Corn and Potato Chowder

It's only been a few days that I have not been around...not commenting to all you dear friends, and not linking to my favorites...Hearth and Soul Blog Hop @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen for Tuesday...Thursday Favorite Things Bog Hop @ Katherines Corner and Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage...  so, I'm hoping that I'm not too late to be linking my post this week!

I made this incredible Corn and Potato Chowder, from ingredients that I had on hand, and seriously....no recipe required. If you have chicken or vegetable broth on hand, either homemade, or for me; preferably with soup base, or in a 32 oz Swanson brand. carton of chicken broth which is 100% natural...best of all, 99% fat free and no MSG added.



My week was like a blur and just sped by so quickly. On Tuesday of this week I was woken up to about 10 huge FPL (Florida Power and Light) trucks, doing a major work on our electrical system, so naturally, they had to shut off all the electric in the entire building. I just had to leave for the day, and not return until later...not realizing that my computer was entirely down, as well! When you have the advantage of getting someone else's computer (a real nice one of course)...my son gave me his computer 3yrs ago, and left quite a lot of programs of his own in there, along with my programs, it sure has been over crowded....so I let him work on it to take most of his programs out...now, my Microsoft picture viewer and editor is missing, (luckily before these photos were edited)...and for 2 days I could not use it entirely.

What happened to the good old days?....really, only about 10yrs ago when no-one had a food blog until maybe since 2005, and now, I can't even imagine life without having to (forget about my own)...check out food blogs for their latest post! Wow, life sure has changed in a matter of a decade...oh yes, it sure has changed. To think I'm a grandmother of 4 beautiful children, the oldest, just recently turning 11. Life is a treasure, and we should enjoy all the changes, surprises, and continuous adventures, not 'sweating the small stuff'...and face trials and tribulations head on, as well. There's a saying; 'Deal with it!'...so here I am, dealing with it all!

Corn and Potato Chowder
recipe: by, Elisabeth

1-32 oz. container of chicken, or vegetable broth,
or 2-15 oz. cans of the same...or your own homemade chicken or vegetable broth
2 or 3 medium potatoes peeled and diced small
1-12 oz.(about) frozen corn
or 1-14 oz. canned corn
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
plus 1 Tbsp. for finishing
1 med. onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 carrots scraped and diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1 sweet red bell pepper diced
1 medium tomato diced
fresh parsley, or dry (a small amount)
fresh thyme, or dry (a small amount)

fresh rosemary, chopped (just a small amount)
Do not use dry rosemary...just omit, if you don't have fresh!
1 cup (8 oz.) half and half cream
2 Tbsp. flour, mixed in with the cream

In a medium or larger size pot, saute onions, garlic, and celery, until onion is wilted. Add the red bell pepper, and tomatoes and stir. If you're using dry herbs, add them as well. Give it a good stir.(For the fresh herbs add them at the end.)

Add half of the amount of broth, salt and pepper to taste, and let it come to a boil on high heat.

Lower the heat to medium, and add the remaining broth.
Simmer until vegetables are tender, but not mushy.

Now you can add the corn, which will only take about 5 minutes to cook, of frozen, or to heat up if it's canned.

At the very end of the process, add the half and half cream with the mixed in 2 Tbsp flour. You can use a mesh strainer to assure a smooth texture. Just stir, to incorporate (do not boil) heat up till its thickened, and add your fresh herbs. Adjust seasoning at the end, if needed.

If you like corn, and potatoes, and a creamy comforting soup...do not miss this one! Also vegetarian...a wonderful soup 'for the soul' ...and perfect for welcoming the fall...even has the fall colors of reds, orange, and yellow, just like the 'turning leaves' on the trees. Fall is one of my very favorite seasons!

On Yom Kippur Eve Tuesday...all day without electricity, 2 more days without computer use, and service...what a beautiful way to say a prayer for family, friends, and pray for forgiveness, and PEACE...SHALOM!

An unforgettable view from my balcony, in Palm Beach Florida, where the sky always weaves its 'magic'...God's Glory...and Mother Nature's painted sky!

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My Haphazard Weight Watchers Challah

My attempt at making Challah bread would be best if I could call out for my deceased female members of my family on my mother's side. Each and every member of my family made the best Challah bread, not just for the Sabbath on Friday...which was never really explained to me when I was a young child, but for other Jewish holiday traditions as well.

I never had to make my own Challah bread all theses years, up until the late nineties after my last aunt passed away...then, the tradition was broken. I was way too busy working days, at an affluent Jewish Country Club and 3 nights a week working for a mega wealthy household in Palm Beach as a Private Chef. Good thing I didn't have to do any bread baking...that would require a "separate position!"...end of that story!
If any one should doubt what this bread is all about, here's a little history behind it!

The braided challah, which is made with eggs, is the Jewish Sabbath‑and‑holiday bread. It is surrounded by folklore and tradition and loaded with symbolism. On festive occasions a blessing is said over two loaves, symbolizing the two portions of the manna that was distributed on Fridays to the children of Israel during their Exodus from Egypt. The breads are covered on the table by a decorative challah cover or a white napkin, which represents the dew that collected on the manna in the morning. Poppy and sesame seeds sprinkled on the bread also symbolize the manna that fell from heaven. 

Challah is made in various sizes and shapes, all of which have a meaning.
 
Braided ones, which may have three, four, or six strands, are the most common, and because they look like arms intertwined, symbolize love.

 Three braids symbolize truth, peace, and justice.

 Twelve humps from two small or one large braided bread recall the miracle of the 12 loaves for the 12 tribes of Israel. Round loaves, “where there is no beginning and no end,” are baked for Rosh Hashanah to symbolize continuity. Ladder and hand shapes are served at the meal before the fast of Yom Kippur—the ladder signifying that we should ascend to great heights, the hand that we may be inscribed for a good year. On Purim, small triangular loaves symbolize Haman’s ears; at Shavuot, two oblongs side by side represent the Tablets of the Law. The bulkah is a segmented rectangular challah.

Sweet challahs with honey or raisins are baked during the festive season to bring joy and happiness.

The name “challah” is derived from the Hebrew word used for “portion” in the Biblical commandment “of the first of your dough you shall give unto the Lord a portion for a gift throughout your generations.

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage 

Challah
from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook


1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
2 teaspoon corn oil
2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
(I used one whole egg, beaten with ! Tbsp. water)
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

In a small bowl, combine the water and 1 Tbsp. of the flour; sprinkle with the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the egg and oil.

In a food processor, combine the remaining flour, the sugar, and salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube until the dough just forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and elastic, about 30 times.

Spray a large bow with nonstick spray: place dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm draft free place
until it double in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down the
dough; lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour.

 Divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms.

Roll into an 18-inch rope between the palm of your hands.

Pinch ropes together at one end, and braid loosely.

Be sure to braid the three ropes loosely to allow room for the dough to rise the second time.
Cover loosely with a plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until double in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 175 C. Brush the loaf with half of the egg white. Bake about 20 minutes...as seen in the photo...after 20 minutes. Brush with remaining egg white, and sprinkle with the poppy seeds, if you're using poppy seeds.

Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom 10-15 minutes longer. Remove fro the baking sheet and cool completely on a rack.
Points value: 2

Note: this is an excellent small loaf of bread to bake, if you're not planning to make 2 loaves. 1 1/2 cups of flour, is such a small amount, compared to 3 to 5 cups used when baking breads. Simple and easy, just need practice with the braiding!






Not much to say about my weekend indulges...I practically ate the entire little loaf of bread by myself, before I got to share it with my family. Although, I did manage to lose 1 more pound...Total: 14lbs, and still going!