BRRRR! WELCOME WINTER

First heavy snow of the 1st day of winter. I love to watch the silent fall of snow. It does not have the slushy sound of rain. It falls gently and covers over everything in a beautiful clean blanket. Yes it is cold and yes it becomes a pain to clear out the driveway but yet it is still a sight to behold. While it was snowing outside I made my husband one of his favorite soups. After he came in from shoveling the driveway, he warmed himself with this healthy and delicious soup. I thought I would share it with you.

French Onion Soup

6-8 medium onions peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tsp salt

4 Cups of beef broth

1/4 cup dry sherry

8 thick slices of Italian bread

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

8 Thinly sliced Mozzarella Cheese
Melt butter in a large pot add onions and saute' until golden. Add flour, salt and stir until blended then add sherry. Stir. Pour in broth. Bring to a boil. lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Toast bread slices. Place toasted bread in oven proof tureen or individual bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Pour soup over bread, top with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Brown under broiler until cheese begins to melt, serve immediately.

DELICIOUS HOT CHOCOLATE

On a cold day's night what is more comforting than a hot cup of chocolate? It warms you all over. I like to make my own hot chocolate from scratch. Just boil some milk and add semi-sweet chocolate pieces in to the boiling milk. Whisk to melt the chocolate and voila you have the best hot chocolate ever. It is thick and foamy. For extra flavor I dip a peppermint candy cane in my cup to savor the taste.

COME IN FROM THE COLD

I like this cream of corn soup with a light and delicious corn bread on a cold day. They are easy to make. If there are any left over corn bread I usually warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds to have it with jelly or honey in the morning with my breakfast.




CREAM OF CORN SOUP

1 Can of corn kernels, drained
2 Medium size potatoes, cubed
1 Medium onion, chopped
1/2 Cup water
1 packet (cube) of chicken bouillon
2 Cups of Milk
1 tablespoon of margarine (butter)

In a large sauce pan combine all the ingredients except the milk. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or till corn and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk and cook for about 1 more minute. Turn of the heat. Once the soup is cooled put it through the blender in batches and return it back to the pot. Warm it up and serve. If desired, garnish with chopped chives or snipped parsley or bacon bits.

CORN BREAD

2 Cups cornmeal
1/4 Cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp salt
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup plain yogurt
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 Large egg

Preheat oven to 425 F. Grease 9 inch baking pan. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut and serve.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

Any holiday is a cause for celebration in all faiths. Some people may not understand the true meaning of the celebration by making it difficult for themselves. They think they have to buy the perfect gift, bake the perfect pie etc. and have to buy the biggest tree and decorate it to the hilt. To me a holiday is a good time to reflect on what it stands for. What are we celebrating and why? After that the rest seems secondary. A little gift bought with thought has more meaning than to give something expensive and useless. It is easy to buy and give any gift when one has the means, but it is more meaningful when given by one without the means. The latter is done with sacrifices and and purely from the heart. Holiday is a time to gather with family and good friends. Give time to those who are lonely, feed the ones who are hungry.

I wish everyone who reads my blog a very happy, healthy holiday season and a prosperous new year.

BLACK FRIDAY

I've observed that a lot of people aren't very sure of the meaning of the term "Black Friday". It is a relatively new phrase, generally used to describe the day after the Thanksgiving Holiday which always falls on the last Thursday of the month of November. The next day (Friday) is coined "Black" because it is a day retailers make their sales profits which they inscribe in their accounting books. The entries are almost always in black ink as opposed to red ink (deficit/loss). Some States in the Union may have a different take on the word but it is usually related to the same idea of throngs of shoppers looking for sales and bargains, thus creating a happy ending for retailers and the economy. Although "Black Friday" may have great connotations for retailers, the recent fatalities on this day have really put a damper on humanity. I can not get over the fact that people became so greedy that for a few dollar savings a human life was lost. What a disgrace, what a shame.! Has humanity lost all its values? Shame on those people in their "Greed Stampede" that took the life of an innocent person. As a result, I am adding "mourning" as an another explanation for "Black Friday" in the name of humanity.

Oh, by the way there is also "Cyber Monday" which is a new term for a busy retailing day on the internet. I only hope that the internet shoppers will not start an online stampede.