Broccoli Cheese Soup

Oh my! YUMMY! I've been having this craving for Broccoli Cheese Soup lately (no, I am NOT pregnant - I was fixed!). So, I found this recipe and changed it just a little...

INGREDIENTS

• 3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons margarine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 pounds processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed
• 1 pinch ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the broccoli in the broth for 15 minutes. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

2. Add the flour to the onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. Then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally, add the pepper. (Note: Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese will break down.)


The changes I made:

• I dumped 4 cups of chicken broth into a sauce pan and then added frozen broccoli until it was at the same level as the broth - and then I kept it at a simmer until the broccoli was very tender, easily mushed down to smaller pieces
• I added a full stick of butter to a big pot, added my finely diced onion, then added 3/4 cup of flour. Slowly added the milk and then slowly added the broth/broccoli mix
• I ended up added 2 lbs (one big brick) of Velveeta and 1/2 pound of sharp cheddar
• I used table pepper instead of white pepper

The soup was super cheesy - but it made it SOOO yummy. Even TJ liked it! It I did it again, I would keep out the last 1/4 lb. of Velveeta, but that's it.

This really was a very very tasty soup. Probably the best Broccoli Cheese soup I've ever had. Next time I will try it with 2% Velveeta to lower the fat content. But I gave away all the soup so I wouldn't have any in the house today... because honestly, it was TOO good! :)

The original recipe can be found at AllRecipes.com.

So much to say and such little time to spare...

This past week has been full of great things! Last Friday (10/10), Tim and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. TJ had a cold and since I didn't want mom to be exposed to it, we decided to brave a restaurant with all three kids. We got there before 5pm to beat the crowd and we were home before 7pm. Perfect timing, actually. The girls did fairly well - they actually ate their bottles, spit up only a little, and didn't fuss nearly as much as normal. Lauren gets CRANKY every night around 7pm (give or take an hour). So, I was nervous about her having a meltdown in public. We avoided one and that made the trip worth it!

I don't think I posted this, but a few weeks back - not too long after TJ lost his first tooth - the one next to it became pretty loose. I was at my mom's house one evening when I noticed it was gone! I asked TJ what happened and he said he lost it at lunch. If the story was correct, it probably got stuck in an apple and ended up on the trash. TJ was pretty disappointed about not getting to keep it for the tooth fairy. I told him that I had already sent a self-addressed stamped envelope to the tooth fairy so I could get your tooth back for my keepsake box and I was pretty bummed about not being able to keep it! Hey, at least I got his FIRST one!

Katie has become the master at blowing raspberries. She does it ALL DAY LONG, and especially likes to do it when the dogs are nearby. I've noticed Lauren watching her and she tries to do it herself just a little, but don't really seem to want to do it. You can view a video of Katie blowing raspberries here:
http://vupload.new.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1051616533009

Lauren also rolled over for the first time on 10/15. I actually had the camera out when it happened and this picture was taken right after she did it. That's a very proud little girl right there!

Another first we've gotten to experience this week is the first cold. YUCK! TJ got the crud the middle of last week, around the 7th or 8th and I was convinced he wasn't contagious because none of us had gotten when he was already on the mend. Then it hit both Lauren and me on the same day. Poor little girl is all stopped up, but no fever and no cough. We've had to use the saline nasal spray and a vaporizer. In fact, they have the vaporizer in their room and our bedroom and TJ's bedroom each have a humidifier. Since we had to turn the heat on tonight, I am sure our sinuses will be up for the challenge since our entire top floor of the house seems to be well humidified.

Even though we were not feeling too great, we went ahead at went to HAMOM's fall gathering at Lyon Family Farms in Taft, TN. TJ had a BLAST! I only wish we had been able to stay longer. The high today was 70, but it was super windy and the tables in the pavilion were shaded and it made for a painfully chilly time for those of us not running around (everyone other than TJ). I have to say that Lyon Family Farms was much more enjoyable than Tate Farms. Tate Farms, as my grandmother would have said, has gotten too big for their britches. Apparently not only do they charge you $8 per person to get in, but they also charge you a fee for their "rides" and admission to the petting zoo. Ridiculous if you ask me. Lyon Family Farms was only about a 10 mile drive from our house and easier on families in my opinion.

TJ got his first report card last week. He is doing extremely well and the teacher said that he is a "perfect" student. I am thrilled! What is even more thrilling is that he stays on green 100% of the time and prides himself in being good at school. Unlike me, who as a child was always sent home with report cards saying how I talked to much... "Rachael's desk has been placed next to mine" was a common addition to my report cards. Apparently I talked so much that I had to be removed from my peers on many, many different occasions. Guess what? I still talk to much!

In addition to being a great student, TJ is becoming a great little artist, too! Take exhibit A to the left. Here we see a fierce shark on the top and a happy little goldfish on the bottom. My awesome five-year-old son drew both of those! Yes, I am quite biased, but I have to say that for five years old, he has quite the eye for detail. In fact, when you think about it, there are some adults who couldn't draw this well. TJ covered all the basics - top fin, bottom fin, side fins, gills, and the goldfish is even smiling ("until you bite their heads off..." ha ha ha). Yes, I am quite proud of my son's ability!

I shall try my hardest to not wait so long between bloggings. Life has been so crazy lately (as usual) and time online is becoming harder and harder to find!