Creamy Potato Soup

This is one of those soups I make when a family member is sick.  It is warm, creamy, and just make the soul feel better. 

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of turkey bacon
• 6 small or 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped fine
• 2 carrots, chopped fine
• 2 celery stalks,chopped fine
• About 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Grated cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce to garnish

Directions:

1. In a large pot cook bacon until crisp.  Set bacon aside.
2. Add potatoes, onion, carrot, and celery to pot.  Add enough chicken stock to cover vegetables and cover.  Cook over low heat until tender, stirring occasionally
3. Stir in milk, half and half, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.
4. In separate bowl, stir together sour cream, flour, and paprika. Gradually stir in 1 cup of hot soup mixture into sour cream mixture.
5. Pour sour cream mixture into soup mixture.  Cook until small bubbles break soup’s surface.  Top with grated cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon, and hot sauce.

Asian Lettuce Rolls

This recipe is from Pampered Chefs, All the Best cookbook.  It makes enough to feed us (me, hubby, boogie, and pumpkin).  My hubby and I like spicy, so we add hot chili sauce which you can purchase on the Asian food isle at your grocery store.  The leftover store nicely in the refrigerator.  I typically just make a salad with the veggies, throw the noodles on top, and add a little of Newman’s Own Asian salad dressing.
2 pkgs. (3 oz each) oriental-flavored ramen noodles
2 C. coarsely chopped cooked chicken (I uses what is left over from a whole roasted chicken.)
1 each: red and yellow bell pepper, sliced
½ C. thinly sliced green onions with tops
2 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
¼ tsp. ground red pepper
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1½-inch piece peeled fresh gingerroot, pressed
1 medium cucumber, scored, seeded and thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips
¼ C. chopped peanuts (optional)
24 Boston lettuce leaves
1 jar (11.5 oz) sweet and sour sauce
1. In large bowl, microwave 3 cups water on HIGH 6-8 minutes or until boiling. Break each block of noodles into quarters; add noodles and seasoning packets to boiling water. Microwave, covered, 2 minutes; stir. Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.
2. Coarsely chop chicken. Slice tops and bottoms off bell peppers; remove stems and chop tops and bottoms of peppers. Set center portions of bell peppers aside. Place noodles, chicken, chopped peppers and green onions in batter bowl.
3. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, ground red pepper, and oil. Add garlic and ginger. Pour over noodle mixture in batter bowl; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Slice reserved bell peppers into thin strips. Thinly slice cucumber. Cut carrots into julienne strips. To serve, spoon noodle salad into medium bowl; sprinkle with peanuts, if desired. Place bell peppers, cucumber, carrots, and sweet and sour sauce into small bowls. To serve, top each lettuce leaf with noodle salad and vegetables. Drizzle with sauce and roll up.