POTATO SOUP

BY MRS. CHOCOLATE

The weather is cooling down and nothing warms me up like a nice bowl of soup. This weekend I was in the mood for a hearty warming bowl, and decided to make potato soup adapted from this recipe from Gimme Some Oven. I love thick creamy chowders and potatoes; add in some bacon and what’s not to love!

Ingredients:

5 slices diced bacon
3 tablespoons bacon grease (reserved) or butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups warmed milk
1.5 pounds diced potatoes
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream

Directions:
Cook the bacon. I cooked it in the oven, 15 minutes on 400 degrees, but you can also cook it in the stockpot you’re using for the soup. Set aside. Next make the roux by starting off with the bacon grease (or butter) and flour and then mixing in the chicken stock and milk. Once it’s well mixed, add the potatoes and bacon and let it simmer 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. I always add a little extra flour to my roux as I like my soups and cream sauces to be thicker. After the potatoes are tender add in the cheddar cheese and seasonings. The recipe calls for sour cream or greek yogurt here, but it’s a little too tangy for me so I omit it. I think celery and mushrooms would also add some great flavor, but you can really add anything you like. When it’s done, garnish as you like. Enjoy!


Source by: http://www.hellobee.com/2015/11/05/potato-soup/#more-128874

Guinness Milk Shake

Total Time: 5 mins

Makes: 4 servings

Malty Guinness and rich vanilla ice cream: a dreamy, frothy, creamy combination. This milk shake would be perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration or equally delicious sipped poolside in August. For virgin shakes, try our Chocolate Malted Milk Shake or Purple Cow Milk Shake.

What to buy: We found that using a can of Guinness instead of a bottle ensures a creamier consistency.

Instructions

1.Place 4 pint glasses in the freezer to chill.

2.Place the ice cream and Guinness in a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.

3.Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the chocolate syrup or sauce down the insides of each glass. Divide the shake among the glasses and garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Source by:http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/guinness-milk-shake-29419

Angel food cake

Angel food cake’s main requisites are that it be tender and soft—we call it “pillow cake” here at CHOW. This version not only is ethereally airy, but also has a welcome hint of citrus. Serve it with orange-soaked strawberries for a dainty dessert. Use the leftover yolks for more indulgent desserts.

Special equipment: You’ll need a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom to make this recipe.

Game plan: The cake can be made a day in advance—leave it in the pan, cover it, and store it at room temperature for up to 24 hours. The strawberries can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead.

Instructions

For the cake:

1// Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Mix 1 cup of the sugar with the orange zest in a small bowl until evenly combined; set aside.

2// Sift the cake flour through a fine mesh strainer 3 times onto a piece of parchment paper or into a large bowl. Then sift again with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

3// Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. (Be sure the bowl and whisk have been thoroughly cleaned.) Beat on high until just frothy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar, orange juice, and salt and beat until the whites just begin to form soft, droopy peaks, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar-zest mixture 2 tablespoons at a time, letting it mix in before adding more, then beat until the whites are glossy and the peaks are droopy but hold onto a spatula, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

4// Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift a quarter of the cake flour mixture over the whites. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the whites with a rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining cake flour mixture, a quarter at a time, until all of it has been added.

5//Spoon the batter into a clean, dry 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Tap the pan twice on the counter to burst any large air bubbles in the batter. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is springy to the touch and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.

6// Invert the pan over the neck of a bottle (the cake should be hanging upside down—this keeps it from collapsing/deflating) until completely cooled, about 1 1/2 hours.

For the berries:

1// In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, orange juice, and sugar. Place in the refrigerator and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the strawberries have let off some juice, at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.

To remove and serve the cake:

1// Cut around the perimeter of the pan with a knife, remove the base, and cut around the tube and the base to release the cake completely. Slice with a serrated knife and serve with the soaked strawberries and their juices.

Source by:http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/orange-angel-food-cake-with-strawberries-18898

Crackers carrots

One of the first foods we gave our son, carrots have become a favorite in our house. They couldn’t be easier to prepare either!

Simply peel and slice the amount of carrots you’d like to use. Place in a steaming basket over boiling water and steam for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Adding a little bit of water (do not use your cooking water), purée the carrots in a machine such as a Blentec, food processor or Baby Bullet.

Allow the purée to cool enough to feed your baby, place in the fridge to be used within two days or place in ice cube trays to freeze for 4 hours. If freezing, remove the frozen purée from the trays and place in a freezer bag and mark to be used within 3 months.

It’s as easy as that! Once baby gets older, you can start adding the carrot purée with other vegetables and even add it to over cooked brown rice for a chunky meal!

source by:http://chocolateandcarrots.com/crackersandcarrots/2013/03/homemade-baby-food-carrots

Hazelnut Chocolate Spread For Kids

2015-10-02
Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack

Hazelnut chocolate spread

Chocolate hazelnut spread is a huge favourite of mine. I love it on warm toast the best, but my kids love it on fruit slices for afternoon tea. Making my own takes no time at all and it lasts in the fridge for a few weeks. Plus I know exactly what goes in it so can enjoy it more often. Play with the oil quantity until you find the perfect consistency for you and try toasting the hazelnuts first, it adds so much flavour.

Storage: store in a sterilised glass jar in the fridge for 1 – 2 weeks.

Ingredients

1 cup *hazelnuts 
 

2 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder
¼ cup pure maple syrup
4 Medjool dates, pitted (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons macadamia oil or coconut oil
*Lightly toast the hazelnuts for a stronger flavour.

Method

Step 1
Add hazelnuts to a high-powered blender, Thermomix or food processor. Blitz for a few minutes or until you have a sticky dough-like consistency
-
Step 2
Add the cocoa or cacao powder, maple syrup, dates if using, vanilla extract and macadamia or coconut oil. Process until you have a smooth chocolate spread. -

source by:http://onehandedcooks.com.au/recipe/hazelnut-chocolate-spread-kids/#DhBoUEtiifBHXXw3.97

12 October 2015 by Babymoov

Apple and grape compote

PREPARATION TIME 5 mn
COOK TIME 14 mn

The recipe

4 Golden Delicious apples
Preparation time: 5 minutes – Cooking time: 14  minutes






A delicious apple and grape compote, which could be turned
 into a refreshing drink if you wish; cook it in your Nutribaby
 of course!

Wash the apples. Peel them, remove the pips and cut into pieces. Put the apples into the bottom steaming basket of your Nutribaby to cook for 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash the grapes. Cut each grape in 2 and remove the pips with the tip of a knife. Then cook the grapes for the remaining 8 minutes.

Once cooking is over, pour the fruit into the mixing bowl together with the cooking juice and blend until you get a lump-free compote.

+ idea

Turn this compote into a delicious fruit juice by adding approx. 20-30 cl of water into the mixing bowl in addition to the ingredients and cooking juice. Blend well and then put everything through a sieve. Leave to cool in the refrigerator and serve baby this fruit juice at tea time!

source by:http://www.cookingbabyfood.com/recette/apple-and-grape-compote/