Cream of Mushroom Soup

I got hungry for mushroom soup, checked out a few recipes and decided to chuck them all and wing it.  What I ended up with was really tasty.  My only hesitation in giving you the recipe is that I didn’t pay a lot of attention to measurements.  This is basically what I did.

Buy a small carton of mushrooms.  I don't know how else to describe it any other way.  I don't know the weight or whether it's a peck.  I'm sure it's not a bushel.  It's just one of those cartons they sell.  Not the big one, the small one.

Throw a half of a stick of butter into a big pot:  sliced about three onions really thin and cook them a bit on a low heat.

I think the onion part is important.  The onion flavor is a big part of this soup but it doesn’t sound like it since it’s , well..mushroom soup.

Get one of the lunch-box size bag of carrots and chop them up pretty small.  Cut the stems off the mushrooms and chop them.  Add the chopped stems to the pot. Later on you will slice the tops of the muchrooms.

After the veggies are soft add a couple of cups of chicken stock.  Then about ¼ cup of Sherry or Marsala wine. And a teaspoon of salt if you’re using homemade stock….a little less if you use canned broth.

After all that is incorporated and the vegetables are soft take it off the heat and let cool a bit.  Then run it all through the blender.  You’ll end up with a stock that has been naturally thickened.  I love that part.  No flour required.  None.

Pour this blended mixture back into the pot and add the sliced mushroom caps.  And about ½ cup of heavy cream.  Yes, cream.  Not milk.  It’s called Cream of Mushroom soup, not Milk of Mushroom soup.

Taste it and see what you would change the next time you make this.    You could buy a rosesserie chicken and cut up the meat to add to it.  They also have ready-made rice in the freezer section now.  That would be a good addition.

Peanuts

I love to take warm, freshly roasted peanuts in my pocket when I go walking in the cold.  Not only is it a tasty and healthy snack but it keeps your hands warm.  The added bonus is that if you encounter any elephants on your walk you can make friends with them.  It's always nice to have something for elephants.  You never know when you'll bump into one.

Buy raw peanuts.  Set the oven on 350 degrees.  Roast them on a cookie sheet for about ten minutes. Use a cookie sheet with a lip around it so the nuts don't fall off. You may like to roast them longer so check one to make sure you're ready to take them out.

Pack a handful in your pocket and start walking. Watch for elephants.

Sex in a Pan

I took the Chocolate Pie on Steroids one step further by combining it with a recipe I learned years ago called Sex in a Pan.  If I take it to a church function it's name becomes Get Behind Me Satan.

Take a 8X8 inch pan (the disposable ones with a lid are perfect is you're taking it somewhere).  In a food processor, process about 15 oreos--take a knife and scrap off the creme filling from about 8 of the cookies.  Dispose of the filling somehow....which could be via your own mouth; I won't tell.  Leave the other 7 whole. If you used the whole cookie for all 15 I think it would be too much sugar.  I have my limits, though I know it doesn't look like that at times.

Add about a half to a full cup of pecans.  Process this into fine crumbs.  Cover the bottom of the pan with them.  Melt 6 tablespoons of butter and pour over this.  Stir and incorporate the crumbs and butter until they form a smooth layer. Pour your completed pie filling over that and refrigerate over night until the filling is firm and the bottom crust is solid. 

Cover the top with handiwrap. This prevents a nasty film from developing on top as the pudding sets.  The handiwrap is important for another reason.  If you should trip taking it to the car for a party and the whole thing flies out of your hands and lands face-down in the dirt, the handiwrap will protect you from having to come up with another dessert.  If it is firmly set you can pick it right upoff the ground and the handiwrap will have protected it enough that you can still serve it at the party and no one will care. It also helps if there is wine served at the party before you get to dessert. 

Serve with Cool Whip which I'm sure makes this a low-cal dessert.