Pumpkin Roll

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

Mix all ingredients well. Spray jelly roll pan, place wax paper over pan covering bottom and sides. Spray top of wax paper. Pour mixture over wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn over onto a clean dish towel sprinkled with powder sugar. With towel and wax paper roll up. Set until completely cool. Unroll, spread cream cheese mixture. Roll up removing wax paper, sprinkle with powder sugar.

Cream Cheese Mixture (cream together with mixer)

1-8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 T. butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup powder sugar

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is really yummy, we got it from a Mexican Restaurant here in town. I would suggest though to double it if you want any left overs. It made just enough for my family, so next time I will double it.

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used meat from a rotisserie chicken)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. butter
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup salsa
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Tortilla chips

In a large pot saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is soft and well cooked. Add chicken and mix well. Add the broth, corn, chili powder, lemon juice and salsa. Cook on low for 15 min.
Break up a tortilla chips and pour soup over chips, top with cheese and a little sour cream.

Russian Mushroom and Potato Soup

I must admit I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and it had great reviews so I decided to try it. It seems that lately Brian and I can't find many meals that we both really like. But this one we both really liked. I was a bit worried about the dill being too overpowering in the recipe for Brian's taste (he doesn't prefer dill) but it wasn't at all overpowering and he went back for a second big bowl. And it was quite easy to make and since there is not meat, it was relatively inexpensive, even for Geneva. Give it a try. Here is the original link to the recipe on allrecipes.com. Check out the reviews for fun twists on the original recipe. They call it a soup but it is really more like a great chowder to me. Yes, I know chowders are a kind of soup but I'm trying to be as specific as possilbe here.

Russian Mushroom and Potato Soup (Chowder)

INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 leeks, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
6 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
fresh dill weed, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix in leeks and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with dill, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes, cover, and cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but firm. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir into the soup.

In a small bowl, mix the half-and-half and flour until smooth. Stir into the soup to thicken. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh dill to serve.