How do you define homemade?
I like to take culinary liberties with the word homemade.
My homemade state of mind is firing on all culinary cylinders at this time of year.
Shortcuts that simplify, enhance and spice up the homemade baking and cooking experience top my ingredients list.
Store bought banana nut muffin mix is just an extra teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground cloves, and two ripe bananas thrown in for good measure away from scratch.
Welcome to my this is how we define homemade world.
Spiced up banana-nut muffin bread served with sliced apples and grapes make for a lovely fall afternoon nosh.
My daily life is messy, clean it up routine finds me at the kitchen sink washing dishes several times a day.
The upside of this daily routine is it allows me a pondering session.
At one time or another over the last 40+ years, I’ve stood in that exact spot pondering and appreciating the view from outside my kitchen window.
Gazing merrily along I spotted one lone falling leaf of deep golden amber.
That one lovely leaf was all the verification I needed to determine it’s soup weather!
The beauty of fall was the inspiration, but leftover instant mashed potatoes became the culinary catalyst for this recipe.
I like to come up with a soup, stew or chowder rich in hearty simplicity.
I think this simple corn chowder delivers.
Corn Chowder
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 cup prepared instant mashed potatoes
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon fine black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 package frozen sweet corn
2 cans cream style corn
Directions
In a large pot melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onions and saute until tender. Add flour to the onions, stirring onions and flour constantly until onions are coated.
Pour in chicken broth and cream of mushroom soup, stirring until well blended.
Add potatoes, bay leaves, kosher salt and fine black pepper.
Stir to incorporate and bring mixture to a boil stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add instant mashed potatoes, whisking until well blended.
Next, add frozen corn and cream style corn, stirring to incorporate.
Reduce heat to simmer, and allow chowder to heat through, uncovered, 10 – 15 minutes longer.
For no reason other than I adore the beauty of this cottage and its outdoor fall finery, I’m including these images for the fall of it.
I like this definition of homemade.
