Soup Basic Recipe

As a chill hits the air, soup sounds mighty good. Here is a basic soup recipe that can be altered by adding chicken, beef or seafood. Add your favorite spices to make it your personal recipe.

Another wonderful recipe in Tastes & Treasures is Rustic Tomato Soup from historic El Chorro Lodge.

Ingredients:
1 onion
 chopped
1 cup  chopped celery
1 cup chopped red, yellow or orange sweet pepper
1 large potato
 chopped
Ham (a little over a cup)
1/2 gallon of milk
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen carrots
Flour 3-4 tablespoons
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook onions in some butter or oil until translucent or brown them for a caramelized flavor.
Add celery, sweet pepper and potatoes and cook for several minutes until you see some browning on the potatoes.
Add milk and watch closely. Once the milk heats up, remove about a cup of liquid and mix with 3-4 tablespoons of flour. Blend well and add back to the soup. Small lumps are ok and won't be noticeable. Remember it will thicken more as it heats but you can always adjust by adding more flour or milk depending on how thick you want it.
Add ham, corn, and carrots.
Being to a simmer but watch closely. The flour makes the milk more stable but it can still curdle if it gets too hot.
Simmer lightly until potatoes are cooked.

Additional ingredients: any kind of beans, split peas, top with grated cheese . . . use your imagination!

Thanksgiving dessert idea

Beautiful presentation and yummy treat. Impress your friends, guests and even yourself with this recipe.

Don't forget to try other delicious desserts and appetizers in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:
1 lb large strawberries

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 – 1/2 cup powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 – 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
Instructions

Directions:

Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already. Prep all of the strawberries and set aside.
 In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.
 Once strawberries are filled, sprinkle or dip the tops with graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Thanksgiving Dinner - Formal Place Setting

Haviland china

Marge Jantz dressed in period costume as tour guide

Marge Jantz, our tour guide through the historic White House in Casa Grande, had this beautiful Haviland china place setting on the dining room table. All ready for Thanksgiving dinner. But what is the curved dish used for? Also the tiny little bowl to the right of the curved dish?

Lindy Isaksen presented her with a copy of Tastes & Treasures cookbook as a thank you for opening up her home to us. The cookbook has wonderful recipes for Thanksgiving dinner.

The Whole Enchilada Chicken Soup

The Whole Enchilada Chicken Soup






 






Ingredients: 
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 1/4 cups finely chopped celery
1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion
3 cups green enchilada sauce
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
10 oz. cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped or shredded
1 cup frozen white (or yellow) corn
Optional: dash hot sauce, or more to taste
Optional toppings: shredded fat-free cheddar cheese, crushed baked tortilla chips

Directions:In a large pot, bring broth to a low boil on the stove. Add celery and onion, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender.

Stir in enchilada sauce and pumpkin. Once soup returns to a low boil, add chicken and corn, and mix well. Cook for an additional 3 - 5 minutes, until soup is heated throughout.

Add a dash or more hot sauce. (Or not. It's your soup.) Serve and, if you like, top with shredded cheese and/or crushed chips.

MAKES 9 SERVINGS

Thanks to Hungry Girl for recipe. More delicious soups in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

On the final day of AZ State Library Convention

So excited to give away 60 books to librarians across Arizona. They not only went to large and small city libraries but also to remote areas, reservations and Community Colleges. Thanks to our generous sponsors for making this Program happen.

Arizona history comes alive in Arizona Recollections and Reflections An Arizona Centennial Historymakers Commemoration from the Historical League. www.HistoricalLeague.org

Zona Lorig, Carolyn Mendoza and Ruth McLeod at our table

Creative Turkey Appetizer

Talk about an inventive use of celery, carrots, green onion, red, yellow, green peppers, olives, cukes and more. Let the photo give the recipe . . .

Other tasty appetizer recipes throughout Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Historymakers book a big hit at Az Library Convention

Carolyn Mendoza and Judy Blackwell assist librarians

With funding cuts and librarians being creative, the donation of a $40 leather-bound books filled with Arizona history is very popular. Librarians from all over the state of Arizona came to Radisson Fort McDowell to attend seminars, receive awards, network and visit Exhibitors. The Historical League had a table with Arizona Recollections and Reflections An Arizona Centennial Historymakers Commemoration. 

Thanks to our generous donors, Librarians were thrilled to receive a complimentary copy of the book.

Thanks also to Carolyn Mendoza, Zona Lorig, Judy Blackwell, Sharon Johnson and Ruth McLeod for spending 3 days setting up and talking to librarians about the Historymakers Gala and Recognition Program and handing out the book. www.HistoricalLeague.org

Carolyn Mendoza, Judy Blackwell, Zona Lorig at our table

Judy Blackwell works with a happy librarian getting a free book