Did ya miss me?!?!?!

I know I know it's been toooooo long!!! My kids are keeping me busy going to parks, riding bikes, going to the beach, feeding ducks, jumping in puddles, and well you get the idea. We have been eating a lot of hot dogs and a lot of PB&J's which we love anyway so that's ok. WE have certainly been enjoying the summer to the fullest! I did make a few things here and there but have lacked the time to post any of the recipes or taken the time to take the pictures!

A little while back I took the kids to see their Babcia (G'ma) and Dziadzia (G'pa). We came home with oooooodles of yummy fresh produce. I hope to post more on the things we brought back soon. One of the things we did get was beets....aren't they puuuurty!!! I personally am not a huge fan of them but growing up they often visited our dinner table. They are a hearty vegetable and pretty easy to grow and very in-expensive. Since I had them I just had to use them. My mom made 3 things with them that I can remember a beet apple salad, a spicy pickled clear broth soup (ohhh this is really yummy and usually eaten with a thing called uszka) Ohhh wait.....I'm not sure if I ever mentioned on here that I am Polish?!?!?! Well Uszka is a little tiny ravioli stuffed with either mushrooms or meat. The 3rd thing that she made often was a creamy beet soup usually served with potatoes and hard boiled eggs. Well since the 2nd option was well simply too much work and with the 1st I was worried that no one else in my family would eat it I chose to make the creamy beet soup. My husband was a bit hesitant but really enjoyed it one he tasted it. My older son loves anything in a soup form and thought that it was pretty cool to have a pink soup and my youngest lil' man well did not eat a single bite....hehe!!! I on the other hand thought it was absolutely delicious, creamy, full or flavor and richness.

These beautifully rich in color rough looking roots are so rich in vitamins and necessary nutrients.
Beets are an excellent source of the B vitamin, folate, and a very good source of manganese and potassium. Beets are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.
Some more fun facts about beets:
Beets' Betaine Helps Lessen Inflammation
Protection Against Heart Disease
The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color-betacyanin-is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent.
Did you know that BEETS are also particularly rich in the B vitamin folate, which is essential for normal tissue growth. Eating folate-rich foods is especially important during pregnancy since without adequate folate, the infant's spinal column does not develop properly, a condition called neural tube defect. The daily requirement for folate is 400 micrograms. Just one cup of boiled, sliced beets contains 136 micrograms of folate.

So why not make something delicious with these pretty looking things....they are so good for you!

I hope I remember the recipe as I did not write it down when I made it

Beet Soup

Ingredients:
4 large beets washed peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt (I may have used more you may just have to taste it and see if it needs more)
1 tsp pepper ( I may have used more I like it spicy)
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup either half and half or heavy whipping cream (I used 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream it depends on ho creamy you want ti to be, if I was making it for me it was full of flavor and delicious without the cream too)
4 hard boiled eggs (optional)
6 potatoes peeled cooked and chopped

Directions:
Prepare the potatoes and eggs and set aside till ready to serve.

I also had new potatoes from the local farmers market.....yummmmm....made this soup even better.

All chopped and ready for the soup.

In a large pot melt the butter then add the onions and garlic. Saute until soft and start to turn golden. Add the beets and toss and let cook for 2-3 min longer then add the flour mixing well. Slowly add in the chicken broth mixing well so all the flour dissolves. The flour helps to thicken the soup. Season with salt pepper and the soy sauce. Cover and let it simmer for 20- 30 min or until the beets are nice and soft. When the beets are nice and soft fish them out and place them in a blender or food processor along with a little of the liquid to help it along.

 Look at that amazing color....puuurrty.
When liquefied add back to the pot of leftover broth and add the cram and dill. Pour into a bowl and add the desired amount of potatoes and eggs and enjoy!!!