Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Baby, it's Cold Outside! {Plus a Recipe!}

I don't know why I foolishly thought we could bypass winter all-together.  It seemed too good to be true.  Not that I don't like winter or snow.  I just don't like the cold!

We didn't have a "White Christmas". In fact, winter started off without any snow. It was unusually mild until just recently.  It was only yesterday that we got our first huge snowfall. I think it was somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8 inches! A friend's Facebook status told me it was 2 feet of snow though. Either way, it's still a lot of snow.

Anyway, I'm not complaining. I love the snow. Freshly fallen snow is just so pretty. Up in the country, the snow on our property is fresh and white. It's not the slushy, black, stuff I remember from all the traffic in the city.

Did I mention  how much I love snow? I love playing in it and can't wait to go sledding/sliding with Little One. I can't wait to build snow forts and snowmen, and yes...even make snow angels!  Okay, maybe I don't love having to clean my van off in the mornings or having to shovel the deck. I do love seeing Little One and my canine baby, Chance playing in the snow though. Unbelievably cute!

Another thing I love about winter? All the homemade soups I get to make!  Granted, one can make soup any time of the year, but there's nothing nicer than coming in from the cold and having a bowl of hot soup to take the chill off!

Here's one of our favourites!  Okay, so it's not intended as a hot soup!

Vichyssoise Soup
Technically, Vichyssoise soup, as its original name suggests (crème vichyssoise glacée), is to be enjoyed chilled and not as a hot soup. It's known to many as a creamy chilled leek and potato soup. I may be committing a cardinal sin in French cuisine by serving it hot. I actually do chill it in the summer months, but in the winter, I like my soup hot!

At my bridal shower 7 years ago, my maid of honour put together a cookbook with favourite recipes from my female family members and friends. I still revert to that book for some of our family favourites. My aunt's Vichyssoise Soup recipe is in the book. Because it's her recipe, I will not post it. However, I will post another one similar to hers.

Ingredients:
4 cups leeks, sliced
4 cups potatoes, diced (cleaned and peeled)
6 cups water (I add chicken bouillon)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream (or milk)
Chives, chopped (to garnish)
Butter

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, add butter. Add leeks and potatoes. Cook until transparent. Add water/stock. Puree or blend if you wish. Season with S & P and adjust to your taste. After chilling soup, stir in your cream or milk. Before serving, sprinkle chives to garnish.

22 comments:

  1. ohh yummy! I was just thinking I need some new soup recipes - it is that time of year.
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm! You've got me thinking of posting a new soup recipe a week now! We'll see! The intent is there. Now for the follow through! LOL!

      Delete
  2. Mmmm....yummy - once I've lost my weight and I'm on "maintenance", you better believe that I will make this soup :) Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hate the cold but love the snow too. It's too bad you can't have one without the other :( That soup looks good. I'm not a fan of chilled soups so I would heat it too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with you on the chilled soups thing. Although a friend once made a "dessert soup" out of cantaloupe and other fruits. It was refreshing!

      Delete
  4. I was boasting yesterday about our warm winter, it was +9 during the day and now.... we'll now we have snow and it's getting COLD, it's -8 right now. That should teach me a lesson....

    on the other hand. I LOVE SOUP. I love making soup! I've never made a cold soup yet... gotta try!

    Shasher's Life - Save a Horse...

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a crazy winter it has been. It poured rain all day yesterday and now there is a tiny bit of snow on the ground. But, the temperature has really dropped.

    ReplyDelete
  6. mmm - the soup looks yummy!!

    I love snow too... but I hate being cold. We've had snow for ages though up north here :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The love snow/hate cold poses quite the dilemma for us, doesn't it? :) I was outside earlier and the snow was so pretty. I didn't last long though, since I got cold really quickly!

      Delete
  7. This soup looks so tasty! I'm a huge soup fan. We're at minus 42 with the wind today, but we got spoiled for the rest of the winter, so I won't complain! :) (BTW, someone should check her emails and maybe her spam folder just in case because someone won a prize at MK&K...#justsayin)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did I win something!?!?!? :) :) :)

      I've checked all of my e-mail accounts, but haven't found anything in the spam folders! :(

      Delete
  8. I do not like cold. Period. I don't like snow right now either cause I have to shovel it with hubby's injury. The soup looks amazing though. I'm a huge fan on soups during the winter too! Actually, any nice warm snuggly food to go with it as well :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad we have a tractor to get rid of the snow. There is no way I would be able to shovel our "driveway" because our "driveway" is more like a ROAD! No kidding! Our "laneway" is just as long as the road I lived on when I was a kid in the city! LOL!

      Delete
  9. Replies
    1. :) She's a character, isn't she? Faux fur collar and blue shades with lots of bling!

      Delete
  10. I want to be able to pull off that look...I keep trying lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! Julie! You have more sense of style in your left pinky than most people have in total! I think I told you that when I saw you at SCCTO! You are one stylin' Mama!

      Delete
  11. Mmm! I made and tried this for the first time a few days ago!!(served hot)..LOVE LOVE LOVE!

    oh! and you are more than welcome to have the snow that's here! I don't want it! lol

    ReplyDelete
  12. That looks delicious. I'd soooo try it. :) I love potato soup.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yum, going to swipe this one to try on Saturday - my recipe testing day!

    ReplyDelete