Leap Year!

     Well, tomorrow is February 29th.  It comes around only every four years.  We can say we made it another four years.  We can also say we have been blessed with an extra 24 hours to get caught up on everything.  I am still working on my pink and brown quilt but I found a quilt I finished a few years back.  It's a pattern from Quilt Soup Pattern Company called Ladybug Hug. 

 

 

Even though it has warmed up here considerably,  I still think it's weather fit for soup.  Here's one that we tried a week or so ago and the family loved it.

 

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb. ground beef

¾ cup chopped onion

¾ cup carrots, diced small

¾ cup celery, diced

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried parsley

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes

3 Tbsp. butter

¼ cup flour

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup sour cream

Brown the ground beef in large pot.  Drain.  Add onion, carrots, parsley, basil and celery.  Saute’ until tender.  Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  In a saucepan, melt butter and add the flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes.  Slowly add the milk and stir until thickened.  Add shredded cheese and stir until cheese is melted.  Combine cheese mixture with the vegetable soup mixture.  Stir until combined.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.  (This soup is very good served with dill bread.)

 

Banana Oat Muffins

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

¾ cup milk

¼ cup oil

½ tsp. vanilla

1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.  In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly.  Stir in the milk, oil and vanilla.  Add the mashed banana and stir together.  Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined.  Divide the batter among a muffin tin that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with paper baking cups.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.


 

 

 

My neighbor gave me this book to read a while back and I finally got a chance to read it.  It was a good read with lots of action and a little romance.