White Cheddar Cream of Broccoli Soup

I'm mostly a meat and potatoes girl. Other than roasted Brussels Sprouts, I am not that crazy about most vegetables. So the way I make sure I eat enough of them, is to put them in my homemade soups. Like this cream of broccoli soup....now this is the way to eat broccoli! Here's another wonderful soup I make and freeze for cold winter days. I like to serve this in a hollowed out bread bowl too. So good and so easy to make!

White Cheddar Cream of Broccoli Soup

6 cups water
10 ounces fresh or frozen chopped broccoli florets
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/4 cup butter

In a large soup pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the broccoli and onion and boil for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Add the milk, cream, and butter. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

If you like your broth thicker, whisk 1/2 cup cold water with 1/3 cup flour until smooth. Slowly add to the hot soup, stirring rapidly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the soup is the consistency of heavy cream. Serve hot with a little shredded cheese (yellow or white) on top.

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SNOW CREAM!

Well, they say if life gives you lemons you make lemonade.  And I say when you get snow, you make snow cream!   And that is just what I did today.  And it brought so many memories back from my childhood.  I can remember it so well. 

My friends and I would be outside playing in the snow and my Mom would call us to the backdoor. She would be holding a big metal bucket and a huge spoon and she would tell us to fill up the bucket with fresh fallen snow.  We would run back out and get the snow and bring it back to her with great anticipation, knowing what was next.

We would gather in the kitchen where she would give us some warm socks.  The oven door would be open and a big towel laying on the door for us to rest our cold feet on. We each grab a seat and sit there eating our snow cream!  Oh My Goodness. It was the best vanilla ice cream and as much as we wanted!

Snow Cream

8 cups of fresh fallen snow

1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Topping of your choice (optional)

Measure out your snow into a big mixing bowl.  Stir in can of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and stir with rubber spatula until blended.

Serve in bowls and top with whatever you like!  I poured on some caramel topping in this photo but you can add what you like or eat it plain without any topping!

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