It's a Dutch thing

My husband re-introduced me to split pea soup and it's comfort and joy's soon after we started dating.  In fact I think one of the first memories I have of his mom is her serving herself a steaming bowl of the thick concoction for lunch one grey Oregon afternoon.  Up until then my memories of split pea soup were mainly from road trips to California as a kid where one of the favorite stops was Andersen's Restaurant famous for their split pea soup.

For some reason I think they may have given out bib's so people didn't drip the green stuff on their clothes.  However, my one memory of being in the restaurant was with my Grandma Klein, parents and maybe even my aunt and uncle and of Grandma spilling the soup on herself and the teasing and commotion that ensued.  At that time in life I couldn't image why anyone would voluntarily choose to eat the icky looking goop!

Fast forward to today and split pea is one of my favorite winter soups to eat and make.  I have looked around and tried different versions of it but come to the conclusion that the classic version is best.  Here's the recipe I've been starting from and adapting depending on what I have around:

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried split peas
• 10 cups water
• 1 pound smoked sausage of your choice, sliced
• 5 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion, chopped

Directions

1. In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the peas, water, sausage, bouillon, carrot, celery, potatoes, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves, and onion.
2. Cover, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves before ladling into bowls.

Footnotes

• If you do not have a slow cooker, combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 hours, stirring often.



I think it's the perfect thing for a cold, foggy day like today!

Happy Monday!

Butternut Squash Soup

Happy Monday morning!  It was sooo nice to get an extra hour of sleep this weekend and also wonderful to be able to SEE during my jog this morning.  Adding to my general state of well being is the fact that for the first time in 2 1/2 months we didn't have soccer games on Saturday!  Yes - I feel some level of sanity returning to this fried mama.
Last week I was craving butternut squash soup.  I'd made it in the past but never had a recipe "stick" until now.  I think a couple things made this soup extra yummy:  roasting the squash before adding it to the broth mixture and CREAM CHEESE!  I mean, you add cream cheese to pretty much anything and it has to be good right?  Right.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 3 cups water
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
2. Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.