​Soup is comforting when the weather turns cool. I prepared my first batch of chili of the season today! My flowers are 75% trimmed thanks to Pa Lloyd, the upstairs window box taken down, soon it will time to empty the flower pots too.  It doesn’t seem possible that its time for cool weather it really snuck up on me this year. I guess with staying home so much and limited visitors one day seems like the next, I wonder what the holidays will bring? Will we feel safe to gather with our families? I have a feeling not but I guess we just  take one day at a time and do the best we can! A new soup recipe for you today, one that calls for using the crock pot, my favorite kind!
 
Slow Cooker creamy Tortellini Soup
 
1 # Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tsp. beef bouillon powder, or chicken
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups beef or chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed and dissolved in 1/4 cup water
36 ounces evaporated milk or half and half
12 ounce packet three cheese tortellini, dried
5 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup milk
 
Place the browned sausage, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, beef bouillon powder, salt and broth in a 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours.  Uncover and skim any fat that is sitting on the top of the soup with a spoon; discard. Stir in the cornstarch mixture with the evaporated milk or half and half. Add the tortellini and mix well. Cover again and cook on high setting for another 45 minutes until the soup has thickened and the tortellini is soft and cooked through. Add in the spinach, pressing the leaves down to completely submerse into the liquid. Cover for further 10 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Pour milk in 1/3 cup increments as needed to reach your desired thickness, taste and adjust salt  and pepper if needed. Serve with crusty warmed bread. Makes 10 servings.
 
Have a safe and good week!

​I am lucky I have friends who share their fresh garden produce and that we are fortunate to have the Farmer’s market! One of my favorite veggies is parsnips, not a vegetable that I grew up eating and not one I prepared for my family. It’s a veggie I have discovered in my mature years!! It’s a vegetable I prepare often when I have company for a meal, one of my Grand daughters, Alex actually requests that I serve it when she comes and my Grand daughter’s husband, Justin said one time “ I wasn’t too sure about eating parsnips when you served them now when we are invited for a meal I hope they will be served”. Here is my favorite way to prepare parsnips.
 
Fried Parsnips
 
6-8 parsnips ( 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
3 Tablespoons butter
 
Peel parsnips, cut in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Put in a kettle with water to cover, add salt. Cool until tender; drain. Melt butter in skillet, add parsnips, brown on all sides, over medium heat, turn to keep from burning, add salt and pepper to taste. I usually use half carrots and half parsnips, it pleases everyone’s taste and is colorful too.
 
Stay safe and have a great week!

​Generally this time of year we are enjoying the treat of Colorado Peaches! We did buy good peaches at the beginning of the peach season but that was a short lived treat. We were told by the local grocery stores that they received a very limited supply of Colorado peaches this year because of weather conditions in Colorado, we tried another brand that were a dismal disappointment. Then to my surprise I discovered that peaches can actually be grown in Minnesota, probably not by just anyone, but my friends Mary and David Segar have a peach tree and harvested their first crop of peaches, Mary said they are delicious! Who would have guessed?!  We are too old to try to plant a peach tree, we probably wouldn’t live long enogth to see the first harvest but some of you could try!
 
Peach Muffins
 
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
1 cup chopped peaches, small pieces
1 cup chopped pecans ( optional )
 
Cream butter and sugar, add egg, beat well, add flour, baking powder, then beat in vanilla and yogurt. Lastly fold in peaches and pecans.  Divide between 12 greased muffin tins bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
 
Stay safe and have a good week!