Featured Blog-Country Cooking

The Mom-Stuff featured blog this week is Country Cooking with Janille. If you have not visited her site yet you are missing out on one of the best collection of recipes. Today it is freezing cold across most of the US so I want to share a hot soup recipe to warm you up. This Broccoli-Cheese Soup is perfect filling for a bread bowl. Hot Broccoli-Cheese soup and the warm aroma of the bread bowls sounds like the perfect comfort food for this cold weather. ENJOY!



Broccoli−Cheese Soup
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, fresh
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch, mixed with 1 cup cold water
1 pint half and half
1 pound Velveeta
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Steam or boil broccoli until tender.
Place half−and−half and 2 cups water in top of double boiler.
Add cheese, salt and pepper. Heat until cheese is melted.
Add broccoli. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl.
Stir into cheese mixture in double boiler and heat over
simmering water until soup thickens.

Bread Bowls
2 1/2 cups warm water (105−115 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil
6 1/2 − 7 1/2 cups bread flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. milk
Measure warm water into large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved.
Add salt, sugar, oil and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board;
knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in bowl
that has been lightly coated with nonstick spray, turning to grease top.
Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Grease outside of 12, 10−ounce custard cups or oven−proof bowls of similar
size.
Punch dough down; divide into 12 pieces. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Spread each piece into a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Place over
outside of bowl, working dough with hands until it fits. Set bowls, dough
side up, on baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick spray. Cover
with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Combine egg and milk; gently brush mixture on dough. Bake at 400 degrees
Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until golden brown. Using potholders, carefully
remove the bowls. Set bread bowls open side up on baking pan; bake 5
minutes. Makes 12 servings.
For larger bowls, use oven−proof bowls that are approximately 6 inches in
diameter. Divide dough into 6 portions. Frozen bread dough also can be used.
A 1−pound loaf will make 2 large or 4 small bowls.

Thanks to everyone following our Mom-Stuff Blog Tour. Visit Janille, try some of her recipes and tell her thanks for sharing in a comment. Make comments, make tweets, invite friends, tell your friends about how much fun we are having. If you have a blog and want us to visit, let me know at dianne@mom-stuff.com

See you tomorrow, Dianne

P.S. Visit Mom-Stuff for Valentine ideas.