Fresh Cream of Asparagus Soup and Homemade Ham Salad Supper.

Light and flavored with cheese this asparagus soup is a favorite of my husband's and so easy to make.

Spring means asparagus soup at our house.  It is easy and delicious.  Today I am specifically planning it for supper because we are expecting a high temperature today of 81 degrees and I don't want to heat up the house cooking and don't want to have the air come on either.  I am rather enjoying not having to pay for either heat or air!

Lovely and delicious asparagus is a member of the lily family.

Ingredients for Fresh Cream of Asparagus Soup:

1-1 1/2 pounds of fresh asparagus
1 quart water or chicken stock (if using water enrich with 6 bouillon cubes)
8 oz. soft cheddar cheese (I like Hoffman's Sharp)
1 C. cream, half and half, or whole milk
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Break the stalks off the ends of the spears by snapping where it wants to naturally break.  Add the tough stalks to the stock or water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to simmer and cover.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes. This is a recipe given to me by my husband's aunt Virginia McCausland over the telephone one day.  She was a wonderful cook who loved sharing recipes.

These are the tough fibrous ends of the stalk that I boil and discard.

Discard the tough ends and strain the liquid adding the bouillon cubes as needed.  Set aside until about 30-40 prior to serving time.

These are cut into bite sized piece ready for the soup kettle.

Cut the fresh rinsed asparagus stalks into bite sized pieces.  Add them to the stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer 5-10 minutes.  Shred the cheese and stir it into the soup stirring to melt.
Add the cream, salt and pepper to taste and stir until well combined.   Serve with crisp saltines.  Yield about 6 one cup servings

Helpful Hint:  Try preheating the oven to 350 degrees and placing a sleeve of your favorite saltines in a cast iron skillet.  Toast the crackers in the hot oven for 10 minutes and serve hot and crisp with the soup.

Ham salad keeps very well in the refrigerator and is also good spread on crackers and loaded into celery sticks.

Brian loves fresh home made ham salad.  I had planned to trim off the ham from the large bone at Easter and make it but just got around to it today.  I had double wrapped the bone and froze it as to keep it nice and fresh.

   thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/fresh-ham-salad-made-at-home.html   

This is still just the way I make it and this link will take you to my recipe!

Breakfast Salad (for the non traditional breakfast).

An apple, celery, grapes, pecans, and low fat yogurt.

To quote Mickey Thienes, The Herb Lady of Henderson, Ky. "fruits cleanse the body and vegetables heal".  www.top1000naturalremedies.com/contact-mickey-ann-thienes/  Keeping this in mind I am pursuing a family diet which is even more plant based than it already has become.

Personally I have never been good at eating breakfast.  Yesterday for instance it was noon before eating even occurred to me.  Once I get my 2 cups of black coffee first thing upon rising I am a happy girl!

Back home fruit was always made into something. jam, jelly, pie, cobbler, salad, baked goods, stewed and on and on.  Seldom eaten just as it was.  Lately I have thought breakfast might be a great direction for us to head with fresh fruit.

Brian goes in spurts and lately enjoys cereal and a banana so best leave him alone for now but when he tires of it I hope to have a selection of fruit alternatives to offer him.  Today I began by making a breakfast fruit salad.  It was delicious, refreshing, easy, and seemed very uplifting to me.  I almost always have fresh fruit on hand and we will see if I follow up and continue in this direction.  For today it worked!

Ingredients for Breakfast Salad:

1 fresh apple (my favorite eating apples are Johnathan, Golden Delicious, and Johnagold)
1 stalk celery
1/2 C. halved fresh grapes
2 T. nuts
2-3 T. yogurt

Generally I peel apples before eating unless they are organic because of the chemicals that are applied.  Next dice into bite sized pieces.  Slice and add the celery and nuts.  Top with the grape halves and yogurt.  Enjoy!

Yield 1 generous serving.

Niece LEXI, 13 years old, bakes and decorates beautiful cupcakes!

I love the variety of the decorations and the creativity she shows.  The 85 is in honor of my Mother's birthday.

Our niece Lexi, My sister Linda's oldest daughter's oldest girl......what a mouthful that was......baked up and decorated these beautiful cupcakes this weekend.  I just could not resist sharing this photo!

The cupcakes were served at the waiting room of the hospital where my sister Sheree's youngest son Jacob is receiving treatment.  Jacob had been admitted because of a recent seizure that resulted from an automobile accident a little over a year ago but he is making progress everyday.  We pray without ceasing for Jacob and his family and trusting in our Lord for his restoration.


Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

We believe for Jacob.