Mimi's Kitchen

Happy New Year from Mimi's kitchen! I'm sorry this post is a bit late...it was intended for New Year's day, but we have been dealing with some family stuff, and so real life had to come first. Now I'm ready to get back into Mimi's kitchen and do some cookin', and I want to tell ya'll about an idea I have for my blog this year.

For the last few weeks I have been thinking about posting some kind of challenge for myself on the blog in 2010. I see lots of good ideas on other food blogs; things like cooking your way through an entire cookbook in a year, or posting a recipe a day for the whole year, but I also know myself well enough to know that those are not realistic goals for me. So, after coming up with and discarding several ideas, I finally decided that 2010 would be "The Year of Soup" here in Mimi's Kitchen! My goal (I just love goals!) is to challenge myself to post a different soup each week for all 52 weeks of the year. Easy...right? I guess we'll find out together! So, I hope you all will check in every week to see how I'm coming along with my "Year of Soup" challenge, and I invite you to join me by trying all 52 recipes and making 2010 "The Year of Soup" in your kitchen too!

To get things started off right, my first soup is one of my favorites, a hearty corn chowder with potatoes and ham. This soup is everything a chowder should be...thick, savory, and chock-full of yummy goodness! However, the best thing about this soup is that it has less than 10 ingredients and you can have it on the table in 30 minutes! So grab your soup pots ya'll and let's make some chowder!


The Year of Soup- Week 1
Corn Chowder with Potatoes and Ham

1 ¼ cups water
1 cup diced raw potatoes
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup diced ham
2 cups cream-style corn
1 cup skim milk
1 (10 ¾ oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
¼ tsp. ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine water, potatoes, and onion. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in ham, corn, milk, mushroom soup, parsley flakes, and black pepper. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Dried beans are one of my favorite food bargains, and they're perfect for cooking the $2 Dinners way! Read my latest column for cooking tips on preparing dried beans and a great recipe to use them in!

Sorry for the delay in the giveaway winner announcement everyone...as ironic as this sounds, I was baking Christmas cookies today! Anyway, without further delay, I am pleased to announce that the winner of 400 Sensational Cookies is "Chilly"! Congratulations Chilly...enjoy the cookbook!

This week's $2 Dinners takes a look at one of the best and most economical sources of protein available- the egg. At a cost of only about $1.16 per dozen, eggs are a budget-friendly way to put protein on your family's table, and because they are so incredibly versatile, you can prepare them in many different ways!

So grab another cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and check out this week's $2 Dinners to find out how eggs can save you money (and time) in the kitchen. This time of year we can all use more of both!

Just in time for the upcoming flurry of Christmas cookie baking, I received a review copy of award-winning cookbook author Linda Amendt's new book, 400 Sensational Cookies.

This fantastic book is chock-full of wonderful recipes for every kind of cookie imaginable, including hand-shaped, drop, rolled cutout, slice and bake, and special fancy cookies. There is even an entire section dedicated to America's favorite cookie, the chocolate chip, with several delicious variations! Ms. Amendt also includes valuable information on cookie baking and tools, choosing the right ingredients, and tips for baking the perfect cookie.

Just like Ms. Amendt's previous two cookbooks, Blue Ribbon Preserves: Secrets to Award-Winning Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and More, and 175 Best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and Other Soft Spreads, her newest cookbook is a nicely-executed and extremely thorough volume with well-written recipes suitable for home cooks of all skill levels. If you love to bake cookies and want a great new cook book, "400 Sensational Cookies" is the book for you.

As a thank you to all my readers, I am giving away my review copy of 400 Sensational Cookies just in time for Christmas cookie baking! The contest begins (Dec. 9th) and runs through Wednesday, December 16th at 5:00 pm. The winner will be chosen by me (using random number.org) and will be announced Thursday, December 17th. You can enter up to 6 times- here's how:

• Blog about the giveaway, proving a link back to this article, then e-mail me a link to your post.
• Tweet about the contest (DM me so I will know you did) and don't forget to follow me on Twitter (plhawkins247).
• Leave a comment and your contact info. on my blog http://in-mimis-kitchen.blogspot.com/
• Sign up to follow my blog.
• Post a comment and your contact info. on my Examiner page http://www.examiner.com/x-27374-Durham-Food-Examiner
• Subscribe to my Examiner page.

* Bonus entry- If you are a member of Half Hour Meals.com, send me a "shout". My user name is plhawkins247. Not a member? Sign up today- it's free!

Have Fun and Good Luck!

Review copy of 400 Sensational Cookies courtesy of Linda J. Amendt and Robert Rose publishing, September 2009, Softcover/$24.95. This is not a paid product endorsement.

In this week's $2 Dinners column, I'll show you how you can make delicious, homemade, treats for your family for less than $2 per serving! My Chocolate Chip Peanutbutter Bars and Mudpie Chocolate Cake are sure to satisfy your family's cravings for a little something sweet. Chocolate dessert? For less than $2 per serving? What's not to love? Get out the mixing bowls and preheat your oven...you're gonna want to make these treats!