Classic French Onion Soup | Blogger C.L.U.E. Society

This week the days have been a bit warmer in the Bay Area, yet the evenings are crisp.  I crave a brilliant bowl of piping hot soup when there is a chill in the air and the sky is dark.  It brings a sense of comfort and warmth.  Our fireplace has gone non-stop this winter and it brings us much joy. 

White Bean Chili | Blogger C.L.U.E. Society

Happy New Year!  I can’t seem to say it enough.  I am looking forward to a great year ahead.  A lot of folks vow to eat healthier and exercise more.  That is a motto I always like to follow even if it is a not new year.  Do I always practice?  I wish the answer was yes, but I do pretty well, not perfect. 

Roasted Carrot Soup Shooters | Secret Recipe Club

Can you believe the holidays are around the corner?  I can’t.  It seems as though hubby and I were just putting the Christmas decorations away and in about 10 days we will be putting them back up. This time of year always makes me smile.  It is a time to be with family and friends, go to and throw a few parties, enjoy the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls and for me have time off from work.

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Chunky Chicken and Beer Chili | Secret Recipe Club

It is that time again.  Hard to believe that time goes by that quickly. When I say time, I mean for the Secret Recipe Club.  I am sure you are familiar by now what all the fun is about, but if not, please click here to learn more about it.  This month I was honored to have Melissa from Melissa's Cuisine. Melissa is a twenty something who married the love of her life Mike and resides in West Michigan. Oh and they have an adorable doggie named Champ.  She stays active with a baby girl Summer and running races and marathons.  She loves cooking and documents her cooking adventures on her blog.

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Perfect Italian Soup | Friday Night Bites

Growing up there was a special family style restaurant called Bancheros.  It was completely old school Italian but we loved going there as kids.  Often my parents would call ahead and pick up dinner to enjoy at home.  My absolute favorite item on the menu was their soup.  It was nothing fancy but the flavors were just supreme. Several years ago I learned that they closed their doors and it was like a really good friend who moved away or worse passed on.  I would never be able to enjoy that special soup. 

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Winter Minestrone Soup

Winter is still here.  For many parts of the country, it is more extreme than others.  Here in the Bay Area, it has been relatively mild, except for very chilly evenings.  You know what that means – time for soup.

There is something satisfying, gratifying and comforting about making soup.  The combination of flavors, the simmering and the beautiful fragrance that is exudes throughout the house is simply wonderful.  Recently I purchased the Ina Garten cookbook – “Foolproof, Recipes You CanTrust”.  And oh how I trust Ina.  She has honestly never steered me wrong.  I have collected all her books and adore each one.  Her recipes are straightforward, simply and extremely tasty. My bucket list includes meeting Ina one day in person. Smile.

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Kale and Sausage Soup

Today in the Bay Area it was chilly with consistent rain pounding the pavement.  The trees were whipping and shaking with the substantial wind.  Winter is here.  The sun never peaked out today and it turned out to be a great day to stay indoors.

Beer & Pumpkin Chili + BlueStar Cookware Review

Recently Wendy from Smart Click Advertising reached out to me directly to see if I would be interested in reviewing a new line of cookware from BlueStar.  Prior to accepting Wendy’s offer to send me cookware to review, I did research BlueStar, since I had never heard of them prior. I quickly learned the BlueStar label is part of Prizer-Painter Stove Works, Inc and began handcrafting and manufacturing stoves since 1880.  In 2002, Prizer introduced handcrafted, restaurant quality ranges for the residential market under the BlueStar brand.

Summer Corn Soup with Padron Peppers and Bacon

Living in the Bay Area, we are fortunate to have access to the delicious sweet corn from Brentwood. The season has just begun. The corn is sweet, tender and simply delicious. Our farmers markets are abounding with this summer treat. Often three ears of corn are only two dollars – what a bargain.

Spring Pea Soup with Lemon Crème Fraiche

Spring is in the air. Summer is not far away. Oh how I love this time of year.

We have little birds growing up before our very eyes in a nest in our backyard. The mama bird flies in and out to bring them nourishment and keeps them warm at night. I am sure it will not be long until they are all grown up and leave the nest for the big world outside the tree.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Cashew Pesto | Secret Recipe Club

It was one of those weeks that Friday could not have come soon enough. Work was wild this week and all consuming. With 3 out of the 5 days spending until 9pm or 10pm at the office, I was so looking forward to Friday night. Hubby and I typically celebrate with wine and appetizers each Friday night either just the two of us or with friends. With such an exhausting work week, the idea of just relaxing, drinking wine and watching mindless television was simply perfect. I am looking forward to a fresh week ahead.

Italian Sausage and Swiss Chard Soup

The last several days we have received much needed rain in the Bay Area. It is almost strange that we are having rain since we have been so dry this winter. I must say that it is a welcome site and I am enjoying having an actual winter now.

With winter here, the natural progression is to enjoy a rich hardy soup to warm the soul. After enjoying the kale salad I posted, I have a craving for leafy and hearty green veggies. While at the grocery store picking up the kale, I spied rainbow swiss chard and it inspired me to create this soup. It was hearty, robust and satisfying. The key is the parmesan rind in the soup – trust me!

Rotisserie Chicken & Barley Soup

There is a certain level of comfort in a bowl of Chicken Soup, especially when it is homemade. Could it be the richness of the broth? Shredded pieces of chicken? Dense noodles? Or perhaps, just the satisfaction and comfort it brings with each spoonful? I believe it is all of the above.

Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Bacon, Dates and Pecans | Secret Recipe Club

I belong to this cool online cooking club called The Secret Recipe Club. The premise behind the club is to be paired up with another food blogger, who by the way doesn’t know that you are – hence the “secret” part of the club. You get to browse their site for wonderful recipes and then make it by following 100% or putting your own personal spin on the recipe. Once a month there is the secret reveal, where you see who received your blog and what they selected to post. If you are interested in joining in the fun, simply click onto their site and read all about it.

Coffee Chili

Do you ever watch those cooking competition shows? Especially the ones where the contestants say they have a secret ingredient or family recipe, and of course you are dying to know what the secret is. Sometimes they share and other times, it is truly kept as a secret. It is fascinating that these secret ingredients are truly the distinguishing factor which brings the dish from good to great.

Pumpkin Soup with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms and Pecans

Thanksgiving 2010 has come and gone like a flash of light. The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year. The air has certain crispness and there is a sense of happiness all around. It is a time where shopping malls are crowded, scents of holiday cookies fill houses to a jam packed social calendar with fun holiday events abounding.

It is a cold, raining Saturday morning as I write this post. We were up early to decorate the house since it is an all day event. I grew up with a real Christmas tree that was flocked to simulate a just snow frosted tree, even thought it rarely snows in the Bay Area. To this day my parents still purchase the same type of tree.

Chicken, Lime and Chile Soup

“Chicken soup for the soul” – I am sure that almost everyone has heard this phrase before along with the book series. It is the basis for inspirational stories. In a literal fashion, it can be inspirational food for our stomachs while giving a warm reassurance that all is well with the world. For me chicken soup is one of those dishes that resonates happiness. The variations range from Italian wedding soup to matzo ball soup to the good ole Campbell’s soup from the can.

Asparagus Soup with Crème Fraiche

Snap, Crackle, Pop! I know you are thinking why is she going to talk about a breakfast cereal and how could that possibly tie in with Asparagus Soup. Well you can top the soup to add crunch with rice krispy cereal. Just kidding! The snap is the action you take when breaking off the tough portion of the asparagus stalk and then it pops as it breaks. You can also simply cut the stalk about 2 to 3 inches from the bottom and it will remove the majority of the tough, inedible portion.

Cauliflower Soup with Bacon, Corn and Shitake Mushroom Relish + Friends

If you’re passionate about something, then you’re going to be looking for everything you can to get better at it. This is very true for me with the art of entertaining. The entire process of planning, shopping, decorating, creating the menu to selecting the wine excites me and ignites my creativity. I have done both large and small dinner parties to lunching with the ladies to a formal high tea. One of my favorite ways to entertain is with four to six guests and serving small plates with wine. Often we will sit in the family room and enjoy multiple courses of small plates while pairing with various wines. It is more intimate, comfortable and conversation tends to flow really easy.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut squash has a rich, nutty flavor, which can be enjoyed in both sweet and savory dishes. It's distinct blazing orange color, has a creamy texture once it is cooked. Can be enjoyed in lasagna, ravioli, and savory bread pudding or in a soup. Pairing butternut squash with apples balances the soup and creates a perfect marriage of two great ingredients. You can opt to roast the butternut squash prior to adding to the broth, which would give a more sweet and intense flavor to the soup. I actually purchased the prepared butternut squash that is already cut into one inch cubes - a big time saver!