Recipe Request

I just had a request from Mindy to post the recipes I used for my last blog post. Here you are!

The recipe for this bread was found at http://simplysogood.blogspot.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html, but here it is typed out for you!

In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups of white unbleached flour.
To the flour add 1 3/4 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp yeast.
Whisk together.
Add 1 1/2 c water.
Mix in the water (I used a spatula to mix)
It will look messy, but that's ok. Now cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-18 hours.
After 12-18 hours (I only did 10), preheat oven to 450 degrees.
After oven is preheated, place your pot with a lid in the oven for 30 minutes.
When you place the pot in the oven, put your dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap.
After 30 minutes, put dough in pot. Be careful, pot is HOT!
Place in over with cover for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.
Carefully remove from pot and cool completely on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Here is my mom's recipe for Cheesy Wild Rice Potato Soup--her words exactly!

Ingredients:

carrots- as many as you like( I know you don't like!)chopped semi fine

celery- 2 or 3 stalks- chopped fine

onion-one-small or medium if you like-chopped fine

Potatoes-8-9 peeled quartered and then requartered

1  stick of butter

milk

Box of Uncle Ben's Wild rice( minute works)

1lb. of bacon chopped into small pieces 

1/2 box Velveeta cheese-cubed 

Put chopped carrots, onions and celery in large kettle.

Just barely cover with water. Add a little salt and pepper if you like.

Bring to boil and cook for 10 or so minutes on medium heat so they become semi soft. 

While the above is cooking, peel 8-10 potatoes 

Cut potatoes into eighths. Put cut potatoes into carrot, onion, celery mixture. Add enough water to the pot to  cover the added potatoes. Bring to boil and then cook for about 1/2 to 3/4 hour or until potatoes are soft. ( cut easily with knife.) Stir occasionally to mix the other veggies with the potatoes as they cook.

While potatoes are cooking or even before you start the whole process:

1. Cook 1 lb. of chopped up bacon pieces. When bacon is done spread the cooked bacon pieces on  pieces of paper towel to drain excess grease. Leave the bacon to drain. You will add to soup later.

2. While cooking bacon, made a box of Uncle Ben's wild rice. The minute style works fine. Just follow package directions. You will add to soup later

3. Cut 1/2 of Velveeta Loaf into very small cubes to add to soup later. the smaller the cubes the easier it will melt later.

When potatoes have cooked and are soft: 

1. Drain 1/2 of water still left in pot but not all!. Be careful  when you do so...it's a hot job to do and the steam can be bothersome.  

2. Stir 1 stick of butter into the potato/veggie mix. You can add more butter if you are making a larger amount of soup. You also shake pepper into 

3. Add milk and begin to mash the potatoes. leaving some  potato chunks. Keep adding milk a little at a time as it will thicken when the potatoes are mashed. Don't be surprised if it ends up to be several cups of milk. Season with just a little salt (not too much- there's a lot salt in the bacon, Velveeta and the rice mix seasoning) and as much pepper as you like. When it looks like the right soupy consistency you want it to be, return to the stove and heat on medium low to low heat. (Be careful-don't let it boil hard from this point on-the milk can curdle! It will still taste ok but will look weird. It will make you sad to have the milk curdle.)

4. When the soup is warm again, slowly add the Velveeta cubes and continue to stir until the cheese melts into the potato soup. YUM!

5. Once the cheese is melted into the potato soup,fold in the bacon pieces and the wild rice. Stir slowly. Add more milk if you think it's too thick. 

6. Let this cook over very low heat for a while before serving.

Hope this make sense!