Lazy Day Soup

I can't be the only person who reads a recipe that starts with, "Saute one onion and blah, blah, blah..." and I decide that I'm too lazy to cook today.   Seriously, sometimes you can be lazy and still want to eat something that doesn't come out of a box or bag.

You can use whatever you want to make this soup, but here is a recipe to get you started.

Lazy Day Soup

One bouillon cube

2 cups water

4 small or 1 large or 2 med (whatever size you want) leftover baked/grilled potato OR microwaved potato* cut into pieces

1/2 cup cauliflower - broken into pieces

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 cayenne pepper

good squirt of spicy mustard - about 1 tsp.

4-5 slices of sharp cheddar cheese (I used white, but you can use whatever cheese you have on hand)

Put bouillon cube in pot.  Add water.  Turn heat to high.  Wait until water starts to simmer.  Add potato, cauliflower, thyme, cayenne pepper and mustard.  Put cover on pot.  Shake pot around on burner to mix ingredients.  Yes, I am too lazy to stir soup.  After about 3 mins the cauliflower should be tender.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese to pot and replace cover.  Wait 3 mins and then stir soup.  Cheese should be melted into soup.  Eat it.

*Microwaved potato - Wash potato.  Put in microwave.  Microwave on high for 3-5 mins or until it screams (seriously, steam = screaming microwaved potato)

So there you go!  Yes, finally a recipe that doesn't require grating cheese.  I hate grating cheese.

With toppings - cheese bread and bacon bits

Easiest Cauliflower and Cheese

This is the yummiest way to eat cheesy cauliflower.

It's quick and reheats amazingly.

Easiest Cauliflower and Cheese

2 cups chopped cauliflower

2/4 cups water

2 eggs

1 to 2 cups shredded cheese

2 Tbs milk

Boil/steam cauliflower covered in the 2/4 cups water until tender.

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In a small bowl whisk the 2 eggs.

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When the cauliflower is tender, reserve 1/4 cup water from the pan and then drain the cauliflower. Return the cauliflower to the pan.

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Add the milk to the whisked eggs and then add the 1/4 cup water.

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Stir to combine and then add to the cooked cauliflower.

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Stir to combine and add 1 cup cheese. Too soupy? Add a little more cheese. Too dry? Add a little milk

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Return to the stove and cook for 1-2 mins. Stirring continuously.

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Eat!

You may want to add a little salt and pepper.

Mmmm, very yummy.

DB's Challenge - Gingerbread House

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes....

Sooooo glad this challenge is over!

I had a lot of fun making it, but it was such a mess!

After 2 frosting explosions my kitchen is a disaster.

It smells nice though.

The gingerbread smells great, but I would never eat it, because it is super hard.

Remember how my sushi challenge ended?

Hee hee hee! (evil laughter)

The dough after chilling.

I made this twice.
I hated the first house, so I re-did it.
This is a picture of the first set of cut outs.







One of my apple trees.

This is the house after the first frosting explosion.

Now I know why the directions say to sift the powdered sugar.

There is only so much pressure you can put on a plastic pastry bag.

Ta da!

Finished chicken cottage, garden, trees and little pond.

I used jelly beans for the cucumbers, radishes and carrots in the first garden bed.

I used fondant to make corn, carrots and cauliflower.

Red hots for the apples and 'roses' on the cottage.

Starbursts for the stepping stones.

Pretzels for the fence.

Here are my fondant cauliflower, carrots and corn.

I'd never used fondant before.

It was fun!

Like play dough.

Oreo cookies for the dirt.

Jolly Ranchers melted for the windows.

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Ok, now are you ready?

What did I do with this cute little gingerbread cottage?

Gave it to the Ladies!

Of course!

At first they were curious.
"Hmmm, is that a real carrot?"

"Let me try a little of that."

"Do these apples taste weird to you?"

"What a tiny garden! I'm a giant chicken!"

"Ho hum, not that tasty..."

Smashed.

The End.