The Secret Garden Chronicles ~It's a Good Day for Soup!!

I know that many of you who read my blogs live much further north than I...and perhaps you are having some very cold, wintry, snowy weather today.  We live way down south in Florida, and we are having a cloudy, cool, rainy kind of day, with some cooler weather expected in the next few days here as well.  It's too wet to go out into the Secret Garden, so I am enjoying some quiet time here in the house today.

This morning my hubby said he would sure like to have some soup for lunch! This is quite a change from his usual favorite diet of a bologna and cheese sandwich, so I gladly said "Yes!"  Then he asked if I could make Broccoli and Cheese soup!  Again, I gladly said, "Yes!"  It just so happened that we had broccoli for supper last night and I had quite a bit left over...so this would be a great way to use it up!  I also had a few small redskin potatoes left over, which would add some extra "bulk" to the soup.

So I got busy and first chopped some onion and celery and pre-cooked it in the microwave in a pyrex cup with a couple of tablespoons of water.
(Since I was not making a huge pot of soup, I only used about 1/3 cup of chopped onion, and 1/2 cup chopped celery...but this would be adjusted according to how much soup you plan to make)

While that was cooking I chopped up the already cooked potatoes and the broccoli. (about 1 & 1/2 cup chopped broccoli).  When the onion and celery was tender, I put it in a medium sized kettle on the stove and added about  2 cups of water, some butter, and seasonings to taste. (Garlic powder, salt and pepper).  Normally I would use a can of chicken broth, but I was out of that, so just used the water.

After that had simmered for a few minutes, I added the cut up already cooked potatoes and let it cook a little longer, then added a can of evaporated milk and about a cup of regular milk.  I let that simmer for a while until it started to thicken...(I added a little flour and water mixture to help thicken it), and then I added about a cup of shredded cheddar/jack cheese mixed with a couple of cut up slices of american cheese.  Next I stirred in the already cooked and chopped broccoli, and let it all simmer until thick and ready to serve.  It was really delicious!

This was a good excuse to use my vintage Homer Laughlin soup bowls that I purchased at a yard sale from some friends. They had belonged to my friend's mother in law, and I just fell in love with the delicate floral pattern on these bowls.   The embroidered tea towel on the left that says "china" on it came from my husband's grandmother's home.  I assume his grandmother had done the embroidery.  It is so old that it is in danger of falling apart, so I don't use it...but this seemed a wonderful opportunity to add it to the picture with the vintage bowls!

The pretty aqua tea towel behind the bowls was a gift from my sister a few years ago...

and it says:

"Enjoy Life's Simple Pleasures"

(Here's a close up where it normally hangs on the Hoosier Cupboard)

So, that's what's cooking at my house today!  My hubby loved the soup...and I appreciated being able to use up some leftover vegetables before they went to waste. (Not big fans of reheated broccoli here)

And I also enjoyed some of "life's simple pleasures"

on a rainy day.

What do you like to do on a chilly/rainy/snowy day?

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)

31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Thank you, Lord, for this rainy day.  You know how much we needed the rain to replenish the earth and help our crops, flowers, grass and trees to grow...and our water levels to return to normal.

I pray for our friends who are anticipating blizzard conditions tonight and tomorrow. Please keep them safe and warm inside.

Amen!