Delicious Broccoli Vegetable Soup

Broccoli Soup

On half a crown of fresh broccoli, chopped

1 can of diced tomatoes (mine was seasoned with parmesan cheese, zucchini, lemon pepper, etc.  leftover from fried zucchini with tomatoes)

1 large container chicken broth

1 cup of milk

2-3 tbsp butter

1 can cream of celery

some ranch dressing.  What I did was I had a leftover bottle of ranch dressing with a tiny bit left.  I added some water to it and used the rest in this soup.

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

1/2 cup shredded carrots, chopped

1/2 cup orzo

1/2 cup tiny penne

half of a romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 - 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

6-8 good slices of sharp cheddar cheese

1 heaping tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp of my flavored garlic salt (I added parmesan cheese to mine)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp rotisserie chicken spice

1 tsp molasses bacon spice

Simmer all of this until broccoli is cooked and the noodles are just about done.  They will still cook while cooling.

Yummy!

Jennifer Jo Fay

Copyrighted December 13, 2012

Mine looks different than this of course.

Oh, and I've got my chex mix snack baking in the oven!  Haven't had that in a long time!  That was a favorite Christmas tradition with my Mom and many years I would make it too.  This year, I opted for a box of it with the packet inside, but other years, I have bought both boxes and other stuff and added my own seasonings.  Seasoning salt was a favorite, but that I am sure can up the blood pressure!  Oh well, it's the holidays!

In a little bit, I am going to write another chapter to the Glorious Money Tree trilogy.  I hand wrote a chapter a few nights ago, so I should find that and see what I have to work with.  It's a chapter with Sally's mother's husband remembering back to the fairies.  I've got to figure out what his memories are going to be.

Of course I've got some love triangles going on now, fun, fun, fun.  There has got to be conflict.

And then of course we also run into conflict with our recipes!  Oh, you know when you've made the whole thing, popped it into the oven and realize you forgot one of the ingredients.  Or you're mixing up things and discover you need to make a trip to the grocery store to finish what you started.

And the occasional spills in the oven which tends to fire up the smoke alarm.  The smoke alarm at my kids house is an awful thing.  I swear it goes off at the slightest smell of smoke.  And of course many times it is because the burner needs to be cleaned before using!!!!!

Well, on my agenda today too is a chive batter bread recipe that I haven't made in years.  It required some wheat flour, so I made yet another grocery store trip.

And later on at some point, cookies and biscotti are in order and maybe a cheesecake closer to Christmas.  And Mollyanne has requested cherry pie filling, so I think I will go get two cans of that and we can all have a bowl of just that with maybe some whipped cream on top!!!!!

Jennifer Jo Fay

Copyrighted December 13, 2012

I keep wanting to type in August or September for some reason and I keep catching myself before I type it.  Ha ha.