Comforting Potato Soup

I didn't get an appetizing picture of this meal...  It really looks like mush to be honest with you, but it tastes so good!  I used this potato soup recipe as my base and came up with this:

First, cook this stuff:
4 baked potatoes (baked for an hour at 400°, cooled, peeled and very coarsley mashed)
1/2 pkg mushrooms, sauteed (in copious amounts of butter and salt...  I have the hubby do it)
1/4 lb ground turkey
1 Cup chicken stock (I use the organic stuff from Costco)

1. Get the potatoes scrubbed, poked with a fork and into the oven.  They do take about an hour (until they're tender), so once you have them cooling go ahead with the rest of the instructions.
2. Like I said, I have the hubby cook the mushrooms because I can't stand to put that much salt on anything, but he cooks them to taste, so however you cook them will be just fine.  Fry them up in a sauce pan, add butter, salt, garlic, whatever.  Once they are cooked to your liking, put them in a bowl and set aside.
3. Using the pan you cooked your mushrooms in, cook up your ground turkey.  Once it's browned (from the left over butter that was in there from the mushrooms) return the mushrooms and add the chicken stock to soak up any remaining yummy-ness from the pan.  Let simmer on low, or if you decided to cook this ahead... stick it in the fridge until you're ready for it.  I am only guessing with my measurements because I was dealing with leftovers.
4. Without burning your fingers...  Peel those potatoes and mash them coarsely.  They should be in bite size pieces, but not unrecognizable...  Cube them if you must.

In a large pot/stock pot/dutch oven:

2 tablespoons flour 

6 cups Milk

1. BEFORE turning on the heat, dump your flour into the pot, and stir in the milk a few tablespoons at a time while using a whisk to mix well.  You don't want it all lumpy and bumpy.  
2. Once all the flour/milk mixture is a nice paste, turn on the heat to medium low and continue adding the milk while stirring.
3. Go ahead and turn up the heat to medium high and continue stirring until thickened.  Let it boil a little, but make sure to scrape the bottoms and sides to keep those lumps away.  When desired thickness is reached, turn it down to a simmer.

Now for the good stuff!

1 tsp pepper

2 dashes cayenne pepper
1 chive sliced
3 small stalks celery with leaves, chopped
1 large carrot sliced
3 1/2 inch slices fresh mozzarella

1. Add your potatoes, and your mushroom/meat mix to the milk/flour mix and stir.
2. Add  the rest of the ingredients (pepper, cayenne, chive, celery, carrot & mozzarella).
3. Stir well and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the celery and carrots are no longer super crunchy.

We like to eat this soup with a nice warm piece of garlic bread.

Fruity Chicken Salad Sandwiches With Helpful Chicken Boiling & Shredding Tips

I am notorious for making food that is not "in season."  While the rest of the country is making comfort foods, I am busy in my California home preparing summer picnic dishes like chicken salad sandwiches and lemon bars!  This chicken salad is one of the most flexible recipes I make, and it's great to have on hand for quick lunches.  Here's what you need to have a taste of summer all year long:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled & shredded - see below for tips (I boiled enough chicken for this and my enchilada recipe...  Yay for a time saver!)
mayonnaise (or greek yogurt - thanks to my dear friend Kerry for that idea!)
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 apple, thinly sliced & chopped (the size of the pieces matter only to your palate)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

salt
pepper
garlic powder
your favorite bread

1. Put the shredded chicken in a bowl and mix in mayonnaise about a Tbs full at a time (I end up using about 3 Tbs) until the chicken kind of sticks together.  If you like your salad really moist, you'll want more mayo.  
2. Add the celery, apple, and cranberries, and stir until mixed.
3. Add salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste.  (I probably use 1/8 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper & 1 tsp of garlic powder...  We love garlic, what can I say?!)
4. Grab 2 pieces of your favorite bread, spread a little mayo on (if you like), and put the salad in between!

There's your sandwich!

When grapes are on sale I like to use them instead of cranberries.  Also, if I know we won't be around other people after we eat, I add some thinly chopped onion too.  The garlic alone is enough to keep even our closest friends away!

Chicken Boiling & Shredding Tips: 

A little hint on the chicken...  I buy a 10 pound bag of frozen chicken from Costco every few months.  I stick how ever many frozen chicken breasts I need for my meal into my largest saucepan, and fill it with water until the chicken is just covered.  I put the saucepan over high heat and let it boil until the chicken is no longer pink.  It takes about 30-40 minutes depending on how many chicken breasts I'm cooking.  If is starts to boil over, I pour in about a tsp of olive oil, and/or turn it down to medium high (salmonella scares me, so I don't usually turn it down unless I need to go out of the kitchen).  Once the chicken is cooked, dump it into a colander and rinse it under cold water for a moment.  Take two forks and use them to pull the breasts apart in opposite directions.  Do this until the chicken is shredded to your liking.  If the chicken is too hot to handle and you're not planning to eat it for a few hours, or until the next day, stick it in the fridge!  Or better yet, make extra & freeze it for next time :)

Enjoy!