Well the carpet cleaners have departed and my bedroom carpet is oh so clean again! I think it’s a kick off for spring because since the carpet cleaners left I’ve been in a full-speed ahead mode. Wondering just what I’m going to take on next.
There are still plenty of chilly days ahead where a cauldron of warm soup will hit the spot. This week’s recipe has a ‘bit’ of history attached. When I first went to work for Silver Dollar City in 2008 I met so many wonderful people. One gal, Judy, shared the front area of the culinary school, where there was a lemonade stand.
She enjoyed cooking and brought this simple cheese soup to work one day. As you look at the name of the recipe it is depictive of a specific location, here in Stone County. It’s a point called, ‘Pioneer Point’, a beautiful community. The neighbors in this area frequently have carry-in dinners and this soup was a common dish prepared by many.
The ‘cheese’ is supposed to be the focus in the recipe. As you will note the vegetables in the dish all state they are to be diced. This means small everyone!
Of course it is supposed to be made with age old ‘Velveeta’. Hey, if you feel you need to use the product, go for it. I’m the one that stuck the American cheese in as an option.
Like many, my eyes are glued to the plants and trees right now. Watching them bud out again is a reminder of ‘new birth’ and Easter. Last season our burning bush decided to just dry up and go away in mid-July. I’ve been waiting and sure enough it seems to be coming back just fine.
I’ve been trying to find the time to bake a big batch of macaroons, they too seem like Easter. If the body was only 40 again, I’d be getting them done. Then there’s the pineapple zucchini bread I want to bake. The ticket is to not set down when you come home from work, to just keep going.
This gal is looking forward to another great week. As we look ahead there’s lots of little things to get done before ‘poof’ it’s 95 degrees and oh so muggy. We probably have about 2 more weeks before the heavy pollen begins too.
Enjoy a pot of soup, put your feet up and breathe deep. Yes, I keep busy, but I also do my share of resting on the weekends. Have an outstanding week.
Simply yours, The Covered Dish. thecovereddish.com
PS: Someone put a lovely doormat, with our name on it, at our front door this past Thursday. We would sure like to know who the little ‘elf’ is???
Pioneer Point Cheese Soup
2 cups cubed potatoes
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cups boiling water
White Sauce
1 stick butter, (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 cups grated Velveeta Cheese, (or American)
(8 ounces or 1/4 of a log which is usually 2lbs.)
Optional: Ham or bacon pieces
Cook potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in the 2 cups of boiling water for about ten minutes. In a separate pan prepare the white sauce by melting the butter, whisking in the flour and lastly the milk; cooking to thicken. Stir the cheese into the white sauce until melted. Add the cooked vegetables to the white sauce and melted cheese; bring to a light boil. Keep covered to try and keep soup from getting a film over the top.
This easy and yummy soup recipe was shared with me by Judy Gremonprez, who used to live on Pioneer Point. For those in the Ozarks this is a common lake area, off old highway 76 towards Cape Fair, Missouri. Judy and I met when I first came to Silver Dollar City as she ran the ‘lemonade stand’, at the back of the Culinary School.
