Birthday Memories
By Theresa Ragan

Here is an easy and fun way to document a child's birthday.

What you'll need:

• A 12 x 12-inch piece of decorative paper (Polka dot or colored paper can be found at most craft stores.)




• Glue stick




• Permanent, medium-point, colored markers




• A 4 1/2 x 6 1/2-inch piece of paper




• Frame

Directions:

Glue the 4 1/2 x 6 1/2-inch piece of paper to the middle of the 12 x 12-inch paper.

Write OR use stick-on letters to spell out your child's name above the 4 1/2 x 6 1/2-inch paper, and underneath write or glue on numbers that represent the child's age.

On the day of the birthday party, set out paper and colorful markers. Have each child who comes to the party write a note and sign their name on the 12x12-inch paper. Do not let them write on the 4 1/2 x 6 1/2-inch paper in the middle because it will eventually be covered with a photo from the party.

Sometime during the party, be sure to take a picture of the entire group of kids.

After the party, print off a 4 x 6-inch picture and glue it to the paper already glued in the center of the 12 x 12-inch paper.

Place in a frame and hang it on your child's wall in his/her room.

Kids love to look at the picture and read the fun notes from their friends long after the party is over. Be creative with paper and markers. Have fun!

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Soups to Keep You Warm This Winter

By The Wet Noodle Poose

Feel Better Chicken Soup
Contributed by Pam Payne

1 average fresh chicken OR 6 thighs & 2 breasts, with skin
6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 1/2-inch piece of fresh gingerroot or 1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 (12-ounce) package wide egg noodles
Salt to taste

Bring 2 1/2 quarts of water to a boil. Put all the ingredients except noodles in water and cook for an hour. Remove skin from chicken and cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Put back in the soup and add egg noodles. Cook until noodles are tender.


Ham and Split Pea Soup
Contributed by Lee McKenzie

My grandmother used to serve this wonderfully hearty soup with thick slices of her freshly baked, homemade bread. Yum!

1 ham bone, preferably with some meat still on it
10-12 cups of water (I start with 10 and add more as needed.)
3 cups of dried green split peas (rinse first)
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf

Put everything in a large stockpot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Give it a stir now and then, and add more water if needed. Remove the bay leaf, take the bone out of the soup pot, and puree the soup in batches in a food processor or put it through a sieve. Remove the ham from the bone, dice it and return it to the pot. You also can do this before you puree the soup, but I like the meat in chunks. Put it all back in the pot, reheat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve. These days, I prefer not to add salt-there's already plenty in the ham-and liven it up with a generous dash of cayenne pepper.


Creamy Potato Soup
Contributed by Merrillee Whren

3/4 pound bacon
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, diced
8 medium potatoes, cooked and diced
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups milk
Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Fry 1/2 pound of the bacon. When semi-crisp, add onion and celery. Fry until tender. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add salt, pepper and flour. Stir until bubby. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Add bacon, onion, celery and potatoes to white sauce. Warm through, stirring occasionally while frying remaining bacon until crisp. Use bacon and desired amount of shredded cheese to top soup.


Beer Cheese Soup
Submitted by Terry McLaughlin

This rich, hearty soup is full of vegetables and other good things, but you can always play up the beer factor instead of the nutritional benefits.

Ingredients:

4 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrot sticks, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 onions, cut into large (1-inch) pieces
3 (13 3/4-ounce) cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper (white pepper, if you have it)
Flour to thicken soup (1/2 to 1 cup, as desired)
3-4 cups grated, Cheddar cheese
1 (12-ounce) can light beer (at room temperature)

Equipment:

A large soup pot
A small, stick, hand-held blender
An empty, lidded jar for mixing flour and water

Add vegetables, broth, butter, salt and pepper to a large pot over high heat. After the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender (test with a fork). With the blender, puree the vegetables until the broth mixture is slightly thickened and smooth. (If you don't have a stick blender, you can use a slotted spoon to scoop out the vegetables and puree them in a food processor.) Place the flour and approximately 1 cup of water in the jar. Close the lid tightly, and shake it quickly to dissolve the flour. Turn the heat back to high. When the broth reaches a slow boil, slowly add the flour mixture to the broth until it reaches the desired thickness, stirring continually. Add the cheese, a cup at a time, stirring until it melts and blends. Pour in the beer, heat thoroughly, and serve. Serves: 6-8.


For metric conversions of the measurements above, consult any of the following sites:

http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blconv.htm
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/recipes/conversion.htm 
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions.htm

To read last month's Stuff to Make article, click here.

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