noelle o designs

creativity + sewing + upcycling inspiration

aprons, food, kitchen, sewing

fall is for cookin’ soup


…and maybe making zucchini bread too, but definitely wearing an apron. The change in seasons always makes me long to bustle about in the kitchen, making the house smell good and feeling like mother-of-the-year. Here are two of my favorite fall recipes, I’ve already made a few times since school started up.

Valene’s Corn Chowder
4 oz. bacon
3 c. yellow onions, chopped
2 T butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
3 c. white potatoes, unpeeled and diced
6 c. chicken broth
5 c. fresh corn or 1.5 lbs. frozen
1 c. half and half
1/4 lb. sharp white cheddar cheese.

Cook bacon. Remove the bacon and add onions and butter to fat (now I know why it tastes soo good. I usually only use a tablespoon or so of the fat and get rid of the excess). Cook 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, turmeric and cook 3 minutes. Add broth and potatoes, boil, then simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn, chopped up bacon, half and half and cheese, cook 5 minutes. Note: if using fresh corn, blanch it for a couple of minutes before adding it to the soup.
And remember, like most soups… it’s always better the second day.

Basic Zucchini Bread or Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
(thank you wedding present 40th anniversary Betty Crocker cookbook)
3 c. shredded zucchini
1 2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3 c. flour (white or wheat)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts -my kids would say, scratch that and add chocolate chips instead. Follow your taste buds here, maybe add both.
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. raisins  -if you’re going for chocolate chips, forget about it- don’t make me gag.

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2 or 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves; remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing (good luck with that). Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days. Or if your house is like mine, don’t stray to far in the hour after the bread has left the oven or you won’t get any at all.

I just got the pictured reversible half aprons listed on etsy- check them out.

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