I Found Hope in a Hopeless Place [The Kitchen]

As much as I hate to admit it since it's my birthday month, February is pretty drab. Sorry to add to the many, many overstated complaints about the weather, but these below freezing temps have got to go! So how does this native Texan cope with the cold? By staying inside and celebrating National Homemade Soup Day, of course!

Due to my lack of cooking skills, I was nervous about celebrating this holiday. Kendal will be the first to tell you that I was not born in the kitchen. Just in the past year and a half of living together, we've managed to set off the smoke alarm in our apartment a number of times. Not to mention the time I basically glued noodles to the bottom of a pan, my ongoing struggle with the can opener, the amount of substances that have boiled over pots and onto the stovetop, and the layer of black char that appears every time I try to cook chicken in the skillet. Basically, I have the equivalence of a planter's "brown thumb" in the kitchen. But I promise, despite these setbacks, I'll still make a GREAT wife someday. (Just in case the poor sucker happens to read this.)

Much to my surprise though, my venture for National Homemade Soup Day was a success! Kendal and I decided to try a broccoli cheese soup recipe my mom included in a cookbook she made for me when I first moved into my apartment. I'm not sure it counts as "homemade," but it was delicious (and super easy) nonetheless. I tried to take a pretty picture of the finished product, but my worn out, hand-me-down kitchen utensils unfortunately didn't make for an appetizing image. I promise I'm not lying when I say it turned out great, so there just might be some hope for me after all!

Here's the recipe in case you need a fun way to warm up this February too. I promise if I can do it, so can you!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10 oz. package frozen chopped broccoli, cooked
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cups milk
• 1 jar of Cheeze-Whiz

 

Directions:

1. Sauté onion in butter.
2. Add onion with mushroom soup, milk, cooked broccoli and Cheeze-Whiz in large pot.
3. Stir ingredients and cook on low heat until heated through.