Inspired By Southern Living's Million Dollar Soup

Let me start by linking you to the photo credits and recipe of the soup 👆 that inspired my recipe. The original is called Million Dollar Soup by Southern Living. Looks delicious, doesn't it? But! It's too many steps and calories to become part of my repertoire. To stay healthy, I consume bacon and cream as occasional treats, but lighter fare most of the time. 

Lighter dishes can be tasty too, and once you form the habit of eating healthy you crave healthily. My inspired recipe is a totally different soup that shares many of the same ingredients as its cream, bacon, and kale inspiration. Make my soup when you have leftovers, such as butternut squash or chicken. Without leftover chicken toss sliced frankfurters into the pot:

Leftover Butternut Squash, Chicken, and Spinach Soup aka, Billion Dollar Soup😉

Ingredients:

2 cups leftover cooked chicken, cubed (or use 3 - 4 grilled chicken or turkey or beef
frankfurters) 

1/2 cup of grilled ham, cubed

1 onion, diced

1 cup celery, sliced

a minced garlic bulb or 1 teaspoon of dried garlic

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups cooked butternut squash, cubed (Take a raw butternut squash, put a slit in it with a knife, and microwave it if you don't have leftovers.)

3/4 cup of dry white wine (if I don't want to open wine, I add a tablespoon of organic cider vinegar for taste)

5 cups water

2 large chicken bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon of black pepper (24 turns of the peppermill)

1 15 oz can of beans (navy, cannellini, pinto, pink, i.e., whatever you have in your cupboard)

a dash of Worcestershire sauce

a dash of soy sauce

3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

2 cups of spinach (or substitute 1 cup of mixed vegetables, if you wish. Feel free to polish off your leftover vegetables. Soup is great for this.)

Directions:

1) Brown the ham, onions, and celery (and if using, sliced chicken turkey, or beef frankfurters) in a skillet, not to cook, but for 5 - 6 minutes to bring out their flavor. After grilling, toss them into a stockpot.

2) Add the rest of the ingredients (except the spinach) to the stockpot. Season with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and a tablespoon of cider vinegar (if you skip adding white wine). I like to add a dash of red pepper flakes for a hint of heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1/2 hour.

3) After the vegetables are tender, thicken the soup with 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour mixed in 1/4 cup of water and pour into the soup while stirring. Let this simmer for another 5 minutes to cook the flour and thicken the soup.

4) You can taste and add more seasoning as needed.

5) Turn off the heat and drop a handful the fresh spinach into the soup. Cover with a lid to sit for another 5 minutes. The spinach will cook in the hot soup. (Frankly, I like spinach better than kale, but feel free to use either. Kale requires more cooking time.)

Dip out into soup bowls, and pair it with hearty, crusty grainy bread and a smear of butter, brie, cream cheese, hummus, teawurst, or whatever you like. Alternatively, you could make buttery-garlic bread crumbs for the soup. The choice is between you and your waistline.

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Oatmeal, An Apple & A Carrot For Breakfast

Recipe and photos courtesy of Simple Food

The following is a recipe from Simple Food on Facebook. An appetizing and healthy breakfast is what I see! As Aristotle knew, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Oatmeal, An Apple, & A Carrot For Breakfast

Ingredients:

2 cups flaked oatmeal, ground in a food processor

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 cup of milk

1 carrot, grated

4 tablespoons raisins soaked in hot water

a medium apple, unpeeled but diced

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

3 eggs

Optional: 1 package of vanilla sugar (or substitute 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Directions:

1) Toss each ingredient one by one into a mixing bowl and
incorporate.

2) Grease a 7" cake pan. I use butter. Pour the mixture into it and distribute evenly.

3) Bake at 360 degrees F for 50 - 60 minutes.

4) After it bakes but is still warm, remove from the baking pan and cut into pieces.

Packed with protein and fiber, vitamin A, some vitamin C, and minerals, eat a serving for breakfast or a snack. Delish!

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Merry Christmas Everyone

Adoration of the Christ Child (1620) by Gerard Van Honthorst at The Uffizi Gallery in Florence Italy

Merry Christmas from THE SAVVY SHOPPER. I hope the week fills your life with love, peace, and joy. Whatever your faith tradition is or wherever you live on our globe, everyone is equally valued here, where we can share or learn about each other's cultures and holidays.

Inside my kitchen for Christmas ...

I made a Kentucky bourbon fruitcake (with walnuts, pecans, dried apricots, pineapples, cranberries, raisins, frozen cherries, and fresh blueberries). I baked the cakes the first week of December and have been soaking them with bourbon every few days, aging our treat for Christmas Day.

Know that I baked all these cookies in 2024, then returned to older blogs to switch out the Google images I originally posted, so don't be confused.:)

Four batches of cookies will do this year - Springerle, Scottish shortbread, pecan cookies, and coconut macaroons are enough for family, friends, and building staff.

We're keeping Christmas 2024 low-key. I'm happy to spend it with my senior mother and whoever drops by for homemade low-fat eggnog and treats. During Christmas week I'll walk with a friend down to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree but plan to stay close to home.

A neighborhood friend has her heart set on making us chicken coq vin as a Christmas dinner which we'll gladly accept. Usually for Christmas in my childhood home, my mom made a roast beef dinner. She grew up eating a stuffed roasted goose for Christmas but didn't carry on the tradition of serving any special meal. On December 25th, we simply ate a hearty balanced dinner often roast beef with either potatoes or 

Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings), gravy, vegetables, and a salad with a loaf of grainy rye bread heated in the oven. It's still one of my favorite meals although I don't eat as much red meat as I did growing up since it's no longer doctor-approved. How we stayed healthy in the past is a mystery.:) 

In celebrating Christmas around the world ... or just joining your friends who do🎁👑🎄: 

Merry Christmas in 25 different languages

• Arabic: عيد ميلاد مجيد (Eid milad majid)
• Chinese: 圣诞快乐 (Shèngdàn kuàilè)
• Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest!
• Farsi: کریسمس مبارک (Krismas Mobaarak!)
• French: Joyeux Noël!
• German: Frohe Weihnachten!
• Greek: Καλά Χριστούγεννα! (Kalá Christoúgenna!)
• Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka!
• Hebrew: חג שמח (Chag Sameach!)
• Hindi: क्रिसमस की बधाई (Krisamas Kee Badhaee!)
• Irish: Nollaig Shona!
• Italian: Buon Natale!
• Japanese: メリークリスマス (Merī kurisumasu)
• Korean: 메리 크리스마스 (Meli keuliseumaseu)
• Latin: Felix Nativitas!
• Polish: Wesołych Świąt!
• Portuguese: Feliz Natal!
• Russian: С Рождеством (S Rozhdestvom!)
• Spanish: ¡Feliz Navidad!
• Swahili: Krismasi Njema!
• Swedish: God Jul!
• Tagalog: Maligayang Pasko!
• Turkish: Mutlu Noeller!
• Vietnamese: Giáng sinh vui vẻ!

If your native tongue isn't on the list, please add it in the comments below. May the season's goodwill touch the world and last in the hearts and deeds of people throughout the year! 

Merry Christmas Everyone!🐑🐪

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White Poke Cake Made Two Ways

Photo: Tasteful Recipes from Facebook

I haven't made a White Poke Cake -- once upon a time called an Angel Food Cake -- in years but this one is perfectly festive as a Christmas dessert, plus with an alternate custard topping it's suitable for the rest of the year. Perhaps I like the poke cake because I love custard pudding!

The recipe for the Christmas version, which is circulating on Facebook, uses cake mix, however, I never, ever buy cake mix. In my home, the rule is if you eat cake, either buy a good bakery cake or make one yourself. Every cake that enters your piehole must be worth its calories!!

For sure making a cake from scratch is as easy as opening a box of cake mix:

Ingredients for the White Cake Batter

½ cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites, room temperature
½ cup milk, room temperature
1½ cups all-purple flour (I never buy cake flour, but you can.)
2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1) With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.

2) Add the egg whites.

3) Pour in the milk and continue mixing.

4) Follow with the all-purple flour and baking soda.

5) Next pour in the vanilla and almond extract.

6) Bake in a prepared buttered 9-inch square baking pan in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until the center is firm.

7) Remove the white cake from the oven. Let cool and remove from the pan while still warm. Next, sit aside to cool completely.

You could make a topping for this White Poke Cake any number of ways, but I'll give you two options. The first cranberry topping is festive for Christmas:

I. Cranberry Poke Cake Topping🎄🎁🔔

ingredients:

14 oz of cranberry sauce - either homemade or canned

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar if it isn't already sweet (taste it and judge.)

Directions:

Simmer the ingredients in a stockpot on the stovetop until smooth and uniform in consistency. You'll pour the cranberry topping over your white poke cake (see #4 below).

The 2nd topping is for the rest of the year:

II. Vanilla-Almond Custard Poke Cake Topping🥛🥚🥛

Ingredients:

4 cups of milk

Photo: iStock

4 egg yolks

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1) Toss the milk, eggs, sugar, and flour into a stockpot on the stovetop and whisk together. [FYI: I get a smoother custard by blending these ingredients cold.] Stir occasionally while the mixture is heating up.

2) Bring to a boil and on medium heat continue whisking while simmering until the mixture thickens into a custard.

3) Near the end, add the vanilla and almond extracts and stir. Turn off the heat.

4) With a fork poke holes in the top of the cake. Pour your topping of choice on top of the cake. [I've never combined the cranberry and pudding toppings, but if I did I'd use straight cranberry sauce without thinning it with water on top of the custard which I'd pour into the holes of the cake first.🐪🐑]  

At Christmastime, you can use your 4 leftover egg yolks to make my pecan cookies, which I linked, or save them for a breakfast omelet. Waste not, want not.

5) Finish the cake with a dab of real whipped topping if you wish. The sweet creamy goodness only improves the cake.

Bon appètite!

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Two Mini Sweet Potato Pies

Photo: Etsy

A few days ago I had one can of sweet potatoes I didn't know what to do with because ... well we don't eat canned sweet potatoes. So I used it to make two 4" mini sweet potato pies for Thanksgiving. The small pies are enough for 4 servings. The trouble is on Sunday night my mother and I took one of the pies out of the refrigerator and ate it! Why? Because they were made too far in advance of Thanksgiving.:) The pie was delicious and not too sweet, so I'm posting my recipe below.

Full-sized pie with fresh microwaved sweet potato

To make a full-sized pie, simply double all the ingredients, beginning with the crust. For example, use 28 oz - 29 oz (2 cans or 2 full cups fresh, cooked, and mashed) sweet potatoes: 

So let's begin with the crust ... 

No Fail Flaky Vinegar Pie Crust (Double this recipe for a 9-inch pie.)

Ingredient:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of cold butter, sliced and diced quickly to keep it cold

A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cider vinegar (the flaky crust’s secret ingredient. Vinegar slightly retards gluten to keep the crust from toughening.)
3 tablespoons ice-cold water

Directions:

1) Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and form into a ball. (Since I made 2 small pies, I divided my dough into 2 small balls.) Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or more.

2) With a rolling pin, roll the dough flat on a floured surface and fit it onto your buttered pie pan(s). 

3) Using a fork, poke holes all over the dough to release air during baking so it doesn't bubble.

Source: Taste of Home

Sweet Potato Pie Filling (Remember to double the filling for a 9" pie)

1 14-ounce can of sweet potatoes (or about 1 1/2  cups of cooked, softened, and mashed fresh sweet potato)

1 egg

1/4 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon of cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

A light sprinkle of Allspice

A pinch of salt

Optional: 1 tablespoon of butter (for additional creaminess and flavor. I left it out to save calories. You decide for yourself.:)

Directions:

1) Using an electric mixer combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl for about 2 minutes or until smooth. I didn't miss the butter but you can put it in for extra creaminess and flavor.

2) Pour into your waiting prepared pie dough-lined pan(s).

3) Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for 50 - 60 minutes. (Mini pies take about as much baking time as full-sized pies.)

Photo: LSU AgCenter

Some recipes call for more sugar and butter in the filling, but my first homemade mini 4" sweet potato pies turned out so delicious, I'll lighten up my recipe again! We had no trouble eating the lesser caloric pies. Now what will we do if we have to share our 2nd mini pie with an unexpected guest who drops by? I suppose we'll offer it to our guest? Baking in advance of a holiday doesn't always pay off.😛

🍁Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

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What Are the 11 Herbs and Spices In Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Photo: KFC and YUM

Today the famed 11 herbs and spices at KFC are a closely guarded secret by YUM, the corporation that owns the copywriter to KFC's chicken, but it wasn't always so. According to Colonel Sanders' nephew, the recipe created back in the day by the Colonel was posted in the entryway of the diner he opened. Several years ago the Chicago Tribute published a photograph of what the newspaper called the leaked recipe written in the Colonel's handwriting. In business, if the food is delicious people will come even if they can make it at home IMHO. Because. People do both.

It's more than likely the following is the recipe for Original Kentucky Fried Chicken:

Ingredients:

Photo: The Chicago Tribute

One chicken (or 8 pieces)

1 cup of buttermilk

2 eggs

2/3 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/3 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried mustard
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons white pepper

Directions:

1) Mix the buttermilk and eggs in one mixing bowl then soak the chicken pieces in the mixture for 30 minutes or more. Return the chicken to the refrigerator while soaking.

2) In a 2nd bowl stir the 11 herbs, spices, and flour together and coat the chicken pieces by dipping and turning.

3) Instead of frying the coated chicken (which you are free to do in very hot vegetable oil) why not brush oil on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake the spread-out chicken pieces in a 400-degree F oven for about 25 minutes. Test the chicken at 20 minutes to see if it's done and add baking time as needed.

If the above ingredients aren't Colonel Sanders' original recipe, they are close enough. Making the chicken at home lets you adjust the salt to your tastes and needs. Plus you can bake instead of frying it if you wish. When you don't feel like cooking you can still buy a bucket of chicken at KFC.

In college near the end of the school year, one of our professors decided to teach our class outdoors on campus. During the class, I saw a limo pull up and out walked an elderly Colonel Sanders in his signature white suit. He entered our administration building a few yards away. Here's to the memory of the Colonel, who must have given money to our school.🐔

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Christmas Fruitcake

November is the perfect time to prepare for Christmas.🎄 This week, I've ordered nuts and dark chocolate chips to have on hand to bake cookies. Buying a few items at a time is the way to do it. Planning and making lists equal calm.

The following recipe is a David Parke share. David Parke is a Facebook friend of mine from the United Kingdom, who retired after years of serving on Queen Elizabeth II's staff. I have no idea what position he held and haven't had the pleasure of meeting him in person, but he uploads very tempting recipes. My classmate, a romance author, makes the best fruitcake ever found here, but it requires lots of Kentucky bourbon and weeks of time. My in-person friend has so many requests for her fruitcakes, she began selling them.

If you don't order or make hers, try this one uploaded on Facebook by David Park:

Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruits (raisins, cherries, apricots, and cranberries)

1/2 cup candied orange peel

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup dark rum (or orange juice for a non-alcoholic version)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

Optional Glaze:

1/4 cup apricot or peach jam, warmed

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tsp milk (adjust as needed for consistency)

David's directions as quoted verbatim ...

"Instructions:

1. Prepare the Fruit Mixture --

In a bowl, combine the mixed dried fruits, candied orange peel, and nuts. Pour the rum (or orange juice) over the mixture, cover, and let it soak for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavor.

2. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan --

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and line a 9-inch loaf pan or round cake pan with parchment paper.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients --

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

4. Make the Batter --

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir until just combined.
• Fold in the soaked fruit and nuts and any remaining liquid.

5. Bake the Cake --

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Optional Glaze:

For a festive glaze, mix the powdered sugar with milk until smooth. Brush the warm jam over the cake, then drizzle with the powdered sugar glaze.

Details:

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus soaking time)

Bake Time: 60-75 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours (including soaking)

Servings: 8-10 slices

Tips:

a) Storage: Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in an airtight container. This cake tastes even better after a few days!

b) Flavor Boost: Brush the cake with additional rum or fruit juice every few days for extra moisture and depth of flavor.

This Christmas Fruitcake Delight will bring a taste of the holiday spirit to your table. Each slice is packed with festive flavors and warm holiday memories—perfect for a cozy winter celebration!"

I aim to make this fruitcake (for Thanksgiving?). It looks sensational! Hmm, I must grab some dried fruit while shopping for my weekly groceries. Nowadays for Christmas, I prefer confections that aren't super sweet yet have other flavors and textures creating a party in your mouth! Like European cakes and pastries, call them adult sophisticated sweets if you will!

Thanks, David Park, for the share!

Update, December 1: I substituted Marker's Mark Kentucky Bourbon for dark rum because my rum wasn't dark rum. I used pitted frozen cherries instead of dried cherries (much cheaper!), a tablespoon of grated orange rind with a squeeze of orange juice instead of candied orange rinds. To make up for the skipped 1/2 cup of candied rinds, I added 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries and 1/4 cup of dried pineapple, which I cut into small pieces. Walmarts and pecans went in (about 1 1/4 cups together). I also soaked the nuts and fruit for hours in the bourbon before making the cake. Tweaking the recipe works as long as you keep the ratio of the dry-to-liquid ingredients. I added 5 more tablespoons of all-purpose flour since my cherries and blueberries were wet, not dried.

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