More Kitchen Delights!

My life lately seems to be centered in the kitchen! There is something about cold, dreary days that makes me want to cook. I had a craving for potato soup for several days but tried to overlook it as I would be the only one to eat it. My husband is on the riverboat where he works and my son has set tastes in food..chicken and potatoes. Finally, I gave in to the whim and started grating potatoes. Thirty minutes later, I was in "Culinary Heaven"! I know that I probably do not make my potato soup as recipes say to do but this is the easiest way to make it! And it tastes great!

Easy Potato Soup

3 large baking potatoes

1 large onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

water (enough to just cover potatoes when boiling)

3 vegetable bouillon cubes

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)

3 green onions (chopped)

6 slices bacon (fried and crumbled)

6 tablespoons of sour cream

Place water in a large stock pot and heat. Wash, peel and coarsely grate the potatoes and onion. Add these and the garlic to water and boil until potatoes are tender. Reduce heat to low. Add the bouillon cubes, turmeric, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until blended. Slowly add the cheese..stirring until melted and blended. Add parsley and simmer for about 5 minutes, gently stirring. Ladle into bowls and top each with green onions, bacon crumbles and a tablespoon of sour cream! This will make six nice size servings (depending on how large the potatoes are).

After enjoying my soup, I decided it was time to actually get to work. As you know, I have mounds of grapefruit filling every available container in my kitchen. I have been canning the slices and drying the peels for the past few days, but I wanted (needed) to try something a little different. I pondered just what would blend well with the grapefruit??? Grapefruit is notoriously tart and I needed something to counteract that tartness. I peered at the apples still overflowing the baskets in one corner of the kitchen..apple/grapefruit? Maybe. Then another thought hit me..in the freezer was another of my husband's "good deals". Around Thanksgiving time, he bought bags and bags of fresh cranberries! Cranberry/grapefruit! I know, I know, cranberries are tart, too, but the names just fit together! Cranberry/grapefruit marmalade! So..here is the result of my labor! I will be making more of this..it is most delicious and just the thing to slather on fresh baked biscuits on a cold morning!