The best soup I've ever made...

And I've made a lot of soup.

Tonight I wanted to use up some leftover ham.  We hardly EVER have ham (why, I don't know), but our twice-delayed Christmas dinner left us with a whole bunch left over.   Hubby had the day off - yay! - and it's snowing like crazy out there, so I thought ham soup of some kind would be good.  I could live on soup & bread every day of my life and not get tired of it.  Mr. H, on the other hand, likes his "meat."  Any old dinner with some big chunk of meat - or ground beef  - seems to make it an "official" dinner for him.  No bread, no side dish, no salad necessary; just a hunk of meat.  SO, all that to say, I kinda always worry every time I serve soup for dinner, that he's not going to be all that crazy about it.

SO...tonight at dinner, which I thought was just dee-lish...ham & potato soup with sweet potato muffins...Mr. H hardly said a word.  He just ate, and ate...and I sat there and had a little inner convo with myself...he doesn't like it.  But what's not to like?  There's ham...oh darn it, he's still going to be hungry.  I should have made a casserole.  Wow, though, this is good!  But he hasn't said anything...I'm not going to fish for a compliment...I'll just file this in the "don't make again" pile...I wonder if he's annoyed that we're having soup...I should have left the muffins in a little longer...darn it!  But this is really good, YUM, way to go Rachel, you are the queen of soup..."

Please can I get a witness...tell me I'm not the only one to have these ridiculous thoughts at the dinner table...

So anyway, all of the sudden at the end of dinner, Mr. H looks up, and matter-of-factly says, "I think this is the best soup you've ever made."

Wooo-hooooooo!!!  I told him there was more; he said he was stuffed.  SCORE! 


I have to admit, it was totally yummy.  It's debatable as to whether it was the "best ever," but it's up there.  It took about 45 min start to finish...here is the recipe: (keeping in mind that I hardly ever measure anything; just eyeball it and use whatever I want.)

3.5 cups diced potatoes
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup cooked diced ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 t chicken boullion granules
1/2 t salt
1 tsp pepper
5 T butter
5 T flour
2 C milk

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham & water in a big pot.  Bring to a boil, then cook on med. for about 15-20 min.  Stir in the boullion, salt & pepper.
2. In smaller saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the flour until thick and smooth.  Slowly stir in the milk, make sure all the lumps are out.  Cook on low-med for about 5 min. until thick.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the soup pot, heat through. 

Sweet Potato Muffins - a keeper as well
This recipe makes 24, though, so either "half" it or make sure your peeps are hungry.  I didn't read that far before I made it, so I'm banking on them all being very hungry.

1 1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C canned sweet potatoes (I just used one of those big cans)
1/2 C butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1 C milk
1/2 C raisins (I used craisins - oh so yummy)
1/4 C walnuts (I had pecans - again, yummy)
cinnamon & sugar mix for the tops

1. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.  Preheat oven to 400. 
2. Beat sugar, butter & sweet potatoes until smooth.  Add eggs and blend well.
3. Sift flour, bak powder, spices & salt.  Add to sweet potato mixture, alternating with the milk, stirring to blend.  "Do not overmix."  (Every time I read this, it's inevitable that I overmix.  I can't help myself.  Oh well.  They still turn out well.)
4. Fold in raisins & nuts.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, sprinkle tops with cinn & sug mixture.
5. Bake 25-30 minutes until done.  Or if you have a dinosaur of an oven like me, you can leave 'em in there for 40 or so...

IF anyone tries this, do let me know!  (Obviously I'm just fishing for people to leave comments on my blog....NOT the gambling site again though, I don't want to hear from you...)