We are becoming quite the soft foods connoisseurs on this boat, Smoothies for Breakfast, Mac and Cheese for Lunch and Soups for Supper!

We've tried many soups and stews in our quest to find satisfying suppers for all, those of us with braces and those without. The best chowder we've sampled so far is a highly adaptable one from Better Homes and Gardens.



1 cup celery, thinly sliced and leftover from Thanksgiving relish tray
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 14-oz. can veggie broth
1 lb. refrigerated diced potatoes with onions
3-1/2 cups milk
* 12 oz crabmeat
* 14 oz artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
* Handful of fresh basil

To make the basic Chowder, cook up the celery in the butter and oil, adding flour gradually after celery is tender. Slowly add broth stirring constantly to avoid a lumpy chowder. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in milk and add the crabmeat and artichokes. Just before dishing out stir the fresh basil in.

Now rather than the last three *star* ingredients the original recipe suggests adding 8 oz of cooked salmon, one red sweet pepper and a dash of dried red pepper flakes or 8 oz of cooked chicken and 1 cup of peas and carrots with a handful of oregano or tarragon.

Marianna and Veronica are driven crazy by the fact that I use a recipe as a point of inspiration more than a rulebook, unless I'm baking, of course! I kinda see what they mean here, I tried really hard to write down the chowder as I cooked it last night and comparing it to the BH&G recipe you'll find it slightly different. I didn't go crazy adapting this time, just increased the broth and milk and so the flour, too. Added olive oil to the butter to prevent overbrowning of the butter (my theory), doubled the potatoes to correspond to the increased liquids, besides who wants half a pack of potatoes kickin' around the fridge? I'm still trying to clear out the fridge from Thanksgiving!

On that note, I'm thinking of putting all the leftover turkey in the bottom of the crockpot with the gravy splashed over it. Then topping it with a layer of corn and sealing it with a batch of mashed potatoes for a Shepherd's Pie a la Slow Cooker. This is one of Marianna's fav dishes now too, so easy to eat! I never thought about how many foods would be so very difficult to eat with braces, even sandwiches and wraps are out since she can't bite! She has developed a very dainty rip-it-to-pieces-with-my-bare-hands technique though because there are certain foods where a knife and a fork just won't do.

So she tells me.