Frozen to The Core!

Well, we went to a Big Ten football game!

Rah!  Rah!  Rah!  Go team go!

We had an awesome time!!!

BUT...

you knew there had to be a but, didn't you?

It was 12 degrees with wind chills around 0!  We all had on a thousand layers (maybe a bit of exaggeration??) and still had frozen body parts!  No amount of cheering and huddling could warm us up!  How do those penguins do it?  We even heard that fans buy hot dogs and stuff them in their boots for warmth.  I was tempted, very tempted...

So I began to think warm thoughts.

Didn't really help, but was fun to do anyway.

My mind immediately went to Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup!

Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup

This is such a delicious soup!  My family loves it and it is a great way to sneak in the broccoli.  I actually saw this recipe during an interview with Jodi Picoult.  She makes this for her family too.  I love her books so I just knew the recipe had to be good.  Just like her books, this soup did not disappoint!

You will need:

3 cups of chicken broth

1 cup frozen, chopped onion

4 cups fresh broccoli, chopped

dash of garlic powder

1 tsp thyme

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp salt

pepper

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

slices of crusty bread

In a large pot, mix chicken broth, onion, broccoli, garlic powder and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a food processor or a blender.  Pulse/blend until smooth.

In the original large pot, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour, salt and a little bit of pepper until a thick base forms.  Add milk and stir constantly until mixture thickens.  Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until well blended.

Pour the broccoli mixture back into the pot.  Stir and cook until blended.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with bread for dipping.

Doesn't that sound good?  Just the thought of that soup made my toes defrost...well not really.  You will adore this soup, especially if you are frozen to the core!

Hope you stay warm out there!  If all else fails...stuff hot dogs in your boots!
Who thinks of these things???

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet!

Christine