasonal, Vegetarian

Corn Stock plus Roasted Corn and Potato Chowder | Make Ahead Mondays

September 10, 2012 by Rebecca 9 Comments

Soup and sweater weather…

There simply isn’t any weather I like better than those first days of fall -REAL FALL- where the skies are gunmetal grey and leaves are just starting to turn. It’s a mighty wind, and it’s brisk, and it wants to blow right through you. It makes you understand why those leaves finally give up and flutter around. We, thankfully, have sweaters and comfy socks.

And soup.

First, you may have been around here long enough to know I’m a huge fan of movies. My most favourite movies are usually absurd comedies. Squarely in that category falls the movie ‘Best In Show’ by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. It’s a mockumentary where a bizarre group of characters competes to win a national dog show. The entire movie is weird, wonderful and hysterical from start to finish, but there is one exchange that has always stuck with my husband and I.

Jennifer Coolidge’s gold-digging, much younger trophy wife character, Sherri Ann Cabot, is talking about how very in love she is with her MUCH older, senile, immobile, uncommunicative, wealthy husband.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9jxSOxtYHs[/youtube]

“We have so much in common, we both love soup and snow peas, we love the outdoors, and talking and not talking. We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about.”

In short, since seeing that movie, my husband and I quote that one passage every. single. time. we have soup. Given that we also love soup, that quote gets pretty solid play in our house. And I’ll tell you this, unlike Leslie Ward Cabot, it hasn’t gotten old yet.

Let’s make like Sherri Ann and Leslie and talk about soup for a moment, shall we?

This chowder is not for the low-fat crowd. Not only does it use bacon -and a lot of it!-, not only does it have butter, not only does it have cream cheese, but it has all three in abundance. Glory hallelujah! Don’t spend your days waiting for Guffman, it’s time to bust out the comfort food.

While you can certainly make this chowder with a store-bought chicken or vegetable stock, it really sings up a storm when made with the simplest stock you can ever make; Corn Stock. If you’ve been with me long enough to know I’m a movie nut, you’ll also know that I’m firmly in the waste not/want not camp as well. Corn Stock is what I like to call a three-fer.

You prepare the corn the way you normally would (I vastly prefer roasting it because it’s easier to do large amounts than boiling.) Cut the corn from the cob and freeze it or use it immediately.
Boil the cobs for stock.
Give the boiled cobs to the chickens who will get whatever is left that is edible and use it as energy to make eggs.

If that isn’t a frugal gal’s dream, I don’t know what is. Most importantly, though, the corn stock gives your chowder something that no other stock can. It gives it an essence of summer sweet corn that simply is not available in any other way mid-autumn or winter. If that doesn’t send a shiver of anticipation up your spine (unlike a spinal tap), then you’ve never lived in the snow belt.

Just imagine a bowl of rich chowder resplendent with roasted corn (that which you cut from the cob and froze, you frugal cook you!), cubes of potato with a hint of red skin still on, and hints of orange carrot in a fragrant broth that smells just like fresh sweet corn and is made thicker and velvety with the addition of cream cheese. Does that warm you up yet?

Don’t just talk about it: slurp that soup like Leslie!

Corn Stock plus Roasted Corn and Potato Chowder | Make Ahead Mondays

Make as much of the Corn Stock as you can while corn is still in season. You'll be so glad to have the essence of summery corn available to you in the winter. Use in stews, risottos, and soups.

This luscious, hearty, rich chowder is resplendent with roasted corn (that which you cut from the cob and froze, you frugal cook you!), cubes of potato with a hint of red skin still on, and hints of orange carrot in a fragrant broth that smells just like fresh sweet corn and is made thicker and velvety with the addition of cream cheese.

Ingredients

For the Corn Stock:

2 dozen ears of corn, roasted and shucked (preferably) or shucked and boiled
2 cooking onions
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 handful fresh or frozen parsley stems
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh time or 2 teaspoons of dried thyme leaves
2 gallons fresh cold water

For the Roasted Corn and Potato Chowder:

1 pound of bacon (Omit the bacon and add another 4 tablespoons of butter for a vegetarian version.)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 medium sized cooking onions, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon minced or pressed garlic
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups corn stock (or chicken stock)
6 medium sized red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small cubes
1 carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
4 cups frozen or fresh roasted corn, cut from the cob
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
salt and pepper to taste
sliced green onions and minced fresh parsley, if desired, for serving

Instructions

To Make the Corn Stock:

Stand an ear of corn up on its flat end on a cutting board. Using a gentle sawing motion with a very sharp knife, cut down the ears, removing the kernels from the cobs as you go. Transfer the corn kernels to a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet and stick in the freezer until solid. Transfer those corn kernels to zipper top freezer bags and store for use in soups or salads.

Put the cleaned cobs along with the remaining stock ingredients into a large stockpot or electric countertop roaster oven. Cover the pot and bring up to a boil. Drop the heat and let it cook at a low simmer for 1-4 hours. Use tongs to remove the boiled cobs from the stock. (I give those to my chickens after they've cooled.) Pour the remaining liquid through a fine mesh sieve over a pitcher or other deep pot. You can use the stock immediately,

~or you can pressure can it (leaving 1-inch of headspace) at 15 pounds of pressure for 75 minutes. The jars can be stored on the shelf for up to two years.

~or you can cool the stock and pour it into zipper top freezer bags in single use portions then freeze it for up to 6 months.

~or you can refrigerate it and use it within 2 weeks.

To Make the Roasted Corn and Potato Chowder:

Cut across the slices of bacon to make 1/2-inch strips. In a soup pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until it is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crispy bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set it aside -no snitching!- until the soup is almost done.

Drain all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease. You can eyeball it: you don't need to be precise. Add the butter to the bacon grease and place the pan over medium low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic in and stir, cooking for an additional minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the onion/garlic/butter mixture and whisk it in thoroughly. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutse, stirring often. It should be bubbly. Add the corn stock, whisking to combine, then the potatoes and carrots. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes and carrots are super tender.

In a heat-proof bowl, lightly smash the softened cream cheese with a fork. Using a ladle, add a little of the hot corn stock to the cream cheese, working it in with a fork or a whisk until smooth. After you've added enough hot stock to it to create a thick but pourable liquid, add it back into the pan of soup, stirring to combine. Add the corn in and stir, cooking only until the corn is heated all the way through. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a handful of sliced green onions and chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Don't forget a big chunk of bread to sop up the irresistible broth!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/09/10/corn-stock-plus-roasted-corn-and-potato-chowder-make-ahead-mondays/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com