From Cindy's porch...

EAT at home FIRST - Leave the canned soup in the store and discover
what is waiting for you in your own pantry and fridge (for much less
$$)

At least once per week we try to make a huge pot of hot homemade
soup. One of the best purchases I made was about six years ago when I
finally bought a "REAL" dutch oven. This pot has become a family
favorite - great for homemade oatmeal in the mornings, pasta sauces,
goulash, soups, and more! And with the colder weather, soup is a
welcome feel-good meal after a long day.

The best part about homemade soup is how easy it is to make - even
for the kids. In our home, we encourage our kids to cook as much as
possible (I want them all to know how to cook and be confident when
it comes to meals, meal planning, and cooking BEFORE they move out of
the home - this will save them huge $$$ down the road - AND be more
healthy for them).

My daughter discovered this recipe in a cookbook we had signed out
from the library. "Can I cook?" she asked (MAGIC to this mom's ears)
and within an hour we had the BEST mushroom soup I have ever tasted -
even better than anything I have ever had from a restaurant.

That night, I contacted both the publisher and author to thank them
for such a wonderful book - and to ask permission to share this
recipe with you. They said YES!!! (And the author wrote lovely note
for my daughter). So, leave the canned soup in the store and try out
something new!

Side note: Our local store had mushrooms on sale during my last
grocery shop - so I happened to have a huge bag in the fridge. As
well, we always keep a stock of homemade chicken, turkey, and/or beef
stock frozen in the freezer, so my daughter used two cups of turkey
stock instead of water. The dill was harvested and dried from our
garden this past summer, and the parsley was hiding under a skiff of
snow in the back yard. Also, the soup wasn't quite as thick as my
daughter wanted, so she whisked in a couple teaspoons of corn starch
at the end (before the sour cream).

Enjoy!

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HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP

From: "Moosewood Cookbook" by Mollie Katzen, published by Ten Speed
Press. (I am very fussy and respectful about other people's
copyright – and YES I received written permission from the publisher
to share this recipe with you). If you decide to share this recipe
with friends, please respect the creator and include the name of the
cookbook, author, and publisher as well.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580081304/cindysporch-20

1 hour to prepare

2 Tbs butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 to 2 pounds mushrooms sliced
1 tsp salt
2 – 3 tsp. Dried dill (or 2 – 3 Tbs freshly minced)
1 Tbs mild paprika
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs flour
2 cups water
1 cup milk (can be lowfat) – at room temperature
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream (can be reduced-fat variety)
finely minced fresh parsley, for the top

1) Melt the butter in a kettle or Dutch over. Add onions, and sauté
over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt, dill, and
paprika. Stir well and cover. Let cook for about 15 more minutes
stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice.

2) Gradually sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly. Cook and
stire another 5 minutes or so over medium-low heat. Add water, cover,
and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often.

3) Stir in milk; add black pepper to taste. Check to see if it needs
more salt. Whisk in the sour cream, and heat very gently. Don't boil
or cook it after this point. Serve hot, topped with freshly minced
parsley.

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Last note from Cindy: Every year our kids each receive a new
cookbook - to encourage further cooking by them (and less by me
LOL). My children use their own cookbooks. I will often see them
cruising through the pages looking for something "good" to eat
(better than standing in front of the fridge hoping something good
will pop out at them). "Can I cook?" is heard on a regular basis –
and anyone who wants to cook is allowed to cook in our home LOL. The
fun part is when they cook with their friends – their friends are
amazed to discover real caramel popcorn or homemade pizza is just a
few ingredients and 350 degrees F away!

This year, I happen to know that my daughter will be recieving this
cookbook for Christmas from her grandparents - complete with a
special message from grandpa (her favorite person to cook with)
written on the inside cover.

EAT at home FIRST!