Chicken & Turkey Noodle Soup

The idea of this soup started out with the basic chicken noodle soup, however, I had some smoked turkey wings in the freezer and I wanted to use them for flavoring.

It turns out the smoked turkey wings had quite a bit of meat on them, so my soup turned into a chicken/turkey noodle soup!

I cut and sauteed some carrots, onions, garlic and celery. I used the smoked turkey wings, some chicken stock, and some chicken broth for extra flavor.

As per usual, I can't make anything bland, so I added some Slap Yo Mamma seasoning just to add a little kick.  I didn't get too heavy handed with the spicy seasoning though.

This was my first for 2015!! I've made various kinds of soups over the years, but I've never made chicken noodle soup, or in this case chicken/turkey noodle soup.

It almost didn't get made, because I was missing one key ingredient, which was the egg noodles.  It turns out my sister was making the same thing for dinner, but the power went out on the whole side of town where she lives.  It was out so long, she called and said she was heading to my house.  I told her what I wanted to make, and that's when she told me that she was in the middle of cooking the same thing!

My sister saved the day, and brought the noodles she was going to use in her soup to my house!!

Yay for big sisters!!! :-)

Minestrone Soup - By Janice

You see all that deliciousness in the pot below?? That is some delicious minestrone soup that my sister Janice made.

Unfortunately, I only get to taste this one with my eyes!!! Next time she sends me a pic like this, I'm getting in my car and driving to her house!! :-))

French Onion Soup - Hilton Cafe

French onion soup is SO yummy!! I fell in love with it the very fist time I tasted it YEARS ago!!

Some people like onions and others don't.  Having said that, I'm sure my youngest daughter wouldn't find this a tasty soup because she hates onions as much as she hates mushrooms!

I really don't know where she gets that from, as I love both!!

If you are an onion lover, this soup is definitely for you!!

Creamy Potato Soup

After the mimosa came this idea!! haha  I decided to make a potato soup with a creamy tomato base, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, half & half, bacon, and roasted garlic.

I used a little "Slap Yo Mamma" seasoning to spice it up a bit.  I didn't overdo the spiciness, but I definitely wanted it to have a kick.  I also used garlic powder, freshly ground pepper medley, kosher salt, a smoked ham hock for a little smoky flavor, Natures Season salt (because it has everything in it), and some butter.

The richness, along with the savory spicy taste was on point!! Hey, I think I've created a new recipe that will definitely be made again!!  Loved it!!!

Caldo Tlalpeno - El Aguila Mexican Cuisine

I usually get the typical foods when I eat Mexican food, you know, tacos, burritos etc.  This time around, I decided to try this soup.  I saw the pic on the menu and couldn't resist!!

It was a very good choice.  As I've said many times before, I'm a spicy eater. The spicier, the better.  This soup had a little "after-burn," but it wasn't super spicy. It was full of flavor though.

The ingredients were: Hearty all-natural chicken soup with calabacitas, blue lake beans, rice, chayote, potatoes, carrots and a splash of chipotle. Finished up with fresh avocado and 2 tostadas. Yummy!!! :-))

Shrimp Udon Soup - By Nikki

Nikki just shared this wonderful pic with me, and was kind enough to allow me to share it with all of you.  As I mentioned before, I don't have to taste this soup to KNOW that it's good.

Nikki is a wonderful cook, and like I said before, I only wish I lived closer so I could knock on her door and ask for a bowl of this delicious soup!! :-))

Ramen with Egg and Green Onios

Still haven't grocery shopped!! I'm trying to decide what I want to create next.  In the meantime, that means raiding the cupboards and seeing what I can put together.

I decided to go with ramen, but I didn't want to get all fancy with it.  I decided to keep it simple and make it with egg and green onions.  I also added some sesame oil, a little soy sauce, some red pepper flakes and some minced garlic.

With the add-ins, it had a super good taste!!! There is juice in my bowl, just not a lot.  The noodles were seasoned perfectly, so I didn't need a lot of juice to help them out.

Here is my pic! :-))

Chicken Curry Noodle Soup - Made by Nikki

Can't you just taste this?? Looks so yummy!

Pho - Made by Nikki

One of Nikki's specialties!!

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

From time to time, I like to cook something that I've never cooked before. Especially when it's something that I want to eat and don't know where I can get it at that particular moment.  The dish below is the result of one of those times.

I wanted some Thai soup badly, but there isn't a Thai restaurant close by my house, at least not one that I've been to, or heard any reviews on.

Sooooo, I set out to make it for myself.  It was a bit of a process, but I was pleased with the results. It was a little spicy for my youngest daughter's taste, but as I keep saying...I LOVE spicy foods, so I won!!

The top pic shows the chicken, lemon grass, parsley (instead of cilantro), and basil, it was one of the first steps to making the soup.

The bottom pic shows the finished results.  Very tasty soup that I would make again, but next time, I'll put a little less of the spicy stuff so my daughter can eat it. :-))

Betty's Roasted Rustic Potato Soup - Recipe

Betty's Roasted Rustic Potato Soup

7 Medium Yukon Gold potatoes 1 1/2 Cups pasta shells 1 Package pre-washed asparagus 1 Package Polska Kielbasa 1 Package frozen shrimp 1 Elephant ear garlic clove 1/2 Small onion 1/2 Stick butter Heavy whipping cream 2 Cans chicken broth Olive oil Cooking spray Worcestershire sauce Lawry's season salt Cayenne pepper Onion powder Garlic powder Kosher salt

Preparation:

Potatoes Pre-heat oven to 400 degree . Prepare a baking dish by spraying bottom with cooking spray. Peel, cube and rinse potatoes. Pat dry and place them in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle potatoes with garlic powder, onion powder and Lawry's season salt to taste. Drizzles potatoes with olive oil and toss potatoes until well coated. Set aside to prepare asparagus.

Asparagus Prepare baking dish by spraying bottom with cooking spray. Rinse asparagus, even though the are pre-rinsed. Pat dry and chop into 1 inch pieces and place into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle asparagus with kosher salt to taste and drizzle olive oil on them. Toss asparagus until well coated.

Place potatoes and asparagus in oven. Bake until potatoes are golden brown around the edges. Bake asparagus until slightly golden brown.

Garlic clove Cut tip of garlic clove and remove outer dry skin. Place in foil and drizzle top of clove with olive oil. Cover loosely with foil and place upright in cupcake pan. Fill empty cups half way with water. If you have room in your oven, this can go in with the potatoes and asparagus. If not, wait until potatoes and asparagus are roasted. Place in 400 degree oven and roast for 30-35 minutes.

Onion Peel and chop onion in medium to small pieces. Set aside.

Polska Kielbasa Spray frying pan with cooking spray. Chop Polska Kielbasa into 1 inch sized pieces. Place in prepared prying pan and add onions. Sauté until sausage is browned around the edges, and onion is translucent.

Shrimp Run cold water over shrimp until thawed. Place in bowl in refrigerator until ready to use.

Combining ingredients Place roasted potatoes in large heavy pot. Add finely chopped roasted garlic. Slightly mash potatoes in pot, leaving the majority in cubes. Add chicken broth, heavy cream to taste, and Polska Kielbasa/onion mixture. Add butter and about two cans of water or more, add Worcestershire sauce to taste. Sprinkle in Cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat until favors have had a chance to blend. Taste the soup base to see if you need to adjust anything flavor wise. Once you are satisfied with the taste, take the thawed shrimp out of the refrigerator and add to soup. Add grilled asparagus and heat soup for only a few minutes, until shrimp has warmed up.

Finished This soup was created on the spur of the moment after a long work day. I went with ingredients that I had on hand to create something my family loved. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we all did!!

Betty's Roasted Rustic Potato Soup

This is hands down the best soup that I've ever made from scratch.  It was created from a "I had no idea what to cook" moments.  I went through a whole thought process of I'll cook sausage links, to I'll roast asparagus on the side, and do something with potatoes, to I think I can combine everything that I'm thinking about doing and make a soup!! 

My sister was coming over with one of her daughters, and I needed to think quick about how to feed a lot of mouths.  During my thought process, my sister called and said she was stopping by the store and asked if I needed anything.  I don't know why, but I said "yes," bring some heavy cream.

I roasted everything that came to mind, and sauteed the rest.  I put it all together and added a little this and a little that and MAN, the end result surprised me.  It was very flavorful, and I've made it several times since the accidental creation.

One of my daughter's friends keeps asking when am I going to make it again. I think I'll have to do that real soon!!  I may even have two bowls!!