Southwest White Bean Soup

For my Fall table for two, I flipped my Big Star Quilt that I made to the underside.  It has a pretty vine pumpkin pattern on it.  My corn candles are from long ago. 

My Fall soup tureen is from Sur La Table, where I also worked part-time.  I would buy deals when we had a 40% off sale!! 

I just love these soup pots that I bought for 25 cents at a garage sale.

This soup recipe comes from mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/. The original recipe can be found here.    Miz Helen is a dear, sweet friend that I met through blogging.  She posts wonderful recipes and has a linky party called  Full Plate Thursday.  She also posts her weekly menu every Monday, if you'd like to check that out.

Here's my adapted version of Southwest White Bean Soup.  Miz Helen calls this a stew, but mine was more like a soup.  It would be a wonderful recipe for vegetarians.  We happen to love ham, so I added a ham hock.  Next time I will use an even meatier ham bone.  It's a  soup that packs some heat and really warms the tummy on a cold night.  It's delicious with a slice of cornbread, found here. 

Southwest White Bean Soup

1 1b. bag of dry Great Northern Beans

2- 10 oz. cans of Rotel

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ham hock or 2 cups ham, chopped, optional

1 1/2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. cumin

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• Sort through the beans making sure all the beans are good. Rinse the beans well. 

• Bring the dry beans to a rolling boil in 8 cups of water. Boil for 2 minutes, cover and take off heat. 

• Let the beans sit covered for 1 hour. 

• Pour the beans and water (making sure you have 8 cups of water) into a slow cooker.

• Add the onion, garlic and Rotel.

• If you are adding the ham hock or chopped ham, add it to the slow cooker at this time.

• Cook on low 8-10 hours, or until beans are cooked through. Remove the ham hock or ham bone and pick through and add the meat back to the slow cooker. 

• At the end of the cooking time add the salt, pepper, cumin and cilantro.
• Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the seasonings to set.

I often don't need a whole bunch of fresh herbs.  Here's My tip for saving fresh herbs, having read this in Good Housekeeping  magazine:

Process fresh herbs in a food processor until chopped (or just chop by hand).  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Spread this mixture out flat onto waxed paper and freeze.  When frozen, put in a freezer proof food bag.  You can then break off big or little bits to add to soups, etc.

                                                                  I am sharing with:

Make It Pretty Monday

                                                                 Mix It Up Monday!

                                                                On the Menu Monday
                                                                   Tabletop Tuesday

HOME
Tips Tutorials and Tidbits

Let's Dish!

Centerpiece Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
Tablescape Thursday
The Charm of Home
Potpourri Friday
Weekend Potluck

Seasonal Sundays

Biscoff Scones

 

For my  Fall tea for one,  I used my green leaf plate and cup from Kohl's. I'm having a scone and some Bentley's French Vanilla Tea, from Homegoods.  All those who are still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

 

My teapot is from Ross.

 

 

Delicious Biscoff Scones

 

I finally purchased my first jar of Biscoff Spread because I wanted to make scones that I saw at www.kingarthurflour.com.  These scones are so tasty and perfect with a cup of tea.  If you haven't tried Biscoff Spread,  it's kind of a caramelized, cinnamon  flavor. Maybe you've had the Biscoff cookies on airplanes.    Here's the recipe for the scones,  if you'd like to try them:

Scones

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup cold butter, diced
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Biscoff Spread, smooth or chunky
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half

Biscoff glaze

• 2 tablespoons Biscoff spread
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (I needed more)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

scones

• 10 1/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 3/4 ounces sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ounces cold butter, diced
• 2 eggs
• 4 ounces Biscoff Spread, smooth or chunky
• 3 ounces heavy cream or half and half

Biscoff glaze

• 2 tablespoons Biscoff spread
• 1 ounce heavy cream or milk
• 2 to 3 ounces confectioners' sugar

scones

• 298g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 78g sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 113g cold butter, diced
• 2 eggs
• 113g Biscoff Spread, smooth or chunky
• 85g heavy cream or half and half

Biscoff glaze

• 2 tablespoons Biscoff spread
• 28g heavy cream or milk
• 57 to 85g confectioners' sugar

Directions

 

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, or prepare your favorite scone pan.

 

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Whisk well to remove any lumps.

 

3) Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

 

4) In a bowl, combine the eggs, Biscoff Spread and cream until well blended. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

 

5) Scrape the moist dough onto the parchment and pat into an 8" round, about 3/4" thick. Use a bench knife or scrape to divide in to 8 equal wedges.  (At this point, I put the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, following another recipe from King Arthur Flour.)

 

6) Bake the scones in a 425°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The edges will become a crisp deep brown, and the center will not longer look wet.

 

7) Remove the scones from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes while you prepare the glaze.

 

8) Blend the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until soft and creamy.  (I needed to add some extra cream or milk to actually make a glaze.)  Spread over the warm scones.

 

9) Yield: 8 large scones

To make the  fabric pumpkins: 

1.  Cut a rectangle of fabric.  I used homespun, for a rustic Fall look. 

2.  Sew a seam up the back.

3.  Gather  the fabric at the bottom and pull up tightly and knot off.

4.  Fill the bottom 1/4-1/3 with rice, to weight down the pumpkin.  Fill the rest with polyfil to the top.

5.  Gather the top, just like you did the bottom, turning under the top edges.

6.  Sew on some patches by hand and decorate with buttons.  You want a rustic look to this!

7.  Insert some twigs on the top, tie some raffia on and hot glue some silk leaves or other      embellishments.

 

 

Sew a seam up the back

 

 

 

 

Gather at the bottom.

 

 

Sew on some patches and buttons.

 

 

Gather and sew the top, insert twigs and decorate.

 

                                                                  I am sharing with: 

Make It Pretty Monday

                                                                 Mix It Up Monday!

                                                                On the Menu Monday
                                                                  Tea Time Tuesday

You're Gonna Love It!

Cowgirl Up

Tabletop Tuesday

Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Tips Tutorials and Tidbits

Let's Dish!

Centerpiece Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
The Charm of Home
Potpourri Friday
Weekend Potluck

Seasonal Sundays
 

Chicken 'n Chips Casserole

 

My first job out of college was a Home Economics teacher at a Junior High in Columbus, Ohio.  I taught there until our first child was born.  We then had three more children and I was busy with them.  We later moved to Michigan for a brief time and then on to Texas.  In Texas, I had various part-time jobs and then I landed a part-time job at Frito-Lay, where I worked for almost seventeen years.  Frito-Lay was one wonderful company to work for!  When I first started there, a friend gave me this recipe.  It's an easy casserole to throw together and I always think of her and our times together.

4 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, or a Mexican blend
2 cups Fritos (I use broken Tostitos)

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

Mix together soup, sour cream and salsa. 

Layer half of  each of the chicken, soup mixture, cheese, then chips.  Repeat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

I am sharing this with:

Mix It Up Monday
On the Menu Monday
Make It Pretty Monday
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday
Cowgirl Up
Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday
Potpourri Friday
Weekend Potluck
Seasonal Sundays