First tomatoe

This is our first summer harvest. The tomato grew in our plant room over winter and had flowers when we put it out. But for the life of us we do not know the tomato. We think it may  be German Queen.
See what happened last year was a dud for us in the tomato growing. Nothing produced. We had a German Queen, Big Boy and for the life of us we can not remember what the third was. We had taken suckers of each and planted them and this is the only one that lived. All I can say it has been growing like crazy and has about 20 tomatoes on it now and boy was it good. The potatoes are from a two potatoes we had forgot in the pantry and we just threw them out in the dump pile and next thing we knew there was a plant. When  the top died we went to move it and low and behold we had a few little potatoes. We are going to give it a try in a bucket.

Swiss Ham and Potato Soup

Well we were in the deep freeze last week and we fixed several soups this is one that turned out good. For us here in the south to get down to 15 at night with the wind blowing is not very common and looking at the news of other areas I just can not imagine living in an area with the temp below 0. So I hope every one was warm. we were worried for outside cats we rescued and feed so the wife got up several times in the night to turn on the dryer so they would get some warm air for a while. The vent blower was under the house.
2 med potatoes peeled and diced. (we used red potatoes.)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 yellow onion or one small
2 to 3 cups milk
4 slices Swiss cheese
2 cups cooked ham
salt and pepper to taste
can add garlic
and we used crumbled bacon for garnish
Cook diced potatoes when tender drain and save liquid. and set aside
in separate pan saute onion and garlic and set aside.
In large sauce pan add flour to butter till incorporated keep stirring to golden brown (this is known as a roux)
Now add 2 cups of milk and 1 cup potato liquid and whisk until smooth and no lumps
Bring to a boil .
Add ham,cooked onion and Swiss cheese stir till cheese is melted
Add salt and pepper
if soup is too thick can add the other cup of milk.
garnish with bacon.
Be sure too have some bread to go with it. Ummm Good.

Have posted this before.

Swiss, Ham,Cauliflower and Potato soup

Last Friday was a really dreary day with rain and damp and generally feeling like we need to be building an ark around here. For the month of October we have more rain than normal. This recipe did not have cauliflower in it but since we had half a head of one to use up we threw it in and no one would even know it was there as it blended in so well. So as the rain came down wife and I enjoyed this soup. By Susie on Zaar

2 med potatoes peeled and diced.
1/2 cup margarine (we use smart balance)
1/2 cup flour
2 green onions chopped or 1/2 yellow onion (we used yellow onion)
2-3 cups milk
4 slices swiss cheese
2 cups diced cooked ham
salt and pepper to taste
we also added a little garlic--- every thing can use some garlic
and we had some cooked bacon in the frig that we used as garnish.

Cook potatoes in saucepan in just enough water to cover, when tender drain and set aside and save liquid.
melt margarine, saute green onions or yellow onion until tender (we add garlic here). Remove onion and set aside.
Add flour to melted margin and stir until incorporated. Stir till the flour turns a golden brown (this is called a roux.)
Using a whisk stir in 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of saved potato liquid. Whisk until smooth and no lumps are seen.
Bring to a boil or until soup thickens.

Add diced ham, cooked onion(and garlic), swiss cheese (and cauliflower) Stir till cheese is melted.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

If soup is too thick add 3rd cup of milk if needed.

Garnish with bacon.

4th dinner crock pot pork

Well better late than never. We cooked something new for us this 4th. It was so hot here the thought of getting out to grill just makes me cringe. I cooked out for the chicken we had a week or so ago and I thought I would melt.105 heat index is not my idea of fun in the sun. One of the local grocery stores had a sale on a pork shoulder or a Boston but so I got one to try. I had come across a recipe for one cooked in the crock pot and wife has been wanting some pulled pork barbecue. I put this in the crock pot Friday night before we went to bed with a package of Lipton onion soup mix and depending on how big your piece of meat is let it cook low and slow over night. Ours was not ready at 10 the next morning so we kicked it up to high and by 1 we were in business. Sine we had potato salad last week we had roasted potatoes with it and baked beans.

Roasted potatoes were cut and sprinkled with the Lipton onion soup mix and baked beans had a little bell pepper,bacon and onion added. Some brown sugar and dash of dry mustard. We did cheat and buy a bottled barbecue sauce but we did doctor on it some.