If The Creek Don't Rise: March 2015

Monday, March 30, 2015

Creamy Mushroom Soup

There's a little local Italian restaurant that we absolutely adore.

It's called Vito Provolone's.

It's small, quaint, family-owned & operated with an interesting history to boot,

has a bit more of a refined crowd, & always has Frank Sinatra playing through the speakers.

And as if that isn't enough ... we love their authentic Italian fare!

But what we are really nuts about their mushroom soup!

It's only served on Tuesday & Wednesday ...

so when we go there, it has to be on one or the other of those nights.

I promise, it's a struggle to remain calm while eating it!

It's just that good.

A few weeks ago, I wanted it so much that I decided to see if I could find a copy cat recipe for it ...

but no such luck.

I did, however, find plenty of recipes to choose from on the internet.

After deciding on a few that sounded similar, I made my list, picked up all the ingredients,

& made my own pot of Creamy Mushroom Soup.

It wasn't exactly like the one from Provolone's but it was completely delicious!

It took care of my mushroom soup craving.

The one at the restaurant is lighter in color & less mushroomy.

We really like mushrooms, so I added quite a few ... that probably made a difference.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh mushrooms {2 cups button, 2 cups crimini}2 garlic cloves, minced
1 med. onion, diced
1 Tbsp. butter + 1 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. chicken base
1 Tbsp. parsley, fresh or dried
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
4 cups water
3 cups milk
1 cup greek yogurt

Instructions

In large kettle, saute the onion in butter + olive oil til softened.

Add garlic & all mushrooms, finally chopped, & saute for another minute or two.
Add in the water & all the spices & bring to a simmer.
Reduce to low & cook for at least 30 minutes.
Add milk & greek yogurt.
Heat for another 10-15 minutes.
Serve with croutons or buttered crackers.

*My recommendation, use an immersion blender after soup has finished cooking.
This will make it more smooth & creamy.

If you are in the mood for a delicious pot of soup & want to try something a little different,

give this recipe a try.

It will not disappoint!

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Monday         C.R.A.F.T Amaze Me Monday The Dedicated House
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Sunday Nifty Thrifty Things Sew Many Ways

Monday, March 23, 2015

Banana Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting

Banana wana fo fana be by bo bana ... banana!

I've said it before & I'll say it again ... I am always looking for new ways to use extra bananas.
You know, the ones that are getting soft & brown & are just begging to go in a banana bread.
You know the ones.
And while I love a good banana bread & truthfully never tire of it, I do like to mix it up a little.

In fact, on this very blog, I've shared more recipes that involve using bananas than any other kind!
And guess what?!
Today is your lucky day!
Not only am I about to share another amazing banana dessert,
I've rounded up all the previously posted recipes right here in one place, just for you!

Creamy Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins {gluten free}

Banana Rum Coffee Cake

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Walnut Cookie Cake

Without further ado, now back to the new delectable Banana Blondies.
I'm telling you, these things are over-the-top good!
I think it's partly due to the blondie ... and partly due to the brown sugar icing.
Oh my.

Here are the ingredients.
One thing I liked, they are standard ones that I always have in my fridge/pantry.

Banana Blondies

1 cup butter, melted and if desired, browned*
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 egg
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup flour
1 cup mashed banana (2 bananas)

Brown Sugar Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp milk
2 cups powdered sugar

And here are the easy instructions.

For the blondies:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine melted (or browned) butter and sugar.

Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until incorporated.

Stir in salt, flour and bananas until batter is smooth and even.

Spread in prepared pan & bake for 20-25 minutes or until center is just set.

Frost the blondies when they have completely cooled.

For the brown sugar frosting:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter.

Add brown sugar and milk, stirring until mixture comes to a boil.

Remove from heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Whisk in powdered sugar.

Spread on top of the blondies and allow frosting to set completely before cutting into squares.

*If you choose to brown the butter, melt it in a saucepan.
Once it's melted, swirl the butter in the pan until it reaches a deep golden brown color.

You can halve this recipe & bake in an 8x8 dish.