Carrot soup made with bacon and mushrooms - Alysian Bisque
By The Style Sisters - Tuesday, February 05, 2019
I have been been making this carrot soup or also known in Holland as Alysian Bisque for over 20 years now and it never disappoints!
Making The Carrot Soup
I love making soup on cold winter days! Just the smell of sautéed bacon, onion and other vegetables just makes me feel all warm inside knowing that something delicious is cooking on the stove.
Sauté Bacon and Veggies
This Carrot soup or otherwise known as Alysuan bisque Is from Holland. Alysian Bisque translates to mean “Soup of Supreme bliss” and I have to agree! It starts with 5 slices of bacon, green onions but I used 1/2 of a regular onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, bay leaf and thyme. So simple and yet so satisfying.
Let It Simmer
In a large pot you cook up the cut up bacon until it’s almost crispy, then add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Then add the Bay leaf, thyme, chicken broth and water.
Blend All The Goodness
Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 50 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes or so. Then I use an immersion blender and whirr it all up until it’s nice and smooth.
Add In The Cream
The last thing you add is 1 cup of cream or half and half which makes the soup even creamier. Truly this recipe from an old cook book called Green on Greens is so delicious you will want to make it over and over again!
Serve
You can tell I have used this cook a lot with stains on this page. I really love how the author tells stories about his grandmother and how she taught him to garden and to cook. It is very informative about all kinds of vegetables and what to look for when buying them as well as oodles of yummy recipes.Shop this post
Immersion blenderFlexible cutting boards
Green on Greens cookbook
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Recipe
from Greene on Greens cookbook (link above)
SERVES 6
5 Strips of bacon
1 lb carrots peeled and chopped
6 whole scallions with the greens (I used 1/2 yellow onion)
10 mushrooms chopped (about 1 cup)
3 Ribs celery chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
1 Bay leaf crumbled
1 cup cream or half and half
1 cup water
4 cups Chicken broth
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the bacon in medium sized stock pot on medium heat until crisp. Stir in the carrots, celery, mushrooms and onions. Cook uncovered for 5-8 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf, broth and water. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer for 50 min. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Then use immersion blender or food processor to process until smooth. (Be careful as hot food expands when hot) Slowly add cream or half and half. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I am pleased to introduce you to my friend Page Hopkins author of "Cooking Your Sass Off" if you want some great Southern food this is the cookbook to have. Page is a true southern girl who shares treasured recipes that are long-time favorites in her family, along with heart-warming stories about why these recipes are important.
There’s a picture of each dish and expert advice from Page on creating the perfect holiday dinner. Also, this guide offers valuable tips to help the holidays run smoothly and decorating advice on how to create that spectacular centerpiece. This beautiful photographed book is a complete guide for holiday entertaining and is sure to become a family favorite!
This Sassy Sausage dip is TO DIE FOR!! I could not stop eating it.
Page has a blog with some of her recipes on there Cooking Your Sass Off stop by and say Hi and try out some of her recipes or get her cook ebook and download it to your ipad or kindle.
Cooking Your Sass Off Holiday Style
eBOOK FOR KINDLE AND iPAD AVAILABLE NOW!
All these recipes would be fantastic for your super bowl party!
Posted with BlogsySopapilla Cheesecake Pie- Delicious and Easy!
By The Style Sisters - Friday, October 08, 2010
I had the most amazing dessert the other day and thought all of you would like the recipe. My new friend Amie from church shared this recipe with me. It is has a crunchy cinamony top and creamy cheesecake filling and a bottom crust.
Try this you will love it.
You can go to Allrecipes and read the rave reviews on this recipe as well.
Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie
Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
- 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup honey
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
- Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.
Enjoy your weekend!
Karin
RASPBERRY S'MORES
From Cooking Light Magazine
Ingredients
- 8 graham crackers
- 32 large marshmallows, cut in half
- 2 1.5-ounce chocolate bars (such as Hershey's)
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Preparation
Adjust rack to middle position and heat broiler or toaster oven. Break the crackers in half to form squares and place on a baking sheet. Arrange 4 marshmallow halves on top of each square. Broil for 30 to 60 seconds or until the marshmallows are golden brown. Break each chocolate bar into 12 pieces. Arrange the chocolate and raspberries on top of half the crackers. Invert the remaining marshmallow-topped crackers onto the raspberry-and-chocolate-topped crackers, pressing gently to make sandwiches. Stack them, if desired.
Doesn't this sound deelish!
I bought these fall flowers at the grocery store and the colors motivated me to make some yummy fall meals. 
This is Elysian Bisque or..... otherwise known as carrot soup. It is our favorite homemade soup. It is made with lots of carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions all sauted with a few slices of bacon. Add a couple of cans of chicken broth.....then you whirrr it all up until it is smooth. Add a small amount of half and half, a sprinkle of thyme, salt and pepper and you are good to go.
It is just the best!!
It is a smooth slightly creamy flavorful soup. My husband says it is whole food, filling and something you might find on the menu at a fancy restaurant. :) 
How about a simple spaghetti dinner?I made the meat sauce using ground turkey instead of ground beef to make it more healthy.
We also had a nice green salad...made with fresh spinach, pears, sliced almonds, craisins and a few raspberries. For the centerpiece I used a small pumpkin and put it under a glass dome. 
Can I tell you how much I love this pig!He is just my favorite decoration.
Just a simple spaghetti dinner at home made a little special with some fall decor.
This is Elysian Bisque or..... otherwise known as carrot soup. It is our favorite homemade soup. It is made with lots of carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions all sauted with a few slices of bacon. Add a couple of cans of chicken broth.....then you whirrr it all up until it is smooth. Add a small amount of half and half, a sprinkle of thyme, salt and pepper and you are good to go. It is just the best!!
It is a smooth slightly creamy flavorful soup. My husband says it is whole food, filling and something you might find on the menu at a fancy restaurant. :) 
How about a simple spaghetti dinner?I made the meat sauce using ground turkey instead of ground beef to make it more healthy.We also had a nice green salad...made with fresh spinach, pears, sliced almonds, craisins and a few raspberries. For the centerpiece I used a small pumpkin and put it under a glass dome. 
Can I tell you how much I love this pig!He is just my favorite decoration.
Just a simple spaghetti dinner at home made a little special with some fall decor.
How about a little fall brunch?
A fun fallish napkin with a fun yellow silk flower sitting on top. Gold goblets, orange placemats, and large fall leaves. 
Some Yummy pumpkin ginger waffles, orange juice and scrambled eggs.
Enjoy the fall days and nights...make your meals a little more special.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday and Kimba's DIY Day...Make sure you go over there and check out everyone's DIY Projects and get inspired!
Turkey Meatballs and Pasta in Cream Sauce
By The Style Sisters - Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Cottage living magazine Jan 2008
Last night, before the Tornado sirens went off and we had to seek shelter in our bathroom from the crazy Texas storm, Emily (my 18yr old daughter)
and I made this delicious dinner. Emily is the daughter that hates to touch raw meat. I told her that if she doesn't get over this craziness she will starve to death when she leaves to go to college! This is what she told me "Mom I will just buy the meat that is already cooked at the grocery store" I said..."ummm no you will not! .....You will not have any money to buy the already cooked meat or the gross fast food every night... and buying that kind of already cooked meat...is not healthy for you either. You need to learn how to cook a few things from scratch...using a scary thing called "raw meat"!"
Last night, before the Tornado sirens went off and we had to seek shelter in our bathroom from the crazy Texas storm, Emily (my 18yr old daughter) and I made this delicious dinner. Emily is the daughter that hates to touch raw meat. I told her that if she doesn't get over this craziness she will starve to death when she leaves to go to college! This is what she told me "Mom I will just buy the meat that is already cooked at the grocery store" I said..."ummm no you will not! .....You will not have any money to buy the already cooked meat or the gross fast food every night... and buying that kind of already cooked meat...is not healthy for you either. You need to learn how to cook a few things from scratch...using a scary thing called "raw meat"!" he he he he. So....since she did not go to work on account of the storm approaching....I told her this is the perfect night to practice.......I got her into the kitchen with me and proceeded to help her make this meal. Emily did great! In fact I think she really liked making the meatballs. (She even said "it does smell good" after we put all the onions and spices and cheese into the bowl). After it was all cooked and we sat down to eat...she said.."Mom I am pretty proud of myself and this tastes amazing!" Wahoo! I now know she can cook at least one meal that involves using"raw meat" and not pass out! Progress!! 
Yeah she is a tough girl now....handling "raw meat" he he he he. I just love my Emz to pieces!!
I thought I would share this recipe with you.
Turkey Meatball and Pasta in Cream Sauce
This sauce is similar to the classic Alfredo, but we've lightened it with chicken broth and flavored it with mushrooms.
Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 40 minutes.
Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings
While making the rest of the recipe cook : 1 pound dried pasta, such as rotini, or linguini cooked according to package directions.
Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup scallions, finely minced and divided
¼ teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
8 ounces white or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Meatballs:
1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs ( I toasted two pieces of white bread and then put it in the blender or food chopper to make it really fine)
1/3 cup milk
In another bowl:
This sauce is similar to the classic Alfredo, but we've lightened it with chicken broth and flavored it with mushrooms.
Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 40 minutes.
Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings
While making the rest of the recipe cook : 1 pound dried pasta, such as rotini, or linguini cooked according to package directions.
Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup scallions, finely minced and divided
¼ teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
8 ounces white or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Meatballs:
1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs ( I toasted two pieces of white bread and then put it in the blender or food chopper to make it really fine)
1/3 cup milk
In another bowl:
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup scallions
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 large egg
1 pound ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Combine both sauce and meatballs:
2/3 cup heavy cream
Preparation
1. Sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more. Add broth; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
½ cup scallions
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 large egg
1 pound ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Combine both sauce and meatballs:
2/3 cup heavy cream
Preparation
1. Sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more. Add broth; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Meatballs: Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl, and let soak 10 minutes. IN a separate bowl Combine 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, ground turkey, 1 egg, 2 garlic cloves and minced parsley. Stir in breadcrumb mixture, and form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs.
3. Combine both sauce and meatballs: Add meatballs to sauce; cover and simmer 20 minutes more. Add cream, and return to a simmer. Add remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan, and stir until sauce is slightly thickened.
4. PASTA: Add drained cooked pasta and sauce to pot, and toss gently to combine. Serve with additional Parmesan.
Oh and P.S. we are all fine..the storm did not do any damage...it sure is scary though. I am so glad that I got my 72 hr. kit put together yesterday!
I had the fun opportunity of helping out my good friend Jan with decorating for her Daughters Wedding Reception Open House. We called upon another sweet friend, Marilyn to have her host this in her home. We tried to come up with ideas using Christmas decor to make it festive without spending hardly any money.
Here are some quick and easy ideas for any party:
This is just water with a gorgeous ice ring made out of cranberries and limes. It was perfect because all we served were mostly sweets so we didn't need a punch.
Tip: Use bottled water in a bundt pan, it makes the ice ring perfectly clear.
Think Vertical...by raising things up on pedestals or footed bowls and cake plates all your food takes on a new look and makes the food more appealing.
We called upon many friend to help make all the delicious cookies, brownies, chocolate tortes, choco covered pretzels, and baked Brie cheese.
Use what you have for display: 
Notice the white footed bowl holding the grapes? That is actually a white footed bowl turned upside down and the square platter is duct taped on top to hold it in place. 
Simple but elegant food items: These are just tiny chocolate cupcakes made from a mix topped with a swirl of butter cream frosting. They were placed on a glass cake plate to make them even more appealing!
Unique Food Items: This was the most delicious thing! Brie cheese topped with apricot preserves baked in puff pastry! OH MY GOSH WE COULD NOT STAY AWAY FROM THIS THE WHOLE NIGHT! We added some fresh raspberries sprinkled on the top for a little color.
Get help: You need great help in the kitchen whenever you are having a get-together. Kerri and Crystal were so fun to hang out with. We laughed the whole night!
Centerpiece idea: I used a regular old fish bowl (cleaned out of course) and I lined the inside bottom part and sides with sliced fresh limes and then filled it with fresh cranberries and covered it all with water. I then used leftover Christmas tree clippings and other greens to make the arrangement and to set the background and then added the gorgeous white roses (from the grocery store!) I wish you could see the limes better it was so pretty!
Costco: Also remember you can always pick up some items already made like these cream puffs and just add some melted chocolate squiggles to the top to make them more festive.
Include your friends when hosting a party or having an Open House. It brings women closer to one another and everyone gets to share their talents, recipes, decorating ideas and no one gets overloaded.
I decided it was time to create a nice autumn dinner for my family. I got out some of my fun dinnerware and set a nice table. I used my cute ivory french Eiffel tower dinner plates, dark brown woven textured placemats, beaded napkin ring holders and golden amber goblets for our water.
Click the picture below to enlarge.
Our dinner consisted of a Roasted Pork Loin. I rubbed it with olive oil, sprinkled it with kosher salt, cracked pepper and fresh rosemary from my garden. I roasted it for about 45 min and then added some carrots that were also lightly coated in olive oil and salt and pepper and continued to roast everything for another 45 minutes.I also roasted some acorn squash and then added a little bit of butter and brown sugar and a hint of cinnamon. I made some fresh green beans by blanching them in boiling water for 7 minutes and then placing them in an ice water bath to keep their gorgeous green color.
In another pan I sauted bacon and onions and then added the green beans to saute them until heated through.
This dinner was so delicious! The pork was so moist and tender, the green beans with all the good bacon onion flavor and the roasted carrots and acorn squash were amazing as well. Scrumptious!!
My daughter Emily wanted to learn how to make our favorite Thanksgiving foods this year. She said to me..
"Mom you know how on Thanksgiving you, grandma, Tiff , Aunt Liz and now Madeline all get together in the kitchen and prepare all the food...I want to learn how do it with just you". Wow what a nice thing to have a daughter ask to be with me in the kitchen! I was amazed that my cute 17 year old almost 18 year old wants to be a part of the "kitchen crew" on Thanksgiving. I jumped at the chance to be with her in the kitchen today to teach her how to make Homemade orange rolls,
homemade pumpkin pie ( from canned pumpkin and made from scratch pie crust ), candied yams and mashed potatoes. Emily really got into it and is quite profecient in the kitchen these days. I taught her how to make Grandma Billie's piecrust, what it should feel like, how to roll it out, not to touch it too much or it will make the crust tough. (All these tips and tricks have been passed down from generation to generation...)
"Mom you know how on Thanksgiving you, grandma, Tiff , Aunt Liz and now Madeline all get together in the kitchen and prepare all the food...I want to learn how do it with just you". Wow what a nice thing to have a daughter ask to be with me in the kitchen! I was amazed that my cute 17 year old almost 18 year old wants to be a part of the "kitchen crew" on Thanksgiving. I jumped at the chance to be with her in the kitchen today to teach her how to make Homemade orange rolls, homemade pumpkin pie ( from canned pumpkin and made from scratch pie crust ), candied yams and mashed potatoes. Emily really got into it and is quite profecient in the kitchen these days. I taught her how to make Grandma Billie's piecrust, what it should feel like, how to roll it out, not to touch it too much or it will make the crust tough. (All these tips and tricks have been passed down from generation to generation...) We had a feast today and everything turned out perfect!! I took some pics so you can see her in action as well as the final result. Scrumpchalumpcious is all I can say. Emily has the makings of being a great cook someday. 
There is just something so soothing to the soul about traditions and especially around the holidays. Being in the kitchen with all the women in our family laughing, chopping, rolling out dough, adding a pinch of this and a pinch of that, oohing and ahhing over all the scrumptious food that we make together..It seems it is a right of passage this year for Emily as she will turn 18 in November and now wants to join in with all of us gals in grandma's kitchen for Thanksgiving!!.....It just makes my heart sing :)
There is just something so soothing to the soul about traditions and especially around the holidays. Being in the kitchen with all the women in our family laughing, chopping, rolling out dough, adding a pinch of this and a pinch of that, oohing and ahhing over all the scrumptious food that we make together..It seems it is a right of passage this year for Emily as she will turn 18 in November and now wants to join in with all of us gals in grandma's kitchen for Thanksgiving!!.....It just makes my heart sing :) We really had a great time in the kitchen today and we also got to share our meal with two of her friends so that made it really special as well.
Beautiful Sunday.
Apple Crostada or Apple Pie Recipe
By The Style Sisters - Thursday, September 25, 2008
This Apple Crostada is now our favorite Apple Pie!! It is the easiest and best tasting "apple pie" you will ever make or eat!! Try it you will love it. It is a free form apple pie....you don't have to put the dough into a pie pan or figure out how to place the pie dough over the top. You can make big ones or personal sized ones....you could make cherry, pear or peach crostadas. The crust is to die for!!!
.
Apple Crostata
For the pastry (this recipe will yield enough pastry for 2 tarts)
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/4 sugar
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
· 1/2 cup ice water
1. Put all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the dough attachment. Pulse 2 or 3 times to combine.
2. Add the butter all at once and pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas.
3. Add a 1/4 cup of the ice water all at once and pulse the dough until it begins to come together around the blade. If the dough doesn't come together, add a tablespoon of ice water at a time until the dough comes together.
4. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead it a few times until you form a smooth ball. Divide the ball into two pieces and flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. If you're making one tart, place one disk in the refrigerator for an hour and freeze the other disk. Otherwise, if you're making two tarts, refrigerate both disks of dough for an hour.
Filling:
· 4 or 5 McIntosh apples
· grated zest of a small orange
· 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
· 1/4 cup sugar
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
· 4 tablespoons (1/2 a stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
· 1 egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Peel the apples and quarter them. Cut each quarter into three pieces. Toss the apples with the orange zest and set aside.
4. On a well-floured surface, roll your disk of dough into an 11-inch circle. (If the dough is too hard from being refrigerated, let it sit for a few minutes.) Once you've rolled out the dough, fold it into quarters or roll it around a rolling pin and transfer the circle to the prepared baking sheet.
5. Pile the apple mixture on the dough, being sure to leave a 1-1/2 to 2-inch border all the way around.
6. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour the topping into a bowl and, with your fingers, work the butter until the topping starts to hold together. Sprinkle the topping on the apples.
7. Brush egg wash over the border of dough. Carefully begin folding the border up and over the apples. The dough should partially cover the apples all the way around.
8. Once you've folded the dough up and over, brush the egg wash over the dough.
9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. The apples will be tender.
10. Enjoy!
Recipe from Ina Garten
