Creamy Ruby Red Swiss Chard Soup

Creamy Ruby Red Swiss Chard Soup

 

Ruby Red Swiss Chard is so Christmasy don't you think?  I can't take credit for the beautiful healthy Chard that you see in the picture below - my dad grew these this year (I grew Rainbow Swiss Chard) - and he shared some with me - Thank you dad!

 

If you eat Honey Baked Ham for Thanksgiving then this is a great recipe for you! - I used the bone left from that type of ham. 
Click HERE to view how to make stock from a ham bone.
You may substitute chicken broth if you don't want to make broth with the ham bone but still add some chopped ham because Chard and that smoky ham flavor is another winning combination.

Printable Recipe

1 cup stalks from Swiss Chard (washed & chopped)
1 large onion (peeled & chopped)
1 clove garlic (peeled & minced)
6 cups Swiss Chard leaves (washed & chopped)
6 cups Ham broth/stock (you may substitute chicken stock)
1 cup chopped ham (previously cooked)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour (heaping)
pepper to taste (ground black pepper or ground cayenne pepper)

Prepare ingredients as listed above.  In a large stock pot sauté the onions, garlic and Chard Stalks for about 7 minutes (or until tender) (see picture below). 

 Add the stock & bring to a slow boil.  Now add the Chard leaves & the ham & boil until the leaves become tender (see picture below). 

In a separate bowl - whisk together the milk and flour until smooth.  Remove from heat and slowly pour the milk/flour mixture into the soup stirring all the time (this will thicken the soup & make it creamy).  Return to the heat - continue stirring all the time and boil until thickened (only a couple minutes) (see picture below).

Serve immediately & ENJOY!!

 

 

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Cynthia Tessmer from "Shoreline Designed" creates Natural Beach Stone Jewelry (Please click on the ad below):

Please visit this amazing shop and see the beautiful & unique items for sale!

EGGS - Double Yolks x 3

EGGS - Double Yolks x 3

 

In the 4 decades of me either helping in the kitchen or (for the past 20 years) cooking & baking myself, I have never cracked open an egg with a double yolk. 

 

There's a first time for everything - this past week I bought a dozen eggs from a very blessed chicken!  This carton was "Spartan - Michigan's BEST" brand.  So far (I haven't used the entire carton yet) - there have been 3 eggs with a double yolk!!! 

In the picture below and in the bowl on the left you will see what a normal egg yolk looks like compared to that of a double yolked egg - How totally cool!!

ENJOY!!

See also:

Egg Basics - POACHED

Egg Basics - HARD BOILED

Egg Basics - SOFT BOILED

Egg Basics - Separating YOLKS & WHITES

Egg Basics - SCRAMBLED

 

 

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Please checkout this month's wonderful Sponsor!!

"Tree Nursery Online" is a fantastic Wholesale website.  They have Flowering Trees & Shrubs, Evergreen Trees & Shrubs, Vines, Ferns, Mosses - The best quality and at the best wholesale prices. 
 

NOVEMBER "Great Blog Train" Results & Giveaway Winner!

<a href="http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/p/great-blog-train.html" target="_blank"><img alt="God’s Growing Garden" src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o501/AngieOuelletteTower/My%20Blog%20Stuff/BlogTrainNew200_zps7e9c8369.jpg" /></a>

 

The eleventh GREAT BLOG TRAIN was a blast! - We all safely reached our destination. It was a wonderful trip with 45 boxcars!! I'd like to thank all of you for travelling with us and I hope that you all had a wonderful time!

Some Thanksgiving train travel advice from "Gus' son Owen" - "Train don't run outa Witchita......unlessen you're a hog or cattle.  oinoink  People train run outa Stststubville."


A special thanks to "Moivieclips" for posting this on YouTube


The Giveaway Winner is: K.C.
(I have contacted that person by email)
Congrats!!!

 

Since there are 3 Rules I decided that I will "Pin" my 3 favorite boxcars from each Blog Train every month.

Visit my "Great Blog Train" Pinterest Board to see if your boxcar is one of my top 3 picks!!

The next "Great Blog Train" will be departing from your local digital train station on December 4th, 2013 - I hope that you will join us!

And don't forget - next month the November "Caboose" will be featured on all 5 of the Hostesses blogs!

Sign up to receive emails about The Great Blog Train

 

 

______________________________________________________________________

Please checkout this month's wonderful Sponsor!!

Cynthia Tessmer from "Shoreline Designed" creates Natural Beach Stone Jewelry (Please click on the ad below):

Please visit this amazing shop and see the beautiful & unique items for sale!

Carrots & Parsnips - Part of Thanksgiving Dinner

 

Carrots & Parsnips - Part of Thanksgiving Dinner

The past few weeks we have been concentrating on Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes - today our focus moves to Carrots & Parsnips.

I have shared many of my Parsnip & Carrot Recipes with you in the past but there are 2 that stand out when talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner:

(Please click on each title to view the entire post):

Candied Carrot & Parsnip Medley with Tarragon

Creamy Carrot Soup from Belgium

Then my Parsnip Soup is very similar to the Carrot Soup above but different because parsnips are the star:

Creamy Parsnip Soup with Tarragon

The remaining 6 recipes below are Dessert Recipes:

Cashew Parsnip Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orange Parsnip Cake with Cocoa Hazelnut Crumb Topping

Zucchini Carrot Cupcakes

Parsnip Brownies with Raspberry Frosting


Spice Parsnip Bran Muffins with Currants

Jam-In Lemon Parsnip Muffins


 

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Featured on:
Weekly Thankfulness & Growth Report #40

Linked to:
Thursday Favorite Things
HomeAcre Hop
Creative Home & Garden Hop
Inspiration Monday
Good Tastes Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays

A Themed Linkup #172


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Please checkout this month's wonderful Sponsor!!

Cynthia Tessmer from "Shoreline Designed" creates Natural Beach Stone Jewelry (Please click on the ad below):

Please visit this amazing shop and see the beautiful & unique items for sale!

Cosmic Purple Carrot

Cosmic Purple Carrot

Every year I grow at least one different & unique veggie - this year it was this funky carrot.  It really is purple!!  Kind of a reddish purple but purple non the less.

When you cut into this carrot it is the normal bright orange color inside (see picture below) - how totally cool!!  It looks like I painted it but I just planted the seeds - God did all of the painting.

The flavor of this carrot variety is not as sweet and tasty as the plain old orange carrot but it was fun to grow just this once!

ENJOY!! 

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_______________________________________________________________________

Please checkout this month's wonderful Sponsor!!

"Tree Nursery Online" is a fantastic Wholesale website.  They have Flowering Trees & Shrubs, Evergreen Trees & Shrubs, Vines, Ferns, Mosses - The best quality and at the best wholesale prices. 

(Please click on the ad above)

Give Generously to the Poor

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother."  Deuteronomy 15:7................................
"Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart;  then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your had to.  There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."  Deuteronomy 15:10 & 11

Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away and this special celebration is all about "giving" and sharing.  After all, when you think about the word "Thanksgiving" isn't it "Thankful Giving"??

When I was studying God's Word I was looking to see how many verses were about "giving" - I was surprised to find such an emphasis on the poor (I shouldn't have been surprised but I was).  Notice in the verses above it says "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns" - ANY town - that means anywhere.  You might be in a strange city on vacation or you might be visiting family in a place where you once lived & notice someone in need - help them!  I'm not saying that you should give them your life savings but it could be something as seemingly insignificant as buying them lunch or at the very least making a phone call for them.  I'm not solely talking about a homeless person - It could be a needy family whose 20 year old car broke down on the side of the road - stop, use some of your airtime and make a phone call for help.

Let's look up the meanings of "hardhearted" and "tightfisted":
Hardhearted - unsympathetic, cruel, insensitive, unkind, pitiless, unforgiving, uncaring, intolerant & merciless.
Tightfisted - reluctant to part with money, stingy, miserly
This is the way that many people treat those who are in need - especially those poor homeless people who stand on the corner with a "Hungry need food" sign.  Just think - anyone of us could end up in that situation at any time.  I know that times are hard for all of us but couldn't we part with $5 to buy a meal at a fast food place for this homeless person?

Another important point in the verses above is in verse 10 "Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart".  I know of some people who give only because they think that will help them get to heaven and those people become resentful and angry about giving - they have a grudging heart.  Those people who think that way have turned giving into a selfish act when true thankful giving is selfless.  The correct way to "give" is openhanded - trusting God to guide us even in our giving.

"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses."  Proverbs 28:27

Giving to the poor will benefit us as well as the person in need!  In Proverbs we learn that those who "give to the poor will lack nothing". 

I wanted to close with a link to my friend's ministry - she lives in the San Bernardino area in California & the Ministry that she and her husband have created "The King's Fishers" has helped many needy families in that area.  They will be having a "Christmas Family Dinner" on December 21st to help those families in need of some help.  If you are in the area & would like to help - please visit their website to sign up - or if you would like to donate financially to help them buy the supplies needed for that day - you can do so also on their website:

  "The King's Fishers Ministries" 

Let us remember to give thankfully!

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"How to be a Follower Series" on my Friend's Blog

 

I "Guest Posted" this week & I just wanted to share with you the wonderful series that my friend Kaitlyn from "Three Sisters & Us" had on her blog.  It's called:  "How to be a Follower" - there are 4 parts.

 

How To Be A Follower Part I - "Raising Godly Children"

 

How To Be A Follower Part II

 

How To Be A Follower Part III - "Marriage Bible Verses"

 

How To Be A Follower Part III - "Faith" (written by me)

 

 

ENJOY!!